If NFL teams were sleeping on University of Cincinnati safety Darrick Forrest ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Bearcats' 2020 defensive captain and the team's 2019 leading tackler did everything he could on Wednesday to sound the alarm.
Forrest ran the 40-yard dash in an unofficial time of 4.38 seconds, had 21 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, a vertical jump of 39 inches and a broad jump of 11 feet to steal the show at Cincinnati's pro day inside the bubble at the Sheakley Athletic Center.
"My goal today was to go out there and just put up great numbers and I feel like I accomplished that," the 6-foot, 206-pound draft hopeful told The Enquirer. "It's showing that the hard work I put down in Fort Lauderdale is paying off."
More:After sobering end to college career, former UC safety Forrest sets sights on NFL draft
Since the Bearcats' season-ending 24-21 loss to Georgia in the Peach Bowl on New Year's Day, Forrest has spent most of his time training in South Florida.
Since there is no NFL scouting combine this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, UC's pro day took on a bit more urgency for Forrest and the other Bearcats who hope to hear their names called in the NFL draft, which will begin next month in downtown Cleveland. Round 1 of the draft will take place on Thursday, April 29, followed by Rounds 2-3 on April 30 and finally Rounds 4-7 on May 1.
Representatives from 29 of the 32 NFL teams were present for Cincinnati's pro day, including coaches and/or front office personnel from the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers.
Forrest, who was projected by many draft experts before Wednesday's pro day to be selected in the fourth or fifth round, spoke with several teams following his workout. He said they raved about his footwork and fluid hips and said he "performed great."
Forrest, who wrapped up his career with six interceptions and 200 tackles, including a team-high 106 in 2019, said teams also pointed out the fact that he dropped a few balls and missed some opportunities during the on-field portion of the day.
"That's about it, literally, just me tracking that ball and going to get it. So I guess I'll be on the JUGS machine until April 29," Forrest said.
Forrest was one of four UC players who received personal invites from the NFL to participate in this year's unique combine, joining fellow safety James Wiggins, offensive tackle James Hudson and punter James Smith. Other notable Cincinnati players like running back Gerrid Doaks, tight end Bruno Labelle and linebacker Jarell White, a former La Salle High School standout, also participated in the pro day.
Wiggins, who earned a first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection last season, had a 4.44-second 40-yard dash, 20 reps on the bench, a 38-inch vertical and a broad jump of 10 feet, 7 inches to cap an impressive day for the Bearcats' tandem of safeties.
"Just to go out on pro day and show them that I'm still the the same person they saw on film, still got my athletic ability, still mobile and all of that. This was a good opportunity to show and prove to the teams that I still can do it," said Wiggins, who missed time last season with a calf injury and sat out all of 2019 with a torn ACL.
Hudson, who was ejected late in the second quarter of the Peach Bowl for committing a late targeting penalty, said he used the pro day and the days leading up to it to explain the mistake to NFL teams and get past it.
"I told myself, you know, you gotta be smarter, you gotta play with controlled aggressiveness and can't let your emotions get the best of you," the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Hudson said. "It's unfortunate what happened, but I'm past it now, and it's something that probably will never happen again."
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