Pike/Gilyard Relish Combine

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"I've been loving this," Pike said Friday. "Any time you can be around the best and compete and just show what you've got, and obviously you're in front of 32 NFL teams, as a football player and a guy aspiring to be in the NFL, you can't ask for a better chance."

Pike has been working out in California, honing his footwork and lifting weights. He added 11 pounds between the Senior Bowl and combine and would like to add a few more, to ease concerns among NFL officials that he is too thin to take a hit.

Gilyard has been training in Naples, Fla., with Clif Marshall and Ignition, the group that helped Conner Barwin rise from an expected mid-round draft pick to a second-round pick last year. Gilyard expects to run the 40-yard dash Sunday in less than 4.55 seconds.

"All my times are down," he said proudly. "I'm really ready to run tomorrow. I'm anxious to see what I'm going to run."

Gilyard's draft preparation got off to a rocky start when he dropped numerous passes during practices at the start of Senior Bowl week, but he rebounded with a strong performance in the game. Lions receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, who worked with Gilyard at the Senior Bowl, implored him to treat the off-season as a job.

http://cnati.com/featured-stories/pike-gilyard-relish-combine-craziness-001378/

 

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INDIANAPOLIS -- Tony Pike said the first thing he will do when he gets drafted is thank God, then his family. He recounted the sacrifices they made so he could chase a dream and said he looks forward to treating them.

If an NFL general manager asked the same question, Pike said, he would give the same answer.

"I think it's big to show these guys you've got a strong base," he said. "Obviously a lot of people ask if anything is more important than football, and I've always put faith and family and then football. I feel strongly about that. One of the reasons I'm here today is because I've always put those two in front."

It was a thoughtful answer delivered earnestly. Pike, the former Reading High and University of Cincinnati quarterback, seemed genuine.

But agents spend so much time schooling prospects prior to the NFL scouting combine that it is often difficult to tell what is real and what is rehearsed. And team officials are so paranoid about divulging their plans that they spew nonsense in the apparent hope that reporters will become too bored to ask a follow-up question.

http://cnati.com/blogs/scott/2010/02/notes-quotes-and-anecdotes.php

 

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Pike is the third quarterback in the class to adjust his delivery and Pike showed a release that got the ball out of his hand more quickly. He was a little inconsistent with his accuracy, but there is surely an adjustment period after tweaking his delivery and the long-term benefits should outweigh the short-term inconsistency."

"[Brown's] 4.54 in the 40 was best among quarterbacks and he posted a 34.4 vertical jump, showing that he also has the athleticism to move to another position if necessary."

Here is ESPN.com's John Clayton's take:


"The highlight of the day was watching the 6-6 Pike go against the 6-3 [Zac] Robinson. Each has a tight overhand delivery in which the ball zips from the right of his ear and moves with velocity. Even though Pike will probably go ahead of Robinson, I thought Robinson won the day. His passes on comeback routes were crisp and he surprised many by throwing a better 35-yard post corner route than Pike. For whatever reason, I thought Pike's balls wobbled a little too much when he threw outside the numbers."


Gilyard also registerd a 39 inch vertical leap.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/category/_/name/cincinnati-bearcats