Alumni uncertain about NFL

Lockout — it’s a word that hasn’t escaped the ears of former UNM football players Bryant Williams and Byron Bell.

Yes, the NFL is at a collective bargaining standstill, but for draft prospects there is no work stoppage. Even if drafted, the former wide receiver (Williams) and offensive lineman (Bell) can’t sign with teams until there is a collective bargaining agreement in place. That didn’t deter them from taking part in the Lobos’ Pro Day on Thursday. Williams and Bell, among other Lobos, worked out for NFL scouts from the New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals at the “Tow” Diehm Athletics Facility. For now, Williams is forging on as if the season will start in August, since negotiation is beyond his control.

“I think that you have just got to let that take care of itself, for the most part,” Williams said. “There is nothing that you can really do, and there is no point in really worrying about it.”

Worrying about their stock, though, is what Williams and Bell can do.

Bell, a 6-foot-5-inch, 330-pound tackle, had a respectable senior season and was voted by Mountain West Conference coaches to the 2010 MWC honorable-mention team with more than 100 knockdown blocks last season.
CBSSports.com has Bell as the 26th ranked offensive lineman heading into this year’s draft.

During Thursday’s drills, Bell put up 20 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press. He worked out with the Carolina Panthers last week, but from what he’s heard, he is staying modest about the draft.

“I’ve heard all types of issues (with my play),” Bell said. “I’ll take the good and the bad, but I’m taking it one day at a time and trying to stay humble with the situation.”

In the least, Bell is hearing from teams, which is more than Williams can say. So far, Williams said, no NFL teams have contacted him.
“As of right now, I don’t know too much,” he said. “I guess I’ll just wait and see who calls and go from there.”

Bell will also wait and see, but he said he was encouraged by his performance Thursday.

“I got base numbers, and I tried to do the average of what was going on at the (NFL) combine,” he said. “I think that I impressed some scouts this morning, and hopefully, they go back to their teams and have some interest in me.”

More than anything, Williams said he wanted to participate in the drills. If he has it his way, not only will he be in a NFL uniform when football finally commences, but he’ll be playing for the Indianapolis Colts.

“That’s where I’m from and it’s my hometown,” Williams said. “Who better to play for than Peyton Manning and play under that organization that’s produced great wide receivers? … It would be a dream come true and my childhood dream because that’s all I’ve done since I was little.”
The reality is it might just be a dream — unless the NFL and Players Association make headway.