Allen, Mordecai show skills at UW’s pro day
MADISON - Wisconsin football held its annual pro timing day Friday at the McClain Center.
Nine Badgers participated, including running back Braelon Allen and quarterback Tanner Mordecai. Here are the highlights.
Big day for Blaylock
Safety Travian Blaylock’s career with the Badgers was marred by injury. This past season he was healthy but fell out of the safety rotation as the season went on. He was a star of the day, however, posting the team’s top performance in the 40-yard dash (4.42 seconds), vertical jump (39 inches), broad jump (11 feet).
Here are the Badgers’ performances in those drills. Note that the players didn’t perform every drill.
40-yard dash: Blaylock, 4.42, Mordecai, 4.48, linebacker C.J. Goetz, 4.75; linebacker Maema Njonmeta, 4.8; tight end Hayden Rucci, 4.94; long snapper Peter Bowden 5.10; offensive lineman Michael Furtney, 5.45.
Bench press: Furtney 29; offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini, 27; Goetz 21; Bowden 19; Rucci 19, Blaylock 15; Njonmeta 15.
Vertical jump: Blaylock 39 inches, Mordecai 36.5; Njongmeta 34.5; Goetz 33; Bowden 32; Rucci 32; Furtney 26.5.
Broad jump: Blaylock 11 feet; Goetz 911; Mordecai 9-11; Njongmeta 9-8; Rucci 9-7; Bowden 9-2 ; Furtney 8-2.
Mordecai puts zip on ball
After blazing to the second-fastest 40 time of the day, Mordecai went through a throwing session that included Allen as well as a handful of current Badgers receivers.
Mordecai’s throws had plenty of zip on them and were on the mark. Mordecai missed three games last season due to a broken bone in his throwing (right) hand. He hopes his workout Friday shows there are no lingering effects from the injury.
“I just talked to a few a (scouts) afterwards and (they) said I helped myself a lot today with how I ran and them being in person with me throwing to prove my hand is fine (and) it’s back to normal,” Mordecai said. “A lot of them are skeptical about that because of where it was broken, but I think today proved it’s good to go.”
As for his 40 time, Mordecai said a key was learning how to run the drill, in particular getting off to a good start. He has been training at APEC training in Fort Worth, Texas.
“You just learn about steps and the mechanics of your running form. Good starts, how you transfer your weight and I ate really well the last two months and that really paid off,” Mordecai said.
Allen does on-field work, no fitness tests
Allen decided Friday not to run the 40-yard dash or do any of the other fitness tests. He did, however, run pass routes and catch balls from Mordecai as well as run drills that showed how he attacks the line of scrimmage and runs off blocks.
He said he still has lingering effects from the high ankle sprain he played with during the final two games last season , though he said his recovery is almost complete.
“Trying to get healthy and everything took longer than we hoped for, so I had a short window to train and I didn’t feel comfortable with where I was at to put those numbers on paper,” Allen said. “Not that they would have been bad, but they wouldn’t have been what I was hoping for or expecting.”
That said, Allen feels his ability as not only a runner but pass blocker are what set him apart.
“They get a physical, downhill runner, a guy who is smart and takes a lot of pride in protecting the quarterback, which obviously is a very important skillset to have in the league,” he said. “I’m able to diagnose different pressures, different defenses and coverages and things like that, so I think I’m a quarterback’s best friend when it comes to that.”
Bortolini gets handle on snapping issues
Bortolini has been training for the draft with offensive line guru Duke Manyweather in Frisco, Texas. A key part of Manyweather’s work with the Kewaunee native has been improving his snaps.
“There were absolutely some technique things (I’ve learned),” he said. “With the snap, it’s a detailed thing. He taught me some tips and tricks placement-wise, hand placement, launch point, where you’re lining up in your stance that really helped me.”
Bortolini bench pressed 225 pounds 27 times but steered clear of the 40yard dash. After running a 4.94 at the NFL combine earlier this month, there was no need to prove his speed in Madison. He did, however, do some drill work before calling it a day.
At UW he played every position on the line except left tackle. He said there has been equal interest in him playing guard or center.
“Versatility is a great thing and that is something I’ve proven in my years at Wisconsin, that I can play all those spots…,” Bortolini said. “Wherever they want me to play I’m more than happy and capable of doing it.”