Two HBCU standouts grab headlines at NFL combine

Supersized Howard offensive tackle makes equally sizable waves.

INDIANAPOLIS — Howard offensive tackle Anim Dankwah and Virginia State cornerback Willie Drew were two of the biggest winners at the NFL scouting combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Dankwah and Drew were the only HBCU players to participate in the workouts.

Dankwah, who is 6-foot-8 and 362 pounds, was the biggest player in the building. Drew, who started his career at James Madison, held his own.

“It’s a step closer to the goal,” said Dankwah, who bench-pressed 225 pounds 24 times and had a vertical jump of 27.5 inches.

“I intend to show the pro scouts that I’ve got good movement skills. Obviously, I’m built for the part. Now, I just have to come out here and show them that I can move pretty fluidly and give myself a chance.”

Dankwah, who moved from Ghana to Canada at age 9, was late to the game of football — he started playing in the 11th grade.

Last season, he helped the Bison win a second consecutive MEAC title and played in the Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in January.

“The MEAC is a pretty competitive FCS,” Dankwah said. “We’ve had a few guys get a shot at the NFL at least every year. This year I’m blessed to be one of them.”

The Bison nearly upset Division I opponent Northwestern last season, narrowly losing 23-20.

“Northwestern was a good game,” Dankwah said. “I’m sure they didn’t think much of us when we came in there. We were ready to go. We were ready to play. Everybody on our team was locked in. We were all focused on winning. I wasn’t able to finish the whole game. I played up until the third quarter, when I suffered an ankle injury. I was cheering on my teammates.”

Eden James, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Edgerrin James, was Howard’s featured back. He gained a lot of his yards running behind Dankwah.

Dankwah has had an informal interview with the Buccaneers, and he met with the Falcons during the East-West Shrine Bowl week.

“I was talking to (Browns tight end) David Njoku, who trains at our facility,” Dankwah said. “There are a lot of Nigerians over here. This year, I just happened to the be only Ghanian over here. ... Sports work well for kids who come from a place where I come from. We’re not given a lot of opportunities, and sports kind of, like, embodies everything that

we’re about. Hard-working people. We want to get it anyway we can. Playing sports is an escape for most of us. We keep fighting and we keep coming here.”

Drew, who played in the Senior Bowl, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 and 4.47 seconds.

“It’s a journey,” he said. “God has a plan. You just have got to follow his plan. Everything will work out for you.”

He was named the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s defensive player of the year after racking up six interceptions and 16 pass breakups last season. “I’m a ball hawk,” he said.

Drew, who’s from Smithfield, Virginia, recalled James Madison taking away his scholarship after he got hurt in the seventh game of the 2019 season.

“My grades went down,” Drew said. “They pulled my scholarship . ... Then I went to school for a year at JMU and then after that, I hit the transfer portal. Virginia State was the first opportunity that presented itself to me. I jumped on it. That’s all I needed was a second chance.”

Drew (6-0, 190) tried to make the most of his Senior Bowl invitation. “It was a great experience for me to be the only (Div. II) player there,” Drew said.

Here are some of the other winners from the NFL scouting combine:

■ Troy running back Kimani Vidal: The for- mer Marietta High stand- out ran the 40 in 4.46 sec- onds, had a vertical jump of 37.5 and bench-pressed 225 pounds 18 times.

■ Florida state tight end Jaheim Bell: He played at Valdosta High. He ran the 40 in 4.61 sec- onds and had a 35-inch vertical jump.

■ Pittsburgh wide receiver Bub Means (Lovejoy High): He ran the 40 in 4.43 seconds and lifted 225 pounds 19 times, the second-highest total among the wide receiv- ers group.

■ Georgia offensive lineman Amarius Mims: At 6-8, 340, he ran the 40 in 5.07 seconds. He was com- pared to former Auburn and Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Mar- cus McNeil (Cedar Grove). McNeil played from 2006-11 before injury cut his career short.

Here are some of the los- ers from the combine:

■ Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.: He did not partic- ipate in the drills and did not appear for his media interview. Coming out of the combine, LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers has moved in front of Harri- son. A slight slip of a few spots in the draft would cost Harrison millions on his first contract.

■ USC quarterback Caleb Williams: His ratio- nale for not going through the medical evaluations could be troublesome. Now, if he does medicals for the team visits, he’ll have to go through repet- itive testing. At the com- bine, it’s one-stop shopping for all 32 teams. Before the Bears, with the No. 1 over- all pick, decide to commit to a $40 million contract, they’ll need to do some medical exams. Also, this turn of events fuels the notion that Williams has an injury to hide.

■ Georgia tight end Brock Bowers: He wasn’t expected to work out, but he will do so at Georgia’s Pro Day on March 13. This extra time gives teams rea- son to believe they can find a tight end in the later rounds. Travis Kelce was a third-round pick and George Kittle was a fifth- round pick.

COURTESY Virginia State cornerback Willie Drew reflected on his journey Monday at the NFL combine, saying his transfer to the Trojans was the second chance he needed.