Wideout: Think on your feet

USA TODAY Sports recruited 11 prospects to chronicle their journeys to the NFL draft. Today’s entry is from Wyoming receiver Robert Herron, a vertical speed threat who had 72 catches for 937 yards and a team-high nine touchdown catches as a senior in 2013. He told his story to NFL reporter Tom Pelissero.

Teams know how you play. They (have) film. I didn’t feel the combine was going to make that much of a difference on what they think about your ability. In the meetings, they wanted to feel you out, see how you answer questions and get your personality. They wanted to see if you knew what you had on a play, what the other receivers had, why you did what you did and how would you adjust your route to coverages.

My whole career at Wyoming, when I played receiver, I played slot. But the first half of my senior season, I was outside the whole time. I’m not sure why. I think it was just for a different look. I’m most comfortable in the slot. I feel like I can get the job done there. I’m a pretty strong guy. I can use that as an advantage. I’m also quick, so I feel like with that combination, it’ll be hard to really consistently jam me. That was never a problem in college.

I’ve always known that I was going to do well in the bench press, so I wasn’t too worried about it at the combine. I’m 5-9, 193 (pounds), and I put up 18 reps of 225 pounds. That was good for me. I was going around that number in training — 16, 17. The guy running it wasn’t even counting out loud. At a point, I didn’t even know where I was at. So I just started focusing on my techniques and gave it all I got.

My official time in the 40-yard dash was 4.48 seconds, and I wasn’t happy. I know I can run faster than that. Once I was up and running, I was running like it was a 4.3, but it was just the start that I had to fix. I still feel like, no matter what that 40 says, I have elite speed, and hopefully I can show it at pro day on Thursday. At the end of the day, it’s all about game speed. You don’t start from a three-point stance.

People from Wyoming are showing us a lot of love, and I appreciate that. We’ve been hearing a lot about the fact NFL scouts are coming all the way to Laramie to see us work out. At times, this whole process can be a little overwhelming, but I feel like you’ve got to relax yourself and be you at all times. Work hard. This is what you’ve been doing your whole life. I feel like it’s going to pay off.