Feb. 25, 2011
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By John Denton
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The dream of playing in the NFL - a vision that at one point seemed unclear for Bruce Miller, Jah Reid and Jamar Newsome - will be closer within reach this weekend for the three former UCF stars.
Miller, Reid and Newsome came to UCF four years ago with little fanfare, but the talented threesome have evolved into legitimate candidates to be selected in the spring NFL Draft following star-studded careers with the Knights. All three will work out this weekend at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Ind.
Miller, for one, is blown away that a small-town kid from Georgia, who wasn't heavily recruited coming out of high school, is now being analyzed and interviewed, measured and timed by NFL scouts and general managers. That rise just makes him appreciate his growth and time at UCF even more.
``Not a day goes by that I don't think about it,'' Miller said of his improvement. ``It's been my goal of mine all along to play in the NFL. I played pretty well at UCF and now I'm working hard to make my dream become a reality. It's getting closer and closer and it's almost hard to believe.''
Reid, UCF's two-time all-conference right tackle, is schedule to go through NFL Combine tests on Saturday, while Newsome - a wide receiver whose stock soared late in the season - will be tested on Sunday. Miller, UCF's all-time leader in sacks, will be tested on Monday.
Miller, Reid and Newsome are hoping to follow in the footsteps of former UCF defensive tackle Torell Troup, who greatly improved his stock last spring at the NFL Combine and was ultimately chosen in the second round of the draft by the Buffalo Bills.
Troup's selection marked five consecutive years that UCF has produced an NFL draft pick and it is the eighth time in nine years that the Knights have had a player selected. UCF, BYU and Fresno State are the only schools from non-automatic qualifying BCS conferences which can make both of these claims.
Since joining Conference USA for the 2005 season, the Knights are tied for the most total NFL Draft picks with their seven, matching East Carolina.
Miller, who finished his UCF career with 35.5 sacks and 57.5 tackles for loss, has been preparing for the NFL Combine by working out in suburban Atlanta with former NFL linebacker Randall Godfrey. Miller, a 6-foot-3, 260-pounder, played exclusively on the defensive line his final three seasons at UCF, but could be moved to linebacker in the NFL because of his lack of size.
``The scouts have seen me play defensive end, but they want to see me at linebacker now,'' Miller said. ``I haven't had a chance to stand up defensively in a long time, so it's something that I'm still getting used to. But I'm excited about playing there again.''
Similarly to Miller, Reid has worked with a former NFL great to teach him the ropes of the professional ranks. His agent, Derrick Fox, introduced him to former Pro Bowler Will Shields and the two have worked out near Kansas City most of the past month.
Scouts are enamored by Reid because of his 6-foot-7 stature and his 325-pound base. Also working in his favor is his massive wingspan and his quick footwork. But those gifts didn't come without a lot of work considering that Reid lost nearly 50 pounds at UCF and developed into arguably Conference USA's best offensive lineman.
``I know now that this is a great opportunity that I have been blessed with,'' Reid said recently. ``With my size and physical abilities, I just need to keep working every day and getting better. I'm just really thankful for all the blessings that I've had along the way.''
Newsome was a late-bloomer for the Knights, in large part, because of his history as a track star instead of being deep-rooted in football. But his off-the-charts physical gifts and hard work started to pay off his senior season when he caught 37 passes for 616 yards and three touchdowns.
Scouts have been impressed with the Newsome's ability to run - he's a 4.4-second burner in the 40-yard dash - and his willingness to be a physical blocker at 205 pounds.
The participants in the NFL Combine will be tested in the 40-yard dash, vertical leap, broad jump, bench press, shuttle run and three-cone drill. On the bench press, players will be tested to see how many times they can lift 225 pounds. Miller has done 36 repetitions before and repeating that feat should open even more NFL eyes to his talent.
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John Denton's Knights Insider appears on UCFAthletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.