NDSU Pro Day: Gatlin impresses with 40 time

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FARGO — North Dakota State senior Josh Gatlin led the Bison in interceptions this season with five. On Monday, however, other numbers were more important.

Like anything under 4.40.

That was Gatlin’s 40-yard dash time that was tossed around on the Fargodome turf in NDSU’s annual “Pro Day.” Five NFL teams had their stopwatches on Gatlin and a couple of reports had him at either 4.37 or 4.39.

“Overall in talking with the scouts, they said I had a really good day,” Gatlin said.

Whether that translates to a really good day on the weekend of April 28-30, the dates of the NFL draft, remains to be seen. But Gatlin and two other former teammates — punter John Prelvitz and offensive lineman Michael Arndt — got the most attention of the eight players that participated.

Prelvitz busted a few punts that had NFL hang time material. He spent some time this winter in Arizona working with professional kicking coach Gary Zauner and is hoping for a free agent shot this spring.

He was 10th in the Football Championship Subdivision in punting with 42.6-yard average and had an impressive 27 boots inside the 20-yard line. NDSU was second in the country in net punting.

A key is keeping the ball in the air and Prelvitz said his hang time Monday was around 4.7 to 4.8 seconds.

“If you can do that consistently, that’s what they want,” he said. “If you can do that 20 out of 20 times, you’re a Pro Bowler.”

At 6-foot-6 and 319 pounds, Arndt has the size. On Monday, scouts from the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks put him through agility and strength tests.

His vertical jump was 27 inches. His 40 time was 5.45 seconds. He bench pressed 225 pounds 19 times.

He’s scheduled for an individual workout with a couple of other NFL teams but he won’t really know how it went until May.

“In the draft or after the draft,” he said.

But Gatlin, with his interception in the Texas vs. Nation all-star game in January, appears to have the best shot.

“The game in Texas helped me a lot,” he said. “The feedback I got was that was a shocker. But I’m not going to listen to all the talk, just staying focused.”

Other players going through the drills were Bison receivers Titus Mack and Gary Williams, Dickinson State defensive back Derion Williams, University of North Dakota linebacker Russ Cochran, Sioux defensive lineman Ty Boyle and Minot State receiver Johnny Lester.

Kolpack is a sports reporter for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, which is owned by Forum Communications Co.

Tags: college football, sports, bison