This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In between spring ball, the NCAA Tournament, Opening Day for baseball and Utah's coaching search, one of the most awkward days in sports came and went at Utah — pro day.
Awkward, but necessary, say those who come to the event armed with stopwatches, charts and a judging eye.
Every school has the day, a few hours of time set aside for NFL hopefuls to show off their bench presses, 40-yard dash, foot drills and anything else that might be asked of them.
It's awkward for so many reasons, not the least of which is having football players run 40 yards in a straight line in their underwear, a drill notorious for deciding whether a player is worthy of getting paid to play a game.
Never mind that players have to perform in combatlike uniforms and rarely, if ever, run in an uninterrupted straight line — someone, somewhere, deemed the 40 the benchmark of a good football player.
We won't argue it; it is just one of the many, strange moments of the day held in near-stifling silence in an atmosphere that seems better fit for a medical room than something sports-related.
No cheering aloud at pro day, just note-taking and scrutiny.
In an ideal situation, max pressure on a football player would be a fourth-down, goal-line play with the game in the balance.
But for those who dare, it's pro day, even for those who are invited to the NFL Combine. At least there, players are part of a mass production meat market.
Pro days held at schools put players in a singular spotlight, particularly those with the best chances of moving on. They are the ones with the most at stake and are the most worked. Among the 18 former Utes who participated in Utah's pro day, cornerback Brandon Burton and offensive lineman Zane Taylor had some of the day's best efforts.
At least now their awkward time is over, and all they can do now is wait and see if they get invited to the big show.
lwodraska@sltrib.comTwitter: @lyawodraska; @sltributes