KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Nine former Tennessee football players are back on campus to show off their skills in front of NFL scouts for Pro Day on Wednesday.
Wide receiver Velus Jones Jr., defensive back Alontae Taylor, offensive lineman Cade Mays, defensive back Theo Jackson, defensive lineman Matthew Butler, wide receiver JaVonta Payton, defensive lineman Ja'Quan Blakely, defensive back Kenneth
Butler, Taylor, Mays, and Jones Jr. also participated at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Jones Jr. blazed in the 40-yard dash, which had scouts and fans raving about his speed for his size. He wants to show he can be a kick or punt returner as well as a wide receiver. He wants to leave no doubt as he goes to achieve the dream he has pursued through adversity for.
"It really means the world," he said in a press conference on Tuesday. "Like I said, I've faced a lot of adversity in my career, times that I actually wanted to give up. My family are not quitters. The mentality I had from the Jones side of my family was tough but it made me who I am today. It made me drive harder, go harder. Just knowing I made it this far by the grace of God, I'm just going to soak everything up and live in the moment each rep and have fun in the moment."
Taylor also showed off his speed at the combine. He wants to show he can really catch the ball and come down with interceptions at his Pro Day. It's something he felt he could have done better at during the combine.
He wants to leave no doubt as he tries to chase his dream.
"I've just been saying to myself this is what's dreamed of is finally here now," he said. "I deserve it. For the first time, I sat down and said, 'You really worked hard for this. You deserve to be here and this is where you're supposed to be. So take it all in and enjoy the moment. Don't let it go by too fast so one day I have a story to tell my kids.'"
Butler said 10 to 12 have shown interest in him. His stock has been rising over the year, especially after the East-West-Shrine Bowl. That's a game played by seniors after the season to help showcase their skills ahead of the NFL Draft.
He said his focus is on doing everything at the NFL Combine better so that teams don't have to second guess taking him when it's time.
The NFL Draft is set for April 28 to 30 in Las Vegas.
