On Tuesday, March 22, Liberty will host its annual Pro Day event for 17 former Liberty football student-athletes as well as a couple from other in-state schools. NFL and other professional football franchise personnel will be on campus to evaluate the Flames’ pro prospects who will go through height and weight measurements, testing, position drills, and individual workouts.
Liberty has hosted a Pro Day most years, but Tuesday’s event will be unlike any other that the school has seen. With quarterback Malik Willis participating in the event and being one of the favorites to be the first quarterback taken in next month’s draft, there will be more NFL personnel on Liberty’s campus on Tuesday than at any previous individual day in school history.
Liberty is expecting over 120 NFL scouts and personnel at this year’s Pro Day event. Included in that list will be numerous NFL head coaches and general managers. The NFL Network will have a full crew on site to show Malik Willis’ passing drills live beginning at 1 p.m. ESPN, the Athletic, and countless other media entities will also be in Lynchburg as part of the festivities.
“I don’t think we can quantify it really,” Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze said of the exposure Liberty will get on Tuesday. “I don’t know how I would in words nor outside of words. I just know that it is huge. It is big. We believe in what’s going on here. We believe in our administration. We believe in our people. We believe in our culture. We think the Mountain is a special place to be on and think that the future can be really, really bright. Obviously, for that to all happen it takes everything I just mentioned but it takes players. You’ve got to have players.”
Willis headlines the list of Pro Day participants, but he will be joined at by safety Ben Alexander, linebackers Rashaad Harding and Storey Jackson, tight ends Trevor Hobbs and Johnny Huntley, defensive linemen Elijah James, Ralfs Rusins, and Jayod Sanders, corner back Duron Lowe, running back Joshua Mack, offensive lineman Tristan Schultz, wide receivers Kevin Shaa and DJ Stubbs, and safeties Cedric Stone and Skyler Thomas.
“It’s going to be quite different,” said Freeze on Monday. “Even today, we had spring practice six this morning, there were a lot of people in there. It was great to see all of our players come back. I took a picture with them this morning. Not just Malik, but all the other guys, some of which I think are going to surprise some people and have a chance to get on rosters and do well. I think it speaks for the job that our recruiting office and our coaches have done to convince good players and kids to come and join us here.”
2019 Liberty graduate and former running back Frankie Hickson will also participate in the event, as will Virginia Tech wide receiver Tre’ Turner and Richmond wide receiver Jonathan Johnson. Turner has been projected by many as a late draft pick.
Coach Freeze says he has had numerous people reach out to him recently, including the Lynchburg City Manager, to offer to help in any way needed for the event as Liberty, Lynchburg, and the football program prepare to host the large event that will have a lot of eyeballs on the school and area. It gives Liberty a chance to show off its facilities and staff to those that will be on campus as well as those watching on television.
“This will be our first experience here at Liberty with a Pro Day that is like this and I hope there are many, many more to come,” Freeze said. “Just from the scouts that have been here during the season, all have been really impressed. I can’t wait for all the General Managers, coaches, scouts that will be here tomorrow to hopefully get the same feeling.”
With all the attention on Willis, every one else working out on Tuesday will also have the potential to show case their talent and get on the radar of NFL scouts.
“Our kids will perform well,” said Freeze. “They will test well. My strength coach has done this before for me at Ole Miss and they crushed testing. I think our kids will do that tomorrow and then obviously the attention that will be on Malik and what happens with him. I think it’s going to be a big day for us.”
