Taj-Amir Torres’ NFL future is out of his hands now.
The Amherst native and Boston College senior participated in the Eagles’ pro day Wednesday, working out in front of representatives from all 32 NFL teams.
Schools host pro days between the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and next month’s NFL Draft. Athletes perform many of the same drills and tests as prospects at the combine but in a more comfortable setting, and it gives less-heralded prospects a showcase.
Torres wasn’t one of the seven Boston College players who went to the combine, so he trained for the past 11 weeks for the drills and exercises. Fellow defensive backs Hamp Cheevers, Lukas Denis and Will Harris helped Torres prepare for the event and gave him pointers Wednesday.
“Those are some of my best friends, they helped me today, things I had to do, things I shouldn’t do,” Torres said. ‘Those guys got so much exposure and so much experience it only helps me and motivated me, as well.”
They started in the weight room with the bench press and vertical jump. Torres leapt 35.5 inches but only put up four reps of 225 pounds. By comparison, every defensive back at the combine put up at least 14 reps on the bench.
“I’ve never been good at the bench,” Torres said.
He was more comfortable on the turf at Fish Field House. Torres ran a hand-timed 4.37-second 40-yard dash. It could have ranked among the fastest defensive back times at the combine, which uses lasers to time the 40.
He clocked 6.85 seconds in the three-cone drill, which measures change of direction, and 11.26 seconds in the 60-yard shuffle.
“I expected pretty much what I did,” Torres said.
Now all he can do is wait. The last step in the pre-draft process is visits. Teams are allowed to transport 30 draft-eligible players for physicals, interviews and other tests. If a player went to school or grew up in the same metropolitan area as the pro team, they don’t count toward the 30-player limit.
“All I can do is keep training, keep praying and hope for the best,” Torres said. “It’s out of my control. I did what I had to do and hopefully everything goes good.”
If Torres isn’t drafted, he could sign with any team as an undrafted free agent. He would likely play slot corner in the NFL after being one of the best interior coverage players in the country as a senior. Pro Football Focus rated him as the top ACC defensive back in slot coverage. He also led the conference in coverage stops, according to PFF.
“I think that the NFL is a passing league now and a lot of defenses play in a nickel package,” Torres said. “I think my skillset is good for the NFL now.”
Either way, he’ll graduate after this semester with a bachelor’s degree in applied psychology.
“Throughout this process you have to realize you’re more than a football player. It doesn’t define you,” Torres said. “I’m at one of the best colleges in the country about to get my bachelor’s degree. At one point I wasn’t even thinking about going to college. I’ve been blessed. I’m happy for the situation I’m in now.”
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.