DATE: Thursday, May 15, 1997                TAG: 9705140209

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 14   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JAMES C. BLACK, SUN SPORTS EDITOR

DATELINE: SMITHFIELD                        LENGTH:   59 lines

COMBINE GIVES PLAYERS SHOT AT COLLEGE CAREER

Will Harris had never participated in a high school football combine before last Wednesday. Nor did he have any friends or family members who had ever gone to one. Thus, it was no surprise that nervous energy filled Harris' 5-7, 170-pound frame before his arrival at Smithfield High's inaugural combine.

``I was shaking, kind of scared I was going to mess up,'' the Franklin junior confessed.

Getting the shot to impress coaches and scouts for a potential college scholarship could do that to a youngster.

Players representing seven Western Tidewater high schools spent an hour going through drills for representatives from various colleges throughout the country.

``I wasn't used to seeing a lot of scouts watching me,'' Smithfield cornerback and wide receiver Kelby Saunders said. ``It was a good learning experience.''

The players got together in groups of less than eight and went through five drills - the square run, shuttle sprints, 40-yard dash, bench press and the vertical jump. And while each player tried to do his best, all the athletes encouraged the members in their groups.

``You can do it. You can do it,'' the players yelled to Greensville County's Daniel Wiggins as he bench-pressed 225 pounds. Spurred by the cheering, Wiggins kept going.

``I got it. I got it. Don't touch it,'' Wiggins yelled to his spotter, Franklin coach Darian Bell.

In the square run, Harris was busy trying to keep up with Smithfield's Chris Parker.

Harris sprinted to the first cone, side-stepped to the second, reverse-sprinted to the third and dashed across the fourth in 8.4 seconds. Parker immediately followed Harris with a 7.80 - making him the first person to run below an 8.0.

Harris' second turn was again above eight seconds. Parker responded with a 7.83. And for good measure, Parker was timed in 7.49 for his final run.

While the combine was new in Western Tidewater, it has been held for several years in surrounding cities.

For eight years, Virginia Beach has been hosting a combine that attracts recruiters from some of the country's biggest colleges. First-year Smithfield coach Joe Jones wanted to do something similar for the Western Tidewater athletes who would have a tougher time getting to Virginia Beach. Also, the Smithfield combine brought attention to athletes that scouts usually don't see or hear about during the season.

``We pinpointed a lot of kids we want to look at,'' Norfolk State defensive coordinator George Moody said.

That's because the Western Tidewater kids did what they were given an opportunity to do - impress the recruiters. Even if some of them were nervous beforehand. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER

Smithfield's Chris Parker cuts around a cone in a timed agility

drill, called the square run, at the combine. He posted the fastest

time for the event.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu