Keele puts on a show for scouts

PROVO — John Beck will easily be the first BYU football player drafted into the NFL in April. But the big story of "Pro Day" on BYU's campus Wednesday was the performance of senior tackle Eddie Keele, a player robbed of his final season after suffering a major knee injury at Boston College and ACL surgery only five and a half months ago.

Wearing a brace on his right knee and weighing 305 pounds, Keele ran an impressive 5.08 time in the 40-yard dash, ran the short-sprint shuttles, added some deep snapping duties he picked up a few weeks ago and delivered 43 reps of the 225 bench press, a mark surpassing every reported figure by all college players at last month's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Keele's final lift came amidst cheers from a weight room balcony gallery comprised of teammates and family and friends of BYU players. More than a dozen NFL scouts including two quarterback coaches from Kansas City and Cleveland as well as Baltimore offensive coordinator Rick Neuheisel, attended "Pro Day" activities.

Keele, who plays the coveted left tackle position, tied a BYU school record of 43 reps, set by 2004 Eagle fifth-round pick Scott Young at the NFL combine. "I have done 45 before at another workout facility. But each bar is different. I got to 43 and just ran out of gas," said Keele.

"I came out to show the scouts I could run and that I was strong. I did that."

Jake Kuresa, who felt he was snubbed by not getting an invite to the combine, posted an impressive 35 reps, short of his career-high 40, but the versatile tackle/guard star had lost more than 20 pounds for the workout. He ran a 5.14 time in the 40 at a weight of 322 pounds. "I'm pleased with what I did. It makes a difference being healthy. There are not games, so I'm not banged up."

Beck, who many draft experts believe will be a second- to fourth-rounder, completed an impressive 60 of 65 passes with a pair of drops by Jonny Harline and Nate Meikle and one from Daniel Coats on a low ball that hit his hands. Beck has an individual workout with the Carolina Panthers on Friday.

Harline improved his bench reps to 17 and ran a 4.61 time in the 40, both improvements on his combine marks. Curtis Brown, who was also snubbed at the combine, ran a 4.64, produced an impressive 36-inch jump, 9-foot-7 and an half inch long jump and 16 reps.

Cameron Jensen, another All-MWC performer without a combine invite, ran a 4.64 and had 26 reps.