BYU football: Kehl hopes to improve his NFL draft status

PROVO — As he prepares for a future in the National Football League, former BYU linebacker Bryan Kehl enjoyed something of a homefield advantage on Wednesday.

Kehl, who helped the Cougars capture back-to-back Mountain West Conference championships, was back on campus for the school's annual Pro Day in hopes of bolstering his draft status.

He participated in the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month — he was the only BYU player invited — but he worked out again in front of 18 NFL scouts and other team representatives Wednesday in Provo.

Doing drills in a place he knows so well, Kehl said he felt more comfortable at BYU than he did in Indianapolis.

"It's like a homefield advantage," Kehl said. "At the (NFL) combine, I was kind of at their mercy, being poked and prodded and going through medical tests. This time, you already know the scouts and coaches who are here. It's round two. I was better in every category today, and I think that's the result of having done it before."

Kehl improved on his vertical leap, from 34 inches to 35 inches, and ran a 4.58 in the 40-yard dash, which is a tenth of a second faster than his time at the NFL combine.

On Jan. 1, following the Cougars' 11-2 season and a victory in the Las Vegas Bowl, Kehl moved to Southern California to work with a personal trainer. Prior to the NFL combine, he played in the East-West Shrine game. Kehl plans to remain close to home in the weeks leading up to the NFL draft in late April.

"I'm just living the dream," said Kehl, who is projected to be a mid- to late-round draft pick.

Following the NFL combine in February, College FootballNews.com rated Kehl among the top 15 outside linebackers, checking in at No. 14. On NFLDraftWatch.com, Kehl is included in a list of "sleeper prospects."

Kehl was one of eleven seniors who went through workouts at BYU, including the broad jump, vertical jump and bench press. Later, they were timed in the 40-yard dash and shuttle run.

Linebacker Chris Bolden recorded the best vertical jump of 36 inches, while linebacker Kelly Poppinga recorded 27 reps on the 225-pound bench press. Other seniors who participated in Wednesday's workouts were cornerback Andre Saulsberry, defensive lineman Sean Sullivan, center Sete Aulai, linebacker Markell Staffieri, cornerback Kayle Buchanan, fullback Joe Semanoff, defensive lineman Judd Anderton and cornerback Ben Criddle. Both Kehl and Poppinga are happy that Pro Day is behind them.