Story by Keith Jaco, Contributing writer
Most amateur football players dream of a chance to play on the biggest stage in the sport, the NFL. For Murray State defensive back D’Montre Wade, this dream is slowly becoming a reality.
Wade participated in the NFL Draft Combine on Monday, March 5, in Indianapolis, Indiana in front of all 30 NFL team’s scouts and coaches.
Wade, a redshirt senior from Brentwood, Tennessee, has played all four of his eligible seasons with the Racers. In his senior season, Wade boasted an impressive defensive stat sheet for the Racers, tallying six interceptions for 107 yards. In 10 games this season, Wade accumulated 256 all purpose yards, 156 on kick returns.
In a field of 300 players across various positions Wade worked to separate himself from the many to showcase his work ethic and skills.
Scouts look for various things when evaluating players, factoring in different skill sets for different positions. Lineman tend to impress on the bench press while defensive backs like Wade are expected to show-off their speed and agility in hopes of striking interest from teams.
Wade came in Monday standing 6 feet and weighing 206 pounds, an average size for an athlete of his position.
Wade posted an official 40-yard dash time of 4.57, putting him in the middle of the pack among his peers. Wade managed to boost his draft stock with an impressive run at the bench press, posting 15 reps of 225 pounds. In the vertical jump Wade notched 35.5’, another solid statistic sure to help his draft chances.
Donte Jackson from Louisiana State tied for the fastest 40-yard dash time with Tulane’s Perry Nickerson, each posting a swift 4.32. Wisconsin’s Natrell Jamerson and Arizona’s Dane Cruikshank dazzled scouts posting 25 reps on the bench press a piece. The vertical jump was dominated by Terrell Edmunds from Virginia Tech and Nebraska’s Joshua Kalu each leaping 41.5”.
Wade is hoping to make a name for himself just like his father, Orlando Wade, a former SEC cornerback for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Racer fans can tune into the NFL Draft to see if Wade’s draft dreams materialize on April 26th-28th on ESPN.
