Morgan State senior running back Chad Simpson got his ultimate Christmas present a day early.
Simpson, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, received a letter on Christmas Eve from the National Football League inviting him to the NFL Combine.
The combine, held from Feb. 21 to 24 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, is where NFL front office personnel, coaches and scouts evaluate the top draft-eligible players in the country. Last year, the NFL invited more than 300 players, but only 22 who weren?t from a major college.
To Simpson, who is training in Duluth, Ga., with Competitive Edge Training until the combine, the invitation was an affirmation of his decision to transfer from South Florida to Morgan State two years ago.
“Everything started falling into place for me when I transferred from South Florida,” Simpson said. “I knew I had to make things happen, and making the combine is just one of the things I wanted to accomplish.”
But the 5-foot-10, 210-pounder has accomplished plenty on the field to capture scouts? attention. Simpson finished as the MEAC?s leading rusher and set a single-season school record by rushing for 1,402 yards.
However, NFL players emerging from Morgan State is nothing new. Minnesota Viking tight end Visanthe Shiancoe was the last Bear invited to the combine in 2003, and was drafted two months later in the third round of the NFL draft by the New York Giants. The team is also the alma mater of former Kasnas City Chief Willie Lanier, former Baltimore Colt and Oakland Raider Raymond Chester and former Buffalo Bill Mike Collier.
Simpson hopes to hear his name called during the seven-round draft, which is April 26 to 27 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
“He always had the potential,” Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley. “The biggest thing was making Chad a complete player. We showed him how to be a complete player and play with discipline and character.”
Simpson said he is training to work on improving all his skills, most notably his power and speed. At the combine, he will compete in various drills that determine his speed, flexibility, vertical jump and receiving skills.
“I?ve been working hard and trying to be the best and there?s a lot to prove coming from [the Football Championship Subdivision],” Simpson said. “I can?t wait to get out there and show off my skills.”
