Darrius Heyward-Bey is trying to outrun doubters.
The Maryland receiver is fast. Maybe the fastest in the April 25 draft when the Terrapin will be on the clock come the middle of the first round. Heyward-Bey ran 40 yards at the NFL Combine in February in an official 4.3 seconds. Some say several teams clocked him at 4.25.
Darrell Green never, supposedly, ran that quickly and the Redskins Hall of Fame cornerback was the fastest thing in the NFL for many years. Dash times are like liar’s poker in the NFL — the truth is never really known.
“When you run that fast, your body’s exhausted,” said Heyward-Bey during a scouting workout at Maryland. “I was just happy I walked away saying I was one of the fastest guys.”
The NFL loves speed, but also know it’s a siren’s song. Lots of fast guys don’t survive in the NFL. Desmond Howard and Brandon Lloyd failed in Washington. Lots of teams wonder why Heyward-Bey’s Maryland stats weren’t as eye-popping as his speed. They question whether the 210-pounder can get off the line to use his speed. Is he a sideline runner or willing to cross the middle?
“Turn on the film,” he said. “We play in a pro-style offense. We run the ball. Our job is not just catch the ball, but to block. When you turn on the film you see blocking. It’s not just catching and 16 touchdowns. We’re complete receivers.”
Heyward-Bey spent six weeks in Arizona, training with other prospects. He worked with former St. Louis receiver Roy Green on route running and ball skills.
“A lot of my game is I just wake up and do it,” Heyward-Bey said. “They tried to teach me the fundamentals. Everybody tells you the game is faster. Everybody’s smarter, everybody’s good. You know that going in, so you prepare yourself as a professional. They’re guys that are going to be in the top of the draft so you have to perform on their level. If they’re benching that much, you want to bench that much. It’s all about competition.”
And selling himself. Fundamentals show scouts there’s more to Heyward-Bey’s game than his speed. That makes the difference between going 10th and 30th and millions of dollars.
“All these mock drafts and blogs don’t mean anything,” he said. “You only need one GM to fall in love with you.”
Just like Terps fans.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com or e-mail [email protected].
