Bobcats perform in front of scouts at Football Pro Day

Seven former players took part in Texas State Football’s Pro Day on Friday inside Bobcat Stadium.

Defensive linemen Caeveon Patton and Jaquel Pierce, linebacker Markeveon “Binky” Coleman and defensive backs Troy Lefeged Jr., Michael LoVett and DC Williams put their best foot forward in drills during the Pro Day in front of scouts from the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers and the XFL.

For many players, it was the culmination of months of preparation. Lefeged played in the Tropical Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 15, then went to begin training in Pittsburgh. When he returned south, he was met with weather that’s usually found up north — a cold front blew threw San Marcos, forcing the participants to deal with the elements.

Lefeged was used to it, though.

“Actually, before I came here, I ran in the cold and in the rain just in case,” Lefeged said. “Because you never know what could happen. So I guess I was a little bit ready for that.”

For Patton, it was chance to show he was fully recovered from all the injures that held him back late in his career. Patton was named an All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention after his junior year in 2019 and was building momentum toward having his best season on record in 2020. But the defensive lineman suffered a back injury that kept him out for the full year, then suffered a torn pectoral muscle days before having his back operated on.

The Cuero native returned in time to play in the 2021 season, but he didn’t feel like he played up to his full potential. Patton’s friend, Robert Armstorng, a former wide receiver at Cuero and Texas A&M-Kingsville, had a connection with a Dallas Cowboys scout who told Armstrong the team had forgotten about Patton during the lineman’s time off.

Like Lefeged, Patton played in the Tropical Bowl. He then left for Fort Worth to train with Athlete Performance Enhancement Center (APEC). It’s the same facility that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Las Vegas Raiders defensive lineman Solomon Thomas and Philadelphia Eagles D-lineman Marvin Wilson all train at during the offseason.

Patton weighed in at 292 pounds, down from his playing weight of 300. He said he bench pressed 225 pounds for 22 reps and hit a personal record with a 34-inch vertical. His runs felt good, too, even though he wasn’t sure of the times.

“That’s all I wanted to do, is show them I can move, you know, I can bend. Because you know, with a back injury, everybody’s like ‘he’s stiff.’ I’m not stiff. I’m still an athlete,” Patton said. “I feel like a new man and that’s why today I came out here. I wanted to show everybody that that’s not hindering me … (The scouts) all talked to me and they all said they really liked me and I really showed up today and had a great day. So that really confirmed that they like what they see and I knew that I liked what I did today.”

Offensive lineman Liam Dobson was in attendance at the Pro Day, but didn’t go through any drills. Dobson was drafted in the 23rd round of the USFL draft by the New Orleans Breakers on Feb. 23 and intends to play for the team this season. Dobson pointed out that many players in the USFL were previously on NFL practice squad and training camp rosters. His agent thought that putting together a season of tape playing against that level would provide Dobson his best shot of getting an NFL call-up.

Dobson did go through with getting his measurements done at the Pro Day, though. He weighed in at 312 pounds — significantly slimmer than the 340 pounds he played at during the 2021 season.

The 2022 NFL Draft is set to begin April 28. And while being drafted remains the goal for all of the Bobcats, the additions of the XFL and USFL have opened the path for more prospects to become professionals. Texas State’s Pro Day may have opened the door for them to get there.

“At this moment, my dream is the NFL. And it’s realistic. It’s a business, anything can happen,” Patton said. “I might have to step back and go work my way up to the NFL. But right now, I’m focused on the NFL. And if that doesn’t work out, then you know, I gotta do what I gotta do to get there. So whatever it takes to get there, I’m gonna get there eventually.”