Franklin Field will play host to the third annual Pro Football Day, a workout session for local college prospects, and a chance for NFL scouts to get a look at some of the players.
This year, Penn will have two seniors working out for the event, senior offensive linemen Ben Noll and Mike Powers.
You might have had a tough time finding these players on campus this semester. That is because they were off working out in various camps in Florida and other states.
Noll received first-team All-Ivy honors this season, adding to his second-team All-Ivy selection his junior year. Powers was Penn's offensive rookie of the year in 2001.
Senior quarterback Mike Mitchell, the 2003 Ivy League Player of the Year, and senior offensive lineman Chris Clark, an AP and AFCA All-American, were originally slated to work out for the NFL scouts today, but injuries have kept them out of action.
Mitchell sustained a shoulder injury, and is still recovering from an ankle injury. He is working out in Florida to get back to 100 percent. Penn football coach Al Bagnoli had nothing but words of praise for his star player.
"He's had a pretty productive two years, with an offense that has to make plays," Bagnoli said. "His stand was tremendous, it measures up very well to some very good quarterbacks we've had in the past."
Those past quarterbacks include such greats as Gavin Hoffman and Mark DeRosa, who currently plays for the Atlanta Braves.
Noll and Powers might perform well because of their physical gains after the football season, but what really matters is their performance in training camp. That is, if they get signed.
"Their chances of getting drafted are pretty slim," Bagnoli said. "But then again, if you look at the big picture, once you step into training camp it's a whole different story. You have to prove yourself there."
Maybe Noll and Powers can take solace in the increased draftability of Penn players such as Jeff Hatch and Jim Finn. Hatch was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2002 NFL draft -- the highest draft position of any Ivy Leaguer since 1997.
Hatch's vital statistics (6-foot-6, 315 pounds) match up favorably to these offensive linemen, particularly Noll. Finn is also with the Giants as the team's starting fullback. Finn was the final selection of the 1999 Draft by the Chicago Bears -- a position deemed Mr. Irrelevant. Despite being cut by the Bears, Finn trained in Florida and made the Indianapolis Colts' roster the following year.
Defensive back Vince Alexander and wide receiver Rob Milanese were members of last year's graduating class and participated in last year's edition of Penn's Pro Football Day.
Though both players were not drafted, they signed free agent contracts shortly after the draft. Alexander signed with the New York Jets and Milanese inked with the New England Patriots. However, both failed to make their respective teams' final roster.
Milanese recently signed a free agent contract with the Jets and is likely to travel overseas to play in NFL Europe.
"Hopefully there is going to be a recognition factor -- we had Vince Alexander, we have people in pro camps," Bagnoli said. "Hopefully the scouts recognize these guys are coming from a good program. How are they going to stack against all these other players across the nation? Once you're drafted, you have to stick your foot in the camp. That's where most of these guys get cut, and it's a tough place to be."
