Former Georgia defensive lineman Garrison Smith had an impressive Pro Day on Wednesday.
He was not invited to the NFL scouting combine and used that as motivation. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.23 seconds, had a broad jump of 8 feet, 2 inches and a vertical jump of 24 inches and bench-pressed 225 pounds 23 times.
“I’m not going to cry over spilled milk or feel sorry for myself,” said Smith, who played at Douglass High. “… You’ve got to jump off that porch and make something happen. You can’t lay (around), sit in your room and eat ice cream. I went to work.”
Behind quarterback Aaron Murray and tight end Arthur Lynch, Smith was the next most intriguing NFL prospect at the Pro Day. He showed some agility and power through his position drills.
“When I put on them pads, I get real serious in the trenches,” Smith said. “I got a lot of respect down there (in the trenches), and I’ve made a lot of plays.”
He’s still miffed about the perceived combine slight.
“It’s amazing that I didn’t get an invite to the combine, but I didn’t cry about it,” Smith said. “I went to work. I just said that I’m going to have a good Pro Day. That’s the type of mindset I have. I’m a winner. You can’t stop a winner.”
Smith created a buzz from the scouts on hand from among the 23 NFL teams represented. The Falcons sent three scouts.
“From what I’m hearing, if he doesn’t get drafted he’s going to get in a camp and have a chance to make it,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “We had Kwame Geathers last year who didn’t get drafted and made a team (San Diego Chargers.) We had Abry Jones. I don’t think he was drafted, but he made a team (Jacksonville Jaguars). I’m hoping he gets drafted, but if he doesn’t, and he can get in camp, he’ll find a way to stick.”
Lynch impressive: Lynch, who struggled to catch the ball at times in college, made a spectacular catch that drew a roar from the crowd.
“He made a real beautiful catch where he was going across the middle, and the ball was a little bit behind,” Richt said. “He turned, snagged it and kept his balance. That’s not easy to do. I just thought he really did a good job today.”
Wind an issue: A couple of Murray's passes came out wobbly during his scripted workout, but his quarterbacks coach Terry Shea was not disappointed.
“This is one of my few times where we had a Pro Day where we were on the grass and the wind was a factor,” Shea said. “I think for the most part Aaron drove the ball when he had to. Sure, the ball sometimes had a little wobble to it, but Joe Montana had a wobble to his throws. The wind may have (been) a slight bit of a factor.”
Etc.: Other players participating were offensive linemen Chris Burnette, Kenarious Gates and Dallas Lee, defensive backs Blake Sailors, Branden Smith (2009-12 at UGA) and Brent McClendon (Georgia State), fullback Corey Campbell, linebackers T.J. Stripling and Marcus Washington (2005-09 at UGA), running back Brandon Harton and wide receivers Rantavious Wooten, Rhett McGowan and Curtis Wyatt. … Jacksonville had a seven-person contingent on hand, which included coach Gus Bradley and general manager David Caldwell. … Three quarterback coaches — Dallas' Wade Wilson, St. Louis' Frank Cignetti and Miami's Zac Taylor — were present.
