MORGANTOWN — Leddie Brown knows the 40-yard dash time he posted at the NFL Combine in early March in Indianapolis doesn’t pop off the page, especially when compared to what many deem the “standard” for running backs in the league.
Brown ran a 4.64 at the combine, the second slowest of the 27 running backs who decided to run the 40.
Many thought Brown would try to improve on that mark during Tuesday’s Pro Day inside WVU’s Caperton Indoor Practice Facility, but he decided to go a different route.
“I decided to just stand on my combine 40. My film speaks for itself,” Brown said.
Brown admitted many pro scouts told him speed was something they’d like to see improve, but speed isn’t something that simply develops overnight.
Instead, continuing to grow on what made him a 2,888-yard rusher for the Mountaineers who scored 27 touchdowns in his career is what Brown wants to show prior to April’s NFL draft.
“Some people just don’t test good,” he said. “I feel like my tests went good [Tuesday] and at the combine, so that’s why I just want them to base it off of my film. There’s nothing more I can do; their job is to watch film and evaluate my game, and hopefully a team loves me enough to draft me.”
Brown was a between-the-tackles, bigger back for the Mountaineers, known for a bruising style of running. He was listed a 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds at the official weigh-in. He had 18 reps on the bench press, jumped 36 1/2 inches on the vertical leap, ran a 4.20 in the shuttle and 7.03 in the 3-cone drill.
“I thought I did pretty good,” Brown said. “I wanted to do more, but they told me that was it.”
Brown ran passing routes with balls thrown by WVU offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, who was an All-American quarterback at Texas Tech in the late 2000s. Brown also ran drills with Steelers assistant wide receivers coach Blaine Stewart, a Morgantown High alum and son of former WVU head coach Bill Stewart.
Others who participated in Pro Day were the safety trio of Sean Mahone, Alonzo Addae and Scottie Young, along with kickers Tyler Sumpter and Evan Staley.
There were 21 scouts from 18 of the 32 NFL teams, including the Steelers, Broncos, Chargers, Falcons, Commanders, Giants, Jaguars, Giants, 49ers, Titans, Packers, Lions, Browns and Chiefs.
The NFL draft is scheduled for April 28-30.
