Golden Eagles perform at Southern Miss pro day

Fourteen Southern Miss Football players await the next steps in their goal of reaching the National Football League after completing the team’s Pro Day event Monday.

Jason Brownlee, Eric Scott Jr., Dominic Quewon, Natrone Brooks, Tykeem Doss, Tylan Knight, Briggs Bourgeois, Mason Hunt, Camron Harrell, Santrell Latham, Lakevias Daniel, Malik Shorts and Demarcus Jones all performed at Southern Miss’ pro day hosted at The Rock.

Scouts from teams across the league viewed Southern Miss’ players complete various drills, including the 40-yard dash, vertical, broad jump, bench press, shuttle, and position group drills.

Brownlee, who impressed at the NFLPA Bowl and participated in the NFL Combine, headlined the Golden Eagles’ pro day. Brownlee did not participate in the 40-yard dash or broad jump, but finished with a 38-inch vertical and finished receiving drills with Demarcus Jones.

Brownlee said he has talked to at least 14 teams so far and has reached out to former teammates such as Jaguars receiver Tim Jones for advice and guidance on the draft process.

“I’ve learned a lot in just believing in myself and putting the work and time in every day, and listening to the people I’m around because they build my confidence up,” Brownlee said. “It’s been a fun experience and I had the best time of my life when I was at the NFL Combine. It was a dream come true for me.”

Scott was another Southern Miss player who participated in an offseason bowl game, playing at the East-West Shrine Bowl. Scott posted the teams’ best vertical at 39.5 inches and best broad jump at 11’1’’, but did not complete the day after pulling his right quad.

The defenders led the way in the broad jump with Daniel, Quewon, and Harrell all finishing with jumps above ten feet. Latham and Brooks posted jumps right below at 9’10’’.

Bourgeois then impressed scouts with his performance in the kicking drills, making all field goals but a 65-yarder that fell a yard short.

Bourgeois said he has trained in Buffalo, New York with his kicking coach in preparation for going to the next level and could not wait to show his game at the event.

“I could barely sleep last night because I was so jacked up. I was like I wish we could kick at midnight last night. But just when I got out there, I just calmed myself down and went back to the basics and produced,” Bourgeois said. “I think I’m a diamond in the rough. Not a lot of people know about me, but I think after today, people are going to know who Briggs Bourgeois is.”

Hunt also notched a pair of 50-yard punts in his drills, including a 59-yarder, and averaged 48.2 yards on 16 punts overall.

Harrell ran the fastest 40-yard dash from unofficial times, as most of the pack finished with unofficial times around the 4.6 to 4.7 mark.

With the NFL Draft just a month away, many of Southern Miss’ players are making the final preparations and realizing the reality of reaching their dreams.

“It’s a dream come true and a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I had to capitalize on it and went a hundred percent,” Quewon said.

For Quewon, he and seven other teammates on defense have all committed to reaching the same goal, and he realizes that this event marks the end of one journey and the beginning of another.

“We’ve been training in the same spot, so we’ve kept in touch and been positive with each other. We always talk and look back on the good times we had and motivate each other. This is probably one of the last times I will see everybody in this room all together, so hopefully I get to meet them again on the same team at the next level, but I’ve got real love for all the guys and I hope the best for everybody,” Quewon said.

The NFL Draft will begin on April 27 and conclude on April 29.