Former Hoosiers Ready for this Week's NFL Draft

Reakwon Jones is hoping his name is called this weekend Amanda Pavelka, Hoosier Huddle

Written by Evan McShane (@very_reasonable)

A handful of Hoosiers will be focused on the NFL Draft this week. The draft will take place as scheduled with round one on Thursday, April 23rd. The following six rounds take place on Friday and Saturday. Nick Westbrook, Reakwon Jones and Simon Stepaniak were able to sit down with reporters to discuss how they're handling things.

The past six NFL drafts have seen at least one Hoosier selected by an NFL team. Head coach Tom Allen is well aware of this streak. Allen explained, "Definitely something that we're proud of. It involves way more people than myself. Previous coaches, and previous staffs, and a lot of hard work by a lot of people going into that result." 

IU was unable to host a Pro Day this year due to the pandemic and subsequent actions. Wide receiver Nick Westbrook expressed disappointment: "I'm working my tail off and everything is leading toward that date. It's like the first game of the season. You're going through fall camp and everything is all building up. For it not to be there it's kind of tough to handle, especially for a guy like me who didn't get a combine invite." 

Nick Westbrook (15) Image: Amanda Pavelka Hoosier Huddle

Coach Allen also lamented the absence of an IU Pro Day, acknowledging the obstacles it poses. "This year will definitely create some challenges," Allen said. "I know last year Wes Martin was one who directly benefited from our Pro Day. He was not invited to the Combine, but had a great Pro Day and showed everybody what he was able to do."

Westbrook understands the missed opportunity, but he's not dwelling on it. "I had a lot to prove and I feel like I could've proved it at the pro day. I really could've benefitted from it. We'll deal with what's happening because this is unprecedented times for sure." Staying in shape is posing a different kind of challenge under quarantine. "Now you got to get creative to find a way to workout. And also sticking to my diet plan." 

Westbrook is maintaining a positive attitude through it all. " It's kind of fun at the same time to be able to say I'm going through this and hopefully if everything works out, I'll get in the league and look back at my story and my journey and how I was able to do that and how I was basically doing Rocky workouts in my backyard and driveway." Westbrook knows there's only so much he can do right now, "Right now, I'm just trying to focus on what coach Allen and all my coaches and probably every coach across America is trying to say, just control what you can control."

Linebacker Reakwon Jones is back home in Florida with former Hoosier safety Jonathan Crawford trying to stay fit. "They closed all the gyms here and the training facilities. So, me and Johnathan will typically go jump and fence to get on some grass to be able to do drills." Jones knows he has to stay consistent so he doesn't lose a step if his number is called. 

Although he won't be able to take advantage of Pro Day, Jones was able to participate in the Tropical Bowl at the conclusion of this season. "The Tropical Bowl was definitely a good experience," Reakwon explained how he made the most of the opportunity. "I was blessed to have the opportunity to go over there and showcase my character and what I can do on the field. Also, to be around other great players, it kind of pushes you to be better and continue to work harder."

In the absence of coaches and training partners, Jones has turned to his original mentor. "I talk to my mom every day and she's been with me through this whole process, she understands what's going on with everything that's happening worldwide," Jones said. "She's been in my ear. We're not too stressed out about the situation because like you said, we've been through adversity before, we've battled." 

Simon Stepaniak (72) Image Amanda Pavelka, Hoosier Huddle

Lineman Simon Stepaniak is facing a different kind of battle. Stepaniak suffered a torn ACL during bowl practice in late December and has since been rehabbing. Now back home in Ohio, Stepaniak doesn't have a choice but to focus on recovery. "I'm actually able to continue me rehab, that's going great," he said. "Thankfully I haven't had to skip too much of a beat with all this going on."

Stepaniak was fortunate enough to receive an invite to the NFL combine where he impressed on the bench press. "Being able to show like I'm the guy that can play whatever position they need me to play." Stepaniak is probably the most likely Hoosier to see his name called on draft day. 

Paruk from SportsBettingDime.com had the following analysis regarding Stepaniak's draft odds: "Pessimists will note that he's about the 15th to 20th-rated guard in the class and, most years, only about 10-12 OGs get picked. A late-season ACL injury also won't help his cause. But his hyper-impressive 37 bench-press reps at the combine (second-most this year) will attract attention from the more Sparq-oriented scouts."

Place kicker Logan Justus is also an NFL hopeful after a season that saw him go 17-of-21 on field goals this year, including a career-long 50-yarder. Justus finished his career hitting 32-of-39 field goals.

Logan Justus (82) Image: Sarah Miller Hoosier Huddle

Coach Allen won't allow the pandemic to take away from this moment. "I have full confidence that we have guys in this class that are going to get opportunities to go play in the NFL whenever they get drafted or taken as a free agent," Allen explained. "As I told them, you just need one team to believe in you, one team to give you a chance. And when they do, you show you belong. I feel confident we'll have some guys that'll have that opportunity."

This year's NFL Draft may not be as eventful for Hoosier fans as it has been in recent years; but the journey to the pros doesn't stop there. We've seen numerous ex-IU players carve out a role in the NFL as undrafted free agents, and this season will be no different.