Written by Rich Cimini at ESPN.com
There was no live television coverage and no sign of Todd McShay or Mel Kiper Jr. There were no general managers or head coaches in the house — only 17 college scouts, 12 draft hopefuls and one surprise guest. They gathered in a cavernous, multisport facility that usually hosts kids’ birthday parties and youth soccer and lacrosse leagues — not the NFL.
This was the Stony Brook pro day featuring small-school phenom Victor Ochi. No, this north-shore Long Island community was not the epicenter of the NFL scouting circuit on Monday, but dreams are dreams, regardless of the size of the stage. Who cares if this stage is cluttered with soccer goals and lacrosse nets?
The trendy place to be Monday was Ole Miss, where three likely first-round picks worked out for 69 personnel types. But there was no less pressure in the All-Star Arena in Coram, where a dozen NFL wannabes — representing eight schools in New York — hoped to do something memorable. For many, it was their first shot and last shot.
“You have to do everything possible because of that rep we have — a small school, not having much competition,” said New York Giants tight end Will Tye, who showed up in the middle of the workout to support his former Stony Brook teammates.
A year ago, Tye was such an unknown before the draft that he remembers only “three or four scouts” showing up for his pro day, which happened to be in the same facility. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds. Tye eventually landed a free-agent contract, which made him the first Stony Brook alum to make an NFL roster. He finished his rookie year with 42 receptions and three touchdowns.
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