Juan Corders of Winston-Salem State hasn't made an appearance in any of the endless mock drafts on the Internet.
But he still hopes for the chance to make an NFL roster.
Corders, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound defensive end from Durham, has spent the past several months working hard to get noticed. He graduated from WSSU in December with a double major in business management and marketing. He also played in two HBCU all-star games, and he plans to keep his cell phone close in the coming days.
"At one of the all-star games, there were some scouts showing interest," said Corders, an All-CIAA selection last season. "I've got nothing concrete, but I feel like something will come along after the draft, and I'll get a shot."
Corders participated in the NFL Pro Day at Wake Forest in March and did fairly well, bench pressing 225 pounds 21 times and running the 40-yard dash in 4.88 seconds.
One of his strengths is his versatility. He played linebacker his first three seasons. He switched to defensive end last season, and his speed from the outside rushing the quarterback helped make WSSU one of the CIAA's best defensive teams.
Corders finished his career with 201 tackles and 201/2 sacks and as a senior had five sacks, five fumble recoveries, a blocked kick, a forced fumble and a 56-yard run on a fake punt.
The Website nfldraftscout.com ranks Corders 119th among inside linebackers in the draft.
Defensive tackle Teryl White, a North Forsyth High graduate who played at N.C. Central, is in the same boat as Corders — waiting for a chance. White (6-4, 295) had 39 tackles, 21/2 sacks, a forced fumble and a blocked kick last season and 158 tackles in his college career.
White also played in the HBCU All-Star game in Atlanta in December, and published reports said he had a private workout with the Indianapolis Colts in March.
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