West Virginia Football: Mario Alford Posts 4.28 40-yard Dash, Shows Promise
West Virginia held its annual Pro Day and while Kevin White was the main even, fellow receiver Mario Alford may have stole the show.
With all the talk surrounding White who is poised to be a first-round draft pick, players like Alford have taken a back seat. But, that doesn’t mean they’re not worth the time. In fact, Alford put up an outstanding time at Pro Day.
Oct 4, 2014; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Mario Alford (5) returns the opening kick-off against the Kansas Jayhawks during the first quarter at Milan Puskar Stadium. West Virginia won 33-14. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Alford posted a 4.28 in the 40-yard dash. Previously, at the NFL combine, Alford ran a 4.43 — a time he was immensely unhappy with.
“I was mad at my 40 time at the combine, I’m mad to this day,” he said. “I’m pretty happy right now that I proved it wrong and showed I could’ve ran faster at the combine.”
Alford said at the combine he was overthinking it and it cost him.
“At the combine I was overthinking too much,” Alford said. “Here (at Pro Day) I just told myself, ‘Get out there and run.’ I’m already fast, just get out there run.”
Alford proved that he’s got the burners, but he also sought out to prove he could run routes and catch passes as well.
Alford, along with White and running back Dreamius Smith ran routes and caught passes from their former quarterback Clint Trickett.
Alford did a solid job and showed he’s capable of being a quick receiver in the NFL. Despite his performance, he says he’s still unsure where he’ll play in the NFL.
“A lot of guys want me to play mainly as a special teams guy,” said Alford. “Punt returner, kick returner – they don’t know if I’m going to play on the inside or outside so just got to see what I get. It doesn’t matter.”
He excelled when it came to punt and kick returns while at West Virginia and it would be silly to think an NFL team wouldn’t give this speedy player a chance to make something happen on special teams.
A strong showing at Pro Day should aid Alford in his effort to be part of an NFL organization. Overall, he’s happy with how his Pro Day resulted.
“I’m very satisfied. I feel good right now,” Alford sad. “A lot of scouts told me, ‘Great job,’ and not only was I fast but I did good routes and have great hands. I did a pretty good job overall.”