David Anderson file photo
David Anderson wasn’t ecstatic about his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Ind., but he came away thinking he had done well for himself in scouts’ eyes as the April 29-30 NFL Draft approaches.

Anderson wasn’t happy about his official 40-yard dash time of 4.53 Sunday, saying that he had hoped to run in the mid- to high-4.4 range.

“I can’t do any worse than that,” Anderson said of his time. “I know I can run better, I’ve run in the mid-4.4 range.” He hopes to put on a better showing at Colorado State’s “Pro Day” March 28. When you’re in a cluster of receivers hoping to get drafted, tenths of a second can sway scouts’ opinions.

Anderson, who has been working out in Florida since early January with Texas A&M’s Reggie McNeal and Notre Dame’s Maurice Stovall, said he recently hurt his foot running routes, which hampered him a bit at the Combine.

“I still wanted to go full bore and compete,” he said.

He recorded a vertical jump of 34.5 inches (the best by a wide receiver Sunday was 38 inches by Auburn’s Ben Obomanu and Oregon’s Demetrius Williams), a broad jump of 9’9” (the best by a wideout was Williams’ 10’7”), and a three-cone drill time of 6.88 seconds (the best by a wideout was 6.67 by Boston College’s Will Blackmon). Anderson slipped in the shuttle run and was not allowed to re-run the drill.

Sunday’s work also included position-specific drills such as the sideline tap drill, the over-shoulder adjust drill, multiple catch drill, and running wideout routes, which he said he felt he performed very well in. Anderson was the No. 1 receiver of his group, which meant he had to do every demonstration for the group, and then run his real routes. He said the day was exhausting.

He also added that while it wasn’t an ideal performance, Anderson said he was happy overall with his showing.

“I know I’m a great route runner. I’m one of only two guys who didn’t drop a ball (Oregon State’s Mike Hass was the other). I knew I was going to do well in change-of-direction drills. Sure, my goal was to run a mid- to high-4.4 (forty-yard dash), but lots of guys would love to be in my shoes. There were a lot of guys who dropped balls, who didn’t run as fast, who didn’t perform well on the interviews. I just hold myself to a higher standard. But, overall, I’m happy, and I think I did really well for myself.”

The four days weren’t exactly a vacation for Anderson, however.

“It’s very hard,” he said. “They don’t lie when they tell you the environment isn’t conducive to performing well there.”

The Combine is broken into four segments:

Arrival Day--Anderson arrived in Indianapolis on Thursday, immediately going through pre-examinations, “Cybex” testing (measures leg strength, one at a time, to ensure they're balanced and that one isn't stronger than the other), orientation, and interviews.

Medical Exam Day--On Friday he was measured for height and weight, underwent medical tests, took the Wonderlic test, and conducted video interviews.

“They keep you up until 11 p.m. doing interviews,” said Anderson of the first night, adding that he talked with about 20 different coaches during the interview process. “Then, the next day, they have you up at 4:45 a.m. taking a urine test.”

Anderson said he spent six-plus hours at the hospital undergoing medical testing on Friday and went through an additional five hours of interviews. He took the Wonderlic test, and said he felt he scored well. It was the second time he’s taken the test, as he took it at CSU’s Junior Day last year. He scored a 43 on the test as a junior, which was the highest in the country, ahead of first-round draft pick Alex Smith’s official top score of 40. This year’s test results won’t be known for another few days.

Psychological Testing Day--Saturday was a lighter day that included a seminar on the NFL Players Association, psychological testing, and more interviews. Anderson said he declined to take the infamous “Giants Test”, which is another form of psychological testing that involves a 300-question test that asks you such questions as, “Does it make you angry when someone spits on a sidewalk?”

Anderson actually had about five hours off to rest up for the big workout day Sunday.

Workout Day--Sunday, Anderson woke up at 6 a.m. for breakfast, lined up for photos, and then waited for the workouts to start. Workouts included the 40-yard dash, bench press (for everyone but quarterbacks and receivers), vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill, 20-yard shuttle run, 60-yard shuttle run, and then position-specific drills.

Anderson said he hasn’t really heard where he might go in the April draft, but suspects he’ll be a second-day selection (rounds four through six).

“If I improve my (40-yard dash) time at Pro Day, maybe I could jump into the third round,” said Anderson, who going into the Combine was projected as the 27th best available wide receiver according to NFLdraftscout.com. “I’m in a cluster of guys who could go anywhere from the second round to the sixth round. But, if I had to bet, I’ll probably be a second-day guy.

“I’m not worried about it. I know that once I get into a camp, I’m positive I’ll make a team.”

Anderson said he will take the next week off, going home to California, before returning to Fort Collins to work out and prepare for Pro Day. Anderson is three credits shy of graduating, and is finishing up a three-credit online music course to complete his work.