At the Chessick Practice facility in DeKalb, four former Northern Illinois football players worked out in front of NFL scouts ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft. Running back Clint Ratkovich, wide receiver Tyrice Richie, punter Matt Ference, and linebacker Lance Deveaux Jr. were the former Huskies in action. In total, 11 NFL teams attended the workouts: the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, and Tennessee Titans.
The former Huskies did not disappoint on the field. Clint Ratkovich and Lance Deveaux Jr. participated in all speed and position drills in addition to the three tests that were behind closed doors. Here are the official results from the 2022 Northern Illinois Pro Day as recorded by the scouts in attendance.
Vertical Jump: 34 inches
Broad Jump: 10.2 feet
40-Yard Dash: 4.64 seconds
Shuttle: 4.32 seconds
3-Cone Drill: 7.18 seconds
*Ratkovich’s 31 bench press reps would have been good for the second-most reps at the 2022 NFL Combine. Boston College guard Zion Johnson topped the field with 32 reps.
Broad Jump: 9.10 feet
40-Yard Dash: 4.75 seconds
Shuttle: 4.48 seconds
3-Cone Drill: 7.48 seconds
The former Huskies did not disappoint on the field. Clint Ratkovich and Lance Deveaux Jr. participated in all speed and position drills in addition to the three tests that were behind closed doors. Here are the official results from the 2022 Northern Illinois Pro Day as recorded by the scouts in attendance.
Clint Ratkovich
Bench Press: 31 reps*Vertical Jump: 34 inches
Broad Jump: 10.2 feet
40-Yard Dash: 4.64 seconds
Shuttle: 4.32 seconds
3-Cone Drill: 7.18 seconds
*Ratkovich’s 31 bench press reps would have been good for the second-most reps at the 2022 NFL Combine. Boston College guard Zion Johnson topped the field with 32 reps.
Lance Deveaux Jr.
Vertical Jump: 34 inchesBroad Jump: 9.10 feet
40-Yard Dash: 4.75 seconds
Shuttle: 4.48 seconds
3-Cone Drill: 7.48 seconds
Tyrice Richie
Tyrice Richie participated in a limited manner on Pro Day. After the session, he told me was able to record 12 reps on the bench press less than six months after the injury that ended his Huskie career.Matt Ference
Matt Ference punted in front of the scouts at the end of the workout, both with distance punts and coffin corner punts. Ference punted well with many of his attempts rolling out of bounds inside the 10-yard line, a result he produced many times at Northern Illinois.