OC Kody Russey made strong impression at Pro Day

[Jets Global]

University of Houston center Kody Russey grabbed the bar and didn't stop hoisting heavy metal until he had garnered loud applause from his teammates. 38 Bench Reps.

At the Coogs' campus Pro Day in front of 31 of 32 NFL teams, Russey bench pressed 225 pounds 38 times. The 6-foot-2, 301-pound second-team all-conference selection also ran the 40-yard dash in a respectable 5.06 seconds with a 1.75 10-yard split, a 30-inch vertical leap and a 9-2 broad jump and a 4.52 short shuttle.

"It was a lot of fun," Russey said in a telephone interview. "It was a long 11 weeks of training. It was fun. I did good. I got faster. I got to get swole. They did a great job keeping our mobility and saying loose.When we got out there for the workout, we were hanging out and got to catch up. We were all rooting for each other. When I was doing the bench press, I felt the energy. It helped me get a few more reps."

Russey, a Louisiana Tech transer, had a 77 1/2 wingspan and 32 1/4 arms.

At Louisiana Tech, he started 46 of 549 games and was an All-Conference USA selection before transferring to UH and becoming their starting center.

After the workout, Russey talked with the New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals. He met with the Texans, whose contingent included general manager Nick Caserio and director of player personnel James Liipfert.

Represented by Nick Bedford, the Burleson native trained in Midlothian, Texas. He graduated from Louisiana Tech and his halfway through his maser's degree. He would like to be a college offensive line coach one day.

"The scouts came up to me and said, 'He did a good job,'" Bedford said. "He is committed to protecting the quarterback and protecting the team. He's a hard worker, very committed, very smart. I can't say enough good things about him."

Jets Global