Alex Wesley could have ran collegiate track anywhere in the country with his 400-meter dash time. But the Murphy, Texas, native believed he was good enough to play big-time football, too.
Northern Colorado, a Division I FCS school, ended up being his biggest offer that allowed him to play football and run track. So Wesley headed to Greeley, Colorado.
"It ended up being the best decision I made," Wesley told HERO Sports.
The 6-foot, 190-pound wide receiver is now a potential NFL Draft pick, with most projections having him going in the 6th-7th rounds. His speed caught the attention of scouts as Wesley went over 1,000 yards during his junior and senior seasons. But his draft stock has really improved as he has shown scouts he's an all-around solid receiver instead of just a burner.
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Wesley's talents were on display at the Senior Bowl, the NFL Combine and Colorado's Pro Day while he did interviews at UNC's Pro Day.
“(Route running) was something that I had been working on the entire year, not only getting ready for the Combine but also the football season," Wesley said. "I think I got to showcase that during the year, but they wanted to see more during the Combine and I think I went out there and killed the workouts. It was important to show I’m not only a track guy, but I can also play football.”
Wesley ran a 4.45 40-yard dash, which tied for the 12th best among the nearly 50 wide receivers in attendance. His 38.5-inch vertical jump tied for seventh best and his 125-inch broad jump tied for ninth.
And as far as the off-the-field stuff, Wesley impressed.
“I think I definitely helped myself," Wesley said. "Coming from Northern Colorado, I had a little more to prove. I think I did that and I think I killed my interviews. Coming from my offense, which was a lot of pro-style stuff, really helped me and I was able to articulate my football knowledge and coaches want to see that."
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Wesley roomed with Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray during the Combine. Murray was one of the more talked about prospects during the week as the potential No. 1 quarterback in the draft decided not to work out.
Wesley and Murray didn't talk much about that. In fact, Wesley said they didn't talk much about football at all. The two went to high schools about 15 minutes away from each other and developed that bond.
For Wesley, it was a glimpse of what it's like to be on a big-time stage.
“It was a little surreal being there after watching it for years on TV ever since I was a little kid," Wesley said. "Now I was there and somebody was watching me the way I used to watch them. It was a little crazy. It was a good time and a good experience.”
Wesley's stock continues to climb as the NFL Draft approaches. He says he's had a good amount of contact with every team thanks to the Senior Bowl and the Combine. Arizona is one team that has shown a lot of interest and Wesley had a private workout with the Cardinals last week.
Wesley's track background certainly helps on the football field. He was a 2018 Second Team All-American for the UNC track and field team with a time of 45.91 in the 400-meter dash. But he also has the overall skill set needed at the next level.
And UNC gave him a chance out of high school to prove that.
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