Despite re-aggravating a groin injury suffered in the final game of the season for the Wildcats, former ACU Wildcat Edmund Gates still managed to impress scouts and other players at the 2011 NFL Combine over the weekend.
Gates’ participation in the combine marked the third straight year that a former ACU player was invited to the premiere scouting event for the NFL draft and the fourth time in the last six years.
Edmund “Clyde” Gates topped all receivers in the 40-yard dash with a sub-4.4 time of 4.37, good for second fastest at the Combine with just the defensive backs left to run. He also preformed well in the broad jump and vertical jump, posting top-10 numbers in both drills.
“I feel I did good with my workouts,” said Gates. “I know I could have done better with some of the drills.”
As fast as Gates was his time was merely second best among ACU players who have participated in the Combine. Gates outperformed his cousin Bernard Scott by five-hundredths of a second, but was not fast enough to overcome the 4.34 mark set by former Wildcat and current Chicago Bears wide receiver Johnny Knox, set just two years ago.
Gates was forced to pull out of the final three workout drills due to a lingering groin injury. The injury was sustained against Central Missouri, his last in an ACU uniform. It is not the same injury that kept him from playing in the 2011 senior bowl, which he did not participate in after injuring his hamstring on the first day of practices.
“That little groin injury kept me from opening up and running like I wanted to,” said Gates.
With the blistering 40-yard dash time, and great drill workouts combined with a good showing in position drills, including the famed gauntlet drill, Gates solidified himself as one of the top deep threats coming into the draft and one of the better receivers overall. Some scouts have Gates going as high as the second round with his impressive showing at the Combine.
Edmund will have another chance to prove to scouts he belongs in the NFL with his pro day workouts on March 31. Gates hopes to improve his broad jump time and would like to be able to complete the cone drills that he forwent at the Combine.
“The biggest thing to work on is getting healthy,” said Gates. “I want to get back to 100 percent for my pro-day.”
