Damien Berry looks to improve stock at UM Pro Day

Among the nine UM players at the NFL combine last week, the most noise was made by Leonard Hankerson and DeMarcus Van Dyke.

Hankerson greatly improved his stock by running a faster-than-expected 4.43 seconds in the 40-yard dash while Van Dyke made national headlines by clocking the third-fastest 40-time (4.28) at the combine since 2000.

Damien Berry, the Hurricanes’ leading rusher last season, also helped his value by showing overall athleticism with solid showings in the 20-yard shuttle and the broad jump. Berry was timed in 4.12 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle (fifth among running backs) and his 10-foot broad jump was tied for sixth best in his position group. The dread-locked 5-foot-11, 212-pound Berry also reports that he didn’t drop a pass during drills.

Asked what he proved in Indianapolis, Berry responded: “That they can’t put me in a shell, that I’m just a power back who can only do certain things. I think I proved that I’m very athletic, very shifty, that I can move side to side.”

Berry has been working on getting himself ready for the NFL Draft since finishing his collegiate career on New Year’s Eve in the Sun Bowl. He played in the NFLPA-sponsored Texas vs. The Nation game and scored on a 72-yard touchdown run.

The Belle Glade native then moved to Nashville, Tenn., for a couple of months to train for the NFL combine.

“I wanted to get away,” said Berry, who worked out at D1 Sports Training in Nashville. “I’ve been around Miami all my life. I wanted to get myself ready for what was coming up the next few weeks so I thought it was best for me to move up there and get focused.”

Berry will get a chance to increase his stock further on Thursday at UM Pro Day. He ran 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the combine and is contemplating running the distance again for scouts.

“I know I can run faster than what I showed up there,” said Berry, who gained 899 rushing yards in 2010 for UM including four consecutive games in which he topped 100 yards. “I’m looking forward to proving myself because I didn’t think I did that up at Indy that well. I just want to show the world that I’m a superb athlete.”

Russ Lande, a former Cleveland Browns scout who now analyzes the draft for The Sporting News, said that Berry has an outside chance of being selected in the third round, but is more likely to be taken in the fourth or fifth rounds.

“You have to realize what you’re going to get with a guy like him,” Lande said. “He’s not going to be a starting tailback. He’s not that powerful kid that’s going to break tackles and he doesn’t have that explosiveness to run away from guys….but if he can pass block effectively, he will make his living in the NFL as a third-down back. He’s an athletic kid, he has very quick feet, he’s got good hands catching the ball out off the backfield and he’s a good runner in open space. There’s a lot to like about the kid.”



(palmebeachpost.com)