BOULDER - When his senior football season ended, heading for an extended period of R&R wasn't on University of Colorado cornerback Ben Burney's agenda.
Burney wants to play in the NFL, and his showing at Wednesday Pro Timing Day on the CU campus showed scouts he's serious about it. He was one of 11 former Buffaloes players hoping to punch up impressive numbers.
Burney, of Lone Tree, Co., turned in the day's best performances in three of the five categories - the vertical jump (39 inches), the 40-yard dash (4.38 seconds) and the short shuttle (4.10 seconds).
"I've been training really hard, really working on my form with pumping my arms and getting everything done that I needed to get done," the 5-foot-11, 195-pound Burney said of his 40-yard dash time. "I came out and felt good, powerful and strong. I felt like I could have ran a faster time but I was happy. It was just little minute details which could have given me a little faster time."
He credited his overall improvement to a rigorous regimen in Florida with personal trainer Ian Pyka, whom Burney said "has clients who you train with and places where you can work out (with) mostly elite competition.
"I was working for this, it was usually just (Pyka) and I working one-on-one, working on everything from eating to sleeping and everything else you need to do. He's like a lifestyle coach in a sense. I've also been working on some track exercises to help become more explosive."
Between now and the April NFL draft, Burney said he hopes to "maintain where I'm at and hopefully talk to some coaches and get my name out there. Mainly just maintaining, being athletic and being ready because some guys are going to come work me out and I should be able to do anything they need me to do. "
He also said that R&R he's put on hold would make for a nice change of pace: "I've been working out pretty hard for the past couple months so I'd like to get to chill a little bit. I know I'll be able to sleep a lot better after today, but really I just want to maintain and keep my body in perfect health and shape."
Burney finished the 2009 season as CU's fourth-leading tackler (73 total, 45 solo). He also tied for the interception lead (two, one for a touchdown) with three teammates and registered seven third-down stops, four tackles for zero yards, four passes broken up, two forced fumbles and two quarterback pressures.
Wednesday's results:
|
Player
|
Bench Press
|
Vertical Jump
|
Broad Jump
|
40-Yard Dash
|
Short Shuttle
|
|
Brown, Cha'pelle
|
11
|
31
|
9'4.75
|
4.54
|
4.16
|
|
Geer, Riar*
|
13*
|
33*
|
8'10*
|
4.98*
|
4.29*
|
|
DiLallo, Matt
|
NA
|
25.5
|
8'6.25
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
Behrens, Jake
|
16
|
27.5
|
8'2.75
|
5.18
|
4.65
|
|
Mohler, Shaun
|
21
|
30
|
8'6.25
|
4.95
|
4.23
|
|
Shanahan, Devin
|
18
|
28.5
|
8'8.5
|
4.85
|
4.65
|
|
Smart, Jeff
|
20
|
36.5
|
9'11.5
|
4.70
|
4.34
|
|
Burton, Marcus
|
25
|
35
|
10'2.75
|
4.77
|
4.31
|
|
Drescher, Justin
|
14
|
27.5
|
8'1
|
5.46
|
4.62
|
|
Devenny, Pat
|
18
|
34
|
9'3.5
|
4.76
|
4.22
|
|
Burney, Benjamin
|
16
|
39
|
10'1.5
|
4.38
|
4.10
|
|
Moyd, Kevin
|
19
|
33
|
9'6.75
|
4.54
|
4.13
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
* Denotes numbers posted at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Feb. 27
|
