TEMPE, Ariz. — Wednesday marked Pro Day for 13 Arizona State football players looking to showcase their skill set in front of NFL scouts ahead of April’s draft. It's a culmination of a lifetime of preparation for these young men who finally had a chance to make an impression and take another step toward fulfilling their dreams of playing football professionally.
One of the participants was Deer Valley High School product and offensive lineman Joey Ramos who set the mark for the most bench press reps with 24. Ramos’s football journey has taken him from our Friday Night Fever All-Fever Team to Iowa State and finally back home to the Valley.
Now he's working toward making it in the pros.
“We've put in countless hours and years of our lives to just have this moment right here and to be able to perform in front of all these teams. It's a dream come true,” Ramos said. “The nerves were at an all-time high today and the anxiety all that. But with everything I've prepared myself for, being able to control my breathing and bring myself back to real life I think was my best benefit.”
Ramos overcame multiple injuries throughout his collegiate career, including a season-ending ankle injury in ASU’s 2022 season opener.
The Glendale native felt his display of versatility throughout drills left the strongest impression on scouts and noted that having his family in attendance made the experience even more meaningful.
“I'm extremely thankful I'll be Sun Devil forever. And it's great to do it in my own backyard with having all my family right there and not having to worry about them flying out,” Ramos said. “I mean, I was out there at center snap, long snap, tackle, guard, you name it. Being able to do that on the fly I think is my greatest attribute.”
Ramos wasn’t the only homegrown product showing out for ASU’s Pro Day. The group also included punter Josh Carlson (Gilbert), defensive back Alphonso Taylor (North Canyon), and long snapper Slater Zellers (Notre Dame Prep). Another standout was defensive back Ro Torrence who was the only ASU player invited to the NFL Combine back in February. Torrence, who joined the Sun Devils in 2022, says he’s working on “putting it all together” to make the best impression on NFL Scouts.
“Everything I've been training for and everything I'm gonna work for these past couple months, just putting it all together and letting loose. Going out there on the field and letting it go,” Torrence said. “I couldn’t sleep honestly. Coming in today, you know, the emotions are everywhere. Nervous, anxious, excited, like it was a little bit of everything. But once I got out here and I got the jitters out, it just felt like a normal day to me.”
A number of ASU players have told 12Sports they'll be working out with the Arizona Cardinals in the coming weeks.
The NFL Draft begins on April 25 in Detroit.
Follow the conversation with Lina Washington on X/Twitter: @LWashingtonTV. If you have a sports story idea, email Lina at LWashington@12News.com.
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