A total of six vandals attended Monday’s pro day in Idaho. Roshaun Johnson, Fa’avae Fa’avae, Juliano Falaniko, Jeremiah Salaam and Leo Tamba retired from college this season, while Caleb Lightbourn graduated in 2021.
Johnson was the only offensive player to attend practices. He finished the day with the second-highest bench reps at 20 reps and the third-highest vertical with a 29.5-inch jump.
Fa’avae has been one of Idaho’s best defensive players since moving from Washington State in 2020. He benched 18 reps and jumped 28 inches vertically. His split and shuttle times over 20 meters were the best of all at 2.75 and 4.43 seconds respectively.
Falaniko had a short pro day as he only competed in bench reps and vertical jumps. He put on 16 225-pound bench reps and jumped 25.5 inches.
Salaam started his day hot with a 34″ vertical jump and a 9ft 10″ long jump. He also ran a 4.64 40, the fastest of them all.
Tamba showed his strength in the morning with 22 bench presses, the most of anyone, and a 32 inch vertical.
Lightbourn didn’t get involved on the numbers side of things, but he did kick in front of all the scouts. Though his official numbers aren’t available, he did have a couple of good punt and kick attempts.
Scouts from both the NFL and the Canadian Football League were in attendance. All five players showed up for scouts, from the owners of the number two draft pick, the Houston Texans, to the Super Bowl-winning Chiefs. Coming from the CFL, he was a scout for the British Columbia Lions.
Every team that has emerged has at least one hole in their defense. From New England to Seattle, teams need defenders and linemen, both of which are present in Idaho. The two teams in attendance that the NFL says need a running back are the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos.
Johnson spent six seasons in Idaho, rushing for 1,407 yards in 47 games. His commitment and passion for football culminated in his professional day.
“All the hard work and training has borne fruit,” Johnson said. “I just put everything on the table and I hope I get an opportunity and can speak up for the vandals.”
Almost every college player dreams of getting that call either during or after the draft. Even though Johnson’s college career is over and his pro day is over, he’ll still put in the work to get that call.
“I need to get my name out there,” Johnson said. “The Vandal Nation knows me, but hopefully all of America can know me.”
James Taurman-Aldrich can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @jamesaldrich25
