SAN MARCOS, Texas - Texas State held its annual Pro Day on Friday afternoon at Bobcat Stadium, and two former Bobcat football players, Keenen Brown and Tyler Watts, began the day with two completely different goals in mind when they worked out in front of NFL scouts at Bobcat Stadium.
 
Brown came to Texas State as a graduate transfer from Oklahoma State and switched positions from a reserve fullback to a starting tight end in 2018.
 
"I had been counted out and no one believed in me but Texas State," Brown said. "That is why every time I do something, I shout out Texas State because they gave me a chance."
 
In his first collegiate season as a starter, Brown had plenty of opportunities to shout the name of his new school. He was named a First-Team All-America selection by Pro Football Focus and earned All-Sun Belt Conference First-Team honors. He ranked third nationally among tight ends with 51 receptions for 577 yards and five touchdowns. He also had eight rushes for 75 yards and two TDs.
 
After his breakout season, Brown was invited and participated in the NFL Combine on Feb. 27-Mar. 2 in Indianapolis. There, he recorded a time of 4.75 in the 40-yard dash, lifted 225 pounds 17 times on the bench press, posted a vertical jump of 33 .0 inches, and leaped 9-feet-9 inches in the broad jump.
 
He also had times of 7.27 in the 3-cone drill, 4.51 in the 20-yard shuttle and 12.25 in the 60-yard shuttle at the Combine. He entered Friday's Pro Day fully relaxed on his home field and looking to possibly improve his stock for the upcoming NFL Draft.
 
"It felt great to be in front of a couple of guys getting to showcase what I do best back home at Texas State," Brown said. "They haven't told me a 40-yard time yet, but I feel like it was better (than at the combine) because I have been working to improve my start and it was much better today. I also ran my routes more crisp. I am thankful for Shaun (Rutherford) coming out here and throwing a good ball."
 
Rutherford was a starting quarterback for the Bobcats in 2011 and 2012 when Texas State was transitioning to the FBS. He completed 284 passes of his 455 passes for 3,364 yards and 27 touchdowns during his two-year career with the Bobcats. He has spent his birthday on Friday throwing passes to Brown and Watts on Friday. 
 
With Friday's Pro Day concluded, Brown must wait anxiously until he finds out if he is going to be selected in the NFL Draft on April 25-27.
 
"I hope that I get drafted," Brown said. "They like my ability to catch the ball and what I can do after the catch. The thing that I need to work on is the positioning of my hands, especially in the run game because I need to be able to block. I am a lot smaller than the defensive ends in the NFL.  They like me, but it is in their hands. I have done all that I can do. Now I have to just wait and see if or when I am going to get drafted."
 
Watts entered Friday just hoping to catch the attention of the NFL scouts. A former walk-on player who had earned a scholarship in 2016, Watts developed into one of Texas State's top receivers in the past three seasons and served as team captain as a senior.
 
He led the Bobcats in receiving with 43 catches in 2016 and had 102 receptions for 882 yards and 3 TDs in the last three seasons.  He also ran for 161 yards and a 76-yard TD on 13 carries and returned 17 kickoffs for 322 yards in his career.
 
"It is kind of crazy when I think about (my journey)," Watts said. "I remember walking in here and not knowing anyone. I was shy and wasn't even sure of what position that I would play. I just showed up.
 
"I have to give all of the credit to God, because he has blessed me beyond belief. It has been awesome. I have had great teammates and coaches. I was even elected a team captain this past season."
 
Watts was also pleased with his performance on Friday in front of the scouts.
 
"I felt pretty good," Watts said. "We started out in the weight room with the vertical jump, broad jump and bench press. I exceeded my expectations in there. We went outside and ran the 40. I felt like I did okay in it. They clocked me just under 4.5. The good news was that I excelled in the shuttle and the three-cone. I got under 4 seconds in the shuttle and lot of guys can't do that. So, I felt pretty good."
 
Watts was really pleased with the fact that he was able to reach his goal of 15 lifts on the bench.
 
"The most that I was able to lift last week was 13," Watts said. "I felt that once I got in here, I might be relaxed because I was at home. Sure enough, I was relaxed and I got that adrenaline rush. I knew that I could get it."
 
After the running events, Watts and Brown ran various passing routes for the scouts and caught passes thrown by Rutherford.
 
"I want to thank Shaun for throwing to Keenen and me during the past two weeks," Watts said. "Today was his birthday and he didn't have to come out here and do this. I just want to thank him because he did a really job of throwing us some good balls. I felt pretty good out there because everything was clean. So, I think it was a good day overall."
 
Now, like other potential NFL Draft selections and free agents, Watts is going to continue working out, wait and hope that he receives a call to play at the next level.
 
"I am going to continue working out," Watts said. "Hopefully, I will get a call. I don't care if it is a call about being drafted, signing as a free agent or being invited to camp. I just hope I get that call."