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Pro Scouts and Coaches Great Recruiters for Ohio State

By Charlie Lockhart

Nov 28, 2015; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer walks off the field after the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Ohio State won 42-13. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2015; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer walks off the field after the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Ohio State won 42-13. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
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You know it’s spring time when this flock shows up on the Ohio State campus. No, it’s not a certain kind of bird, just the NFL coming to town to evaluate Buckeye football players.

In the annual NFL gathering that’s officially known as the Ohio State Pro Day, scouts, coaches and general managers not only evaluated players, but as always they were excellent recruiters for Urban Meyer. All 32 NFL teams sent representatives, and there were nine head coaches and seven general managers in attendance according to NFL.com.

It was also reported there were 115 total NFL personnel to watch the 13 players perform. I wonder how many schools had an NFL contingent that size show up for a pro day.

As reported via twitter by Kimberly Jones of NFL Network , the head coaches on hand were Bill Belichick, Sean Payton, Mike Tomlin, Marvin Lewis, Jim Caldwell, Todd Bowles, Hue Jackson, John Harbaugh and Mike Mularkey.

Two NFL coaches had nice things to say about Ohio State. First, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton gave his opinion of Buckeyes entering the NFL, as reported by Eleven Warriors:

"“One thing about an Ohio State football player,” Payton said, “Man, they come ready. … You know you’re getting somebody who has been battle tested. They’re accustomed to winning. They’re accustomed to competing.“… It’s not for everybody. It’s a special place.”"

And the New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles was complimentary as well.

"“They’re all mentally tough,” Bowles said. “I think that’s the biggest thing that he does that helps bring them to the league. They’re mentally tough. The guys we have on our team that came from this university are mentally tough, so I credit him for that.”"

More from Scarlet and Game

Think that doesn’t have an impact on recruits?

There were high school recruits on campus Thursday, and plenty more visiting on this big recruiting weekend. There is still plenty of buzz going around about the NFL coming to town and it has to make an impression on every recruit.

Every player prioritizes a little differently when deciding where he will play college ball. He may put academics as a high priority, want to compete for championships, feels comfortable with the university etc. However, playing professional football is on the mind of nearly every highly rated recruit.

Next Post: Did the Players Win, Lose or Draw?

They definitely take notice of the interest NFL teams take in Ohio State players entering the draft, and there are usually quite a few each year. So when the NFL scouts and coaches come to town, they are terrific recruiters for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes.

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