National Football League

Zach Zenner diary: Trying to impress on a Pro Day

Published Mar. 31, 2015 12:52 p.m. ET

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Zach Zenner played running back at South Dakota State, where he became the first FCS back to rush for 2,000 yards in three different seasons and finished 12 yards shy of setting the FCS' all-time rushing record. Projected to be a late-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Zenner will take you through the process of training for the NFL Combine, his pro day, the anticipation for draft day and more. Check out his earlier entries at the bottom of the page, and follow Zenner on Twitter @Zenner31.

After training on my own in Brookings since the Combine, I finally got a chance last week to perform for a few scouts at Pro Day at South Dakota State. And while working out for NFL teams at the SDSU practice facility doesn't quite compare to the rush of taking the field on game day, it was certainly a thrill to be able to compete once again.

Nerves impact every player differently when it comes to Pro Day, but for me, I found the pressure to be significantly lower than it was at the Combine, in part because I decided to stick with most of my numbers from Indianapolis. My workout was mostly made up of position work and a few shuttle drills, and I improved on both the L-drill and 60-yard shuttle, while remaining about the same in the pro agility drill, so, overall, I was pleased with the result.

I realize that some people don't feel like those particular drills carry as much weight with teams as some others, but the way I see it, everything I've done to this point and everything I'll continue to do as I prepare for the NFL is important. I try to practice like I play, and I had fun out there, so I hope that came across to scouts from the Vikings, Dolphins, Jaguars and Colts who were in attendance, as well as anyone else who might have checked out my clips or times online since.

It's tough to say whether any of those teams that showed up were there specifically for me, since I wasn't the only player working out at South Dakota State last Wednesday, but it was nice of all of them to take the time to come up here and watch, and if they weren't there for me, then hopefully I at least opened their eyes and gave them a reason to want a closer look.

Like I've said throughout this process, teams tend to keep their feelings -- both good and bad -- close to the vest, but if nothing else, I definitely don't think my Pro Day did anything to hurt my stock with any of the teams that might be following my progress.

As for one-on-one visits, it's still been pretty quiet on that front. Obviously I could get invited to an individual workout at any time, but I don't necessarily expect to get one between now and the draft, in part because there's only so much more of me that teams can see. They watched me at the postseason All-Star games, and at the Combine and now at Pro Day, and that may very well be all teams need -- and if it is, that's fine.

At this point, we're inside a month until draft day, and I can't believe how close I'm getting to hopefully accomplishing my goal. In the meantime, I'll continue to work out as the big day draws closer, focusing a little more on conditioning than I have in the last several weeks, and before I know it, I'll be back home in Minnesota waiting for my name to be called.

Chapter 1: Getting a Combine invite and getting engaged

Chapter 2: Trying to score points at the Combine

Chapter 3: Home sweet home back at South Dakota State

Chapter 4: It's a family affair as Zenner returns to Eagan

Chapter 5: On Chris Borland, retirement and concussions