Scott Young returned from the NFL combine, and his stock rose significantly over 48 hours in Indianapolis.
The BYU offensive lineman, who goes 6-foot-5, 320 pounds, remains an NFL long shot because of his lack of experience — one year as a starter at offensive line after switching from defense, following a JC career.
But in Indianapolis, the NFL combine was Young's kind of shrine, his ultimate body temple, his virtual playground. You put the former Hillcrest High star in this kind of setting, and he morphs into a blend of Vin Diesel, Arnold Schwarzenegger and big green man Lou Ferrigno.
Young dominated NFL skill tests for post-college offensive linemen at Indianapolis on Friday and Saturday. He simply blew the entire field away.
But heaving weights and jumping around orange cones is a long, long ways from an NFL roster. Can Young deliver?
Young's 43 reps on the 225-pound lift were eight more than the nearest man, a lineman from Alabama. He was second in the long jump, third in the 40-yard dash, third in the vertical leap, second in the 10-yard dash, second in the seven-cone drill and fourth in the three-cone drill.
"These are very good numbers," BYU strength and conditioning coach Jay Omer said. "There were other kids who were here and there, but he was right at the top in everything. That is very significant, very big."
"I couldn't be more proud of what Scott did over the weekend."
In Omer's 21-year career that includes stops at Georgia Tech and Washington State, he has never had a football player score consistently that high in all phases of the NFL combine.
He's never had an athlete hoist the 225-pound lift 43 times. He had two do 41 at Washington State, but neither made it in the NFL.
"Some of the offensive linemen over the weekend had only 15 reps," he said. "That isn't very good.
"Scott's vertical leap (35 inches) alone was impressive. I've been getting phone calls from a lot of NFL scouts who want to know more about him. He's got all kinds of trips to teams. He was in our weight room Monday at 10:30 a.m. to work out and he'll be gone the rest of the week to NFL teams."
Omer knows an NFL career is a huge long shot for Young, although he busted up the combine.
"I hope somebody gives him a chance," Omer said. "I wish good things for him, because it's tough when you've been at a position one year, but I've seen it done. They'll need to be patient and work with him."
Young, Omer hopes, develops like a former Washington State player he worked with named Robbie Tobeck, an undrafted free agent center.
Tobeck, like Young, could register impressive skills in a camp, but didn't get a fair look early. At 6-0, 300 pounds, he could dunk a basketball behind his head.
"Tobeck signed with Seattle after playing just one year," Omer said. "He hung in there and hung in there as a free agent and now he's been a starter for nine years. He was a lot like Scott, just a phenomenal athlete for as big as he was."
Young, who benches 540 pounds, has been the strongest Cougar football player since he transferred from Dixie State College. His bench was significantly higher than any top lifter in the MWC this past season.
But again, Young's challenge is turning heads on the field. Omer believes Young's natural position is at center. "That's what some scouts have discussed with me," he said.
Omer said Young's strength is his work ethic: "He's very disciplined. He does what you ask him to do. He trains hard and he's a good athlete. Not only did he test well, but he did his position tests well and excelled in the interviews."
Young was given center stage in Omer's workout room on Monday, like some kind of gladiator returned from Rome. The coach wanted him to share his experience with BYU's current players.
Young told the players there were Cougar freshmen who are doing better than he can do right now and he expects big things from them if they work hard. For instance, freshman lineman Terrance Brown, who has a 32-inch vertical, outperforms Young in the clean and squat lifts. Another guy turning heads is freshman Travis Bright.
"I think we'll have some guys test well next year, like Vince Feula and Manaia Brown," Omer said.
But for now, it was Young's weekend.
The question is, can he take his gladiator act to the big-league gridiron?
E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com