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Henderson State pro day: Punt returner could entice NFL teams

A total of 29 players from six schools gathered Thursday for Henderson State's pro day. The event was held at an indoor facility at Ouachita Baptist named after former Dallas Cowboys star Cliff Harris, who played for Ouachita Baptist in the late 1960s.



The participating schools were Henderson State, which had nine players; Arkansas Tech, which had six; Arkansas-Monticello, which had four; Harding, which had six; Ouachita Baptist, which had four; and Southeast Oklahoma, which had one.

Five NFL teams were in attendance, and the day's standout player was Etauj Allen (5-foot-9 1/8, 171 pounds) from Ouachita Baptist. He posted 40 times of 4.40 and 4.46 seconds, including a 10-yard split of 1.48, which is phenomenal. He also had a 33-inch vertical, a 9-10 broad jump, a 4.44 shuttle, a 7.15 3-cone drill, and 10 strength lifts. Allen is one of the top punt returners in the country in terms of average, and with his speed and quickness, a team is likely to bring him into camp.

One other player of note was wide receiver Darius Davis of Henderson State. Davis showed up way too heavy, measuring at 5-foot-11, 226 pounds. He ran the 40 in 4.64 seconds, including a 1.67 10-yard split. He also had a 37 1/2-inch vertical, a 9-9 broad jump, a 4.40 short shuttle, a 7.28 3-cone drill, and 17 strength lifts. He needs to get in shape and cut down about 15 pounds so he can run better and give teams a better idea of what he can do.

Donatella Luckett, a wide receiver from Harding who was at the combine, did not work out with this group. He will work out at Harding's pro day later this month.

Follow Gil Brandt on Twitter at @Gil_Brandt.