Helu impressive for combine

Roy Helu Jr.		By Steve Ryan Posted Feb 27, 2011 |More There may still be some doubters about how he'll play the game at the professional level, but Roy Helu Jr. put to rest any doubters about his physical prowess. Helu ranked tops in a couple of categories among all running backs at the combine and among the best all-around.
In today's testing down in Indiannapolis, Roy Helu Jr. showed strong in every single measurable drill. In the 40 yard dash, Helu ran a 4.42, good enough for sixth in a group led by Maryland's Da'Rell Scott who reeled off an eye-popping 4.34. It should be noted, though, that Helu came in at 219 lbs., the second heaviest of those who ranked in the top six. Helu's jump of 36.5 inches in the vertical test, was good enough for the top eight. The highest jump among the running backs was Georgia Tech's Anthony Allen who jumped 41.5. Helu went 9 foot, 11 inches in the broad jump, good enough for 10th at the position. That category was led by UCONN's Jordan Todman, who broad jumped 10 foot, 6 inches. In the 3-cone drill, Helu missed the top mark by a hundredth of a second as his 6.67 came in right behind Miami's Greg Cooper, who finished with a 6.66. But Helu took the top marks in both the 20-yard and 60-yard shuttle, running a 4.01 and an 11.07, respectively. Cooper was second to Helu in the 20-yard with a 4.03, while Oklahoma State's Kendall Hunter followed Helu in the 60-yard with an 11.19. On a related note, Alabama running back and Heisman Trophy winner, Mark Ingram, didn't finish in the top 10 in any of the aforementioned drills. Niles Paul also tested today, posting solid, though, not spectacular numbers in the measurable drills. But from watching many of the individual drills they were running with the wideouts, Paul seemed to impress there, perhaps quieting some of the critics in regard to his hands, which are small by NFL standards for wide receivers. Paul's 40 was a 4.51, tied for 14th best among wideouts. He finished second in the bench press with 24 reps. The top mark went to Greg Little, the wide receiver who was suspended last year for the entire season at North Carolina, for violation of NCAA rules. He posted 27 reps on the bench. Paul ranked 12th in the group in the 20-yard shuttle with a 4.14. The defensive line will go tomorrow, which is obviously when we'll see Pierre Allen. And then on Tuesday are the defensive backs which will feature a trio of Huskers inPrince Amukamara, Eric Hagg and Dejon Gomes.