*Clelin Ferrell – Noteworthy
Many prospects use the NFL scouting combine as a chance to clear their good name, rectifying misconceptions about their game or skillset or any misperceptions about their worth ethic or character. Clemson edge rusher Clelin Ferrell is using this chance to correct mispronunciations of his name. It has a long E sound (pronounced CLEE-lihn) as in Cleveland without the v and the d. So, whenever anyone addressed him at the combine as Cleh-lihn with a short vowel, he made a point to correct them in a friendly way. “Not trying to be a (jerk), but I take a lot of pride in it,” said Ferrell. “I want to kind of change the narrative. I get it, it is spelled like Clelin with a lowercase e, but hopefully if I keep playing well, more people will really learn it and I won’t have to do that anymore.”
People garble his name all the time, and he never lets it slide, he said, “just in case we meet again and we become really good friends, I just tell them right off the bat how to pronounce it.” Ferrell is the youngest of nine children. His father, who died when he was 13, was named Clevester, and he has a brother named Clevester Jr., another named Clevon and a sister named Cleta. All with a lone but long E. “I don’t know if this is true or not, but my sister Cleta told me that my dad’s great uncle, his name was Cleofis and they were considering naming me Cleofis,” Ferrell said. “So, thank God they didn’t name me that.” – AP College Football
*Dexter Lawrence – Noteworthy
Clemson defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence suffered a left leg injury during his first attempt at the 40-yard dash Sunday, according to a report from the NFL Network. Lawrence was seen by one of the Network’s reporters – because no other media outlet is allowed inside during Sunday’s workouts – icing his left quadriceps following the sprint. Even with the injury, the 6-4, 342 pound run-stuffer was credited with an eye-popping 5.05 second time in the 40-yard dash after leading all defensive linemen with 36 repetitions of 225 pounds in the bench press yesterday. He is not expected to take part in any further athletic drills at the Combine, including his positional workout.
If Lawrence suffered nothing more serious than a quadriceps strain, he still might be able to compete at Clemson’s March 14 Pro Day. A more significant injury – like an actual tear – could require a much longer recovery time and potentially a re-visit to Indianapolis for a medical re-check and potential adjustment to his current projected first round grade. A proven difference-maker since earning All-American honors as a true freshman, Lawrence’s size, strength and underrated (in the media) athleticism is already well known among scouts and so his exceptional numbers this week won’t surprise many of them. More important to his evaluation this week was how he was perceived by teams during his interviews following his well-documented suspension due to testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance prior to this year’s college football playoffs. – Rob Rang, NFLDraftScout.com