Lee Set To Prove To Scouts He Can Play In The NFL At Combine

CARMEL, Ind. – For the majority of college football players, their final game is often their last. For a select few, an opportunity remains to play football at the professional level and former Illinois State offensive lineman Cameron Lee is working hard to make sure he falls into the latter category.

The Oakwood, Illinois, product wrapped up a five-year career at Illinois State in December, when the Redbirds ended their season in the FCS playoffs for the third-consecutive season. The 6-foot-6, 320 pound lineman started every game at guard during the 2015 conference championship season for the Redbirds and played there in 2016 as well, until a late season move out to play right tackle. He was named an All-Missouri Valley Football Conference Honorable Mention selection for his efforts in his final season at ISU.

As soon as the season was over, Lee immediately shifted his focus to getting prepared for pro day workouts and a potential spot in the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine. Like several of his former teammates in recent years, Lee headed to Carmel, Indiana, to train at St. Vincent Sports Performance and hone his skills for the drills scouts will put him through at workouts very soon.

The training is much different than his typical workout regimen at Illinois State, something that took his awhile to get used to.

"We do some football drills, but it's primarily preparing for those tests they want to see on your pro day or at the combine," Lee said.  "We try different techniques to improve times and weights to get ready. It's been a bit of an adjustment for me." 

Lee's work in Indiana, along with his impressive tape from his collegiate career at ISU, earned the attention of the staff at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, which is one of the premier postseason all-star games for draft-eligible college players. Participants head to California for a week of first-class professional experience, which introduces them to the business of the National Football League. Nearly 200 NFL scouts, player personnel staff, general managers and coaches not only watched the live practices and game, but also conducted player interviews and reviewed tape.

"The amount of preparation, time and energy it takes to play at the next level can be overwhelming, and that's what I really learned during the week at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl," Lee stated. "It was an amazing opportunity and I was fortunate to go out to California and play in front of a lot of scouts. It's really eye opening to see how little time as a professional you have to learn the play book with all the meetings, interviews, film study, etc. They structure it that way on purpose to get us prepared for the next level and see how we hold up during the process."

Lee played two full quarters for the American team during the game played on Jan. 21. Lee talked to several team representatives throughout the week, which gave him confidence about his performance and preparation during the week. However, the biggest indication of his performance during the week came soon after he returned to Indiana.

"The most important feedback I think I got how I did was getting the NFL Combine invite following the game," Lee said. "Throughout this whole process, the combine was something I was shooting for but was not a guarantee at all, so to get the invite was confirmation that I'm doing something right in my preparation."

Along with several of the other players he works out with on a daily basis, Lee will head to nearby Indianapolis beginning Tuesday, Feb. 28, to begin a week-long job interview at the NFL Combine. Physical exams, interviews, and NFLPA meetings will take place before Lee begins his workout with the bench press on Thursday, before a full on-field workout Friday that will consist of stations and drills including the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump and shuttle run.

Lee hopes his performance at the combine will improve on times and marks he has previously recorded and impress NFL personnel enough to be the 16th player in school history to have his name called in the NFL Draft. He believes one key to success at the combine will be the ability to show his versatility and ability to play multiple positions on the offensive line.
 
"The big thing for me is showing versatility in my game. That's the big difference in getting a shot at the next level and actually being able to make a roster and stick," Lee said. "So, I've been working a lot at center and feel comfortable at guard, having played there the most during my time at ISU. I took reps in practice at all three spots at the NFLPA Bowl and have been working at all three here, so versatility is what I will hang my hat on."

Fans wanting to follow Lee's progress at the NFL Scouting Combine can do so by logging onto NFL.com/combine and clicking on the results tracker tab or they can possibly catch a glimpse of Lee's workout on Friday, March 3, as part of the NFL Network's live coverage of the event.

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