Former Mustang Cyril Lemon in Gridiron Showcase, eyeing NFL
Former Marble Falls Mustang and University of North Texas lineman Cyril Lemon will play in the College Gridiron Showcase on Jan. 31. Photo courtesy of University of North Texas
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
DENTON — Recent University of North Texas graduate and offensive lineman Cyril Lemon has one more college football game to play — then it’s on to the 2015 NFL Draft.
Lemon, a 2011 Marble Falls High School graduate, accepted an invitation to play in the College Gridiron Showcase. The game is 1:30 p.m. Jan. 31 at the University of Texas-Arlington’s Maverick Stadium, 1307 W. Mitchell St. in Arlington. Tickets are $10 each.
He will play on the Wranglers team coached by former Dallas Cowboys tight end Doug Cosbie. The game and practices are attended by scouts and executives from the NFL, the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League.
The lineman, who plans on entering the 2015 NFL Draft, also has been training for UNT’s Pro Day for almost a month. Official practices for the showcase began Jan. 26. Pro Day gives college players a chance to shine in front of NFL scouts and the media.
In preparation for the day, Lemon has been hitting the weight room and trying to improve in the broad jump, the vertical jump and the 40-yard dash as well as on footwork and technique, he said. He has been working out with University of Louisiana-Monroe senior running back Alonzo Harris.
The 6-foot-3-inch lineman said he’s trying to get back to his playing weight of 310-315 pounds.
“I’ve been trying to eat five small meals a day and incorporate more vegetables,” he said. “I’ve never been a bad eater. I’m just eating more baked chicken and vegetables.”
UNT has not yet scheduled its Pro Day, Lemon said, adding the Mean Green have theirs on the same day as Southern Methodist University and Texas Christian University to make it easier for NFL staffs to attend.
Lemon, who graduated from UNT in December with a kinesiology degree, has talked to an agent and had some members of NFL teams watch him play, though he declined to say which ones because he has not had conversations with any of them.
During his four-year college career, he received several honors, including Conference USA All-Conference and All-Sun Belt team picks. He was a team captain for the 2014 season.
Lemon has some advice for younger athletes who have goals of playing college and professional sports.
“You’ll have a lot of naysayers,” he said. “But go for it. That’s one thing I’m trying to do. You have to go in one direction. You can’t have it going in different ways.”
Go to www.collegegridironshowcase.com/the-game to buy tickets to the College Gridiron Showcase.
jfierro@thepicayune.com