TOLLAND, Conn. — On March 31, the NFL draft’s traveling circus descended upon Tallahassee as Jameis Winston and a dozen others worked out at Florida State’s pro day. An army of clipboard-and-stopwatch-toting NFL executives, including five head coaches, lined FSU’s practice facility three rows deep, rubbing elbows with dozens of camera crews, countless reporters and a cadre of cheering fans. ESPNU and NFL Network streamed the affair. Winston dazzled, captivating the football world during a 55-minute, 102-pass demonstration.
Simultaneously, 1,200 miles north in a sleepy central Connecticut suburb, another pro day occurred. The prospects: two players from Division III Wesleyan, a safety from FCS school Sacred Heart, a Canadian running back from Yale, and Mike Flacco, the 28-year-old brother of Joe, who played five years of minor league baseball before toiling on the Jaguars’ practice squad last year.