Colorado University Athletics
3 Buffs Head To Combine, Spruce '100 Percent Ready'
February 22, 2016 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — One day before he is scheduled to board a plane for Indianapolis and the NFL Combine, former Colorado wide receiver Nelson Spruce said on Monday he is "100 percent ready to go."
Spruce, who left CU with more than 40 CU records in his possession, is one of three Buffs who will be at the annual gathering of top college talent. Also attending will be cornerback Ken Crawley and offensive lineman Stephane Nembot.
The combine begins Tuesday and continues through next Monday.
Spruce battled an ankle injury for much of last season, but still finished as the Buffs' leading receiver with 89 catches for 1,053 yards and four touchdowns. His career CU records include most catches (294), yards (3,347) and touchdowns (23). The 294 catches are also a Pac-12 record.
"I just stepped off the field from my last workout and I'm 100 percent," Spruce said Monday morning. "My strength, speed, explosiveness — it's all the best it's ever been. I'm feeling really good about where I am right now."
Spruce has been working out with a group of about 10 players in Southern California. Among his daily workout partners have been former Cal quarterback Jared Goff and former North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz — generally regarded as the top two quarterback prospects in the draft.
"It's been great working out with them," Spruce said. "We got a lot done."
Crawley, who appeared in 47 games in his career with 44 starts, finished with 46 tackles last season. He also had one interception and a team-high 11 third-down stops and 13 passes broken up.
Nembot appeared in 49 games in his CU career and also had 44 starts.
All three are considered to be possible mid- to late-round picks.
Monday morning, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt offered these quick observations in a Twitter discussion with some CU fans:
On Spruce: "Gets open and catches everything."
On Nembot: "Very raw talent that will flourish with solid development."
On Crawley: "He can play for sure — can be a solid player in NFL."
Spruce said he's looking forward to performing in front of the hordes of NFL scouts who will be in attendance at the combine.
"All my times are right where I want the to be," Spruce said. "It's just a matter of going out there, staying relaxed and executing."
Regular updates and tracking of player progress throughout the combine will be available at www.nfl.com/combine.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
