Four Buffs to Participate in NFL Combine

BOULDER – Four Colorado Buffaloes – DB Chidobe Awuzie, QB Sefo Liufau, S Tedric Thompson and CB Ahkello Witherspoon – will be participating in the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine, Feb. 28-March 6, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind.

The four Buffs in this year's combine are the most since CU also sent four to participate back in 2006.

Having three defensive backs participate also marks the most since the 2000 NFL Combine when four Buffs went from the CU secondary - FS Rashidi Barnes, CB Ben Kelly, SS Erik Olson and CB Damon Wheeler.

Awuzie was mentioned by NFL Network Analyst Mike Mayock as one of the top five special exceptions in this year's draft. That is a category for players who are not ranked in the top five at their position, but have special value elsewhere (special teams, for example).

The 2017 NFL Scouting Combine is a vital event in the path to the draft. More than 300 prospects will participate in the 2017 combine in their quest to achieve their NFL dreams. It is essentially an intense job interview for hundreds of the very best football players with executives, coaches, scouts and doctors from all 32 NFL teams in advance of the NFL Draft.

CU has had 266 all-time draft picks in program history, which is the 22nd most of any program in the country and fourth most among Pac-12 schools.

Schedule for on-field workouts (timing, stations, skill drills):
Friday, March 3 – specialists, offensive linemen, running backs
Saturday, March 4 – quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends
Sunday, March 5 – defensive linemen and linebackers
Monday, March 6 – defensive backs

The 2017 NFL Draft is being held April 27-29.

Career Snapshots

Awuzie: Played in 47 games with 41 starts … two-time All-Pac-12 selection … finished his career with 273 tackles, 22nd all-time at Colorado, with his 226 unassisted tackles the seventh-highest figure … his 26 tackles for loss are the most by a defensive back at CU, as were his nine quarterback sacks … he also finished second in career third down stops (47) and fifth in pass deflections (35) … one of the most versatile players in recent memory at CU, as he played all four positions in the secondary: cornerback, free and strong safety and nickel as well as some outside linebacker.

Liufau: Played in 42 games with 39 starts, the most starts ever by a CU quarterback … is the owner of 98 school records (63 passing, 24 total offense and nine others … of those 98, he owns 84 outright and are tied for the other 14) … included among the top career marks he owns are total offensive yards (10,509), passing yards (9,568) and 300-yard passing games (10) in addition to numerous single-season and game records … he was just the second CU player to serve as a team captain for three seasons (doing so in 2014, '15 and '16), the first since Pat Carney did so over 120 years ago (1891-92-93) … was named the 2016 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year by the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame (he is of Samoan ancestry).

Thompson: Played in 43 career games with 37 starts … finished his career with 13 interceptions, tied for fifth on CU's all-time list as well as tied for the most over the last 23 seasons ... concluded his career tied for sixth in pass deflections (34) and 38th in tackles with 246 (172 solo) ... tied the CU single-season record with seven interceptions his senior year when he garnered second-team All-America honors from CBSSports.com and was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection of the Associated Press … led all FBS players in 2016 with 25 passes defended (18 pass breakups and seven interceptions).

Witherspoon: Played in 31 games, making 21 starts … second-team All-Pac-12 selection from both the Associated Press and league coaches as a senior in 2016 … finished tied for 13th on CU's all-time passes broken up list with 28 … led the FBS in pass breakups with 22 his senior year, tying the CU single-season record that was set by CB Ben Kelly back in 1998 … had 77 career tackles, 18 third down stops and three interceptions.

Colorado Buffaloes at the NFL Scouting Combine

2016
CB Ken Crawley
OL Stephane Nembot
WR Nelson Spruce

2015
CB Greg Henderson
P Darragh O'Neill
DE Juda Parker

2014
WR Paul Richardson

2013
OT David Bakhtiari
TE Nick Kasa

2012
QB Tyler Hansen
OG Ryan Miller

2011
CB Jalil Brown
CB Jimmy Smith
OT Nate Solder

2010
FB Riar Greer

2009
No participants

2008
OLB Jordon Dizon
OT Tyler Polumbus
CB Terrence Wheatley

2007
Abraham Wright

2006
WR Jeremy Bloom
TE Joe Klopfenstein
TE Quinn Sypniewski
FB Lawrence Vickers

2005
RB Bobby Purify
OT Sam Wilder

2004
WR D.J Hackett
WR Derek McCoy
DE Gabe Nyenhuis
OLB Sean Tufts

2003
OG Justin Bates
DE Tyler Brayton
FB Brandon Drumm
CB Donald Strickland

2002
DT Justin Bannan
TE Daniel Graham
OG Andre Gurode
SS Michael Lewis
OG Victor Rogers
OLB Jashon Sykes

2001
OG Tom Ashworth

2000
FS Rashidi Barnes
OG Brad Bedell
OG Ryan Johanningmeier
OLB Fred Jones
CB Ben Kelly
SS Erik Olson
CB Damon Wheeler

1999
RB Marlon Barnes
WR Darrin Chiaverini
OLB Hannibal Navies
OG Ben Nichols
ILB Brandon Southward
FS Marcus Washington

Colorado University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Chidobe Awuzie

Sefo Liufau

Tedric Thompson

Ahkello Witherspoon

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