MORGANTOWN - Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and team general manager Kevin Colbert roamed WVU's indoor facility Monday morning. Ditto names like Buffalo Bills GM Doug Whaley and Philadelphia Eagles director of player personnel Tom Donahoe.
Perhaps no one, however, was as interested in the Mountaineers' Pro Day as Dirice Martino Worley, who drove from Philly to watch the proceedings.
"I've been waiting for this day for 13 years," she said.
Her hope is the day set up her son Daryl's immediate future as an NFL pro player. According to WVU representative Mike Montoro, all but three of the NFL teams sent representatives to check out Worley, 18 other former Mountaineers and three others - University of Charleston's Jeremy Johnson, Glenville's Rahmann Lee and Shepherd's Shaneil Jenkins - from the Mountain East Conference (no results were provided on the MEC players).
For most, it was an opportunity to make a mark or simply be noticed. Who knows? Perhaps a free agent signing will be the payoff.
Yet for a select few, Monday was an opportunity to bolster draft stock. Worley, who applied for the draft a season early, was one.
"When he was at [the NFL] combine, he was sick," said his mother. "He had a bad cough and didn't run well. He did his drills well, but wanted to do better in his 40[-yard] dash."
Mission accomplished. Worley went from a 4.64 clocking at the combine to a 4.58 on Monday.
"I did pretty good at everything today," Worley said. "The only thing I worried about was my first 40, but I hit a pretty solid time the second time around. Everyone seemed happy with it."
Worley said at the combine his time was "definitely a disappointment."
"After it, though, I had position drills," he said. "I had to put it behind me and kill the rest of the day."
At the combine, Worley's 60-yard shuttle was No. 2 among defensive backs and No. 3 within the entire draft. Yet there are areas almost every player can improve on. The cornerback, for instance, had but 14 repetitions in the bench press at the combine and K.J. Dillon had but 11. To compare, a DB from South Utah had 22.
For the player most predict will be WVU's highest draft pick, safety Karl Joseph, Monday was completely about increasing his bench reps. He did so by posting 19.
"I wanted to get at least 22," Joseph said afterward. "That's the highest for a safety so far. I didn't get it, but 19 is OK. I could have done better."
Joseph, less than six months from tearing an ACL, didn't participate in any of the other drills. He and Worley, by the way, are both being represented by Miami agent Chafie Fields, who attended the pro day.
Another intriguing ex-Mountaineer is running back Wendell Smallwood, who, like Worley, came out early. Smallwood garnered some attention in the combine by running a 4.47 40-yard dash, seventh among backs with the exact same time as ex-Ohio State back Ezekiel Elliott.
On Monday, though, Smallwood exceeded that 40 with a flat 4.4 time. He also helped himself by posting 18 bench reps after pushing just 14 at the combine.
A couple players _ Dillon and linebacker Nick Kwiatkowski _ simply went through drills tailored specifically for their positions. Both have shots at being drafted in the first few rounds.
"I thought it went pretty well," Kwiatkowski said. "I just wanted to solidify what I did at the combine. I wanted to show some flexibility, the ability to move myself."
He was asked if he has any clue which team will draft him.
"I've heard everything, all over the place," Kwiatkowski said. "I'm just letting it go and not worrying about it. It's been all positive feedback though."
Kwiatkowski is being represented by ex-Mountaineer John Thornton, now an agent. ("He's been through the process," said the linebacker. "We communicate really well.") Thornton and another former WVU player, Charles Fisher, now with the Octagon agency, were both at the Pro Day.
Kwiatkowski's running mate at linebacker, Jared Barber, had a tough time with drills because of injury.
"I pulled my hamstring four weeks ago," Barber said. "Then last week I tweaked it again. I think I did OK. Obviously, I'd have liked to do the 40 and other drills 100 percent, but it is what it is."
Among the ex-WVU big men, defensive lineman Kyle Rose and offensive lineman Marquis Lucas both posted 25 bench press reps.
"That's the best I've ever done," Rose said. "I think I did well considering the pressure. And if anyone says it's not pressure, they're lying. It's a job interview."
For Worley, it was a successful job interview.
"He felt more comfortable running here," said Dirice Worley. "I'm glad he got his time down."
Worley, meanwhile, was glad his mom could make the four-hour trip to see it.
"It was great," said the back. "I wish my father was here too, but he had a knee replacement. My parents have been my biggest support system."
When the draft takes place on April 28-30, surely all will be together.
And, maybe, just maybe, April 4 will be replaced with a new best day for the family.