Oordt looks for more than '20 percent'

Schuylar Oordt had an OK year.

He caught 24 passes for 405 yards and three TDs for the Northern Iowa Panthers this season. That earned him an honorable mention honor in the Missouri Valley Conference, the FCS league.

Not a bad year, but not a year for an FCS-level player to earn an invite to the NFL combine.

There's more to Oordt, a Cedar Falls native.

Let's start with height. He's 6-foot-6. His weight is NFL, too, at 261 pounds. He said Thursday he hopes to clock a 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash this weekend.

Forget the numbers and the honorable mention. That's pretty NFL.

"This is definitely a dream," said Oordt, who caught 66 passes and 12 TDs in four years at UNI. "I remember sitting at home last year watching the combine on TV. I thought, man, it'd be really cool to participate in somethign like that.

"I got off the plane Tuesday and here I am. It's the realization of a goal."

NFL.com gives this report on Oordt's strengths:

"Oordt has an NFL combination of size and speed. Capable of locating soft spots in zone coverage. Can shake linebackers in man coverage. Proficient in his stem. Can haul in the over-the-shoulder grab. Flashes vertical potential. Willing to work the middle and not afraid of contact. Exhibits rare character through off-the-field endeavors.

And his weaknesses:

"Not an effective inline blocker. Lacks the power and technique to get movement or sustain his blocks. Very raw in pass protection. Idles down a bit in and out of his breaks. Body catches at times and doesn't make many tough receptions. Won't shake tackles in the open field."

Still, he's here and he has a chance to show the NFL something. He probably smiled more than any other interviewee during Thursday's media session.

Oordt has never lacked for motivation. He only earned a full scholarship at Northern Iowa the fall semester of his senior year. Because FCS schools can split financials of a scholarship, Oordt was a 20 percent scholarship. He really cashed in this fall, though. He had a grand total of three credit hours.

"They got me for cheap, you could put it that way," Oordt said.

Oordt is the fifth Panther invited to the NFL combine and the first since O-linemen Chad Rinehart and Brandon Keith attended in 2008. O-lineman Brad Meester (2000) and D-lineman James Jones (1991) also were invitees.

Oordt, who trained for the combine in California, knows he might be a longshot. He believes his one trait that might open the eyes of NFL GMs is his speed. His goal is 4.6.

"I'm hoping for a low 4.6 right now," he said. "If I can do better, I'll take it."

Oordt also played in the NFLPA Game alongside former Iowa wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Iowa's career leader in receptions and receiving yards. In the wake of a drug-related arrest in December, Johnson-Koulianos didn't receive a combine invite, though he has tweeted that he was told he wouldn't have gotten one anyway.

"He's a talented kid," Oordt said. "He made some big catches in the game. He had a key third-down conversion on a slant-and-go route that helped us keep it going on a last drive."

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Oordt's Career Receiving Stats

Year G-GS No. Yds. Avg. TDs LG HG

2007 13-1 12 233 19.4 1 34 63

2008 15-4 12 233 19.4 3 49 49

2009 11-3 18 358 19.9 5 50 79

Totals 39-8 42 824 19.6 9 50 79

Senior year -- 24 catches, 405 yards and three TDs

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