For the 2015 NFL Draft, Optimum Scouting will host a series of “Draft Journals”, written by some of the most intriguing prospects in the draft. The hope is that these journals can give some insight not only on these players’ backgrounds, but their interaction with training, events, NFL teams and more. So whether you’re an NFL Draft follower, a current college player or an evaluator of these players, these “Draft Journals” will hopefully be a resource for you. Enjoy!
I started my college career by deciding to go to Grossmont Junior College due to a lack of exposure in high school. After two seasons and three semesters at Grossmont, I was eligible to transfer to a four-year school. I wanted to find a school to go to in the spring so I could start learning the playbook and get some chemistry with the team during spring ball. I also wanted to find a team that had an open quarterback position, where I could compete for the starting spot.
Only a hand full of teams were interested in me including New Haven and CSU-Pueblo. CSU-Pueblo had just lost their senior quarterback and had won two RMAC Championships the two previous seasons. Coach Leo and Coach Wristen were very interested, along with newly hired Coach Wilkinson from Colorado State. They flew me in to Pueblo and I was able to meet coaches and players as well as tour the campus. I was interested in the legacy they were building and how the community rallied around the team. It was definitely something I wanted to be apart of and I committed that weekend.
At CSU-Pueblo, I was lucky enough to have multiple weapons on the offensive side, and a defense that was the best in the nation in many categories. Our offense was mostly pro-style mixed with some short game. Our offensive coordinator, Daren Wilkinson, liked to pound the ball with our talented running backs and then play action pass and hit receivers downfield.
I took snaps under center and in shotgun, which is a quality that is sought after by NFL scouts. We ran a lot of quick 3-step and 5-step drops, focusing on hitting receivers quickly and let them make plays. Running the pro-style offense is another benefit for me going into the draft because many NFL teams run similar offenses. In my two seasons at CSUP, I was able to play against two FCS teams including Northern Colorado and nationally ranked Sam Houston and win both of those games. Playing against higher-level teams was great experience for me.
In my senior season my team won the Division II National Championship. We faced many strong opponents on the road to the championship, which brought adversity that my team and I had to overcome. Experiencing this allowed me to grow as a player and as a leader. This season also helped me with exposure because we had many seniors that had NFL talent, which brought scouts to our practices during the season.
After my season I spent a week in Charleston, SC where I got to showcase my talents in the 2015 Medal of Honor Bowl. The week of practice leading up to the event was very competitive. Over 100 NFL scouts filled the sidelines and watched our every move. I felt that I gained a lot of exposure this week because I showed that I could compete with athletes from big-named schools.
In speaking with NFL scouts during one-on-one interviews after practice, many told me that they did not know about me before this event. I earned the starting spot in the game, was selected as a captain, and went four for five in the opening drive that led to a touchdown.
I signed with 7 Sports Group and agent Evan Brennan and I am currently training in Denver, CO. I am training at Six Zero Strength with trainer former NFL lineman Matt McChesney and quarterback guru Warren McCarty.
I’m focusing on footwork, endurance, and a quicker release. I am also doing mock interviews and team research to prepare myself for future interviews with teams.
I still have a lot of hard work ahead of me to prepare myself for my pro day and NFL Combine. I look forward to keeping you all updated on my progress and road to the NFL.
If you have any questions for Chris for his next Draft Journal (before the 2015 NFL Combine), please send me an email at [email protected] and he’ll address is in his next Journal!
Here’s Chris Bonner’s game against West Georgia to check out from DraftBreakdown.com.
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