Voorhees a Big Target of NFL

If his workouts for NFL scouts are an accurate indication, Barry Voorhees of Cal State Northridge is among the fastest, strongest offensive linemen available in the league’s draft, which begins today.

Voorhees (6-foot-5, 302 pounds), who could become the first CSUN football player to be drafted, has turned in some startling performances for representatives of some 15 teams.

In the 40-yard dash, he consistently has been timed in 4.8 seconds, better than the 4.95 turned in by Georgia Tech’s 255-pound Scott Beaver, who had the fastest time among offensive linemen at the NFL scouting combine in January.

Voorhees, a guard, did not attend the scouting combine, in which top prospects are put through their paces. But during his workouts for NFL teams he tied or exceeded bests at the combine in three more categories.

In the bench press, Voorhees did 40 repetitions with 225 pounds. The best at the combine was Blake Bednarz of Syracuse, who had 32.

Blaine Rose of Maryland had a vertical jump of 32 inches, the same as Voorhees.

John Hudson of Auburn recorded the combine’s best standing broad jump, 9 feet 4 inches. Voorhees leaped 10-2.

All of which means that by the end of the draft’s 12th round Monday, Voorhees might be headed for the pros.

And Voorhees has been told that he probably will not have to wait that long. The draft’s first four rounds are today and Voorhees and his Dallas-based agent, Steve Weinberg, have been told by several teams to stay close to a phone.

“Indianapolis’ offensive line coach (Dante Scarnecchia) told me I would be real surprised tomorrow, whatever that means,” Voorhees said. “All I know is that I’ll probably get drafted. Where doesn’t really matter as long as I get a shot. Anything else I have no control over.”

CSUN cornerback Willie James is a possible late-round selection, according to Coach Bob Burt. Like Voorhees, James was an All-Western Football Conference selection for the 6-5 Matadors.

Cal Lutheran offers a potential selection in offensive lineman Ken Whitney (6-3, 300 pounds).

Scouts from the Raiders, Steelers, Patriots, Bengals and Colts have sent scouts to test Whitney, who reportedly has bench-pressed more than 600 pounds.

“They’ve been impressed as far as my speed and strength,” Whitney said. “People are telling me as far as my position goes I’m kind of green; coaches know they can mold me into what ever they want.”

Whitney, who played tight end before last season, likely would play guard as a pro. He already has been selected in the Canadian Football League draft.

Staff writer Brendan Healey contributed to this story.