NFL Pro Day: Are UCLA players skittish about playing in public?

So, if a pass is dropped in the forest and nobody sees it …

UCLA has tightened security, closing its “Pro Day” to the public and media. Unlike in previous years, only NFL scouts will be allowed to see Bruins players work out. This could explain the Bruins’ woeful 4-8 season in 2011 -- too many fans and media at games.

As to when this event takes place, that is being handled as need-to-know information.

UCLA has had nine players picked in the last three NFL drafts. USC had nine players drafted in 2011 alone. USC’s Pro Day is open to the public, which apparently has not been a problem; the Trojans have had 79 players drafted in the last 10 years.

Still, UCLA officials said in a press release that they wanted to “create the best environment possible,” something NFL officials can’t even guarantee -- ever been to Cleveland for a December game?

In this hermetically sealed setting, players will have the privacy to show they can perform weekly in front of 75,000 fans and media.

No word on whether scouts will be asked to put mufflers on stopwatches so receivers Nelson Rosario and Josh Smith can focus completely on catching passes.

“Pro Day is a critical day for all football players looking to continue their careers in the pros,” UCLA Coach Jim Mora said in a statement. “We want our players to be completely focused on the task at hand and able to work in an environment free of distractions.”

UCLA, apparently, has special designed distraction-free cameras. UCLABruins.com will have “exclusive videos and photos from the day,” according to the release.

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