By John Ingoldsby, Player Engagement Insider
When a pair of Indiana natives headed to Harvard four years ago, they could never have imagined that football would bring them full circle back to the Hoosier state for the NFL Combine.
But that is exactly what happened for offensive lineman Cole Toner and tight end Ben Braunecker as they were invited to Indianapolis last month to get their shot at the NFL.
But it wasn’t their only chance to display their talent as just last week they got another chance to impress approximately 25 NFL Scouts when Harvard held its Pro Day in a bubble set atop the turf at venerable Harvard Stadium.
The home field advantage helped at each venue as they both performed well, and even showed slight improvement from the Combine in their encore at Harvard.
“I grew up in Greenwood, just ten minutes away from Lucas Oil Stadium, so I was very comfortable for my four-day marathon out there, as well as here where I actually did a little better today,” said Toner, who also participated in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL. “Between Indy and the Senior Bowl, I met with all 32 teams, including many NFL offensive line coaches.”
The same was true for Ferdinand, Indiana native Braunecker, a participant in the NFLPA Bowl who stated, “I did a little better today than the Combine, which was a four-day non-stop marathon where in addition to the drills, I spent the nights doing interviews with about 20 teams and tight end coaches, and then was up early in the morning doing drug testing.”
To prepare for these marathon-like conditions, both players got a head-start on March, National Nutrition Month, by fueling their bodies to make sure they were football-drills ready.
“I worked out at St. Vincent Sports Performance Center in Indy twice a day for six days a week, where they provided superior nutrition in addition to all the other Combine prep,” Toner said. “Then when I got back here to Harvard, I executed my plan to eat and drink all the right things, like chicken and shakes, both in dining halls and home.”
For Braunecker, majoring in Molecular & Cellular Biology Major, nutrition came naturally as he strictly monitored his calorie intake by implementing a strict rotation of mainly vegetables and fruits, adding, “I understand what’s good for me.”
Good indeed, as they have an optimal situation of receiving a superior education at Harvard while still having an equal opportunity of living the dream to play in the NFL.
“After not getting many offers out of high school, I first thought of playing in the League when I was a freshman and held my own against some NFL-caliber linemen at Princeton,” recalled the 6’7” 300-pound Toner. “Then my career grew from there and we went 36-4 during a very successful four years here.”
As for the 6’4”, 240-pound Braunecker, it came a little later.
“It was last spring ball when I first thought I could make the NFL, after being injured my junior year, and Coach (Tim) Murphy believed I had a shot, so I battled every day and as I got better I started to believe,” said Braunecker, who added that unbelievably he had never been inside an NFL stadium until he set foot in Lucas Oil for the Combine.
But for both he and Toner, there may be many more NFL stadiums still to see, and they may even become their new workplace.