SUBSCRIBE today to stay up on the latest in Mountaineer sports and recruiting.

The NFL Draft process didn’t get off to an ideal start for Dravon Askew-Henry.

After completing his five-year career at West Virginia playing safety and serving as a team captain for the Mountaineers this past season, the Aliquippa, Pennsylvania native received no invitations to the Senior Bowl nor NFL Combine.

These events can be discouraging for aspiring NFL players coming out of college and they were at first for Askew-Henry, but this also turned out to be exactly what he needed to fuel his fire.

“That was the fuel I needed,” Askew-Henry said. “I felt like people were sleeping on me just (because) I didn’t get a combine or Senior Bowl (invite).”

That chip on his shoulder was evident during West Virginia’s pro day on Friday as Askew-Henry ran a 4.53 in the 40-yard dash, made a broad jump of 10-feet, 1-inch and pumped out 18 reps on the bench press.

Overall, Askew-Henry was satisfied with his performance during pro day which featured representatives from all 32 NFL teams inside the Caperton Indoor Facility in Morgantown.

“I feel like I did good,” Askew-Henry said. “I’ve been training three months, right after the bowl game for this moment. I came up here, walking and got a little teary eyed from how much work I put in and I couldn’t be happier I’m proud of me and all my teammates today.”

Askew-Henry’s emotion at the end of the day and performance overall were the culmination of three months of hard work and high intense training in Hollywood, Florida with former NFL star cornerback, Darrelle Revis, Askew-Henry’s cousin and a fellow Aliquippa native himself. This training was daily and included two sessions a day.

“I trained probably 45 minutes up the road so I’d get up about 7 (a.m.) every day, drive that, two sessions a day,” Askew-Henry said. “I’m stretching, I never stretched like this before. I’m sprinting. I’m lifting. I’m just going in overtime. I probably won’t get back and lay my head down until 9 (p.m.) and I’m getting up at 7 (a.m.) in the morning everyday Monday through Sunday.”

“Even on my off days I’ll get up and do something. I’m still hungry. I feel like I still got more to prove and like I said I’m hungry, I’m ready,” he added.

Throughout the process, Revis has served as both a mentor and motivator for Askew-Henry who credits the seven-time pro bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro with getting him back on track.

“It’s family. He was always like a mentor to me growing up and when it was my time, he told me I could come stay with him, which I did and he mentored me throughout the process and I thank him so much for that,” Askew-Henry said. “He got that fire back into me and just watching him and the success he’s had it makes me wanna be just like him. I thank him so much for that.”

Askew-Henry’s West Virginia career was filled with ups and downs. An impressive true freshman season earned him freshman All-American honors, but a torn ACL during preseason camp ended his junior season before it could officially begin.

The last two years of Askew-Henry’s college career consisted of a shaky 2017 season and a bounce back fifth-year senior season in which he earned Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors and broke the school record for most career starts with 51.

No matter the ups and downs, Askew-Henry wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“You can’t look back, what’s done is done,” Askew Henry said. “Five years here I don’t regret anything. I love everything I went through here. I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I’m just looking forward to the next step and next level. I believe I deserve to be there, I feel like I worked to get there, and I know I’m going to get there, just I don’t know when or where.”

Askew-Henry intended to meet with his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers this past weekend and the San Francisco 49ers soon.

He plans on returning to Florida to train and will most likely return home to his family in Pennsylvania come NFL Draft weekend in late April. However, Askew-Henry will not watch the draft and will instead wait for his hard work over the past three months to pay dividends when a team calls and takes a chance on him.

“I’m not going to watch the draft at all,” Askew-Henry said. “I don’t know where or when I’m going to go, but I know I’m going to get there and just wait for a call. Keep working, keep doing what I gotta do and just wait for the call.”

Enter the contest by clicking on the following link and choosing to subscribe to the channel: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=VideoGlide