Mississippi State senior cornerback Chris Rayford had his chance.
Bearing down on Alabama return man Xavian Marks in the second quarter of the Crimson Tide’s 31-24 win in 2017, the ball popped free.
Tied at 14 apiece, an MSU recovery would have given the Bulldogs possession near the Alabama 20-yard line.
Instead, Marks recovered the muffed punt.
“Maybe if I would have downed it or whatever, it would have been a game changer, gave us an opportunity to win,” Rayford said.
At Wednesday morning’s Pro Day in Starkville, the Byhalia native made the most of his latest opportunity.
With defensive standouts Gerri Green, Johnathan Abram, Montez Sweat and Jeffery Simmons garnering most of the hype heading into the event, it was Rayford who stole the show.
Lining up along the goal line at the Palmeiro Center in front of scouts from all 32 NFL teams, he set his stance. With his knees tucked tight, Rayford slowly motioned an arm toward his torso.
He then shot off the turf in a flash — quickly shifting into a full sprint.
Forty yards later he had notched an official mark of 4.49 seconds — the fastest recorded time of the day.
“I was pushing for it, I just didn’t want to say it to anybody but I was hoping I would have the fastest 40,” Rayford said. “There’s just something about being at the top and your name being there and scouts see that.”
The impressive performance didn’t stop there. Rayford set a personal record in the bench press — grinding out 24 repetitions of 225 pounds.
“I had never broken 20,” he said. “So 24 was astonishing to me.”
Generally a special teamer at MSU, the 6-foot defensive back has been praised by NFL team officials for his versatility covering and returning kicks.
Head coach Joe Morehead echoed their sentiments.
“I think when you look at the construct of NFL rosters, with 53 men, unless you’re a quarterback, a lineman or one of the elite-level players you have to be able to do certain things to contribute on special teams and I know Chris can fill that role,” Morehead said.
And while Wednesday’s event was a proving ground of sorts for Rayford, his game film tells a similar story.
Lined up on punt coverage during a Nov. 17 game against Arkansas, he had a shot at redemption.
Laying a hit on Razorbacks return man Reid Bauer, Rayford forced the ball loose.
He wouldn’t be denied this time.
As the ball bounced toward the Arkansas end zone, Rayford gathered the fumble at the 4-yard line.
On the ensuing play, senior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald hit junior wide receiver Keith Mixon for a score.
The sequence earned Rayford Special Teams Play of the Week.
“A lot of coaches and scouts have talked to me about special teams,” he said. “It’s a big part of the game these days — game changers. So if they get me in the door, hey, kudos to it.”
Standing along the sideline near the end of Pro Day, Rayford reflected on his five years in Starkville.
He’d appeared in 52 games, amassing 55 tackles — including a season-high three in the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl against Iowa.
For Rayford, his time in the maroon and white has come to a close. But with an intriguing skill-set, he heads into the final month of the pre-draft process knowing he made the most of his final opportunity at MSU.
“I didn’t even dream about it,” Rayford said of playing in the NFL. “I was just waking up, being a Mississippi boy, just trying to go hard every day, one step at a time. So to come out here and perform is truly a blessing.”
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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