Six CMU football players attend NFL Pro Day
Six Central Michigan football players competed at the CMU’s annual NFL Pro Day on Tuesday with 27 NFL scouts in attendance.
The Chippewas participating in the workout included defensive linemen Jacques Bristol, Robi Staurt, and Maurice White along with punter Jake Walrath, offensive lineman Deiyantei Powell-Woods and wide receiver Kenny Brewer III.
Maurice White
Hailing from Detroit, White is a senior defensive lineman who spent two seasons with the Chippewas after transferring from Memphis.
“It was a good experience,” White said about Pro Day. “I got to be around old teammates… just coming in and putting in work, and we worked hard for over the last couple of months, so it was pretty fun.”
In his second year with CMU, White took the field in all 12 games while starting in 11 at defensive end. He found success behind the line of scrimmage as he ranked third on the team in tackles for loss with five and second in sacks with 3.5.
At Memphis, he appeared in 22 games for the Tigers, securing 16 tackles and 5.5 tackles for a loss.
As draft season approaches, White said he is staying hopeful and will continue to put in the work throughout the process.
Jake Walrath
Also coming from CMU as a transfer, Walrath spent one year with the Chippewas as a punter. He played in all 12 games of the season, averaging 43.2 yards per punt which ranked him fourth in the MAC.
He also had 15 punts over 50 yards and had 12 downed inside the 20-yard line.
In the loss to Notre Dame in the 2023 season, Walrath had seven punts for 351 yards, averaging 50.1 yards per punt in the matchup with a long of 63. He had four punts land inside the 20 and three punts over 50 yards, causing the Fighting Irish offense to start in bad field position in many possessions.
Walrath said he is hoping to continue his football career as draft season quickly approaches.
“At first, it was really uncertain, not knowing if your future in football is still there, but I have a trust in God and faith in him to kind carry me through that and just to put all my worries on him,” Walrath said. “And so I've just really been trying to put myself in the best position to succeed and have the right people in my corner.”
Deiyantei Powell-Woods
Powell-Woods played on Central Michigan football’s offensive line since 2019. Hailing from Bluefield, West Virginia, he was a two-star recruit out of high school.
Since coming to CMU in 2019, Powell-Woods appeared in 51 career games, starting in majority of those appearances with 38.
Powell-Woods said he has been working for a chance to play in the NFL since he was a child.
“I’d say I’m willing to work harder than most of the other guys. I guess anyone could say that. Anyone could say that, but I think I’m willing to actually do it," Powell-Woods said. “Words only go so far, it’s really your actions that will get you places.”
In 2022 as a junior, he started all 12 games for the Chippewas, and was a Third Team All Mid-American Conference selection.
Powell-Woods came into the 2023 season as a preseason First Team All-MAC selection by Phil Steele and Athlon Magazine. He started 10 of 12 games for the Chippewas and was a Second Team All-MAC selection.
Robi Stuart
Stuart played for Central Michigan’s defensive line since 2017. Stuart is from Saginaw and attended Saginaw Nouvel Catholic High School.
In his six-years at CMU, Stuart was seen in 56 games and started in 39.
He has 113 total tackles for a loss of 81 yards, eight sacks for 50 yards and one forced fumble.
“Leave everything, I have in my training, take every opportunity that comes my way, and don’t leave any questions,” Stuart said about his mentality. “If I give everything I have, I empty my tank, then I won’t have any doubts or regrets.”
Stuart was was a two-time All-MAC Fourth Team selection in 2022 and Third Team All-MAC selection in 2019. He was also named an Academic All-MAC selection six times.
Off the field, Stuart earned a Bachelor of Neuroscience in the Pre-Med program and is currently in graduate school with the hopes of researching head trauma of football players.
Jacques Bristol
Bristol attended CMU coming all the way from Sarasota, Fla. where he attended Booker high school, graduating in 2019.
In his career he played in 57 games where he started in 42 of those games. In his career at CMU, he did not miss a single game.
He totaled 144 total tackles in his career, while also adding 13 sacks. He made an instant impact, playing 14 games where he totaled 23 tackles, also adding four sacks. His best year came in the 2023 season where he had a career high 44 tackles and tied his career best in sacks with four.
In 2023 his on the field efforts were good enough to be named to the All-MAC second team.
When asked about his mentality heading into the draft process, he talked about not giving up.
"Just to stay the course, don't ever give up no matter what. Things might not go your way and just sit all the way through,” Bristol said.
Kenny Brewer III
Brewer III who is a Lansing native, who committed to Valparaiso University out of high school, transferred to CMU after the 2020 COVID-19 year.
In his career he had 12 catches totaling 87 yards. His best season came as a freshman where he caught five receptions for 21 yards.
After being asked why a team should take a chance on him, Brewer III talked about his willingness to play anywhere on the field.
“A team should take a chance on me because I’ll be that glue guy,” Brewer III said. “I’ll play everything, I’ll play special teams, I’ll block, I’ll play receiver, get a first down catch.”
