Notre Dame Football: Complete NFL Combine Results for Former Irish Stars

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Former Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis should be feeling vindicated after this past week. 

Eight members of his 2009 recruiting class received invitations to the NFL Scouting Combine over the weekend, allowing each an opportunity to enhance his draft stock. 

The event included a variety of workouts—the 40-yard dash and the 225-pound bench press among them—as well as meetings with the management group of prospective teams. 

How did the eight former Notre Dame stars fare?

All prospects were graded on a scale of 1-100, which breaks down like this: 

• 96-100: Future Hall of Famer
• 85-95: Immediate Starter
• 70-84: Eventual Starter
• 50-69: Draftable Player
• 20-49: Free Agent

Results from NFL.com.

Braxston Cave, C

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Braxston Cave, who grew up a hop, skip and a jump from Notre Dame's campus, is aiming to become the highest drafted Irish center since Jeff Faine was chosen 21st overall in 2003. 

"I like to think of myself as one of the best centers in the country, but we'll leave that up to the teams to decide," Cave told reporters last week. 

Cave won't be a first-round selection as Faine was, but his draft stock indicates that he will be plucked by a team during the draft in April. 

Following are Cave's workout results from the Combine: 

• 40-Yard Dash: 5.33 seconds
• Vertical Jump: 25.5 inches
• Broad Jump: 98.0 inches
• 3-Cone Drill: 7.81 seconds
• 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.71 seconds

Cave's overall performance earned the 6'3", 303-pound center a grade of 57.3. 

NFLDraftScout.com rates him as the fifth-best center available. 

Tyler Eifert, TE

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"Tight End U," as some call Notre Dame, boasts another elite tight end in a long line at the position. 

Tyler Eifert has continued that fabled tradition, impressing scouts during the combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. He ended up with an 83.3 grade.

Following are Eifert's workout results: 

• 40-Yard Dash: 4.68 seconds
• 225-Pound Bench Press: 22 reps
• Vertical Jump: 35.5 inches
• Broad Jump: 119.0 inches
• 3-Cone Drill: 6.92 seconds
• 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.32 seconds
• 60-Yard Shuttle: 11.52 seconds

Mike Mayock, NFL draft analyst for the NFL Network and announcer for Notre Dame home games on NBC had high praise for the Mackey Award winner following his workout. 

"If you're talking about a potential first-round draft pick amongst Eifert, Ertz and Escobar, I think [Eifert] had the best day from a measurable perspective."

Kapron Lewis-Moore, DE

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Kapron Lewis-Moore, jovially referred to on Notre Dame's campus as "Kappy," did not participate in any physical drills during the combine, as he is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered during his team's loss to Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game. 

However, Lewis-Moore was able to meet with a number of teams during the weekend in Indianapolis. 

Despite his inability to participate in drills at Lucas Oil Stadium, Lewis-Moore was in positive spirits leading up to the event. 

‘‘I knew the injury would hurt my draft stock. That’s something I can’t control. The best advice I’ve been given is, ‘Just be yourself. Be Kapron Lewis-Moore.’ That got me where I am right now. I’m just going to be myself—keep being funny, being cool and have fun with the process and make the most of it. Hopefully, a team will take a chance on me.’’

Unfortunately for Lewis-Moore, he is still six to seven months away from being able to participate in football activities (h/t Chicago Sun-Times). 

Zeke Motta, S

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For the second consecutive season, Notre Dame has produced a NFL-caliber safety who received a combine invitation. 

This season, it was Zeke Motta, who graded out at 71.2 on the 100-point scale. 

Following are his workout results: 

• 40-Yard Dash: 4.83 seconds
• 225-Pound Bench Press: 11 reps
• Vertical Jump: 35.5 inches
• Broad Jump: 126.0 inches
• 3-Cone Drill: 6.75 seconds
• 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.16 seconds

Motta's no-nonsense attitude was on display with the news media in attendance, as he was grilled about the Irish's loss to Alabama in the title game, as well as about his chances as a professional player. 

“I'm not one of those rah-rah types. I like to keep my head down and have a businesslike approach. I love this game, and I'll try to continue to improve and learn from people who have been there and done it.” 

Theo Riddick, RB

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After a career in which he moved from running back to slot receiver and back to running back, Theo Riddick became that rare hybrid offensive player Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly prefers. 

Unfortunately for Riddick, that dual ability may have been somewhat of a downfall. 

Riddick was out to silence the critics at the combine, but his performance only gave them more ammunition. 

Following are his workout results: 

• 40-Yard Dash: 4.68 seconds
• Vertical Jump: 32.0 inches
• Broad Jump: 118.0 inches

Riddick was not able to participate in any other drills due to pulling his hamstring during the 40-yard dash. He ended with a grade of 51.0.

Manti Te'o, LB

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Perhaps the most scrutinized player at the combine, Manti Te'o had no choice but to face the throng of media members prior to his on-field workouts in Indianapolis. 

No public relations staff could shield him from the difficult questions. 

But after handling the rapid-fire queries, Te'o was able to return to the field to make an effort to improve his draft stock. 

While they weren't flashy, his workout results are as follows: 

• 40-Yard Dash: 4.82 seconds
• Vertical Jump: 33.0 inches
• Broad Jump: 113.0 inches
• 3-Cone Drill: 7.13 seconds
• 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.27 seconds

While his 40-time has been the target of criticism, Te'o graded out well, receiving 87.5 points on the 100-point scale. 

Jamoris Slaughter, S

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Jamoris Slaughter, Notre Dame's former starting strong safety, was denied a sixth season of eligibility by the NCAA, though his consolation prize was an invitation to the combine. 

However, the Stone Mountain, Ga., native was unable to participate in physical drills, as he is in the midst of recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered during the Irish's 20-3 victory at Michigan State on Sept. 15. 

Like his former teammate, Kapron Lewis-Moore, Slaughter had the opportunity to meet with NFL team personnel at the event. 

Cierre Wood, RB

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After leading Notre Dame in rushing in 2011, Cierre Wood took on a diminished role in 2012. 

The 5'11", 213-pound running back was suspended for the first two games of the past season for an undisclosed violation of team rules.

The combine presented Wood an opportunity to make scouts forget about that minor transgression. 

Wood's workout results are as follows: 

• 40-Yard Dash: 4.56 seconds
• 225-Pound Bench Press: 16 reps
• Vertical Jump: 37.5 inches
• Broad Jump: 124.0 inches

Those figures panned out in an overall grade of 61.0 on the 100-point scale, despite an impressive time in the 40; he was also among the top performers in the broad and vertical jumps.