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    <title>Professional Sports</title>
    <category>Professional Sports</category>
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    <description>Latest local news from The Durango Herald.</description>
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        <link>https://tj.durangoherald.com/jones-healey-go-low-to-separate-from-pack-in-round-2-of-navajo-trail-open/</link>
        <title>Jones, Healey go low to separate from pack in Round 2 of Navajo Trail Open</title>
        <description>Pros had ideal scoring conditions on Saturday morning</description>
        <pubDate>Sat, 20 Jun 2026 20:33:18 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Pros had ideal scoring conditions on Saturday morningConnor Jones tees off on seven during the Navajo Trail Open on Saturday at Hillcrest Golf Club during the second round. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBrideSaturday is considered moving day in professional golf tournaments, and two players used it to move up the leaderboard in the second round of the Navajo Trail Open.Connor Jones and Dylan Healey took advantage of the pros playing in the morning on the pure greens and ideal conditions at Hillcrest Golf Club in Durango. Jones shot 6-under par to take the tournament lead at 8-under par. Healey bounced back from an even par Friday to shoot 7-under par to be one shot back of Jones.Behind those two is a four-way tie for third at 3-under par. Golfers were treated to another beautiful day with warm temperatures.Jones finished his second round with eight birdies, eight pars and two bogeys.“I got off to a real good start,” Jones said. “I birdied the first three holes, and then kept it going all day. I was hitting it really good, and left a few out there with the greens, three putted a couple times. I had a lot of looks.”Teeing off in the morning made the course a lot easier, according to Jones, and the wind didn’t pick up until the back nine. He birdied four out of his first five holes, with the lone misstep a three-putt bogey on Hole 13. He birdied the par-5 17th, Hole 2, Hole 3, Hole 6 and then he three putted the par-4 eighth for bogey.Connor Jones tees off on seven during the Navajo Trail Open on Saturday at Hillcrest Golf Club during the second round. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBrideUp one stroke with $10,000 on the line, Jones said he feels comfortable in the lead and he was planning on working on the speed of his putts before the final round.Healey, from Tucson, Arizona, had a double bogey on Friday, which didn’t help his scoring. He came out scorching on Saturday as the pros started their rounds on the back nine. Healey birdied the par-5 10th, the par-4 11th, the par-3 12th and the par-4 13th to begin his round. He cooled off with three consecutive pars before an impressive eagle on the par-5 17th to shoot 6-under on his opening nine.The former Korn Ferry Tour player also birdied the par 5 third and the par 4 eight before bogeying the tricky par 3 ninth.Farmington’s Tony Mike Jr. had a quality second round, finishing at 2-under par to get to 3-under par for the tournament. Mike had a nice birdie on the short par-4 11th, before a tough double bogey at 17. He bounced back on the front nine with birdies on three, five, seven and eight, with the only blemish on the front a bogey on the par-4 sixth.Tony Mike Jr. sinks a putt on nine during the Navajo Trail Open on Saturday at Hillcrest Golf Club during the second round. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBrideWil Collins is also at 3-under par for the tournament after an even par round on Saturday. Collins had an up and down round with five birdies, eight pars and five bogeys.Collins said he struggled to take advantage of the perfect conditions in the morning, and he started pressing, leading to what he called “mental torture” for 5.5 hours.Wil Collins tees off on seven during the Navajo Trail Open on Saturday at Hillcrest Golf Club during the second round. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBride“I didn’t get much out of it today. … My short game was poor with two for 10 on up and downs,” Collins said. “The short game has been kind of rough this week, but I’m still under par for the week, and I have a chance to go out and post a good number tomorrow.”Also at 3-under par is Brad Marek after shooting 1-under par on Saturday with three birdies, 13 pars and two bogeys.Joe Baldeck III is also tied for third at 3-under par after shooting 4-under par on Saturday. Baldeck is based out of Austin and works at Spanish Oaks Golf Club. He heard about the tournament from his friend, Ryan Hodge, who’s the Director of Golf at Glacier Club. Baldeck played in it last year and knew he had to come back.Joe Baldeck III tees off on seven during the Navajo Trail Open on Saturday at Hillcrest Golf Club during the second round. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBride“I’m feeling good,” Baldeck said. “I got off to a hot start birding the first three, that definitely helped. I played pretty good on the back, and then the wind started picking up, and I was hitting good shots, just being in the right spot, it seemed like today for the most part.”Baldeck was happy with his distance control on Saturday, especially hitting into the challenging Hillcrest greens. He’s looking forward to teeing it up on Sunday and is happy to be here, so he isn’t too concerned with the final result.Farmington’s River Smalley shot 1-over par on Saturday with three birdies, 11 pars and four bogeys to go into Sunday tied-seventh at 2-under par. Cortez’s Micah Rudosky finished his round on Saturday at 4-over par and is 3-over par for the tournament.Micah Rudosky sinks a long putt on nine during the Navajo Trail Open on Saturday at Hillcrest Golf Club during the second round. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBrideCharles Dawkins continues to lead the amateur field’s net standings at 2-over par for the tournament, while Fort Lewis College’s Traejan Andrews leads the gross amateur standings in the championship flight at 3-under par.It’s not often a hole-in-one happens on any golf course, let alone in tournament play, But that’s what happened on Saturday with Annie Yost. The former Piedra Vista High School star and current Division I golfer at Florida Gulf Coast University had her first ace on Hole 12 on Saturday. That shot helped her shoot 1-over par on Saturday.Fans should be treated to some fantastic golf in the final group on Sunday. Collins, Mike, Healey and Jones will all tee off at 2:18 p.m. on Hole 1. To check out all of the tee times, click here.bkelly@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://tj.durangoherald.com/strong-turnout-expected-for-54th-iron-horse-bicycle-classic/</link>
        <title>Strong turnout expected for 54th Iron Horse Bicycle Classic</title>
        <description>Road, mountain bike and gravel races highlight the event</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 20 May 2026 09:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Road, mountain bike and gravel races highlight the eventRacers leave Durango after the start of the 2025 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race in Durango. (Jerry McBride/Herald file)Memorial Day is almost here, and that means one thing in Durango: The 54th Iron Horse Bicycle Classic weekend is back to give cyclists, spectators and local businesses great memories with a strong turnout.Local rising stars will battle for supremacy at one of Colorado’s most prestigious and longest running cycling events. The 47-mile Coca-Cola Road Race will be center stage once again as it has been in every year since 1971.Last year, the big change was the Subaru Mountain Bike race course featuring Steamworks Brewing Co. for the first time in six years. The return to downtown racing went so well that the iconic route through Steamworks is returning on Sunday, along with the LaStrada LaPlata Gravel race.Great weather in Durango and Silverton is expected this weekend, making it worth it for local spectators and riders.“We're super excited,” IHBC Interim Racing Director Erin Glenn said. “It's going to be a great year. Our numbers are up 10% for registration, and we project Friday night for that last-minute registration to be probably one of our biggest years. It's quite amazing, actually, all the last-minute (registrations) that came in on Sunday, but we have 918 new riders this year. So that's our biggest ever that we've had that many new riders.”Glenn is the IHBC interim racing director after former director Ian Burnett was let go from his position. Her goal this year is to boost registration. Glenn has over a decade of experience working for the IHBC, including being Ed Zink’s executive assistant, being in charge of the registration, working with the riders, vendors and event showcasing.Another one of Glenn’s goals has been boosting the number of volunteers. IHBC has brought in a new volunteer coordinator, Therese Geter, to partner with local businesses as volunteer sponsorships. These businesses will provide staff and help feed the volunteers. The IHBC has worked to spread the word on social media and with nonprofits. Glenn said it’s the first time in years that the IHBC has only 10 volunteer spots left to fill.The IHBC will kick off on Friday with the Faceplant Ale Kick Off Parade at 4:20 p.m. Costumes are encouraged. Participants will gather at Ska Brewing Co. before the parade departs at 5 p.m. It will follow the bike path to Santa Rita Park, then move through neighborhoods before stopping at Steamworks. The parade will finish with participants entering Buckley Park from the north side. There will be live music and vendors at Buckley Park.On Saturday, the Coca-Cola Road Race will start at 7:15 a.m. at 33rd Street and East Second Avenue. The McDonald’s Citizen Tour will start at 8 a.m. at the same location.The iconic 47-mile road race starts at 6,512 feet in elevation. Riders travel through Hermosa and past Purgatory Resort before climbing Coal Bank Pass and Molas Pass, both over 10,000 feet. The race finishes in Silverton at 9,318 feet.Riders must clear Coal Bank Pass by 12:40 p.m. and Molas Pass by 1:20 p.m. or they will be pulled from the race for safety reasons, as the highway between Purgatory and Silverton is closed only until 1:30 p.m.Two-time defending men’s pro road race champion and Durango native Cobe Freeburn will not be defending his title on Saturday as he focuses on his training for the Unbound Gravel race on May 30. It’s unclear whether defending women’s champion Sidney Andrew will be riding, but 2024 women’s champion Lauren Aggeler will compete for her second title. Local riders Ivan Sippy and Emmett McManus are signed up to win their first Iron Horse road races.Plenty of other riders could sign up just before the weekend, according to Glenn. First place for the men’s and women’s races each get $1,000.One local legend who won’t be at the Coca-Cola Road Race start line is Ned Overend. The 70-year-old has been traveling for the past few weeks for Specialized, and his training didn’t come together with some nagging injuries. Overend said he’ll try again next year, and this will be the first time in 41 years that he hasn’t competed in the IHBC, minus COVID-19 and snow cancellations.There are 2,000 riders who are expected to line up for the Coca-Cola Road Race and McDonald’s Citizen Tour race, according to Glenn, up from about 1,800 last year.On Saturday, the high in Durango is supposed to be 71 degrees and sunny, and the high in Silverton will be 51 degrees with sunshine.Glenn and the IHBC have partnered with Adaptive Sports to have more people at the finish line of the Quarter Horse at Purgatory Resort.“We also are really trying to promote bringing more people to Silverton,” Glenn said. “A lot of people aren't aware that we have a full festival and expo. We have vendors, a food garden there. The energy is awesome, just with all the riders, the family members and friends that are there to cheer people in.”The festival in Silverton will run until about 2:30 or 3 p.m. A new addition to the finish line at Silverton will be a hot and cold plunge from event sponsors Four Corners Stoves and Spas.On Sunday, the LaStrada LaPlata gravel race will start and finish at Steamworks. The 55-mile course includes 4,985 feet of climbing. Riders will start at 8 a.m., ascend Horse Gulch Road, loop around Texas Creek to the east, then return west to Horse Gulch Road and finish at Steamworks.The Subaru Mountain Bike Race will begin at Buckley Park, where riders will complete a lap around the park before heading south on East Second Avenue to Eighth Street. At Eighth Street, they’ll turn north on East Fifth Avenue into the singletrack. Riders will take a lap on the Rim Trail, descend the south side of the Factory Trail, ride the lower part of the Nature Trail onto East Fifth Avenue, then reverse course down Eighth Street through Steamworks before finishing at Buckley Park.Sunday is expected to be another beautiful day in Durango with partly cloudy skies and a high of 76 degrees.bkelly@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://tj.durangoherald.com/san-francisco-49ers-select-durangos-willis-in-nfl-draft/</link>
        <title>San Francisco 49ers select Durango’s Willis in NFL Draft</title>
        <description>Historic franchise selected former Demon in fourth round on Saturday</description>
        <pubDate>Sun, 26 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Historic franchise selected former Demon in fourth round on SaturdayDurango's Carver Willis prepares for the rush as part of the University of Washington offensive line against UCLA on Nov. 22. (Courtesy Travis Ellison/UW Athletics)Travis EllisonDurango has connections to plenty of professional athletes, but now this small mountain town will be connected to a man playing football on Sundays.Former Demons football star Carver Willis was selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft with the 127th pick by the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday. Willis will have the chance to compete for playing time for one of the most historic franchises in NFL history as the 49ers remain a contender in the NFC and NFC West.Carver Willis“I knew I was on their radar, but no, I had no idea they were about to take me,” Willis said in a call with reporters. “It was a pretty big surprise at my place, so I’m just fired up.”It hasn’t been a straightforward path for Willis, with stops at Kansas State and Washington during his six years of college football. He started games at right tackle in 2023 and 2024 at Kansas State and at left tackle in 2025 at Washington. However, the former first-team all-state football player as a senior at Durango High School looks like he’ll play guard in the NFL.Carver Willis of Durango High School bears down on Ty Blackmer of Montezuma-Cortez High School at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Herald file)Willis doesn’t have the size or the length of a typical pro tackle. The move to guard is something he talked about with every team he met with. He took snaps at guard at the 2026 Senior Bowl.“I’m happy to do it, no matter where they need me on the line,” Willis said about moving positions. “I’ve kind of said this whole time, I just want a shot in the playbook.”The 6-foot-5-inch, 303-pound Willis met with the 49ers informally at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine. Willis met with San Francisco offensive line coach Chris Foerster multiple times since Foerster was up at Washington for a coaching clinic. Willis said Washington modeled a lot of what they did on offense off what the 49ers do.Willis was projected as a Day 3 selection in the NFL Draft, anywhere from the fourth round to being an undrafted free agent. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked Willis as a sixth-round prospect and as the 19th-best guard in the class. Brugler and other analysts noted Willis is at his best in the run game, but he needs to improve his core strength and as a pass blocker. Brugler projects Willis as a backup swing offensive lineman with upside to be more than that.Despite where the analysts project Willis’ career to go, there is an opening at left guard for the 49ers that he can compete for. San Francisco seems pretty set at the other four positions on the offensive line, but the 49ers lost two of the three left guards who started for them last season, with the lone returner being 2025 seventh-rounder Connor Colby. Willis could compete for the starting job with Colby, Robert Jones, Brett Toth and Nick Zakelj.One of the 49ers’ most notable players is left tackle Trent Williams. The 12-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro is 37 and just signed a two-year, $50 million contract extension on Monday.“It’s pretty cool,” Willis said. “He’s one of those guys who’s an all-time great; he’s a legend. Any way I can learn from him or any part of his game I can learn from or his process, I’m excited for. It’s actually one of the first things I said when I got drafted to my family is, ‘I can learn from Trent.”’San Francisco went 12-5 overall last season and has been in the playoffs in five of the last seven years, including two Super Bowl appearances. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has been leading the team since 2017, and Brock Purdy has been the top starting quarterback since 2023.Running back Christian McCaffrey is one of the best running backs in the league, but Willis will try and help improve a rushing attack that averaged 3.8 yards per rush and ranked 24th with 106.9 rushing yards per game.bkelly@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://tj.durangoherald.com/freeburn-finishes-sixth-at-sea-otter-classic/</link>
        <title>Freeburn finishes sixth at Sea Otter Classic</title>
        <description>Local riders competed in stacked field on Thursday in California</description>
        <pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:51:14 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Local riders competed in stacked field on Thursday in CaliforniaDurango's Cobe Freeburn competes in the 2026 Life Time Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California, on Thursday. (Courtesy Dan Hughes/Life Time)Round 1 of the Life Time Grand Prix off-road cycling series is over, and Durango’s Cobe Freeburn sent a message to the off-road community that he’s ready to compete with the best.Freeburn and a large group of Durango riders competed against a world-class field in the Sea Otter Classic on Thursday in Monterey, California. The elite gravel races were the first round of the Life Time Grand Prix, and many Durango riders didn’t have the race they wanted after 90 miles and 4+ hours in the saddle.The 24-year-old Freeburn, however, bounced back from a tough 2025 Sea Otter to finish sixth in the elite men’s gravel race, finishing as the top Durangoan in his first start as part of the LTGP.“I’m super proud of that,” Freeburn said. “I didn’t really know what to expect. Last year, I raced pretty poorly, so I wasn’t sure how I’d be. I kind of figured I was in a better place than last year not being sick … but I didn’t expect to be that far up … If I could do top 10, top 15, that’d be a really solid way to start. To be in the front group was pretty crazy.”Freeburn finished sixth overall and fifth best of the men’s LTGP riders in four hours, 16 minutes and 52 seconds after three laps on the 30-mile course that starts and ends on the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. He was less than two minutes of winner Bradyn Lange in 4:15:03, Keegan Swenson in second in 4:15:03 and Alexy Vermeulen in third in 4:15:14.Now riding for Trek Driftless, Freeburn had a great start to his 2026 season, winning the Mid-South Gravel Race in March, which gave him confidence, translating to Sea Otter.Sea Otter can be a draining experience for riders with all the sponsorship responsibilities that go with one of the biggest gravel races of the year with riders from around the world. Freeburn said he did a good job planning out his schedule so he didn’t have many commitments until after the race.Freeburn went with a pretty light and fast setup for Sea Otter. He took a risk with narrow tires. Freeburn is a heavier rider, so he wanted the lightest setup for the notable lookout climb and that he could still get around the course with.“It's really hard because it’s a lot of climbing, a lot of the climbing is pretty steep and … it's just all up and down, which seems to suit me pretty well,” Freeburn said. “A lot of corners and a lot of changeable conditions … it’s pretty loose gravel, so it's kind of slippery corners. That suits me pretty well. It's similar to Durango in that sense, where it's a little bit of a controlled slide everywhere.”The start of the Sea Otter men’s race was pretty hectic with 137 riders climbing up part of the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca before getting into the off-road part of the course. Freeburn didn’t have the best start, struggling to clip into his pedals. He almost ran into the slow-moving media car after that, but he didn’t panic, despite being stuck behind some people in the first downhill. He caught up to the leaders on the first main climb.Even after getting a stick stuck in his cassette, Freeburn managed to stay at the front as the lead group dwindled to seven on the final lap. It wasn’t until the lookout climb on the final lap that Freeburn and former Fort Lewis College rider Cole Paton were dropped.After that, it was Freeburn and Paton battling for sixth. Both riders had to navigate a tricky finish with a sandy corner before 180-degree turn leading to the finish. Freeburn did enough to win the sprint finish in front of the fans for sixth.Durango's Cobe Freeburn (left) sprints to the finish against Cole Paton at the 2026 Sea Otter Classic on Thursday in Monterey, California. (Courtesy Dan Hughes/Life Time)“I just knew leading into the corner before the finish straight was super important, because there was no getting around anyone unless you're a much better sprinter. So I just made sure to lead into the corner first and then punch out of it really hard.”Freeburn is taking a lot of momentum into The Traka gravel race in Girona, Spain, from April 29 to May 3.Durango’s Lauren Aggeler didn’t show her lack of gravel experience, finishing as the top Durango woman in the women’s elite gravel race on Thursday in 23rd in 5:20:46. More importantly for Aggeler, she finished second in the women’s U-23 category. Former FLC cyclists Sofia Gomez Villafane won the women’s elite race in 5:10:39, with Lauren Stephens in second in 5:10:41 and Nele Johanna Laing.Durango's Lauren Aggeler competes in the 2026 Sea Otter Classic on Thursday in Monterey, California. (Courtesy Dan Hughes/Life Time)Not too far behind Aggeler was Durango resident Maude Farrell in 30th in 5:23:53. Farrell’s race was very consistent as she was in between 30th and 39th in all 12 splits throughout the race. Durango resident Michaela Thompson finished 33rd as she’s trying to earn a wild card spot to the Life Time Grand Prix. She was the fifth-best wild card rider in the women’s field, and four wild cards are selected after the second round of the LTGP.“The women’s racing has grown and changed so much … Every pre-race and split second race decision is everything,” Thompson wrote on Instagram. “As soon as I lined up at the start line I knew it was going to be like no other Sea Otter I’ve done … A dynamic course and dynamic group made for an intense race.”Durango resident Michaela Thompson competes in the 2026 Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California, on Thursday. (Courtesy Dan Hughes/Life Time)Ellen Campbell finished 45th in 5:44:51 as the next Durango female. Campbell is also going for a wild card spot, and she was the 11th-best wild card in the elite women’s race. Campbell didn’t get higher than 35th at any of the 12 splits.“The Sea Otter Classic delivered one heck of a tactical, stacked gravel race (which honestly felt like a road race at times), and I for sure got my butt kicked,” Campbell wrote on Instagram. “Definitely proud of some moments out there but honestly I’m finding myself scratching my head at that one. Not really sure where it went wrong.”Durango’s Ruth Holcomb and Durango resident Ruby Ryan didn’t finish the women’s elite gravel race. Holcomb was dealing with a lingering illness.Back on the men’s side, Durango’s Henry Nelson finished 37th in 4:35:55. Payson McElveen finished 58th in 4:45:15, Animas High School’s Jake Sandau finished 83rd in 4:54:42 and FLC’s Isaac Allred finished 112th in 5:37:38.Many Durango riders are heading to The Traka next. The second round of the LTGP is Unbound Gravel in Emporia, Kansas, on May 30.bkelly@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://tj.durangoherald.com/durangos-willis-getting-ready-for-pro-football-with-nfl-draft-approaching/</link>
        <title>Durango’s Willis getting ready for pro football with NFL Draft approaching</title>
        <description>Longtime college starter has talked with nearly every NFL team</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:05:14 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Longtime college starter has talked with nearly every NFL teamDurango's Carver Willis (No. 50) plays left tackle for University of Washington football team as the Huskies defeat Purdue 49-13 on November 15. (Courtesy Scott Eklund/Red Box Pictures)Scott EklundIt’s been a long time since former Durango High School football star Carver Willis has been one of the young guys in the room, but it’s very likely that changes soon.Willis wrapped up his college career at the University of Washington this past winter. It was his lone season as a Husky, but his sixth in college after five years at Kansas State University. The former Demon has protected his quarterbacks well enough on the offensive line over the past few years that he has a chance to sign with a team in the National Football League, whether that’s through the NFL Draft in over three weeks or as an undrafted free agent.Soon enough, Willis could become a young guy again for the first time this decade as a rookie in the NFL.“I’m feeling good,” Willis said. “Training has been awesome. I’ve learned a lot, and I continue to learn more every day. I’m just getting ready to go to rookie camp and OTAs and all that. Stock-wise, I don’t know. I haven’t been paying attention to all their projections and all that because it’s kind of nonsense. But life’s pretty sweet.”After starring at Durango and earning first-team all-state honors his senior year, Willis only played 11 games over his first three years at Kansas State. He had a breakout 2023, playing in all 13 games and starting in seven of them. Willis was named All-Big 12 honorable mention after the 2023 season.Carver Willis of Durango High School bears down on Ty Blackmer of Montezuma-Cortez High School at DHS. (Herald file)Willis started 11 games at right tackle in the 2024 season, but he wasn’t satisfied with his play in an injury-riddled season. So Willis entered the transfer portal instead of trying his luck at the NFL Draft. He decided to treat his final collegiate season as preparation for the NFL. He’d be moving to a new team and a different position in the NFL.At Washington, Willis faced challenges right away when his position coach left before the season. He also tore his MCL (medial collateral ligament) against Ohio State on Sept. 27, forcing him to miss three games. It was the first major injury Willis has had in his career.Despite the brief absence, Willis earned honorable mention All-Big Ten, which was an impressive feat, especially since Willis moved from right tackle at Kansas State to left tackle at Washington.Willis said going to Washington was the best decision he’d made in his life.“They teach you a lot of things about the NFL, so you are much more prepared for this kind of seasonal life,” Willis said. “But overall, it wasn't necessarily as much as what I learned from UW, as much as it was from the connections and the people I met. The overall experience at UW was incredible.”Durango's Carver Willis interacts with fans while playing at the University of Washington in 2025. (Courtesy University of Washington Athletics)NIC TERRY PRODUCTIONSSince the end of Washington’s 9-4 season, Willis has been training in Cleveland with former NFL offensive lineman LeCharles Bentley and in Chandler, Arizona, with Bentley’s company, AMDG Sports Performance. It’s a purposeful move because Willis knows that he doesn’t have the frame scouts want to see out of an NFL left tackle. Bentley was a former Pro Bowl center, and Willis will have to be an interior lineman, possibly a center, to make it at the next level.Willis has been working on his stance and technique work with Bentley, really getting into the minute details that separate the pros from the nos at the next level.The former Durango star got to live out a lot of kids dream in late February and early March by competing at the NFL combine. After letting his MCL heal, Willis had a 5.11-second 40-yard dash, 1.84-second 10-yard split, 26.5-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot broad jump at the combine.“The combine was cool; it’s an experience I’m happy to do once,” Willis said. “You train a lot for something that’s not directly applicable. It’s more applicable to skill guys … it was an honor to be selected for that … my 40 was slower than it should’ve been. Everything else was right on pace with testing numbers.”Willis is projected by nfl.com as an NFL backup or special-teams player. NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein wrote that he was impressed by Willis’ run-blocking tape, but he lacks the length of a pro tackle and the frame and core strength of a guard. Zierlein thinks Willis has quickness and grip strength that’ll help him as primarily a zone-scheme guard.There are plenty of draft analysts who have opinions on what will happen to Willis with the NFL Draft and his career, but Willis is focused on what he can control. He’s met with around 30 teams informally at the combine and the Senior Bowl and around a dozen teams through zooms and visits.He mostly met with a variety of coaches through these meetings. Most of the time it was with the offensive line and assistant offensive line coaches, a director of scouting, mental health coach and psychiatrist. But with the Atlanta Falcons, Willis met with the head coach, offensive coordinator and general manager.“Being honest and being yourself is the right way to go about it,” Willis said about the meetings. “I've just been as open and authentic as I can be. In this process, if you're not yourself, it's a disservice to you and to the team. If a team thinks they're drafting a particular person and you're like faking it, then you're putting yourself in a position to fail. You're also putting the team in a position to fail.”There are a lot of good and bad things about the Name, Image and Likeness rules in college sports, but for someone like Willis, it’s already taught him how to manage money since he was paid for his play at Kansas State and Washington. He knows to live below his means and not make any stupid purchases.Willis is excited for any opportunity as he feels like he has the versatility to play multiple positions on the offensive line. That includes the Broncos. The Durango kid has met with the Broncos’ offensive line coach and sports psychologist.Every kid dreams of being drafted in the NFL, but there are some advantages to being in Willis’ position of possibly being an undrafted free agent. Instead of being picked by a team, he could pick the best situation for him. If someone is drafted, their first contract is four years. A UDFA’s first contract is three years, so they get to their second contract faster.He’ll have his fiancee, Maddie, his parents, Brett and Gretchen, and his siblings, Ken and Kayla, in his corner whenever he gets the call from a team on draft night or later.“It’s a big thing and you’ve worked really hard for it, so I’m going to enjoy the moment for sure … signing to a 53-man is a much bigger deal for me,” Willis said. “Personally, first rounders get cut and free agents make teams … but getting the phone call will be a … fun memory when I’m older.”bkelly@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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