Lambert Helps Himself at Pro Day
The Notre Dame player that helped himself the most at Thursday’s Pro Day. Lambert clocked in two sub 4.4 40’s with a 4.37 and a 4.36 respectively. Lambert, who wasn’t invited to last month’s Combine, put up numbers similar to those of some of the top corners in the draft and likely got his name added to at least a few draft boards from the 21 NFL teams which were in attendance.
Lambert had actually been hoping to turn in faster 40 times, ““I was hoping to get a 4.2, but I kind of slipped at the start. But I’ll take a 4.3. It’s cool,” he said Thursday.
While Lambert may have been a bit underwhelmed with his performance, his former head coach was impressed. ““I think similar to Bruton at the combine, he had measurable that went through the roof. He ran two 40s in the 4.3s. They have a three-cone drill they do and he nailed that. The 60-yard shuttle, he nailed that,” said Charlie Weis.
Despite the strong performance on Thursday though, Lambert is unsure where he will end up on draft day. ““I’m just saying wherever I end up, God put me there for a reason. I’m willing to accept that and just go from there. I don’t mind going through the back door to the NFL as long as I get there. And once I get there, I plan on staying there.”
Weis explained afterward that Lambert’s strong performance will soon be known around NFL circles. “He got everybody’s attention. Because what happens is all the scouts share these times. So within a couple of hours all 32 teams will know those times and that automatically gets everyone’s attention.”
Based on his measureables, Lambert likely went from an undrafted free agent to a middle of day two pick. Based on his speed alone, some team will take a chance on him with late 5th-6th round pick. A corner with three years starting experience and that type of speed will definitely get the attention of a few teams.
Frank Vitovitch has been Co-Owner and Editor in Chief of UHND.com since joining forces with Kyle Flavin in 1999. Since that time, he has written over 2,000 articles covering Notre Dame football, recruiting, and basketball. He also works with all staff and external writers on all articles published on UHND.com. Frank's love for Notre Dame football started at a young age watching Rocket Ismail give opposing coaches ulcers in the late 1980's. By day Frank works in marketing and holds a degree in Digital Media from Drexel University. Frank's work has been cited by online/print editions of NBC Sports, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated and has been quoted on air by ESPN's Collin Cowherd. He's conducted interviews with Notre Dame legends Rocket Ismail, Randy Kinder, Lee Becton, Reggie Brooks, Michael Stonebreaker, and Ned Bolcar among others over his 20+ years of covering Notre Dame football. He's also been published in the print edition of USA Today Sports Weekly and the USA Today College Football Preview multiple times. Other Published Works/Citations for Frank Three Reasons Notre Dame Will Beat Alabama - USA Today Notre Dame Suspends WR Kevin Stepherson, RB C.J. Holmes Indefinitely - Bleacher Report Notre Dame / Ohio State Fiesta Bowl Preview - Eleven Warriors Brace Yourself: The Fighting Irish are Relevant Again - Sports on Earth Interviews with the Enemy: A Q&A with Frank Vitovitch of UHND - Yahoo! Sports Five Good Minutes: Notre Dame Football Preview With UHND.com - BC Interruption Vicious Electronic Questioning with UHND - MGO Blog
Lambert’s otherworldly performance against Michigan State in 2006 saved that season from ruin. He is one of those players that wasn’t necessarily a star, but that one performance makes him ND royalty.