Seahawks sign former LSU track star Cyril Grayson
Apr 10, 2017, 5:32 PM | Updated: 5:40 pm
According to LSU's website, Cyril Grayson ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the Tigers' pro day. (AP)
(AP)
File this one under another out-of-the-box move by the Seahawks:
Seattle on Monday signed wide receiver Cyril Grayson, a former track standout at Louisiana State University who hasn’t played organized football since he was a senior in high school in 2011.
Grayson’s bio on LSU’s website calls him one of the most decorated relay runners in the history of the school’s track and field program. He was an All-American seven times between the indoor and outdoor track seasons and won four NCAA championships.
Grayson, 23, said after LSU’s pro day earlier this month that he has wanted to play football since he was 4 years old and that it was tough going to Tigers games in college as a spectator and not a player.
Grayson worked out at LSU’s pro day as a receiver, the position he played at Rummel High School in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie, La. The Seahawks’ announcement of Grayson’s signing referred to him as a receiver.
According to these posted results on LSU’s website, he measured 5 feet 9 and 1/4 inches and 178 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds. For context, that’s faster than all but three official times from this year’s scouting combine.
“I know a lot of question marks were raised when I came in because I haven’t played football since 2011 at Archbishop Rummel, so why should I even be here?” Grayson told reporters after LSU’s his pro day. “But it’s always been a passion of mine. It’s always been the plan to play (football), but because of scholarships and other reasons of compliance, I wasn’t able to play. So I’ve been training on my own, doing things I need to do to stay in shape and stay ready for an opportunity like this. So today was a great day. When I lined up I put up really good numbers and I can’t complain.”
Grayson said the Seahawks brought him in for a visit. The team’s website notes that because he’s a fifth-year senior who didn’t play football, he was eligible to be signed without being drafted.
Having not played so much as a single down of college football will obviously make Grayson a long-shot to stick with the Seahawks. But with rosters expanding from 53 to 90 during the offseason, there’s no risk in taking a look and seeing if that long-shot has a chance to pay off.
