UW’s Dante Pettis on being a Husky: ‘It was the best decision of my life’
Feb 13, 2018, 3:35 PM | Updated: 3:40 pm
The 2018 NFL Scouting Combine is a little under two weeks away, and Washington wide receiver Dante Pettis is well into his training regime in Orange County.
Pettis called into the 710 ESPN Seattle studios to chat with Brock Huard and Tom Wassell ahead of the big day.
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“Honestly a little weird,” Pettis said of being on his own schedule for the first time in four years. “But it’s such a blessing to be this close to fulfilling my dream.”
Could we see another Husky taken in the high-rounds of this year’s draft? Pettis certainly brings plenty of promise. With his 64-yard punt return for a touchdown in November, the former Washington receiver set a new NCAA record, becoming the all-time leader in punt return touchdowns. He finished four seasons at UW with 163 catches for 2,256 yards and 24 touchdowns, and recorded another 1,274 yards on punt and kickoff return duties.
During the combine (which kicks off February 27 at Lucas Oil Stadium) Pettis hopes to impress scouts with a 40-yard dash in the high 4.3’s and a vertical jump above a 41.
Is he looking to break the record of his former teammate, wide receiver John Ross? Ross set a new combine record with his 4.22 40-yard dash last year.
“I don’t know if that’s in my reach,” Pettis said with a laugh. “But definitely going for it.”
Pettis also spoke about his time at Washington, sharing his favorite memory (winning the Pac-12 Championship), favorite punt or kick return (a touchdown against Utah in 2016) and what he would tell a recruit who might be considering joining the Huskies.
“Honestly, I would just tell them it would be the best decision of their life,” Pettis said. “It definitely was the best decision of mine.”