Former Toledo running back David Fluellen hoping to become first Rocket drafted since 2008

Former University of Toledo running back David Fluellen is currently facing what might be the most difficult challenge of his football career.

No, it is not another regular season finale matchup with Northern Illinois, or another rivalry faceoff for the Battle of I-75 trophy either.

The battle Fluellen has found himself up against is known simply as the waiting game, and it is a challenge all football players must face in their journey to enter the National Football League.

The former Rocket participated in the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Ind., last month before traveling back to Toledo for UT’s pro day event­. He’s now left to sit, wait and hope for his chance to prove he belongs on the professional football stage.

“I feel like this is the hardest part,” Fluellen said in a phone interview. “After all the senior bowls and combines and pro days, you’ve basically proven anything that you can. There is nothing else you can do to help yourself, so right now it is just basically a waiting game.

“The only thing you can do is keep working out, stay in shape, and get ready for when a team does call you.”

One team has already come calling. Fluellen will meet with the New Orleans Saints next month as the team prepares for the 2014 NFL Draft, which kicks off May 8 in New York City.

“You’re there basically to get to know the coaching staff more,” he said of the interview process. “They can go over medical physical history with you, [and] you talk and watch a lot of film with coaches and just visit the city.”

The whirlwind process of traveling and auditioning for the 32 teams in the NFL started with the Combine, but it didn’t go as well as Fluellen would have hoped.

According to NFL.com’s combine tracker, the two-time first-team All-MAC selection ran a 4.72-second 40-yard dash, good for only 27th out of the 33 running backs that participated.

But the combine wasn’t just about numbers, and Fluellen said he enjoyed the experience even if he wasn’t overjoyed with his performance.

“Watching the combine when you are little and growing up and then finally getting to be there is just really like a shock to you,” he said. “Being there with the best of the best from all around the country and all the different conferences, it just really brings out the competitive edge in you.”

Fluellen was able to improve on his time at Toledo’s pro day, clocking in at 4.68 seconds when he ran for the representatives of the at least 18 NFL organizations in attendance.

“I was comfortable with the whole thing because I knew what I (should) expect because of the combine,” he said. “I just felt more comfortable being out on the field with the guys one more time. It was just a lot of fun.”

Several other Rockets worked out at UT’s pro day, including former quarterback Terrance Owens and wide receiver Bernard Reedy, creating a bittersweet reunion for this past season’s senior players.

“It was fun at first but kind of sad,” Fluellen said. “You realize this is the last time you are going to be playing or be on the same field with the guys.”

The reunion took on an additional sour meaning when Toledo’s poor ending to last season is factored in. With Fluellen sidelined due to injuries, Toledo skidded to a 7-5 record, and the Rockets were left out of the annual bowl season.

“You wish you had one more season to leave on a better note,” he said. “But it is in the past and you are really just looking forward to moving on with the next step in your life.”

With him moving on, the running backs that will replace Fluellen in Toledo next season will have very big shoes to fill. Flu’s 3,336 career rushing yards ranks fourth all-time at UT, and he finished the 2013 season with 1,121 yards despite missing most of four games due to injuries.

According to him, those shoes will fit just fine.

“They got a great running back room and a lot of guys that played a lot last year and got a lot of experience,” Fluellen said. “I feel that the team can really rally around those guys and win a lot of football games.”

The former Rocket has one last gift he hopes to give his former school when the Draft rolls around in May: a new face to add to the list Toledo players who made it to the NFL.

It is a list that hasn’t been added to since 2008, when the Rockets sent two players to professional football teams.

“I want to open that market back up and let people know that UT does have football players that are good enough to be drafted,” Fluellen said.

School loyalty aside, the chance to play pro football is something Fluellen has been dreaming of since the first time he dashed to a touchdown while wearing a Pop Warner jersey.

And if Fluellen’s name is called inside Radio City Music Hall on May 8, it will definitely make the waiting game that he’s been playing worthwhile.

“Honestly to get drafted would mean a lot to me,” he said. “It’s something that you dream of when you are a little kid.

“For you to realize that all your hard work over the years has paid off and you finally get a chance to go after the dream you’ve had since you were little, it just really proves that you can do whatever you want in life as long as you stay positive and continue to chase your dream.”