RB Gary Brightwell puts best foot forward after ending Arizona career with ‘worst game of my life’

“Yeah, G!”

Those words of encouragement came from Gary Brightwell’s cheering section at Arizona Stadium. The fact that he had one — about 25 family members and close friends who flew in from the East Coast — was one of many ways Wednesday felt different from the last time Brightwell and his former Arizona Wildcats teammates gathered here.

If the 2020 Territorial Cup was a nightmare, Wednesday’s pro day was a dream come true for Brightwell, Lorenzo Burns and Roy Lopez. Those three, plus former Cats Tristan Cooper and Cedric Peterson, put their skills on display for scouts representing 16 NFL clubs.

Unlike most of last season, the ZonaZoo section was dotted with blue-and-red-clad supporters. Burns had about 15 family members on hand, including his grandmother, Sherlie, 73.

“I told her to wear her best outfit,” said Burns, who greeted his grandma after completing his workout.

Burns, a multiyear starting cornerback, couldn’t complete his final game after suffering a minor knee injury. Brightwell suffered the indignity of losing three fumbles during Arizona’s 70-7 loss to Arizona State. The running back had fumbled only five times, losing one, in his entire UA career before that fateful night.

Brightwell dubbed that performance the “worst game of my life.” He also made a vow.

“I will never have another game like it,” he said.

Brightwell has plenty of inspiration and motivation. He endured a difficult upbringing in Chester, Pennsylvania; has spent most of his life without his biological father, who was killed when Brightwell was a baby; and lost a sister five years ago.

Brightwell said he thinks about the two of them every time he scores a touchdown. He reached the end zone 10 times at Arizona, where he rushed for 1,305 yards and averaged 5.3 yards per carry.

“They’re not here with me right now,” Brightwell said. “I mainly play this sport for them and because I love it.”

Brightwell isn’t a shoo-in to be drafted, but he looked quick and powerful during running drills and caught the ball well. He apparently fell short of his stated goal of running a 4.3-second 40-yard dash — one team had him at 4.51; official results were not available at press time — but he had the best vertical jump (34.5 inches) of any of the five prospects who participated in pro day.

Whether his first paycheck comes as a draft pick or a free agent, Brightwell plans to invest the money in a mentoring program, such as the YMCA, in his hometown.

Chester was well represented at Brightwell’s NFL audition.

“It felt good,” he said. “Just to hear your family say your name. It felt like Little League again.”

‘Day of celebration’

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Lopez, a 300-plus-pound defensive tackle, might have had the most impressive workout.

Lopez did 36 reps on the bench press, more than any defensive lineman who participated in the 2020 NFL scouting combine. (The centralized combine was canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.)

Lopez’s vertical jump of 31 inches was greater than any interior defensive lineman at the ’20 combine. His unofficial times in the three-cone drill (7.3 seconds) and the short shuttle (4.4) also would have ranked among the best among interior D-linemen. Auburn’s Derrick Brown, the seventh pick in the 2020 draft, had times 8.22 and 4.79 seconds, respectively.

“Today was a day of celebration,” said Lopez, a Tempe native who transferred to Arizona last year after playing his first four seasons at New Mexico State. “I was happy to be here, healthy and perform. It was a long time coming. It was fun. It was very fun.”

Arizona played only five games during Lopez’s lone season in Tucson. But his brief time here might have been the perfect preparation for what’s to come.

“It was kind of like a rookie year,” said Lopez, whose parents rooted him on at pro day. “You’re in there, it’s fast, you’re on the team, just like that. And the next thing you know, it’s the first game.

“Everything’s gonna go by quick as a rookie. You’re thrown into the fire. You’re meeting brand-new people. And you’re competing for a spot.”

Getting their shot

Cooper and Peterson were supposed to participate in pro day last March, but the event was canceled because of the pandemic. Both spent the past year working and working out.

Cooper became a realtor in his hometown of El Paso, Texas. But, he said in a video interview on Arizona football’s Twitter feed, he didn’t want to “let the lack of opportunity be the reason why I didn’t make it to the league.”

Peterson, a wide receiver, has been training with Burns’ father, DeChon, since December 2019. DeChon Burns is the football coach at Linfield Christian Academy in Temecula, California. Peterson also has been working part time for his mother.

“It was a crazy time,” Peterson said. “I stuck with it. There were some down days where you think, ‘Is it every gonna come?’ You don’t want that thought in the back of your head that ‘I didn’t give my all.’ ”

Lorenzo Burns was happy to share the stage with his former teammates.

“It was a very joyful moment for me personally,” he said. “Cedric’s just been grinding ... working a job, working out, getting into the gym when he can. Same thing with Tristan.”

Extra points

• Burns said he’d be willing to play special teams, nickel corner or safety if asked to do so. “I think the best thing I offer to an NFL team is my ability to present myself anywhere,” he said. “I don’t have an ego. I’ll push my ego to the side. I’m willing to do whatever for the team.”
• Burns nearly matched Brightwell in the vertical jump, recording a leap of 33.5 inches. Cooper came in at 33 inches. Burns had the best broad jump (10 feet, 3 inches), followed by Cooper (10-1) and Brightwell (9-10).
• All of the drills took place on the field. The vertical-jump and bench-press stations were located in the northeast corner, allowing family members to capture those moments on their smartphones.
• First-year coach Jedd Fisch mingled with scouts as the workouts were wrapping up. Fisch then met with the local media. Spring practice is set to begin Tuesday. All sessions will be open to reporters. The UA is hopeful that the public can watch as well but is still working through guidelines with local health officials.