Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes Youngstown State receiver Max Tomczak runs with the ball while participating in a drill during YSU’s pro day on Friday at the Watson and Tressel Training Site.

YOUNGSTOWN — When Max Tomczak arrived at the Watson and Tressel Training Site at 6 a.m. on Friday morning, he took a moment to reflect.

The Youngstown State receiver has come a long way in the last five years. When Tomczak first arrived on campus in 2021, he was a raw and undersized walk-on.

Since then, Tomczak transformed himself into one of the top receivers in the FCS. Physically, he got bigger, faster and stronger, all while improving his skillsets on the field.

After finishing his career with the Penguins last fall, Tomczak’s growth and development gave him an opportunity to chase his dream of playing in the NFL, as he went through NFL Combine-style measurements and drills during YSU’s pro day on Friday morning.

“You think about how I got here five years ago, and I was the walk-on, who realistically was probably only here because my uncle was the volunteer coach here,” Tomczak said. “I’m just thinking about how far I’ve come, and it’s awesome, because I want to be able to show that to the other walk-ons on the team. Those guys that may not see the light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully I can show them there is a way. It doesn’t matter who you are, you can do it — scholarship, walk-on, whatever you are.”

Since YSU’s season ended on Nov. 29 in the first round of the FCS playoffs, Tomczak has been hard at work preparing for his pro day.

Tomczak took a short break after the end of the season to rest and recover from a long fall. But since then, he’s spent the past three months at X3 Performance in Fort Myers, Florida, training and working out.

“I was training for the 40, training for the shuttle, training for the L drill and then running routes,” Tomczak said. “That’s what I was doing over at X3, doing my nutrition, my supplements, interview prep, all that. We were just covering all the bases with that.”

In January, Tomczak took a brief break from training to practice for and participate in the American Bowl in Orlando, a college football all-star showcase game for NFL draft prospects.

While there, he had the chance to practice and play in front of scouts and representatives from all over the league, while testing his mettle against other top prospects.

“It was fun because it was really the first time, other than when we played our bigger games on our schedule, where I got to show that I can do what I do against better talent,” Tomczak said. “That’s always the question with FCS guys, can they do it against better talent? I was able to show that I can do that and prove that over there, so that was good. I had a lot of interviews with almost every team. So it was good getting in front of them and talking to them.”

Tomczak will have one more chance to showcase himself before the NFL draft in Pittsburgh from April 23-25, indicating that he’ll also be participating in Ohio State’s pro day in Columbus on Wednesday.

Tomczak wasn’t the only Penguin to work out at the pro day on Friday. Defensive backs DJ Harris and Jeremiah Robinson, receivers Mike Solomon and Ben Tolble and defensive end Collin Vaughn also went through the drills and measurements in front of scouts and representatives from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions.

Three Mercyhurst players, new YSU defensive coordinator Ryan Riemedio’s former school, also participated in YSU’s pro day. They were defensive end Jonas King, receiver Rylan Davison and tailback Brian Trobel.

Vaughn led the pack with 24 reps on the bench press, while the other five Penguins ranged from 10-14 reps. Harris had the best vertical jump at 37.5 inches, with Robinson not far behind at 35.5 and Tomczak at 34.5.

In the broad jump, Harris and Robinson paced the group at 10-foot-2 and 10-foot-3 on each of their two attempts. Solomon, Tolble and Tomczak each maxed at 9-foot-4 on their second attempts.

In the 40-yard dash, Harris, Robinson and Tomczak had the fastest times, with their attempts ranging from 4.41 to 4.50 seconds, unofficially.

“I felt like I tested pretty well,” Harris said. “Not only myself, but I was just competing with the people around me, so I feel like I did pretty well today. I did my best to stand out.”

Harris spent his last two seasons with the Penguins after transferring from Tiffin, where he played his first three years of college football. After five years, he was grateful for the opportunity to showcase what he can do.

“It’s definitely a full-circle moment, something I’ve dreamed of ever since I was a kid,” Harris said. “The discipline and encouragement that I have from my family and then myself to keep going and keep pushing out of high school, taking college serious, and then to be here on this day. A lot of people start their college careers and don’t finish, so for me to do five years, take the time to train, be able to stay healthy and get back out there today, it’s just a blessing and I’m thankful for the opportunity.”