File photo Jessie Poku scores against Central Oklahoma. He led the Greyhounds this season with 86 catches for 932 yards and 11 TDs.
Freedom New Mexico
PORTALES — Jessie Poku finished his career at Eastern New Mexico University holding nearly every pass receiving record.
Now he’s looking to catch on with an NFL team as a free agent.
A four-year starter from Murphy, Texas, Poku worked out for NFL scouts last week on the ENMU campus.
“The fact that they came to our campus means they’re pretty serious about him,” Greyhounds coach Mark Ribaudo said. “He’s a big kid who has consistently run sub-4.5 40s. The NFL is always looking for big, fast receivers.”
Ribaudo said it is the first time NFL scouts have come to ENMU to work out a senior in his six seasons as head coach.
Poku, who caught 86 passes for 932 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior, was measured at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds. He was timed in the at 40-yard dash at 4.54 seconds and 4.49 seconds.
A three-time All-Lone Star Conference selection, Poku also completed a series of cone and running drills.
Poku was also ENMU’s top punter returner.
“Jesse played on all our special teams,” Ribaudo said. “Lots of time that’s their ticket to making it.”
Poku spent that past six to eight weeks in California training with NFL-style trainers.
“It’s great to see the fruits of his labor paying off,” Greyhound assistant coach Draco Miller said. “Now our kids can see that it doesn’t matter that they are at a (NCAA) Division II school. If they have the talent the NFL will find them.”
Former Greyhounds Devin Sweet of Clovis and Tillman Stevens have attended regional NFL workouts, which also serve as feeder systems for the Canadian and arena football leagues, according to Ribaudo.
Sweet played linebacker while Tillman was an all-American safety.
