Start the countdown: In exactly 37 days, the 2005 NFL Draft will commence in New York.

But for the seniors on the Penn State football team who have declared for this year's draft, another day indicative of their football futures has already arrived -- Penn State's Pro Day, which is held today on campus. Participating in the combine-like workouts and interviews with NFL representatives are nine members of last fall's senior class -- John Bronson, Scott Davis, Robbie Gould, Andrew Guman, Paul Jefferson, Zack Mills, Ryan Scott, Gerald Smith and Derek Wake.

"This is going to be the equivalent of the NFL combine, with every single test as the 360 players at [the 2005 Scouting Combine in] Indianapolis would have," said Brett Senior, the agent for Gould, Guman and Mills. "Most, if not all, of the 32 [professional] teams will be represented."

Among the tests the players will complete are the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, shuttle run, three-cone drill and broad jump, as well as position-specific drills. While players have the opportunity to schedule follow-up workouts after the pro day, it is nonetheless a chance for all of the draft-ready players to give NFL scouts a comprehensive look at their physical attributes and football abilities.

Of the nine Penn State players, only Wake, a 6-foot-3 outside linebacker, was invited to the official combine in Indianapolis. His performance at the combine was highlighted by a 45 1/2 inch vertical jump -- the second best of all players in attendance -- which helped to boost his draft status to the currently-projected 5th round.

The majority of the players attending Pro Day have stayed on campus to train at the Penn State facilities with speed development coach Jeremy Scott, who helps them prepare for the set of standard combine drills.

"I'm a big proponent of guys staying at Penn State and doing training up there; I don't advocate the pro training facilities," Senior said. "They have a great training program together, and we supplement it with [other preparations such as] discussions about the interview process."

Though NFL representatives will be present at Pro Day, immediate feedback still might not result, leading to more weeks of uncertainty for the players about their football futures. However, the courting process will heat up considerably after the NFL hopefuls have been assessed today.

"We start focusing right after pro day on position coaches and various scouts we've had relationships with," Senior said. "We do follow-ups with teams who show interest in players -- setting up interviews by phone or in person ... and arranging follow-up workouts after pro day for scouts who weren't able to be there.

"It's premature for [teams] to say, 'Hey, we really like the guy, he's definitely under our consideration.' That gets closer to the first or second week in April, as to who might be on the draft board or has made the short list considered for a free agency."

Final answers, of course, won't arrive until April 23 or 24, forcing the athletes to continue to play the waiting game -- but pro day is, at least, an opening round.