Jan. 8, 2010

Akwasi Owusu-Ansah has received an invitation to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine, the annual job fair for prospective new NFL players that will take place February 24 through March 2 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The six-day event puts players at all positions through a series of drills, tests and interviews with more than 600 NFL personnel in attendance, including head coaches, general managers and scouts.

Owusu-Ansah has been heavily scouted by the NFL since the summer before his senior season and was seen in person at practices and games throughout the 2009 season. He received several postseason awards at both cornerback and as a return specialist following his senior year, including a berth on the American Football Coaches Association All-America team.

Prior to the start of the season, Owusu-Ansah was rated as the ninth-best senior cornerback in the nation and the only non-Division I player in the top 18 at his position by Gil Brandt of NFL.com and former general manager of the Dallas Cowboys. Owusu-Ansah has been projected as high as a second round choice in April's draft.

Brandt commented on the combination of Owusu-Ansah's size and speed. He is listed at 6 feet, ½ inch and 197 pounds by NFL.com, and his biography praised his 4.48 time in the 40 despite running in bad conditions on a poor surface.

Owusu-Ansah began attracting attention from the NFL after intercepting eight passes as a junior in 2008, including seven in the final four games of the season and three versus Gannon, the most by an IUP player since 1991.

As a senior, Owusu-Ansah returned three punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns and ranked in the top 15 in the nation in both kickoff and punt return average. In his career he accounted for a total of nine touchdowns on returns and set school records for punt return yards and average and kickoff return yards.