Tuskegee safety William Buford was one to watch at Chicago regional combine

CHICAGO, Illinois  --  Tuskegee safety William Buford was one of several players who stood out at the NFL's Chicago regional combine this past Sunday at the Bears' Walter Payton Center.

But he's stood out before.

Buford, despite being from a relatively small college compared to some Division I programs, did that at the Raycom All-Star Classic in January.

"The game is played the same way, whether it's a small school or big school," Buford said. "The biggest thing was coming from a small school and being able to hold my own with the LSUs, the Notre Dames, the Alabamas.

"It gives me a mindset -- which was already there -- of being able to compete on a high level. Not necessarily playing for those schools, but still playing at a high level at a high speed. Being around those guys, it just opened your eyes up to the everyday life of somebody that's at a big school.

"The coaches [at the All-Star game], they encourage you to compete. They saw the fight coming from a small-school guy."

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Buford felt he left an impression and did catch the attention of some scouts. He met with scouts from the Packers, Jets, Cowboys and Texans, while taking part in everything for the Raycom game.

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