Patterson and teammate Ricky Marrapodi didn't need long to know they would be interested in attending this invitation-only event when they learned about it from Casey coach Andy Stephens. The only other local player to attend was Boyle County tight end-linebacker Josh Miller, who performed so well that he should receive an official scholarship offer from Eastern Kentucky this week.
"This was a big opportunity for me. I was willing to take a chance even though I knew there would be a lot of great players there. This was my chance to show what I could do and get some coaches interested in me," Patterson said.
The 6-3, 194-pound Patterson turned some heads at the recent combine at Centre College when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds to go along with a vertical jump of 36.5 inches (he leaped 34 inches Saturday). He was also able to bench press 185 pounds 14 times.
Anderson considered top player
He ran the 40 in 4.6 seconds into the wind Saturday. He's not sure what his time was when he ran with the wind at his back. "I'm hoping it was 4.5. It should be posted Monday," Patterson said. "I knew my time on grass would be a little slower, but it wasn't too bad."
St. Xavier running back Victor Anderson, who has verbally committed to West Virginia, is considered the state's top player by many.
He ran the 40 into the win in 4.47 seconds. Henderson County running back-cornerback Antoine Lightfoot, one of the state's fastest players, was timed in 4.45.
"I think I showed I could run with most of the skilled players there. I was mostly satisfied with my tests (in the drills), but I was rusty catching the ball. I should have done better," Patterson said.
However, he's not caught many balls recently because he's moving from receiver to quarterback for Casey to take better advantage of his speed, a move Stephens made late last season.
"Coach Stephens told me Thursday we might go through some drills at the combine. I lost one of my cleats (shoes) from last season, so I had to go get new cleats," he said. "I had not caught a ball in a long time because I've been concentrating on quarterback. I wish I could have done better on the receiving drills.
"I needed to show what I could do. I am not going to get any looks from colleges at quarterback. I do play defensive back and hopefully the schools will like my versatility. But they are not going to get a chance to see me at receiver, even though we are trying to work out a way for me to catch a few passes next season."
Hopes to impress at summer camps
Patterson, who already has easily surpassed the qualifying score on his college entrance test for freshman eligibility, knows he needs to impress college coaches at camps this summer.
He says he has a "stack" of brochures and will likely go to four or five one-day camps that will be similar to Saturday's combine.
"I've never got a chance to play in a big playoff game or anything like that. We play some good teams on our schedule, but I know most people don't know much about Casey County football," Patterson said.
"That's why just being at the combine in Louisville helped me. Even if the big schools weren't impressed, hopefully some small schools will be. I just want somebody to get interested in me and take a look at what I can do."
