AZUSA, Calif. – Two of the most prolific offensive players in Azusa Pacific history, wide receiver Jon Davis and quarterback Rudy Carlton, embark this week on advancing their professional football careers.

Davis, an All-American wide receiver and a 4-year Cougar, is currently preparing for his March 31st “pro day” when several NFL scouts will be on the Azusa Pacific campus to work out Davis, who coming off a collegiate career in which he tallied 155 receptions and a school-record 30 TD catches.

It is not uncommon for NFL scouts to visit Azusa Pacific’s NAIA-affiliated program. Located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and in the shadows of USC and UCLA, two of the most heavily scouted collegiate programs in the nation, Azusa Pacific is an easy venue for scouts to visit on a regular basis.

“Our name is also recognized in the NFL because of Christian Okoye,” said Azusa Pacific head coach Victor Santa Cruz. “With an alum who is a former Pro-Bowl running back like Okoye, we have a good reputation among the scouts.”

Carlton, a 4-year Cougar who is third on the program’s all-time passing list with 4,373 yards and second with 38 TDs tossed, was the benefactor of such scouting workouts following his 2007 senior season. He now begins his second season in the Arena Football 2 League when his Boise Burn kicks off the 2009 campaign Friday (March 27) against the Tri-Cities Fever. A year ago, he threw for over 2,200 yards in his rookie season with the Texas Copperheads.

Azusa Pacific, which is located against the scenic San Gabriel Mountains just 25 miles northeast of Los Angeles, has had 3 players drafted into the NFL, beginning with defensive lineman Doug Barnett, who went in the fifth round of the 1982 draft and spent 5 years in the NFL with the Ram, Redskins and Falcons. Linebacker John Samuelson went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the eighth round of the 1983 draft. Okoye embarked on his 5-year NFL career after the Kansas City Chiefs selected him in the second round.