Alabama Football Superdome Practice - Sugar Bowl Week

Bradley Sylve will be working out at Alabama's pro day on Wednesday.

(VASHA HUNT)

March 8 of last year is when it happened, when -- one day before Alabama's pro day -- Bradley Sylve suffered a torn Achilles tendon while going through a light pro day tune-up.

While other former Crimson Tide players performed in front of NFL evaluators, Sylve was undergoing surgery and preparing for a six-to-nine month recovery.

Now, exactly one year after suffering that devastating injury, the former Alabama cornerback will finally get his chance to perform in front of NFL personnel.

Sylve will be working out at the Tide's pro day on Wednesday, intent on accomplishing the same goals he had for last year's event. Those goals? To run a 4.2 in the 40-yard dash and perform well enough that he gets an NFL opportunity.

"It broke me down last year when that happened," Sylve said. "I can remember after surgery just laying in my bed for two weeks with my leg propped up. I can't even explain the type of pain I was going through. And it wasn't too much of my Achilles hurting. It was more just the pain I had inside, like, why do I have to go through all this? And I kind of even questioned God, which I know you're not supposed to do, but I had to ask him, why me? But then I looked at it like it's just another story added to my testimony. I can't give up. Still got to keep grinding and chasing my dreams."

The 6-foot, 185-pound Sylve started three games at cornerback in 2013, one in 2014 and was then a top backup as a redshirt senior in 2015 behind 2016 second-round pick Cyrus Jones and projected first-round pick Marlon Humphrey.

The Louisiana native was also an asset on special teams, recognized as one of the Tide's special teams players of the year as a redshirt senior after tying for the team-lead with nine special teams tackles.

Sylve's biggest strength is his speed.

One of the fastest players on the team throughout his time at Alabama, Sylve posted the third-fastest 40 time on the team during the Tide's 2015 spring testing, a 4.38.

His personal trainers timed him at 4.30 shortly before last year's pro day. Then came the injury.

While warming up, Sylve backpedaled and fired forward. When he did, he felt the pop in his Achilles.

Sylve hopped from the field to Alabama's training room and received confirmation that he had torn the Achilles.

"I had worked so hard for that opportunity, and for it to be taken away off of something I've done a million times at practice, I was really devastated," Sylve said. "I called my mom. I called my grandma. I had a lot of thoughts going through my head like, 'Man, it's over."

Inside the Alabama training room, Tide head athletic trainer Jeff Allen provided encouragement.

"He just sat down and talked to me and told me, 'Man, we're going to take care of your surgery and rehab. We've got you,'" Sylve said.

Sylve rehabbed in Tuscaloosa with Allen and others on the Alabama training staff before heading to Houston to prepare once again for pro day.

Back to 100 percent since October, Sylve was recently timed at 4.32 in the 40.

Sylve's trainers have asked him a lot how he feels compared to last year. Sylve has told them: "I feel way stronger, way faster."

That same belief is back.

Sylve told people close to him last year leading up to the pro day that he was going to run a 4.2 40. He has that same confidence heading into Wednesday, as he shared with Allen Sunday inside Alabama's team headquarters.

Sylve told Allen that he's going to run a 4.2.

Allen smiled and said, "You've got it. I know you can do it."