Four years of college football, an Oregon-record 5,082 yards rushing and three BCS bowl games were a piece of cake compared to what awaited former Ducks running back LaMichael James at last month's NFL Scouting Combine.

"That was probably the most mentally and physically tiring thing I've ever had to endure in my life," he said this week while back in Eugene. "There's nothing that anybody or any kind of workout can do to prepare you for what you're going to endure mentally."

Be that as it may, James exited the week-long NFL laboratory for the best college players with a positive review of his skills and confidence that he should hear his name called in the first half of the seven-round NFL Draft to be held April 26-28 in New York.

Still, work remains as James chases the childhood dream of entering the NFL. He will participate in the March 15 Pro Day at Oregon and will have team visits soon after.

James, who left Oregon with one year of eligibility remaining, performed well at the combine, excelling in every drill other than the bench press, where he put up 15 reps of 225 pounds. He said he hadn't benched since dislocating his right elbow against Arizona State on Oct. 15. He plans to try the bench press again, along with the other drills, during Oregon's Pro Day.

But he probably doesn't need to. At the combine in Indianapolis James displayed the same speed and quickness he showcased in three seasons as Oregon's starting running back.

Still, he must overcome questions about his lack of ideal NFL size. James measured at 5-foot-8, 194 pounds at the combine. That puts him in the small back category, one not typically coveted by NFL teams unless it comes with blazing speed, as is the case with New Orleans'

(5-6, 190 pounds).

So James needed to do well in the important, yet sometimes overhyped, 40-yard dash at the combine. He did. The NFL Network unofficially timed James at 4.37 seconds, twice. But the time was hand-held, often faster because of human error. James' official electronic time came in at 4.45, which tied him with two others for second fastest among running backs.

"I felt I could run better," James said. "But with that being said, I feel like I ran good enough."

James said he repeatedly ran faster while working out at Athletes' Performance Institute in Carson, Calif. But he added that the circumstances of the combine might have impacted him.

James said the combine was a whirlwind of events from 4:30 a.m. wakeups to 11:30 p.m. bed times. Waiting in lines, being examined physically, tested mentally, interviewed by general managers and coaches, poked, prodded, quizzed and interrogated.

"It drains you," he said.

That's the point. And James survived for the better.

senior analyst Rob Rang said James performed well enough to likely be selected no later than the third round.

Small-back stigma

Rang said James met expectations, establishing himself as the best small back in the draft.

"I don't know if he really helped himself as much as confirmed what we already thought of him," Rang said. "LaMichael James isn't getting caught from behind."

Sproles, who ran a 4.47 in the 40 at the 2005 combine, has amassed 3,867 yards of offense and 8,887 yards in kickoff and punt returns during his six-year career, five in San Diego. Sproles' success, Rang said, has helped increase the value of small backs.

"When Sproles was drafted teams were still getting used to the impact small guys could have," Rang said. "Now it's pretty clear. Small backs can have a significant impact."

The label also typically means "rotational back," someone not counted on to be the starter. For that reason, a team selecting James in the first round appears unlikely.

NFLDraftScout.com has James ranked as

and figures he will be selected in the second or third round. Rang leans toward the third but said a contender, drafting late in the second without many glaring needs, might select James.

Other than size, one NFL scout said James also must overcome the stigma of playing in Oregon's spread option, vastly different than a typical pro-style attack.

James said the change won't be a problem. The Ducks primarily run a zone read running game where the quarterback and running backs read the defense while on the move. Most NFL running plays are designed to attack targeted holes, which James said would be easier from a mental standpoint.

"Oregon's offense is very complex," he said. "You have to read two or three linebackers and a (defensive tackle) on one play."

James, who plans to complete his degree in criminology this spring and hopes to work in juvenile justice when his playing days are over, said he isn't too concerned about when his name is called during the draft.

"I just want to play in the NFL," he said. "I'm very blessed to be in the situation that I'm in to actually even play at that level. I'm not one of these people who cares about what round I'm taken in. That doesn't mean anything."

--Aaron Fentress

Follow @AaronJFentress