Central Washington University senior tight Jared Bronson

(6-foot-4, 254 pounds) played for the West team at the 84th Annual East-West Shrine Game in Houston last month. The all-star college football game featured the best seniors in the nation. Bronson, a Thomas Jefferson grad, had one reception for nine yards. Bronson’s performance at the East-West Shrine Game and a stellar senior season at Central earned him a coveted invitation to the NFL Draft Combine, which will be Feb. 19 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

“It was a relief,” Bronson told the Ellensburg Daily Record. “I really wanted to go, because coming from Division II, it would have been good exposure. It’s nice to be on level playing field with everyone else.”

Bronson has been training since Dec. 8 at Elite Athletics outside of Malibu, Calif., preparing for the NFL Draft in April. Bronson is predicted as a fifth- through seventh-rounder by www.nfldraftscout.com. He is the 14th-ranked tight end.

Bronson had a standout senior campaign for the Wildcats despite missing nearly five full games due to injury. He ranked second on the team in receiving yards (502) and receiving touchdowns (6) while ranking fourth in pass receptions (28).