CEDAR BLUFF – Road trips are a common ritual during the summer months, but Cedar Bluff senior fullback Dallas Plummer and junior running back Robert ‘Bam’ Henderson used their summer road trips to improve their football skills.

The duo participated in the Beat the Heat combine in Atlanta on June 3-4. They received an invitation back to Atlanta on June 18-19 for the Ultimate 100 from the Southeast.

After an impressive showing at that camp, the two packed their bags for a 13-hour drive to the National Underclassmen Top Prospect Development Camp at the University of Oklahoma on July 24-25.

“I feel like we did pretty well,” Plummer said. “I was kind of nervous just seeing how good the other athletes were. You just wanted to make sure you weren’t the worst, and just try to be the best out there.”

Henderson said he also had a touch of nerves going through the camps. He said it was “a blessing” being among some of the country’s best high school football players.

“You’re there with a lot of other athletes from around the world, all competing for a scholarship in a spot you play,” Henderson said. “You see a lot of good talent from all across the U.S. It was very fun there. There were a bunch of good athletes.”

Cedar Bluff football coach Jonathan McWhorter said the duo’s experiences at those camps will “only make them better.”

“Any time any of our kids get a chance to go compete, it’s a good thing, regardless of the scenario,” he said. “From my understanding, this was kind of a prestigious deal to get invited to, some of the top football talents in the country. In talking with them, they definitely got to see what big-time college athletes are. They got to compete against that level of athlete.

“To go to these kinds of things, it gives you a realistic viewpoint of what college recruiters are looking for.”

In addition to different sets of agility drills, Plummer and Henderson were interviewed and photographed for the National Underclassmen website, www.nationalunderclassmen.com. The site serves as a recruiting tool for college football coaches and scouts throughout the country.

“I’m really hoping this gets my name out there, gets me noticed and gets our school noticed,” Henderson said. “I think overall I got better as an athlete going through the combines. Really, I was just trying to get better for my team and get ready to play football.”

Added Plummer: “My mom (Jeanie Plummer Corbett) has talked to some of the parents (of prospects) out there. They’ve had four or five schools send them letters, asking them to come visit. Some of them got offers. There’s a lot more publicity after going through something like this.”