Former Northwestern star shines at NFL combine.

Former Northwestern wide receiver Cordarelle Patterson turned heads yesterday at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. Patterson first ran a 40 yard dash time of 4.37 seconds, then showed flashes of brilliance in the pass receiving drills. NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. described Patterson as a “freak of nature” when combining the former Trojan’s speed and size. Kiper continued by saying that he expects Patterson to be the first wide receiver selected in the NFL draft next month. Patterson played in Northwestern’s Air Raid offense before graduating in 2009. He was most recently an ALL-SEC selection at the University of Tennessee.