They're chasing a common dream -- a chance to play football on Sundays -- only with a difference.

And nothing could be more important.

Shawn Plummer walked out of Bulldog Stadium on Wednesday afternoon with Pops in tow.

And Pat Plummer was beaming.

Travis Brown, conversely, could only cast an eye to the overcast sky: "I think he's looking down and pretty dang proud."

Dan Brown died of brain cancer four years ago.

Plummer and Brown -- groomed on the football field as sons of coaches -- were part of a 19-man Fresno State audition for representatives of at least 18 NFL teams on Pro Day.

They ran, jumped, lifted, shuttled, backpedaled -- if they coughed, it was recorded -- in a collective attempt to make a good impression before the April 25-27 NFL draft.

Realistically, only Bulldogs consensus All-America safety Phillip Thomas -- "I think I'm a solid second-rounder" -- is guaranteed a selection in the seven-round draft in New York.

Running back Robbie Rouse -- trying to betray the odds at 5-feet-5 3/4 and with pedestrian speed -- is also a possibility.

The others, like safety Plummer and middle linebacker Brown, would dearly accept invitations to a camp as free agents following the draft.

"Anything," said Plummer, who's shifting back to his Clovis High position at safety after playing as an undersized linebacker for Fresno State because of team need. "I'll take anything -- anything. I would play college football on scholarship the rest of my life if they'd let me; that's just how much I like it."

Plummer and Brown would like to think they improved their stock in Wednesday's 2 1/2-hour exercise.

Also encouraged were Thomas and Rouse, who improved 40-yard dash times after running poorly among the nation's elite in the invitation NFL Scouting Combine in February at Indianapolis.

But a 35-year NFL scout at Bulldog Stadium put Pro Day into perspective.

"It can add relevance if there's interest (in a player) originally," said Phil Neri of the Tennessee Titans. "It has relevance if it substantiates what you feel. But the majority of (player analysis) is predicated on performance and production on tape. Nothing is going to supersede what you see in performance and production on tape."

Plummer, measured at 5-11 7/8 and 202.8 pounds -- think that the NFL doesn't pay attention to detail? -- had among impressive marks, two 40-yard dashes in the 4.5- to 4.6-second range, a 20-yard shuttle about 4.05 seconds and 25 repetitions in the 225-pound bench press.

Those marks compare favorably with the 25 safeties, including Thomas and USC's T.J. McDonald (Edison), who participated in February's Combine, though Plummer is a bit smaller than most.

Only two classes away from earning a master's degree in kinesiology, he'll have options if he's made his last tackle.

"He's prepared for this," Pat Plummer said during drills, "and he's prepared for what will come after this."

Brown (6-1, 233), like Plummer, is smallish for his position.

The Clovis West graduate, after training in Southern California for two months, clocked above-average, hand-timed 40s in the 4.62 to 4.72 range. His shuttle times were also quick, but his 18 reps in the bench were a cut below most Combine marks.

"Overall, I'm happy with what I did," he said. "I know I'm not an every-down (NFL) linebacker; I just want a chance to play."

He just missed a chance to play for his father, the longtime Bulldogs defensive coordinator, who died in March 2009.

The son would launch his college career five months later, never missing a practice, never missing a game, in four seasons. And that included 36 consecutive starts to end it.

"It was a great career," he said, "and I couldn't have done it without the fans and community behind me, getting me through the tough times in my life.

"I left every ounce of energy on the field, and that's what I'm trying to do out here. Playing pro ball has always been my dream, and I think Dad would be proud I'm striving for it. But I won't have just that one dream; I have a backup. And I'll either follow my dad's footsteps and coach or help athletes in some way."