Dallas Day alum Kendall Paul’s life has changed since clocking 4.27; what he learned from Coach Prime

Chances are that East Texas A&M cornerback Kendall Paul, a Bishop Dunne graduated who visited the Dallas Cowboys last week for Dallas day, was going to get an opportunity to tryout with an NFL team at some point this summer.

While only around 250 college prospects will get selected in 2025 in NFL Draft, hundreds more will likely get signed as undrafted free agents.

This is where team’s mine for untapped talent, unknown and overlooked prospects.

Cole Beasley, Tony Romo and Hall of Famer Drew Pearson are just a few Cowboys stars who came from this crop, as did current Cowboys Brandon Aubrey and KaVontae Turpin.

Paul could join this list or he could be among the chosen ones who will be selected in one of the seven rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, which begins April 25 and runs through April 26.

The latter became a legitimate possibly after he shocked the NFL world and opened some some eyes when he burned up to the turf at East Texas A&M with a 4.27 clocking in the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day.

It is believed to be the fasted 40 time recorded by any player headed into the 2025 NFL Draft, turning this formerly unknown prospect into a name to know among draft nerds and the 32 NFL teams.

“I always knew I was gonna go 4.27, like, just from the beginning of the season,” Paul said. “I said I’m gonna have a good season. Then when my pro day come for me to get the best shot, I’m gonna go for it. So I knew 4.3 was fast, but I said like for me to just get my name out there and just separate myself, I know I had to run 4.2. That’s always been a part of my plan. So I say after my pro day, that’s where a little my buzz started going up.”

One of the fastest rising draft prospects, you need to know the name Kendall Paul. The East Texas A&M DB ran a 4.27 in the 40-yard dash. 🤯💨 pic.twitter.com/h47OmSHhhy

— DLLS Cowboys (@DLLS_Cowboys) April 8, 2025

It’s all kind of funny to Craig Leblanc, Paul’s agent who has been telling everyone he knows and didn’t about this little kid from East Texas A&M since the fall. His overtures fell on deaf ears, disbelief or unreturned phone calls about an undersized 5-foot-9, 168-pound sleeper until that 4.27 popped and went viral.

The name that immediately comes to mind is Cowboys scout Chris Hall, who was the only NFL team representative at Paul’s Pro Day.

LeBlanc had been lobbying Hall for weeks and Hall of was full of disbelief until he saw that 4.27.

“It’s kind of funny, because Chris had texted me a couple days prior when I was giving him updates, and kind of told me that he didn’t believe anything I was saying,” LeBlanc said. “We kind of went into that day with a chip on her shoulder, like, Okay, ‘well, we’re gonna show you. We’re gonna show you everything that you thought wasn’t true is true’. So that process itself, you know, Chris being the one holding the stopwatch, right? Well, you know, he had ignored me for a week. So it was a blessing.”

That blessing has exploded across the NFL. Teams are calling. Head coaches are reaching back out, including Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos.

“I feel like a lot of people weren’t really answering my calls or answering my text messages,” LeBlanc said.” I remember one of the scouts, I want to say, was from the Colts. He told me ‘he didn’t even watch the tape that I had sent him until after Kendall ran his 4.27’. So you know, it definitely has helped both of us a lot, I think that they there’s a certain level of trust now that they have for me, knowing that I’m not just over selling my clients, that I’m going to give them the real of the real. We’ve had just about every, almost every team reach out about Kendall. The Chiefs called yesterday. We’ve had the Steelers, the Broncos. I texted Sean Payton on March 9 and told him that I had a prospect that I felt like he would he would like. I sent him a little video, a little clip of Kendall told him that I thought he would like him. 21 days later, he texted me back and said ‘he’s on our board.’ That’s awesome. And you know, it’s continued to get better. The Vikings are super interested in him. The Commanders are super interested in him. The Cardinals are super interested in him.”

And the hometown Cowboys are interested, which would be a dream come true for the majority of Paul’s family which is filled with Cowboys fans, led by his dad Kevin Paul.

Although he watched Cowboys games every Sunday as part of the family tradition, Paul himself grew up a Steelers fan because of some his uncles and his love for legendary safety Troy Polamalu. But can see the vision of his family’s dream.

“I know just playing for the Cowboys would be just like so exciting for them,” Paul said.

If it happens, credit the aforementioned Cowboys scout Chris Hall of getting the word out, not just to the rest of the league with 40 time but within the walls at the team headquarters at the Star in Frisco.

Upon Hall’s urging, Paul got invited to Dallas Day, a workout for local draft prospects who grew up or played in college in the area.

And Paul did the rest, he wowed the Cowboys with his athleticism and football acumen and was one two defensive backs who was asked to stay for an extra session after the work out.

Considering his youth football experience, playing for the Cowboys almost seems like destiny for the Paul.

He part of the Truth football league lead by Cowboys Hall of Famer and now Colorado coach Deion Sanders as a y0uth. Sanders and former Cowboys cornerback Kevin Mathis were his primary defensive back coaches dating back to the age of 8 and they taught how to learn the game as a professional.

“Just the experience, right? Like we went to we were watching film, going over plays and taking notes,” Paul recalled. “He had a whole summer camp. So he treated just like a professional thing. So just going at it. It was playing against the best competition and I’m actually getting coached by actual NFL player as my db coaches.”

Paul has grown a lot since his days with Sanders on the Truth. He played two years at DeSoto before finishing his final two years in high school at Dallas Bishop Dunne. He then spent the last four years at East Texas A&M, where he was known for his physicality and fearlessness as much as his speed.

Sanders has certainly elevated as well, going from Jackson State to Colorado, where is now one of the highest paid coaches in college football.

Paul still carries lessons from his time with Sanders.

“I just say the main things is confidence. That’s what I take from the most,” Paul said. “One thing he always taught was have confidence. You got to think you the best dude on the field. So that’s why I take on now.”

At his size, Paul could potentially be an ideal candidate to replace Jourdan Lewis as the Cowboys slot cornerback because of his speed, competitiveness and willingness to tackle.

Paul would love it.

Most of all he just wants an opportunity, whether it’s as a draft pick or undrafted free agent.

“All I wat to do is get my toe [in the NFL],” Paul said. “If I get a toe in, it’s over. I know what I can do when I get in.”