On what could be one of the biggest days of his young life, Ashton Gronewold figures he'll be out in the field Sunday, helping his father, Merlin, tend to the family's farm outside of Carthage.

"It's always a coincidence that he schedules stuff (to do) when he knows I'm coming to town," Gronewold said with a laugh.

Dad likely will let Gronewold watch a little bit of television that day. After all, Ashton Gronewold's name has a chance of being called during the later rounds of the NFL Draft.

Gronewold would love nothing more than to hear ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. break down what he's done since leaving Carthage High School as a running back and making good as a wide receiver at NCAA Division II Missouri Science & amp; Technology.

"I have no idea (if I'll be drafted)," Gronewold said. "Your guess is as good as mine."

He certainly has a resume worth noting.

As a senior last fall, Gronewold was a first-team member of the prestigious Associated Press Little All-American Team. He caught 87 passes for 1,009 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He also returned two kicks for touchdowns and had a rushing TD. He finished with 2,250 all-purpose yards and was a regional finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, Division II's version of the Heisman.

Gronewold owns nearly every receiving and scoring record in S & amp;T history.

Statistics alone don't wow the NFL scouts. Gronewold's speed and football smarts have helped put him on the pro map.

"He runs in that good area that keeps him on the boards," S & amp;T coach Kirby Cannon said. "He has incredible lateral quickness that helps him make people miss. He's also a great student of the game.

"If he gets in camp, he's a durable kid who will learn their stuff real quick. I think he'll make it if he gets in."

Gronewold took part in two pro days -- one at Northwest Missouri State, which drew scouts from 10 teams, and another at the University of Missouri that drew 18 NFL teams. He clocked a 4.54 40-yard dash and was credited for running crisp routes during the pro days.

The biggest knock on Gronewold, who was the Herald-Whig Player of the Year in 2003, is his size. At 5-foot-10, he's not the prototypical NFL wide receiver, but that doesn't have Gronewold down on his pro hopes.

"There is a stereotype that says you need to be this big, this fast and this strong," Gronewold said. "But look at a guy like Wes Welker and the niche he made for himself."

Welker, who is just 5-9, had career highs of 112 catches, 1,175 yards and eight touchdowns in helping New England to a perfect regular season last year.

If Gronewold doesn't go in the seven-round NFL draft, which starts with two rounds on Saturday and five more on Sunday, he's likely to get a training camp invitation. He said the Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals are among his most ardent pursuers.

No matter what happens on Sunday while he's helping out on the farm, Gronewold's enjoyed the draft experience.

"Just being named an NFL draft prospect is exciting," said Gronewold, who has one more semester of school before he secures his degree in engineering management. "It's hasn't been just exciting for me, but for everyone who has been getting all jacked up about the draft.

"Everyone in Carthage has been asking my parents how things are going. It's exciting to hear other people get excited about it."

Yet none of them will be as excited as Gronewold if his names gets called on Sunday.

-- dobrien@whig.com/221-3365