Combine Nation

330 NFL hopefuls will descend on Indianapolis in the coming days to attend the NFL scouting combine. In addition to drug testing, interviews and physicals, the combine brings us events that measure speed, strength and agility. I find it odd that scouts pay so much attention to quarters of an inch and hundredths of a second when the drills run are not directly football related. For example, Eddie Kennison was an NCAA All-American sprinter, but has never been noted for his speed in pads. While the combine provides valuable data, I’d rather focus on how a player performs in-game. Which is probably why I don’t own an NFL team.

- 40-Yard Dash: The NFL also conducts 10- and 20-yard dashes that focus on acceleration, but the 40 has become the standard measure of speed. The fastest 40 I ever ran was a hand-timed 4.24, which converts to a 4.48 in FAT. To compare, this is the same time run by Patrick Willis, a 242 pound linebacker for the 49ers. Excuse me while I cower in fear.
- Bench Press: Typically important for linesmen, linebackers, and running backs, repetitions at 225 pounds give you an idea of how ridiculously strong these athletes are. QB Brady Quinn made headlines last year when he preformed 25 reps. I guess the Browns were looking for upper body strength when they drafted their clipboard holder.
- Vertical Leap: Verticals have long been scrutinized for their accuracy. Players extend their arms straight up to get a base reading, then jump and swat a device to measure their leap. But by locking your lower back and shrugging your shoulders, you could lower your base reading and ultimately gain an inch or two. Why are we worried about steroids while vertical enhancement runs rampant?
- Broad Jump: Why don’t they call it the long jump? No one says, “Wow, that jump was so broad!”
- Shuttle Run: My favorite days in elementary school were days we did the shuttle run. Beating my classmates in picking up and putting down erasers was an incomparable thrill. But there was always a group of kids who’d throw the erasers in an attempt to gain an edge. This is probably the same group of kids who grew up to play for the Texas Rangers in 1992.
- Three-Cone Drill: A convoluted drill that basically equates to running in circles. Scouts use it to gauge fluidity and hip movement and other clichés that sound gross when used in different contexts.
- Wonderlic Test: The test measures critical thinking and decision making, and has become an increasingly popular metric. Pat McInally, a punter from Harvard, is the only player to record a confirmed perfect score. But if the Wonderlic is as easy as the version in Madden, I’d have a pretty good shot at acing it. Or at least I’d beat Vince Young.

Dhivy’s Draft Bio
Height: 5’11¾”
Weight: 175 lbs
40-Yard Dash: 4.48 (at peak, much slower now)
Bench Press: 7 reps
Vertical Leap: 30”ish
Broad Jump: Depends on if I know the broad
20-Yard Shuttle: Ask my third-grade gym teacher
Three-Cone Drill: Faster than the four-cone drill
Wonderlic: Wonderful

Projected Round: Undrafted
Projected Tears: Several