SPARQ & Combine testing information for football recruits

Recently, a reader was wondering why college coaches take the numbers taken so seriously at a combine. Considering that these events are done without pads on, the question is why does it matter all that much? Shouldn’t a coach be able to look at film and make judgments based on their skills that they have on the field?

Unfortunately, the answer to those questions are that the coaches have to take everything into account. With the fast pace of Division I football, if you are a quarterback who only runs a 5.0 40-yard dash, chances are you will be overlooked. It may not be fair but it does happen. That is why I am going to break down some of the different drills at the combine and talk about their purpose.

40-yard dash
This is obvious the #1 test that football coaches do at all levels. It is used in high school, college, and the NFL. Running a 4.4 and a 4.6 can be the difference between millions of dollars when going into the draft. But considering that it is done without pads and does not test anything else outside of pure speed, why is it used? The reason is that coaches need to know how fast an athlete is. While doing it with pads is a different story, having speed is something that every player wanting a Division I scholarship has to have. And that includes linemen. These coaches feel that the speed goes hand in hand with athleticism. The faster you are, the more athletic that you probably are as well. There are always great stories about a player like Jerry Rice getting drafted late by the 49ers because some considered him slow by NFL standards. Well, he obviously went on to become the great wide receiver in the history of the league. And while that is a great story, if you want to get a Division I football scholarship, you must cut time on your 40-yard dash. If I had a son trying to achieve that goal, I would have him working with speed coaches on his form. This is a huge area that some don’t realize is important. The lower your time is (And this is no matter what position you play), the better your chances are to get a scholarship. Coaches can bulk a player up at the college level but they can only do so much with improving speed.

Vertical Jump
This one really may make you shake your head when you are considering how exactly a vertical can help you on the football field. Say you are an offensive lineman, when exactly do you get to use your hops and show off that ability on the field? Well, the answer is never. If it was basketball, there would be an obvious reason why coaches would be curious. But as part of the reason goes with the 40-yard dash, it has to do with your overall athleticism. The fact that some athletes can jump around 40 inches show that they are a stellar athlete. Yes, wide receivers and defensive backs use their vertical leap more than others but all are tested. It just shows that you have the athletic skills to play at their level. And while having a huge leap will not get you a scholarship, putting up a small number will be a cause of concern from the college coaches. Does that mean he is not athletic enough? Should we look elsewhere. In terms of preparing for this, you can do a lot of leg lifts (Squats, cleans, etc.) as well as plyometrics. I have seen both first hand improve my vertical jump so it may be able to help others as well.

20-yard shuttle
This is a drill where you need to touch lines and change directions. If anything, this really is a great football drill. No matter what position you play (Well, maybe not punter or kicker), your ability to change direction is vital. This is especially true for defensive backs and running backs. Having that ability to quickly make changes to the direction that you are going can mean the difference between a solid gain to a huge touchdown run. This is also commonly referred to as pro agility as well. The shuttle tests your quickness and is a pretty obvious test for coaches at all levels. Expect to do this at camps and combines so it would be best to familiarize yourself with it.

Bench Press
If you attend a Nike Camp, what they will do for the bench press is throw 185 pounds on the bar and see how many times you can lift it. I am unsure if you can warm up at a lower weight but they basically let you go at it because there are a lot of athletes that will eventually need to do the same lift. This is another obvious reason why they do it. The coaches want to see how strong you are. While it is sometimes obvious to tell what athletes have spent time in the weight room, putting them on the bench shows really how strong that they are. When looking at these four areas, the bench press would be the least I would be concerned with when it comes to college coaches. While it would be great to lift 185 pounds fifty times, these coaches know not all high school lifting is the same. If they like your skills and athleticism, they know that over time and working with their strength coach can help bulk you up. While it is important as with every other one of these drills, your bench press will improve over time as you physical mature.