Hey guys, I usually just read these posts but the NFL combine is something I happen to know a liitle about so I thought I would share some info.
1) The reason that 225lbs is used for the bench press weight is because it has been the only weight proven to give an accurate estimate on bench max. If weights are too low like 185lbs the accuracy drops, and you can't use weights like 300-400 because believe it or not most college football players can't bench over 250 particulary cornerbacks and quarterbacks, just ask the Minnesota Vikings corner back Fred Smout who put up a WHAPPING 225lbs for only 1 reps at the NFL combine 4 years ago.
2) I agree 100% that bench press should not be used to judge a football player. According to that logic, there are a lot of us on this board that should be first round draft picks this spring. Several years ago I asked the coach of the United States olympic powerlifting team what he thought of bench press programs for football players and he said "the only thing that a bench press is good for a football player for is to push himself off the ground after he gets knocked on his ass by a guy who trains with cleans and squats."
3) Believe it or not squat maxs may not be tested at the combine but all NFL GM's know what they are for the players particulary lineman. It would not be realistic to expect a player to max out on squats and then go out and run the forty yard dash. Also there is a major concern when squating that injuries could happen. Most of these guys have terrible form and could you imagine if you are a potential first round draft pick and you blow your knee out maxing out on squats a month before the draft.
4) The 40 yard dash is CRUCIAL to GM's when choosing a player. I agree that football players hardley ever run 40 straight yards during a game but thats not the point. You see the 40 yard dash is the only way to accuratly judge a persons speed because anything longer is not pure speed and anything shorter is not accurate because of a persons delayed reaction time to the starting signal.
5) Finally if you don't think that the NFL combine is important you have never been to one. Just go and ask Brian Urlacher what he thinks. Heres a guy who was a saftey at a school that was not exactly a football powerhouse (New Mexico St.). He goes to the combine, impresses the pants off of all the GM's gets drafted in the top ten and becomes the NFL MVP. Or how about the legendary
Mike Mamula. If you are from Philly you wanna punch somebody everytime you hear this guys name. Heres a guy that should have been a fifth or sixth round pick, goes into the combine and sets every record there is and ends up a top ten pick (even though he was a total bust). So don't say that the combine doesn't mater, there is 10,000,000 reasons why it does $$$$$$$.
hope this clears up some, interesting topic
