NFL Combine extends season
by Robert Box, staff writer
Many people believe that the pro football season ended with
the Pro Bowl.
Luckily, for football dorks such as
myself, we can watch hours of the NFL combine on TV.
The NFL Network aired the entire
coverage of the NFL rookie combine. The rookie combine
features players hoping to get drafted into the NFL by
trying out for scouts, coaches and general managers.
Through the course of four days, 326
athletes participated in everything from X-rays to the
40-yard dash. They were tested on everything from physical
strength to mental capacity. The NFL argues that every test
is important in making the decision about who should be
drafted, and, in turn, receive millions of dollars and a
roster spot on a team, and who will descend into the ranks
of free agency or the Canadian Football League.
One of the more controversial tests is
the Wonderlic test. The Wonderlic test is a test that
measures a player’s ability to think quickly, based on 50
questions that have to be answered in a certain time. Vince
Young, the former quarterback for the University of Texas
and the current quarterback of the Tennessee Titans, made
news last year by only answering nine questions correctly.
Many questioned whether he would be able to make all of the
quick decisions that a quarterback has to make before the
snap and during the three seconds that a play usually
lasts. Young made the Pro Bowl last year as a rookie.
The test that seems to make or break
athletes is the 40-yard dash. A good 40 time can move a
player’s draft stock up drastically or even cause a player
who normally wouldn’t get drafted to be selected. Former
Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones ran his 40 in 4.40 seconds.
That, combined with his 6-foot-6 frame, caused his stock to
rise all the way to the first round. He was drafted by the
Jacksonville Jaguars as a wide receiver, with the 18th
overall pick.
A good showing at the Combine can make
all the difference in a player’s career. It seemed that
everyone last year agreed that University of Southern
California running back Reggie Bush would be the number one
pick. North Carolina State defensive lineman Mario Williams
had a great performance at the Combine with his speed and
strength drills, then managed to surprise everyone by being
picked first. Bush was picked second by the New Orleans
Saints and ended the season one game away from the Super
Bowl. The Houston Texans, the team that drafted Williams,
have another top 10 pick this year.
I don’t really know if the Combine can
tell you if someone can really play football at the highest
level or not. If I were investing as much money as the
owners do in players though, I would want to test them as
much as possible. I would make them take a field sobriety
test just to take up time (which might actually be necessary
now). The real winners in this are not the players who get
drafted. It’s the fans who get an extra week to watch
something that is football related.
