Planning for the Pro Football Combine returns!

This was a short cycle because my “10 day from competition” alert was on Thursday.

Sunday 05.25.03
Rest. I did two CNS days in a row prior to Sunday and needed the time off

Monday 05.26.03
Speed day

Sprints
-20yd @ 100% 2r
-20yd resisted
-20yd @ 100%

-20yd resisted
-30yd @ 100%

-40yd @ 100%
-20yd resisted
-40yd @ 100%

-40yd @ 100% 2r

310yd total. Good but not great times. My top speed sems to be coming around, but my starts have been weaker than usual.

Weights (maintenance)
-snatch 80% 2r x 2s
-squat 90% 2r x 3s
-bench 75% 5r x 3s 1 min rest between sets, 70% 10r
-pullups 6r x 2s

Tuesday 05.27.03
Roadtrip to Towson to check out the field. It had rained the previous Sunday and even though it was artificial turf, the padding (a sponge as far as I could tell) was still holding water making the field quite slippery. I ran a few 100yd tempo runs and walked through some 5-10-5 shuttles. I tried out all of my shoes and determined that I would have to get some new turf shoes to have any chance of keeping my footing. Also, felt a slight twinge in my lower back/oblique from the 5-10-5s…probably didn’t warm up properly.

Wednesday 05.28.03
Tempo
5r x 2s, 100yds @ 65%. Reduced the volume because I didn’t want to overstress my back.

Recovery
-whirlpool
-sauna
-contrast showers

That’s the end of this microcycle. My next one is a longer 10-day cycle to peak for the combines.

OK, sorry I’m late with this but I posted it before and it got deleted in the transition. I’ll try to catch up and fill in the rest of my training leading to the combines and then give the full rundown.

Sunday 05.18.03
Football game versus our arch-rivals. We won 12 - 6!

Monday 05.19.03
Tempo
5r x 3s, 100yd @ 65%
pushups 25r x 2s
situps 20r x 4s

Tuesday 05.20.03
Speed day

Sprints
-20yd @ 100%
-20yd resisted (all resisted sprints were pulling a 25# weight)
-20yd @ 100%

-30yd resisted
-30yd @ 100%
-30yd resisted
-30yd @ 100%

-40yd x 2r @ 100%

260yd total

Plyos
-alt leg bounds 4ea x 2r
-2 leg hops 3r x 2s, 4r x 2s
-depth jumps 6r x 2s
-pogo 10r
-standing triple jump 2r x 2s

Weights (maintenance)
-squats 90% 3r x 3s
-bench 75% 5r x 3s, 2 min rest between sets
-SLDL 85% 3r x 2s
-pullup 6r x 2s

Recovery
-contrast showers

Wednesday 05.21.03
Raining outside
Pool tempo
5r x 3s, 25m @ 65%

Recovery
-whirlpool
-sauna
-contrast showers

Thursday 05.22.03
Rest

Friday 05.23.03
Still raining
Indoor agility
5-10-5 shuttle practice
-4r x 2s, clocked some times in the 3.9 to 4.1 range!

5-10-5 starts (first 5 only)
3r x 2s

5-10-5 middle (second 10 only)
1r x 2s

Med Ball
-overhead, chest , side circuit 12r x 2s ea

Plyos
-depth jumps 6r
-single leg step up jumps 6r x 2s

Weights
-snatch 80% 2r x 2s
-squat 95% 2r x 2s
-bench 85% 2r, 90% 1r, 85% 2r, 65% 15r

Saturday 05.24.03
Intense skill practice for the combines. I meant to do only light route running and an easy walk through but the competitive juices got flowing and this ended up being a second CNS day in a row. Fortunately, no football game tomorrow!

Grading Scale

Grades at the regional combines are based on a 5-10 scale. The table below assigns classifications to each of the five grade ranges.

Grade Description Player Type
9.00-10.0 Player significantly exceeds minimum pro standard. Pro Player
8.00-8.99 Player meets or exceeds minimum pro standard. Pro Prospect
7.00-7.99 Player scores slightly below minimum pro standard. Potential Pro Prospect
6.00-6.99 Player scores below minimum pro standard. College Level Player
5.00-5.99 Player scores significantly below minimum pro standard. Below College

What category were you in xlr8???

The top rated running back scored in the 7.00-7.99 range.

Was that you xlr8?

Here’s what I did down the home stretch. 10 days out was my last full intensity workout so I will start there.

Thursday 05.29.03
Sprints
-20yd @ 100% 2r

-40yd @ 100% 4r

-40yd @ 100% 4r

360yd total. These were all automatically times and fast. The last two sprints of the day made my all-time top 10 list!

Plyos
-depth jumps 6r x 2s
-single leg step up jumps 6r x 2s

Weights (maintenance)
-squats 90% 2r x 3s
-bench 90% 1r, 85% 3r, 2r, 70% 12r
-SLDL 80% 3r x 2s
-pullups 6r x 2s

Recovery
-contrast showers

Friday 05.30.03
Tempo
-5r x 2s, 100yds @ 65%
-pushups 20r x 2s
-abs 20r x 4s

Recovery
-sauna
-contrast showers

Saturday 05.31.03
Rest

Sunday 06.01.03
Football game, another win.

Monday 06.02.03
Tempo
-5r x 2s, 100yds @ 65%
-pushups 20r x 2s
-abs 20r x 4s

Recovery
-long easy stretch
-sauna
-contrast showers

Tuesday 06.03.03
Vertical Jump
2r 37"+!!

Sprints
-40yd 3r x 2s

Plyos
-depth jump 3r x 2s

Weights
-snatch 80% 1r, 2r
-squat 90% 2r x 3s
-bench 85% 2r x 3s, 70% 10r
-SLDL 50% 6r x 2s (more for stretching)
-pullups 6r x 2s

Wednesday 06.04.03
Rest. I am in the process of buying a new house and had some stress related to that. Couldn’t face tempo today.

Thursday 06.05.03
Vertical Jump
2r 37"+ again

Sprints (last speed day before combines)
-40yd 2r, 1r

Short Shuttle
-1r x 2s

Weights
-bench 85% 1r x 3s

Friday 06.06.03
Rest

Saturday 06.07.03
Rest, watched the rain fall all day.

Originally posted by The Real Deal
The top rated running back scored in the 7.00-7.99 range.

Was that you xlr8?

The official results for this year’s combine have not been posted yet. They promise that it will be done by Wednesday. I will be in the 8.5 range.

Here’s my unofficial results. I don’t have the ‘official’ results yet, because they won’t post them until Wednesday at noon. Overall (if I got their tables right) Certainly all of my scores were above the 8.0 threshold. I think my rating will be about a 8.5. That is about half a point lower than what I expected, but given the slippery conditions it was pretty respectable. I was told that it was the top number for any running back there.

First the setup: Overall, the combines were fairly poorly run. We were supposed to start checking in at around noon so we could get started at 12:30 but they were running so late that we didn’t get out to the field until almost 3:00. This gave me ample time to watch everyone in the first session and note that even though it wasn’t raining, the field was quite wet and slippery. The turf was dry on top, but the padding they had under it acted like a sponge and the water would come through when you pressed on it. You couldn’t sit on the field unless you wanted wet shorts!

I did a 4.5 40, 4.2 short shuttle, 9 bench presses (I know pretty pathetic) and a 35.5" vertical jump. OK, now for the excuses… :slight_smile:

In the 40, I was expecting something in the 4.4 range but the field was wet, so I didn’t feel like I got any spring back from it. It was like running on sand or something. I had recently been clocking 4.5 automatic times on the track, largely based on my improved top speed (thanks Charlie!) but I never felt like I got there at the combines. So I though given my auto times, the hand times would be much better (dreaming of 4.3’s!)

The other problem was that the 40 was our first station and I was one of the first people to run so I didn’t really have enough time for a proper warmup.

That leads me to another complaint about the whole set up. You weren’t allowed down on the field until you were registered (makes sense) but then you had to do their warmup which had a bunch of static stretches (which I don’t like to do prior to competition) After their warmup, we had to head right over to the 40. I had to run back to the stands to try to find some appropriate shoes (since you couldn’t bring your bags on the field) and by the time I got back it was time to run. Usually my 6th or 8th 40 is the fastest (with 2 -3 min rest between reps). Here my first one was for a time and I could only get in one other practice rep between that and my second run. It didn’t matter because both my times were about the same.

Even so, I was near the fastest in my group. I think one guy got a 4.4. You wouldn’t believe all of the guys (who looked fast) that were running 5.x times!

Next was the bench press. In bench, the bar had the knurling at a different place from my usual bar and so I took a grip that was too wide. I didn’t realize it until too late. I probably could have gotten a couple more if I had gotten it right but this was not going to be the strong point of my combine anyway. I’m thinking that I will need to add some more upper body mass in the off season if I want this to improve. Even though I added 25# to my bench over the course of this program, my 225 reps stayed about the same.

I was most worried about the shuttle and that is the event I did best in . It was the fastest shuttle of the day. I had bought some good turf shoes but even with those, I was stil slipping in practice. I got some pointers from one of the coaches there and focused on really keeping my technique clean so that my feet stayed under me. It worked pretty well. One of the timers even clocked one of my runs at 3.9 but they said that nobody could run a 3.9 on that field, so gave me the slower score (which is the opposite of what I think they are supposed to do!)

The vertical jump was last and I think I was a bit flat from all of the waiting around, plus it is tiring (mentally and physically) being there all day and not getting proper food etc. I was expecting something around 37" based on my jumps in practice.

Overall, I learned a lot. I think if I do it again, I will perform much better because I will know what to expect and have a better feel for how much time I need to warmup, etc. Also, I can hope that the order of events would work out better for me. I think the ideal order would be VJ first, then the Short shuttle, then the 40, then the bench.

athlete(back from vacation finally) here,
i think given these conditions you did damn well! i really hope you hear from someone about getting a shot. i have been through combines before, and im never impressed and share all of your complaints. let me warm up so i can give a good representation of myself! i think sometimes they are just looking to collect their registration fee. conditions like that can be discouraging.
anyway, your journal has been inspiration to many on the site, and keep up the good work man-let us know about the follow up!

p.s. that stuff about your agility time is bullsh*t! just because they have never seen someone run that time doesn’t mean a guy who works hard cant come out and do it!

XLR8:

Congratulations! 4.5 is exceptional on wet turf with bad warmup. Good job. 4.2 (or whatever your shuttle actually was) is excellent.)

I haven’t been popping in lately - I am typing this with my left leg elevated - had surgery to repair a torn ACL last week! Argh.

This combine was for the Arena Football League, right? When will you know if teams are interested?

way to go man!

XLR8,
I attended the combine at Azusa Pacific held June 1st,2003. It was mighty hot. The bench was looking right into the sun. Nevertheless, I saw someone get 46 reps. He said he had one taken away. I watched the pro agility more than anything else. One guy, who did around 30 reps in the BP, had sneakers for the pro agility. There is alittle room for improvement. I saw maybe 12 of 100+ that really were prepared. Lots of little things cost them.
Yes, it was long and grooling. For those of you on planning that in the future, be prepared for easily 4 hours plus of uhhh. SunTan lotion, water, meals, assistance of friends and/or training partners, etc. Get there early, learn to relax. Don’t stand around wasting energy, etc.
Very nice numbers, congratulations. acudave

Originally posted by mikeh
XLR8:

Congratulations! 4.5 is exceptional on wet turf with bad warmup. Good job. 4.2 (or whatever your shuttle actually was) is excellent.)

I haven’t been popping in lately - I am typing this with my left leg elevated - had surgery to repair a torn ACL last week! Argh.

Ouch, how did that happen?

This combine was for the Arena Football League, right? When will you know if teams are interested?

Actually it was the “Scout Camp Pro Football Regional Combines.” My understanding is that teams from the NFL, CFL, and arena leagues all subscribe.

I guess I will know who is interested when (if?) I get some calls.

Originally posted by athlete
p.s. that stuff about your agility time is bullsh*t! just because they have never seen someone run that time doesn’t mean a guy who works hard cant come out and do it!

Thanks athlete. I was worried about the shuttle because of the conditions, but I expected to run a good time. Two weeks prior to the combines I had consistently been hitting times in the 3.9 to 4.1 range in training.

I just logged in and saw my official results. I ended up with an 8.37 overall.

It turns out that my bench press really hurt my overall number. The strength score is based on two numbers - your bench and your vertical jump. My bench was poor (9) but my vertical jump was outstanding 36". I thought that they averaged these two to get the overall strength score, but it looks like they actually take the lower of the two. So my VJ didn’t help me at all.

BTW, a 36" vertical jump is worth 9.2 points. I would have needed 24 bench reps to see that (not likely!) but it would have brought my overall score to a 8.7(!)

Also, they listed a 3 - 4 mph headwind, so I guess that didn’t help my 40 time.

Size: 8.74
Speed: 8.35
Quickness: 8.55
Strength: 7.85

Overall: 8.37 (this is the average of the above scores.)

You did very well considering the conditions!

Congrats!

That sucks about not counting your VJ!!

Chris

8.37. Well alright. Not counting your vertical leap does not make a lick of sense in my opinion.

Regarding the ACL, I actually did it over three years ago. Playing a little pick-up football. Went up for a pass, got tangled up, and my brother landed on my leg, forcing it outward. POP!

Because of the very poor diagnostic work of my “doctor”, it was diagnosed as a “sprain” if you can believe it.

I am mostly a competitive swimmer, so I rocked along okay until I started doing a lot more running a year ago. In basketball or pick-up football the knee would actually slip out of joint every so often. Very very painful. So I went in, had an MRI, and walah, a torn ACL.

Surgery was performed last Thursday June 5th. I started therapy yesterday.

Maybe I should start a thread on this and detail my recovery, so that other athletes here can reference a recovery pattern from this unjury.

don

great job buddy!!! make sure you pay the phone bill, as i am sure its bound to ring sometime soon!!!

Originally posted by mikeh
8.37. Well alright. Not counting your vertical leap does not make a lick of sense in my opinion.

Actually, I had them check the number and I had my tables a bit wrong. For the bench press, you get 8 points for 12 reps and an extra 0.1 points for every rep after that up to 32 reps (10 points.) I had assumed that you would lose 0.1 for every rep less than 12, but I was wrong, you lose 0.5! So, my bench ended up as a 6.5. Average that with a 9.2 for my VJ and you get to my 7.85. Even one more rep would have gotten me over 8…I really gotta work on my bench reps!

Surgery was performed last Thursday June 5th. I started therapy yesterday.

Maybe I should start a thread on this and detail my recovery, so that other athletes here can reference a recovery pattern from this unjury.

I have a friend who had reconstructive ACL surgery over 6 months ago and has really struggled to return to form, I would be interested in seeing what you do and how you progress. Maybe it would help him out.

Originally posted by nightmare4d
don

great job buddy!!! make sure you pay the phone bill, as i am sure its bound to ring sometime soon!!!

I’m actually moving at the start of next month…I’m going to have to figure out how to update my contact information :o

Originally posted by mikeh
8.37. Well alright. Not counting your vertical leap does not make a lick of sense in my opinion.

Regarding the ACL, I actually did it over three years ago. Playing a little pick-up football. Went up for a pass, got tangled up, and my brother landed on my leg, forcing it outward. POP!

Because of the very poor diagnostic work of my “doctor”, it was diagnosed as a “sprain” if you can believe it.

I am mostly a competitive swimmer, so I rocked along okay until I started doing a lot more running a year ago. In basketball or pick-up football the knee would actually slip out of joint every so often. Very very painful. So I went in, had an MRI, and walah, a torn ACL.

Surgery was performed last Thursday June 5th. I started therapy yesterday.

Maybe I should start a thread on this and detail my recovery, so that other athletes here can reference a recovery pattern from this unjury.

hi mikeh…good to hear that i’m not the only one sitting around after an acl reconstruction.
i planned to do such a rehab journal, too. i wanted to start in about 1-2 weeks, that’s when the real rehab starts (3-4 hours a day, 5 days a week…).
i think it would be very interesting to see different types of post - op treatment :slight_smile:

good luck with your PT…

peace!