I have an upcoming NFL combine, in which the location has been changed, from a turf field to a grass field. Since the first location was going to be turf, i was either going to use turf shoes or a pair of flats. Now I have no clue what to use. I emailed the director, and he said any shoe other then track spikes are permissible. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what might be a good shoe to use for such an event. ANy help is appreciated.
Thanks
You play the game so you know it will depend on the length of grass and how soft the field is. If you can, go see the field. If not, try and contact football players that train on that field now and get their input.
Long grass and soft field = 7 stud shoes
Short grass and hard field = short multi-studs
or somewhere inbetween
Hope that helps.
And by the way I’ve been coaching football for 25 years. I judge a player on talent, brains, heart and his willingness to run and hit. Unfortunately, sometimes to get your foot in the door to demonstrate those qualities you have to get by the tests. In all my years, with many friends at top-levels of coaching, I have rarely heard any coaches discuss any tests other than the 40, the Vertical and the Bench. Do well in those 3 and they will notice.
Good luck, Mike
Mike - here’s some more thoughts. You may have thought of these but since I’m a coach I have to offer them anyway.
Take 3 or 4 different pairs to cover yourself against all conditions. And make sure the shoes are broken in and in optimal condition.
Plus 3 or 4 pairs of socks and everything you can possibly think of that you might need in terms of clothing for all weather conditions plus nutrition, band-aids, etc. etc.
Start making a checklist now of everything you need and have everything ready 2 days before.
If you have time I suggest you have a coach run you through a mock test day at least a week prior to the real one. If you have a number of weeks left to prepare you can do a mock test day more than once. Comfort is important.
Get there plenty early to warm-up because they may not give you enough time. They may not let you on the field for an adequate warm-up so if possible have an alternate field close by to warm-up on.
Don’t be late. Coaches hate that.
Run smooth and Good Luck.
Good advice!
Bring all of your shoes, even your track shoes. Sometimes, they will tell you no track shoes, then let the guys use them once they are there (sometimes you have to take the spikes out.)
If you can, go to the actual field they are using for the combines the week before to try everything out. This will give you a good feel for how the hard the ground is, etc. Find your best shoes for each event. You may use different shoes for different events.
BUT on combine day, still bring all of your other options because it could rain the day before and that may change your optimal shoes.
I personally like some lightweight screw-ins and then I can bring multiple stud lengths and react as appropriate.
Guys, thanks for your input. The main reason i am posing the shoe question, is I was a defnsive lineman in college, and my spikes haev a heavy toe plate, and i feel that may take away from my speed somewhat in the longer events. So I was kind of looking for name brands of shoes ya’ll might recomend.
Football Coach- thanks for your info on the various tests, I’m kind of just getting back to running. (I had a mild injury.) Currently, I’m 6’2 280 lbs, I’m hoping for a 30 inch vert, 30 plus reps on the bench, and I’m consistently running under 1.4 seconds in my tens. I’m hoping that will get me noticed.
Xlr8- Any recomendations as to a good light weight cleet to get. Maybe something a wide reciever or d-back would use?
Thanks again guys.
I generally like the Nike products. I currently use the Super Speed D Low for my detachable cleats (about 12oz). The same model is available in molded as well and I own a pair of those for when the field gets hard.
Adidas also has a nice lightweight pair. Check out the Scorch 3 D and the Scorch 3 TRX.
Reebok had a really light pair of cleats (4 Speed D), but I didn’t like them because they flexed too much on cuts and felt like the studs were actually rolling over. But they might be good for the combine.
www.eastbay.com is a good resource although this is the wrong time of the year for a good stock of football shoes.
[QUOTE=xlr8]I generally like the Nike products. I currently use the Super Speed D Low for my detachable cleats (about 12oz). The same model is available in molded as well and I own a pair of those for when the field gets hard.QUOTE]
I also used both models of the Super Speed D Low, and loved them - an incredibly light cleat. The molded multi-stud pair works great on either FieldTurf or well kept short grass; studs work best in longer grass or a softer field.
“www.eastbay.com is a good resource although this is the wrong time of the year for a good stock of football shoes.”
You won’t be able to get the newest models, but they offer great sales this time of year. Check the sales page if you want to pick up a pair for cheap.
Football Coach- thanks for your info on the various tests, I’m kind of just getting back to running. (I had a mild injury.) Currently, I’m 6’2 280 lbs, I’m hoping for a 30 inch vert, 30 plus reps on the bench, and I’m consistently running under 1.4 seconds in my tens. I’m hoping that will get me noticed.
Mike - Those would be impressive numbers. Kris Jenkins did 1.76 / 33 reps / 31 vertical. Here are some links to compare yourself.
http://www.nfl.com/draft/analysis/individual_workouts
http://www.ffmastermind.com/2003/premium/madness/combineresults.html
OK, I picked up a pair of Nike Vapors. They are crazy light, and they have good stability. I think they are a good choice, a touch expensive, but well worth it in my opinion.