The new 40-yard dash is made possible by the 225-pound bench press.
Many players prefer to skip the 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine and run it at their college pro day instead.
They’re forgoing the bench press because it was moved from the day before on-field drills at Lucas Oil Stadium to that day in part to accommodate the shift to prime time for television.
Only 18 out of 59 offensive linemen chose to lift weights Friday.
Similar trends are being observed in other positions, with players refusing to do the drill that even players who were injured regularly agreed to. Some players felt that it would cause their muscles to become too tired and reduce their ability to perform other drills.
Nate Landman, a former Colorado linebacker, said that he would do it at his pro-day. “My bench would start at 10 a.m., and my 40’s at 8. p.m. It’s important not to get riled up and then go back down again. This is what a lot of men are discovering.
It’s stressful, the whole thing. So, if I can ease that stress by pushing some stuff on pro day, why not? To be at peak performance.”
In response to post-combine surveys, organizers stated that they had changed the schedule last week to reduce the time players spend in Indianapolis. They said that they had moved the bench press as some agents and players complained about the soreness after lifting weights. This was affecting their workout results.
Teams still like to compare shop at the combine, where all surfaces and conditions are identical. Because of the wide variation in setup and conditions, statistics can be difficult to verify.
Instead of saying “I’m going to run 40”, many players now say, “I do everything except the bench press,” at the request of others.
Leo Chenal, a Wisconsin player whose trainers discouraged him from lifting in Indy, stated that he had hoped to do 42 reps to break the linebackers record. “I don’t know what I’ll do at pro-day, but I’ll be happy with 40,” he said.
Not so fast
NFL Network’s Thursday night workouts featured incredible 40-yard sprint times that were repeatedly recorded by receivers.
They weren’t as fast, it turned out.
The official times were posted on the league website and, while they were still fast, they were slower than originally reported.
Tyquan Thompson, a Baylor receiver, finished the sprint in 4.28 seconds, instead of the 4.21 that viewers saw. Ohio State receiver Chris Olave finished at 4.39. He was originally shown at 4.26.
Workouts will resume Friday, with running backs and offensive linemen taking center stage.
CHEERS!
The league officials announced Thursday that all COVID-19 restrictions had been lifted. Draft prospects were nearly unanimously happy.
On Friday, cheers came from every corner.
Zakoby Mcclain, a linebacker at Auburn, said, “First, nobody wants that stick up my nose.” “I got my vaccination so that I didn’t have too much to do. Because no one wants their nose sticking up, it will be stress-free. It can sometimes be difficult to breathe in the mask due to all the COVID protocols.
Joshua Paschal, a Kentucky defensive lineman, and Thomas Booker, a Stanford defensive lineman were relieved to not have to miss games or make long road trips. Travis Jones, UConn’s defensive lineman, sums it all best.
He said, “No COVID testing?” It’s going be a great year.
NO REGRETS
After explaining why he chose Oregon over Alabama, Kayvon Thibodeaux, a defensive end was criticised.
He stated that he would rather be associated with Nike than be a national champion, and cited the “stigma” of his Alabama education.
Thibodeaux refused to back down when asked Friday if it was regrettable that he made those comments.
He said, “I don’t pay much attention to social media. I feel like a lot is clickbait.” “But, when I talk about why Oregon was chosen for me, it is clear that I chose Oregon because of the reasons I did. I would not change that. I feel that the people in my life have a purpose and that I’ve been given a legacy I can be grateful for.
