NFL Combine Verticals

Did anyone else see how high these frigggin linebackers were jumping, even white dudes. AJ Hawk, who is the premeir linebacker in the draft, and is white had a 40 inch vertical, that is not normal at all, how does one attian these heights? i have no idea, just wondering what you guys think. On the other hand, maybe thier training is just that exclusive and good…haha.

genetics+training. oh, and black/white has nothing to do with it.

[quote]bantamlb5 wrote:
Did anyone else see how high these frigggin linebackers were jumping, even white dudes. AJ Hawk, who is the premeir linebacker in the draft, and is white had a 40 inch vertical, that is not normal at all, how does one attian these heights? i have no idea, just wondering what you guys think. On the other hand, maybe thier training is just that exclusive and good…haha.[/quote]

White guys that can jump over 40 inch? Nooooo way

Most of these guys are just plain better than you or me (with respect to some of these tests and definitely with respect to football). Being strong and explosive is very helpful in football, and some of the variables in how high you jump, how fast you run, and how much you lift depend on you your parents were.

“how does one attian these heights? i have no idea, just wondering what you guys think. On the other hand, maybe thier training is just that exclusive and good…haha.”

These guys were born great athletes. They could never touch a weight in their life and still be more athletic than 99.9999% of the general population.

[quote]bantamlb5 wrote:
Did anyone else see how high these frigggin linebackers were jumping, even white dudes. AJ Hawk, who is the premeir linebacker in the draft, and is white had a 40 inch vertical, that is not normal at all, how does one attian these heights? i have no idea, just wondering what you guys think. On the other hand, maybe thier training is just that exclusive and good…haha.[/quote]

You act like he’s the first white guy to do this… Athletes are athletes, any one who is even invited to the combine is there because of the pure ability to play football DAMN WELL… The test results are not always the best indicators of ability, but the VJ is said to correlate best to field performance…

Training specifically FOR the combines is a reletively new phenomonon at least to the degree that is becoming more and more common today. Joe Defranco seemed to be one of the first to have his clients “study” for the combines in the way you’d prepare for any other important test. He treats the combines as a job interview as there is many times thousands if not MILLIONS of dollars at stake.

Check out the “Pro Maker” article here if you haven’t already. Joe takes the combines (and Pro Day) VERY seriously (although he realizes the test results do not always equal field performance).

To the poster Derek-you can’t be f’n serious that Joe Defranco is the first guy to prepare people for the draft combine by ‘studying’ for it? You’re from Massachusetts right? You know who Mike Boyle is? How bout Mike Mamula? Granted, he was a bust in the NFL, Boyle worked with him and he went from a 3rd round nobody to a lottery pick. Yes,this was about 12 years ago. Combine freaks are nothing new, A guy that benched 225 51 times a few years back, and he’s also not in the NFL.

The only thing that is new now is how combine prep is at a vogue level. The combine is almost a joke now anyways because everyone with half a brain knows that what you do that day in Indianapolis in track spikes doesn’t have a whole lot to do with the type of player you’ll be in the NFL. Granted a study that appeared in the JSCR showed that VJ does have a correlation with ‘football playing ability’, overall the combine means dick. Still, I enjoy these freak performances just as much as the next guy.
There’s my rant

[quote]cougarenegade wrote:
To the poster Derek-you can’t be f’n serious that Joe Defranco is the first guy to prepare people for the draft combine by ‘studying’ for it? You’re from Massachusetts right? You know who Mike Boyle is? How bout Mike Mamula? Granted, he was a bust in the NFL, Boyle worked with him and he went from a 3rd round nobody to a lottery pick. Yes,this was about 12 years ago. Combine freaks are nothing new, A guy that benched 225 51 times a few years back, and he’s also not in the NFL.

The only thing that is new now is how combine prep is at a vogue level. The combine is almost a joke now anyways because everyone with half a brain knows that what you do that day in Indianapolis in track spikes doesn’t have a whole lot to do with the type of player you’ll be in the NFL. Granted a study that appeared in the JSCR showed that VJ does have a correlation with ‘football playing ability’, overall the combine means dick. Still, I enjoy these freak performances just as much as the next guy.
There’s my rant[/quote]

100% agree.

Black and white doesnt matter? Watch any Olympic speed events lately… it’s not just black that matters, its white too but each excel at different things. Ever notice that 90% of the elite marathon runners come from eastern africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, etc…)? And why the best basketball players, football players, sprinters and boxers (any explosive sport) can trace their lineage back to western africa (Nigeria, Cameroon, Angola, etc…)? At elite levels it is genetic. White athletes are pretty versatile and can do a variety of things well, but usually do not excel at the extremes of power or endurance sports. You may get a white athlete here or there that can hang with western african sprinters or eastern african marathoners, but that would be few and far between.

I would bet if the amount of african americans and caucasians in this country were reversed there would be maybe 5 or 6 white football players, none at the speed positions, quarterbacks and kickers might be diff… Not all humans are created optimally for the same sport. Not a stereotype or anything just how it is… I have also heard that at elite levels of strength sports white athletes can have an advantage…

Olympic Lifters are faster than olympic sprinters over the first 30m, oly lifters also typically have the highest verticals.

combine freaks

DE Mario Williams NC State
6’7" 295lbs 7.6% body fat
40 time: 4.66-4.7
vertical: 40.5"
225 reps: 35

I went to college with this guy and he is one of a kind physically.

The best athlete on our team though was Manny Lawson. He’ll play DE/LB in a 3-4 scheme at the next level.

6’5.3" 241lbs
40 time: 4.41
vertical: 39.5"
225 reps: 23
He also had the best DL 3 cone drill and long shuttle. He finished no worse than third in any agility or jumping test.

Check the vertical

[quote]matticus wrote:
combine freaks

DE Mario Williams NC State
6’7" 295lbs 7.6% body fat
40 time: 4.66-4.7
vertical: 40.5"
225 reps: 35

I went to college with this guy and he is one of a kind physically.

The best athlete on our team though was Manny Lawson. He’ll play DE/LB in a 3-4 scheme at the next level.

6’5.3" 241lbs
40 time: 4.41
vertical: 39.5"
225 reps: 23
He also had the best DL 3 cone drill and long shuttle. He finished no worse than third in any agility or jumping test.

Check the vertical
[/quote]

Hey Matticus, checking out the pics from the link you posted. How much is Mario Williams power cleaning on that Champions Day.

matticus, while he is certainly impressive i think most would agree vernon davis equaled or surpassed the n.c. state grad at the combine.

vernon davis
6’3" 253
4.38 40
42 inch vertical
33 reps at 225
bodyfat? see for yourself http://www.baltimoresun.com/media/thumbnails/photo/2005-09/19617775.jpg

Uh, I am f-in serious about him being ONE OF THE FIRST read a bit more carefully, I wrote “ONE OF THE FIRST”

(plus I’ve been training “kids” for the combines for a while myself so I’m no newcomer).

Relax.

Perhaps I should’ve written that JD popularized this type of training and has done a lot to bring it to the masses.

If you know anyone that fits that description better, feel free to use the “f-in” thing again.

why don’t you poll some of the volleyball players on this site. there are a few that can really jump.

I’m a basketball player. my vert is 35". I know of a few white guys with 40" verticals, and about as many black guys w/ 40" verts. its very rare, and not race exclusive

Adam Nelson one of our US shot putters can jump 39 inches.

I played college football my freshmen year at Oklahoma State. In my freshmen class was RW McQuarters, who was later an All-Pro CB with the Bears. This guy was a stud high school fb, basketball and track star. The only time he lifted weights was in the few weeks before fb started in June/July. As a relatively untrained (in the weight room) athlete, at 5/8 185 pounds he could bench almost 300 pounds, squat near 400, ran sub 4.4, and had a 38-inch vertical.

My point is that the elite athletes are freaks of nature.

[quote]bantamlb5 wrote:
Did anyone else see how high these frigggin linebackers were jumping, even white dudes. AJ Hawk, who is the premeir linebacker in the draft, and is white had a 40 inch vertical, that is not normal at all, how does one attian these heights? i have no idea, just wondering what you guys think. On the other hand, maybe thier training is just that exclusive and good…haha.[/quote]

haha white person jumped f***
do oly lifters not have the best verticals

that guy is 5ft 8

[quote]OKLAHOMA STATE wrote:
“how does one attian these heights? i have no idea, just wondering what you guys think. On the other hand, maybe thier training is just that exclusive and good…haha.”

These guys were born great athletes. They could never touch a weight in their life and still be more athletic than 99.9999% of the general population.[/quote]

bull shit these guys may be gifted as a lot of others but i hate the way people leave out the drug factor. drugs to play an important role.

drugs eat sleep and train.