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2010 NFL Combine Tests

2010 NFL Combine Tests

The tests and drills at the 2010 NFL Combine were challenging and entertaining for watchers. They ran the gamut from a 40-yard dash to the 3-cone drill.

About 2010 NFL Combine Tests

40 Yard Dash
The 40 yard dash is a test of speed and explosion. The player starts from a three-point stance and runs 40 yards as fast as possible. The player is timed in 10, 20 and 40 yard increments, to gauge the player's explosion of the line and time to top speed. The 40-yard dash is one of the most popular drills at the combine as tenths of a second can greatly affect a player's future.
Yamon Figurs -- currently a member of the Baltimore Ravens -- ran the fastest 40-yard dash at the 2007 combine, recording a time a 4.3 seconds. Figurs parlayed a fast 40 into a first-day selection at the 2007 NFL Draft, being the 74th player taken overall in the third round.

Bench press (225lb repetitions)
The bench press is the second of the three power lifts. While the person lies on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight and the elbows locked (or close to this position). The Combine bench press, quite simply, is a test of strength in which players bench press 225 pounds as many times as possible.

Vertical jump
This test is most important to wide receivers and defensive backs. To measure vertical jump, a player stands flat-footed in front of pole with a multitude of plastic flags sticking out. The bottom of the pole is adjusted to the height of the player's fingertips when raised straight above his head. The player then jumps from a standing position, and tries to swat as many of the plastic flags as he can. The flags, staged every half inch on the pole, rotate and give the event judge a reading of the height the player jumped. A vertical jump of 40 inches or more is considered outstanding. Some athletes have even recorded vertical jumps over 50 inches, which is extremely rare.

The Broad jump
The broad jump is also done from a standing position, but this drill measures how far a player can jump. This drill is most important to positions that use lower body strength to gain an advantage (i.e. offensive and defensive linemen and running backs). The length of the jump is measured from the starting point to the back of the heel closest to the starting point upon landing. The jump must be repeated if the athlete falls back or takes a step at take-off.

20 yard shuttle
The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts. First they start in the middle of a 10 yard distance with one hand touching the ground. The athlete then pushes off their dominant leg in the opposite direction 5 yards. After covering this distance, as quickly as possible they reverse direction and go 10 yards the exact opposite way. Finally they reverse directions one last time ending the drill at the point where they started. Athletes are timed for this whole procedure. While not as highly regarded a test as the 40 yard dash, it is still an important barometer used by NFL personnel to compare players.

60-yard shuttle
The only difference between the 60-yard shuttle and the 20-yard shuttle is that instead of running five yards, 10 yards then five yards, the players run 10 yards to one side, then back 20 yards and then 10 yards to the starting point.

3 cone drill
Tests speed, agility and cutting ability. Three cones are set up in a triangle or L shape, with each cone 5 yards apart. The player starts in a 3-point stance at the first cone. The whistle blows and the player sprints 5 yards ahead to the first cone, reaches down and touches a white line and then sprints back to the starting cone. At the starting cone, he reaches down and touches a white line, then heads back to the second cone. This time, he runs around the outside of the second cone, and cuts right to the third cone. He runs a circle around the third cone from the inside to the outside, then runs around the second cone before returning to the first cone.

Position-specific drills
Maybe one of the best ways to test a player's ability to play a position is to run them at drills specifically designed for players of their position. Coaches and Scouts typically run the players through the drills, taking note as to their performance. These drills are typically overlooked for some of the sexier drills, like the 40 yard dash and bench press.

Interviews
Each NFL team is afforded the opportunity to interview up to 60 of the prospects in attendance. The interviews take place in the player hotel, and typically contain questions designed to test a player's character, mental toughness and football intelligence. Each team is allowed 60 interviews in 15-minute intervals.

Physical measurements
Each player in attendance will be measured for height, weight and arm and hand length. Offensive and defensive linemen, as well as running backs, are also measured for body fat percentage.

Drug screen
As with any prospective employees these days, each prospective player must pass a urine test, designed to identify any substances deemed illegal by the NFL including marijuana, cocaine and performance-enhancing drugs.

The Cybex test
The Cybex test starts with a player strapped to a machine that tests the player's joint movement and flexibility. While this test does not typically receive much attention, this test can be the difference between the first day and second day on draft weekend for a player with either a recent injury or a history of injuries.

Injury evaluation
In conjunction with the Cybex test, each prospect also must survive a myriad of medical tests, including X-rays and physicals, to ensure that the player's injuries have all healed.

The Wonderlic Test
The Wonderlic test is designed to test a players I.Q. The test is 50 questions long, and each player is only given 23 minutes to complete it. Though the test is very rarely completed, the Wonderlic is typically regarded as a good way to measure a player's intelligence. The score is calculated as the number of correct answers given in the allotted time. A score of 20 is intended to indicate average intelligence

Recent 2010 NFL Combine Tests Questions

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2010 NFL Combine Tests