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junker-town · 6 years ago

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The All-Time All-Combine Team: The greatest at each position

Here’s a team made up of the best performers in the history of the NFL Combine.

The NFL Combine, America’s most-watched indoor exercise convention, annually produces workout legends. Let’s stack those legends against each other.

These picks are based entirely on what happened at the combine, not on college careers, pro careers, NFL draft results, or anything else. Workout warriors only, with special consideration given throughout for those who moved fast while also being big.

Quarterback

Robert Griffin III, Baylor, 2012: The No. 3 40-yard dash since 2000 among QBs (4.41, behind Michael Vick and Texas A&M’s Reggie McNeal, both of whom were a little smaller than RG3), plus a vertical one inch shy of the QB record and a broad jump six inches shy.

Note: Arkansas’ Matt Jones would be the pick, based on his 4.4-second 40 and other impressive numbers at 6’6 in 2005, but he was projected as an H-back and ended up at WR.

Running backs

Chris Johnson, East Carolina, 2008: Held the overall official 40-yard dash record until 2017: 4.24 seconds.

Saquon Barkley, Penn State 2018: 4.4 is the second-fastest time ever posted by an RB 230 pounds or heavier. His 41-inch vert was nearly a record among all RBs, but cleared every other 230-pound RB ever by more than an inch. Yet his 29 bench reps rank No. 5 among all RBs 235 pounds or smaller. Georgia Southern’s Jerick McKinnon posted a similar workout in 2014.

Penn State RB Saquon Barkley at 2018 Combine: - Stronger than Joe Thomas - Quicker than DeSean Jackson - Faster than Devin Hester - Jumps higher than Julio Jones@PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/usgR6vJvOn

— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) March 2, 2018

Also: Bo Jackson, Auburn, 1986: Bo’s hand-timed 4.12 has been debated for decades. One detail in his favor: modern combine dashes aren’t entirely electronic, either.

The 40-yard sprints at the combine have had semi-electronic timing since 1999. It's not true electronic timing because while the clock is stopped electronically at the finish line, it's started by hand on the first movement by the runner. That's because the combine participants aren't reacting to a starter's gun. Instead, they begin running when they are ready.

The assumption has been that Jackson's 4.12 was a hand-timed 40. The International Association of Athletics Federations says to add 0.24 seconds to hand-timed races to convert to the probable electronic timing. So do we assign Jackson a 4.36-second time and declare Johnson the combine 40 champ? It's not that simple, because Johnson's 4.24 isn't a true electronic time either - the clock was started by hand.

Wide receivers

John Ross, Washington, 2017: Ross is football’s fastest runner since laser timing, with a 4.22. He somehow did it while hurting himself.

Chris Conley, Georgia, 2015: A bigger WR at 6’2, 213, Conley dropped a 4.35-second 40 and then tied the all-positions vert record (1.5 inches ahead of the next WR) and would’ve done the same in the broad, if not for UConn DB Byron Jones entering orbit. He’d been considered a late-rounder until this, then went to the Chiefs in the third.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland, 2009: At 6’2, 210 pounds, he’s the biggest player to ever officially crack 4.3.

Also: Julio Jones (with a broken foot!), Stephen Hill, Tavon Austin, Eastern Kentucky’s Rondel Menendez (the other guy who ran a semi-electronically timed 4.24, with an unofficial time of 4.19 in unapproved shoes), and tons of other WRs.

Note: Calvin Johnson didn’t actually run a 4.35 in somebody else’s shoes. Other way around. He did, however, run a 4.35 at 239 pounds in his only drill.

Tight end

Vernon Davis, Maryland, 2006: The easiest pick at any position, other than the 40 and bench record-holders. He ran a 4.38 at 254 pounds. Inhuman. That’s No. 1 among TEs and ranks No. 6 since 2006 in a group including all QBs, LBs, and safeties. He also remains top-four all-time among tight ends in the bench and both jump drills.

Offensive line

Mitch Petrus, Arkansas, 2010: Holds the bench record among offensive linemen since at least 2000: 45 reps. Not common behavior for former walk-on fullbacks.

Terron Armstead, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 2013: Add all of 2013’s tight ends and linebackers to that year’s offensive line class. In a group of athletes weighing between 223 and 339 pounds, Armstead ranked No. 9 in the bench, No. 10 in the vert, and No. 15 in the 40. He also holds the fastest OL 40 time ever: 4.71.

Lane Johnson, Oklahoma, 2013: Among OL since 2000, he’s No. 2 in the 40 (4.72 at 303 pounds), No. 2 in the broad jump, and top-10 in the three-cone and vert.

Bruce Campbell, Maryland, 2010: Ran a 4.85 at 6’6, 314 and benched 34 reps.

Lydon Murtha, Nebraska, 2009: No. 1 among all OL since 2006 in the three-cone by 0.15 seconds, or more than the distance between No. 2 and No. 15. Also ran in the 4.8s at 306 pounds and has a top-five ranking in both the vert and shuttle, with a respectable 25 bench reps.

Note: Tony Mandarich had a monstrous 1989 workout that included a 4.65-second 40, but that was at Michigan State’s pro day.

Defensive line

Justin Ernest, Eastern Kentucky, 1999: The combine’s all-time bench record: 51 reps.

Dontari Poe, Memphis, 2012: Known by most college fans as a space-clogger who didn’t make first-team All-Conference USA, Poe ran an official 4.98 at 346 pounds, hoisted 44 bench reps, and went on to become a Pro Bowler.

youtube

The physics catastrophe Poe’s unofficial time loosed on the universe:

Fun with Numbers: RGIII's 4.41 40 is proportionate to a 346-lb man running it in 6.84 secs. And Poe (at 346 lbs) just did it in 4.87 secs.

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) February 27, 2012

Myles Garrett, Texas A&M, 2017: At 274 pounds, he was only beat in the 40 (4.64) by three true linebackers in his class, let alone linemen. His size-speed combo compare well to the 2016 workout by Oklahoma 271-pounder Charles Tapper, but Garrett landed 10 more bench reps, seven more vert inches (No. 3 since 2006 among DL), and nine more broad inches (No. 4).

Margus Hunt, SMU, 2013: Tied for No. 12 among all players since 2006 on the bench with 38 reps, despite having to push iron higher than almost anybody else (he’s 6’8). Even sillier: he’s No. 13 among linemen with a 4.6-second 40, behind players who weighed as many as 37 pounds less.

Also! Mike Mamula, Boston College, 1995: Mamula’s numbers remain impressive on their own, but you can’t have an All-Combine Team without the guy who helped establish the combine as an event prospects should specifically train for:

"At the time, nobody knew what the hell Jerry was doing because everybody else was more focused on football drills," Mamula said. "But I went into the combine having done every test hundreds of times while some other guys had never done some of the specific drills."

That worked out well as Mamula, who was viewed as undersized and about a third-round pick before the combine, vaulted himself into a top-10 overall pick. His 40-yard time [4.58] was faster than some linebackers and he benched 225 pounds as many times [28] as some offensive linemen.

And he scored a 49 of 50 on the Wonderlic.

Also also! Aaron Donald, Jadeveon Clowney, J.J. Watt, and a ton of others. DL is one of the hardest groups to pick.

Linebackers

Jamie Collins, Southern Miss, 2013: As the second-biggest linebacker that year (250 pounds), he dropped a 4.64-second 40, set the LB broad jump record, and came within an inch of the LB vert record.

Vic Beasley, Clemson, 2015: Pulled off an absurd sweep, ranking top-five among his year’s position group in all six drills (Watt’s workout is considered epic for nearly doing this), with his bench total ranking No. 3 among all LBs ever. Von Miller also had a similar workout.

NFL.com

Shaquem Griffin, UCF, 2018: The fastest 40 by any linebacker ever (4.38), plus more bench press reps per arm than any linebacker ever, clearly the greatest Combine moment of all:

youtube

Defensive backs

Byron Jones, UConn, 2015: He didn’t just set a football record. As far as anyone knows, he pulled off the best standing broad jump in human history: 12’2.75. From NFL.com at the time:

Norwegian Arne Tvervaag is believed to have held the world record of 12-2 set on Nov. 11, 1968. The standing long jump hasn't been an Olympic event since 1912, so records are spotty. American Ray Ewry, who won gold medals in the event in the 1900, 1904, and 1908 Olympic Games, had held the world record (11-4 1/2, 1904) before Tvervaag established a new mark in '68.

youtube

Gerald Sensabaugh, North Carolina, 2005: His combine-record 46-inch vert can only be topped by Harlem Globetrotters and international myths.

Taylor Mays, USC, 2010: At 6’3, 230 pounds, he ran the 11th-best 40 since 2006 among all linebackers and safeties (since he’s always played a little of both), beat only by guys who weighed 10 to 30 pounds less. He’s also No. 4 among those safeties in the vert and No. 11 in the bench.

Deion Sanders, Florida State, 1989: His workout was so legendary, people will believe anything about it to this day. The real story, via Sports Illustrated:

There was talk pre-combine that Sanders wouldn’t run the 40 at all; he later said he would take his medicals, run his 40, and go home.

‘Deion gets up to the line and runs his first 40 and everyone has him at 4.3. We figured he was done. He gets up and runs another one, and he runs even faster,’ said [Panthers GM Dave] Gettleman, then a scout for the Bills. ‘Some people had him at 4.25 [officially a 4.27]. And the funniest damn thing about it was he finishes the 40, continues to run, waves to everybody, goes right through the tunnel and we don’t see him again. We all got up and gave him a standing ovation because so many of those guys wouldn’t run.’

Special teams

Most punters, kickers, and long snappers don’t do a bunch of drills. A few do. A few post eye-catching numbers. And one probably could’ve played just about any position outside the trenches.

Pat O’Donnell, Miami, 2014: Oh, just a punter running a 4.64 (faster than Heisman scrambler Johnny Manziel that year) and benching 23 reps (two more than 255-pound No. 1 pick Clowney did). His broad jump was 120 inches, the same as Watt, DeSean Jackson, and Asante Samuel in their years. All at 6’4, 220!

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overwatchochelp · 7 years ago

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Appearance:

Overwatch OC Review: Lara Borgnino, “Lara”

Sent in by @ominousbears! Thank you for your patience! Review under read more.

Full name: Lara Borgnino

Name explanation: N/A

Callsign: Lara

Age: 34

Sex: Female

Sexuality, romance: Bisexual/romantic

Nationality: Italian

Ethnicity: White

Language/s: Italian, English

Base of operations: Naples, Italy

Occupation: Student (plant science) (formerly), rogue gardener

Rogue gardener! That gives me a kick. Lara seems to be doing more than just gardening though. The term might imply Lara’s involvement with a gardening group, which does not seem the case. Something like “Environmental supporter” or even “Eco-warrior” might fit the bill better in this case.

ec·o-war·ri·or

ˈēkōˌwôrēər

noun: ecowarrior

a person actively involved in preventing damage to the environment.

Actually, eco-warrior would closely resemble Lara’s line of work, even though it sounds incredibly cheesy.

Affiliations: N/A

GAME WISE

Health: 200

Armor: 0

Shields: 0

Role: Defense

Weapons: >Plasma Pistol (working title): Small gold handgun gifted to her nearly a decade ago, decorated with a flowery decal on its side. Ammo: 25 Rate of fire: 4 rounds per sec Damage: 45 per round Falloff range: 17 to 35 meters Reload time: 1.2 seconds

>Chronal Blaster: Very large Megaman-type blaster that spans the entire length of her left arm, triggered by a handle mechanism on the interior. Possesses two modes: one to enable the Flytrap, Natural Barrier and Dead Heading abilities, and another to enable the secondary fire, Crown of Thorns. Note: The blaster also possesses a quality titled Overheat. Overuse of any abilities will contribute to this gauge. Crown of Thorns: 0.75% per round Flytrap: 25% Natural Barrier: 40% Dead Heading: 90%

It’s... certainly an interesting mechanic. I’ll presume Overheat at 100% causes malfunctions, which keeps the blaster from being used for a while. Is this factor supposed to encourage the player to use their secondary more? Clever play! It really forces players to be considerate of their abilities and the situation. People can be wasteful of their opportunities if left without a limit.

Now, what constitutes “Overuse”? How do you say an ability is overused? And how would Overheat be remedied? Is there any way to reduce the accumulated amount? And how is 100% fixed?

Secondary fire: >Crown of Thorns: Utilizing her blaster’s second mode, Lara channels a volley of piercing thorns toward her target. Inflicts slight bleeding damage rather than standard damage. Should be used in moderation. Ammo: Infinite Rate of fire: 18 rounds per sec Damage: 3-8 per round; each round deals its damage over 0.6 seconds Falloff range: 9-19 meters Reload time: N/A Overheat: +0.75% per round

If it’s 18 rounds/sec, and 0.75% Overheat per round, that’s around 13.5% in one second. It costs 81% Overheat to secondary fire for 6 seconds!! That’s quite a lot of damage to do, even at a minimum of 300 something, if you land them all straight. It’s a very strict trade-off though.

Melee: Lara swiftly pistol-whips her target.

Abilities: >Flytrap (left shift): Lara drops a medium-sized Venus flytrap on the ground. Enemies that wander near it will be trapped momentarily and injured in short bursts every second for 3 seconds. The flytrap itself shrinks into the ground after use, removing it from the field. Damage: 20 per second for 3 seconds Range: 1.5 meters Duration: 0.75 second stun, 3 second root Cooldown: 8 seconds Overheat: +25%

Dangerous! Like Junkrat’s Steel Trap, but improved considerably with a DoT twist. It should probably have a longer cooldown or a higher Overheat cost if it comes with these improvements.

>Natural Barrier (e): Lara throws a medium handful seeds from her pouches onto the ground and uses her blaster’s primary mode to speed up growth, creating a wall of plant matter between her and her enemies. Health: 1750; at 65%, 45% and 20% health, openings are created within the wall, allowing passage through Range: 25 meters Dimensions: 4x10 meters Duration: 5 seconds Cooldown: 15 seconds Overheat: +40%

This is very cool. Is the blaster primary fire an automatic thing or manually controlled by the player? If it’s the latter it could make for a very interesting trap-like construct. The added function of creating openings at lower amounts of health is unique. It adds a new level of strategy into the play. I can already see the Torbjorn/Bastion/Lara matchups.

Ultimate: >Dead Heading (q) - Lara hurls down a large handful of explosive seeds and accelerates their growth at a remarkable speed. Upon explosion, the seeds create a cloud of spores that hinders sight and hearing for a limited time. Recommended for large groups of enemies. Range: 12 meters radius Duration: 4.5 seconds Effects: Enemy sight and hearing while inside the cloud and for 1.5 seconds after exiting/clearing, teammates clearly see enemy outlines while inside Overheat: +90% Voice line (self and enemy): Ora mi vedi… (“Now you see me…”) Voice line (friendly): Hold your breath, everyone!

So, a smoke grenade. The hearing effect is cool though. It must be very disorienting when things suddenly numb down. It might even hide the sound of a charging Reinhardt or a McCree ult.

Signature quote: Who brought the gardener to a gunfight?

Skins:

Pansy, Honeybee, Il Fiore 👌 👌 👌

LORE WISE

Bio(short): Ever the green thumb, Lara has worked for years to revitalize the Earth for the good of everyone on it. With the dissolvement of Overwatch fresh in her mind, Lara knew she needed to act now more than ever. She enlisted the help of a dear friend, an engineering major, to craft an experimental device adopted from the same technology used by the scientist Winston to stabilize Tracer. With the newly invented Chronal Blaster, made to accelerate the natural growth of plant life, Lara set out to restore the forests of the world. Her travels took her across continents and through over a hundred countries. She spent three years crossing land and sea, spending months at a time camping out in remote cabins, to save the land around her. Such actions gradually drew a generous amount of attention her way. Soon, though, Lara found that not all attention was welcome. Talon, the global terrorist organization, coveted the priceless equipment she possessed and began a year-long chase to take it from her. Desperate and hopeless, Lara fled to Watchpoint: Gibraltar, where she had heard rumors of activity. There she encountered Winston himself, with whom she entrusted the blaster while she went into hiding. Lara slowly made her way to the southwestern US, where she laid low under the alias Eva Salvail until Talon’s gaze moved elsewhere. Three years into American life, Lara received a transmission calling her back to Gibraltar. Upon her arrival, she was presented with an entirely revamped chronal blaster, made more efficient in every way. It was also made clear that the newly reformed Overwatch wished to have her amongst its ranks, and well, Lara could never turn down a chance to do good.

A little long for an Overwatch short bio. Brevity is a powerful quality! Try to find some details that fail to contribute to the general story, then snip them out.

Bio(full): >Childhood: Lara Borgnino was born to her parents Elisa and Marco Borgnino in Naples, Italy. She grew up around many of her parents’ interests from when they were kids, like DC comics and Pokemon, and took a lot of inspiration from DC villain Poison Ivy. As a child, Lara found a certain comfort in gardening with her parents, and would help them wherever possible. When she came of age, she attended a small school in Naples, and encouragement from her parents helped her excel in many places. After graduating, Lara’s outstanding performances landed her a spot in one of the best universities in Italy: Sapienza University of Rome. >Early Adulthood: Having found a place in university life, Lara studied plant science. She hated that the Earth was deteriorating so quickly, withering under the intense pressure humanity had put on the environment. Her research focused on altering the genetic code so that they grow faster and stronger, able to restore whole forests in weeks. A few years later, Lara began to speak to several global organizations about using her research to restore the Earth’s environment. Unfortunately, while some did accept, many were slow to take action; this research needed more work, needed to be refined. It was during this time that Overwatch fell into pieces, crumbling with the explosion of its headquarters. Nerves steeled, Lara became determined to see a better world. She successfully located blueprints for Overwatch Agent Tracer’s chronal accelerator and handed them over to a close friend majoring in robotics and engineering to adapt into a proper tool. The final result was exactly what Lara needed: a large blaster capable of speeding up its target’s personal time, usable only on plant matter. Irrationally, even if for a noble cause, Lara abandoned her studies, left Italy, and set out to restore the Earth herself. >On Her Own: For a long time, Lara moved from country to country, planting and growing whole forests overnight. She was the subject of a lot of conversation, receiving praises from all sides; one person, doing all this! But this soon came to an end, when Talon began efforts to track her down. It was obvious that they were after her chronal technology, wanting to use it as a weapon. Lara panicked and fled across several countries for almost a year, trying to be careful and leave as small of a trail as she could. Foolishly, she kept trying to restore the land as she went, which only brought Talon’s forces closer and closer. Lara only lost them when she abandoned her cause entirely. She travelled to Watchpoint: Gibraltar, drawn by signs of recent activity, and met Winston there. Lara decided then that her chronal equipment would be better left with him, and then left to live in the United States until Talon lost interest, cutting all contact with former friends and family. Taking the alias Eva Salvail, the name of her mother’s grandmother, Lara stayed in the US for a few years. But Lara had always been impatient, and was very seriously considering coming out of hiding when she received a call to action for Overwatch members. >With Overwatch: Winston’s recall brought back many old members, but some new faces as well. Lara’s response was immediate, and she decided to visit Winston at Watchpoint: Gibraltar as soon as possible. It would be good to reconnect with old friends, but (almost) more importantly, her equipment was there. Lara was shocked to find that Winston had taken the liberty of inputting her information into the Overwatch database, allowing her to be contacted were the recall to be activated. Shocked but honored, she also found that her equipment had been greatly improved, making the blaster’s primary mode much more efficient but also having added a secondary mode for attacks. Lara took it back gratefully, and took a permanent stand alongside the growing ranks of Overwatch.

Well written backstory! Actions are accompanied with consequences, and the Overwatch world is ingrained into your character and vice versa. The focus is entirely on her and what she does, and her surroundings react accordingly. Her relationship with Winston is important and still remains a sidenote in her life story.

Personality: Lara would love to come off as someone who commands deep respect in others, but is really more of a concerned parent… who’s new to parenting. (“Oh dear, do you need healing? Get behind the wall for a second, we can (hopefully) call Mercy over. …I’m sorry, I’m just defense.“) Generally, though, Lara is passionate and dependable, but can be brutally realistic. She just wants the best for her friends and for her team, and sometimes that means telling it to them straight. Unfortunately, she also has a temper and a tendency to hold grudges, which sometimes leads to conflict.

When someone puts themselves forward for something or someone else, it brings out positive and negative qualities. Lara exceptionally demonstrates this.

Relationships: Naturally, Lara holds all of the original Overwatch members in high esteem, especially Winston, since he was the one to initiate the recall and reengineer the blaster. Of the newer members, she particularly enjoys the company of Lucio (what a cheerful man!), Symmetra (lovely to speak with, if a bit prickly), and Hanzo (a little terse, but man he’s kinda cute).

Someone down for one-tit man? ;) How does she fit with the older OW members? What does she think of them, and them of her?

Strengths: Lara has an uncanny ability to devote her full attention to something in a second, which gives her lightning-fast reflexes. She can also read emotion on others’ faces well, and is pretty strong and extremely flexible, which is usually helpful in a fight.

Lara strikes me as an intelligent and insightful individual so her ability to bring out her swift reflexes kind of struck me out. Where did that come from? Reflexes are a product of experience and training. She might have good reflexes, but perhaps not ‘lightning-fast’.

Seeing as she can devote her full attention to anything for a brief period, she could pick apart her targets and devise strategies to deal with them. Insight and planning require information gathering, and her attention can come in handy in a pinch.

Weaknesses: Lara isn’t the best at communicating to others what she wants or needs, and will therefore go days without things that could even be crucial to her health (including things such as forgoing healing during a fight for the sake of another, which usually ultimately results in her dying more). Additionally, she’s quick to judge and even quicker to accuse. It’s something she needs to work on. She’s also impatient to a fault.

Perhaps that Chronal Blaster is messing with her head. Jk.

Likes: It’s not at all uncommon to see Lara with her nose buried in some old mythology book or laying on a roof somewhere, relaxing. ("Is she asleep? Should we say something? How did she even get up there??”) She also just really likes listening to people talk about whatever; it’s nice to hear about someone’s day or what they’re into, and even sits enraptured by Rein’s old tales. And surprisingly, Lara really likes board games that go on for a long time, the ones you get really fake-invested in. (“Hey, so this is my wife Teresa, and our son Matthias. We just bought a nice little two-story seaside house, it’s really nice this time of year.” “…Lara, it’s a game of LIFE.” “Man, I’m just trying to have a good time, you don’t see me trying to ruin YOUR fun. :/”)

My kind of gal. Considering her propensity to judge, her hearing about someone’s details could be, uh, a personal problem.

Dislikes: Lara cannot stand hearing people chew or being interrupted. She also hates it when people look over her shoulder at what she’s doing without her persmission. More than anything, though, she just does not get why people have to put up a front ALL the time (“We get it, you have a shtick, but like… are you actually like this all the time??”).

Hobbies: Lara enjoys collecting gemstones, reading any old DC comics she can get her hands on, and, of course, tending to a little garden she’s set up at the watchpoint. If you’re lucky, you might also catch her experimenting with some new coffee flavors she’s cooked up (they don’t usually taste all that good, you’re better off sticking to the original).

Extra: N/A, however thanks much for the review! It’s been a while since I’ve really done anything with this ol girl, so it’ll be nice to have a new perspective on her! Happy reviewing!

Well thank you! These reviews can take up at least an hour, so you know why reviews come in terribly, terribly, late. I also have a habit of doing them in one sitting.

That might be the problem.

Verdict:

Lara Borgnino is an exceptionally well made character.

Her design is very well thought out. It focuses less on looking good and more on being detailed and informative. Every design choice contributes positively to the overall characterization. I see a very vibrant outfit with pouches all over to store her precious seeds, which is a very big plus. However, for me, it’s lacking some Overwatch. The Chronal Blaster is the only piece of serious tech, not counting the plasma gun. Surely that can’t be the last of her tech? I suggest something like an energy pack on her back to power the blaster and store the Overheat, with supplementary repair kit.

The skins are also well designed and follow suit to the game’s style of skins.

Gameplay wise, I see very little fault. Again, well thought out, although the abilities take obvious inspiration from the characters in game. Not a bad thing, but there should always be enough physical tweaks so as to set it apart from its similar partner. The Natural Barrier is a good example, the Fly Trap, not so much.

Personality and characterization- flawless. Lara is a genuinely like-able character. Not just because she has positive qualities, but because she’s balanced enough. The best characters feel real, and that means they have negative qualities too, even despite being a good person at heart. Lara demonstrates this well.

I cannot really conclude any other way like my first statement. Yes, I enjoyed reviewing this one!

#overwatch oc #oc review #ominousbears #lara borgnino #OC development #mod Jäger #submission

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junker-town · 7 years ago

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The NFL's Combine’s all-time team

A celebration of the greatest workout warriors football has ever seen.

The NFL combine, America’s most-watched indoor exercise convention, annually produces tales of workout legends. It’s also the closest thing to football we get for months.

So let’s squad up.

These picks are based entirely on what happened at the Combine, not on college careers, pro careers, NFL draft results, or anything else. Workout warriors only, with special consideration given throughout for those who moved fast while also being big.

Quarterback

Robert Griffin III, Baylor, 2012: The No. 2 40-yard dash since 2006 among QBs (4.41, behind Texas A&M’s Reggie McNeal at 4.35), plus a vertical one inch shy of the QB record (Division II Joshua Portis in 2011). He aced his interview sessions, and not a word was ever said about his personality after that! Let’s move along.

Note: Arkansas’ Matt Jones would be the pick, based on his 4.4 40 and other impressive numbers at 6’6 in 2005, but he was projected as an H-back and ended up at WR.

Running backs

Chris Johnson, East Carolina, 2008: Held the official 40-yard dash record until 2017, at 4.24 seconds.

Bo Jackson, Auburn, 1986: Bo’s hand-timed 4.12 in the 40 has been debated for decades. One detail in his favor: modern Combine dashes aren’t entirely electronic, either.

Also! Jerick McKinnon, Georgia Southern, 2014: Plenty of RBs have had amazing all-arounds, but McKinnon’s hilarious bench number sets him apart. Among RBs since 2006, the 5’9, 209-pound former QB ranks No. 2 in 225-pound bench reps with 32 (ahead of plenty of linemen), No. 5 in the broad jump, and No. 11 in the vert, plus top-20ish (NFL.com’s results tracker is iffy) in the 40, three-cone, and 20-yard shuttle.

Wide receivers

John Ross, Washington, 2017: Ross is the fastest 40-yard dash runner since laser timing got involved, with a 4.22. He somehow did it while hurting himself.

Chris Conley, Georgia, 2015: A bigger WR at 6’2, 213, Conley dropped a 4.35 40 and then tied the all-positions vert record (1.5 inches ahead of the next WR) and would’ve done the same in the broad, if not for UConn DB Byron Jones entering orbit. He’d been considered a late-rounder until this, then went to the Chiefs in the third.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland, 2009: At 6’2, 210 pounds, he’s the biggest player to ever officially crack 4.3.

Note: Calvin Johnson didn’t actually run a 4.35 in somebody else’s shoes. Other way around. He did, however, run a 4.35 at 239 pounds in his only drill.

Tight end

Offensive line

Mitch Petrus, Arkansas, 2010: Holds the Combine bench record among offensive linemen since at least 2000: 45 reps. Not common behavior for former walk-on fullbacks.

Lane Johnson, Oklahoma, 2013: Among OL since 2006, he’s No. 2 in the 40 (4.72 at 303 pounds), No. 1 in the broad jump, and top-10 in the three-cone and vert.

Bruce Campbell, Maryland, 2010: Ran a 4.85 at 6’6, 314 and benched 34 reps.

Lydon Murtha, Nebraska, 2009: No. 1 among all OL since 2006 in the three-cone by .15 seconds, or more than the distance between No. 2 and No. 15. Also ran in the 4.8s at 306 pounds and has a top-five ranking in both the vert and shuttle, with a respectable 25 bench reps.

Note: Tony Mandarich had a monstrous 1989 workout that included a 4.65 40, but that was at Michigan State’s pro day.

Defensive line

Justin Ernest, Eastern Kentucky, 1999: The Combine’s all-time bench record: 51 reps.

youtube

The physics catastrophe Poe’s unofficial time loosed on the universe:

Fun with Numbers: RGIII's 4.41 40 is proportionate to a 346-lb man running it in 6.84 secs. And Poe (at 346 lbs) just did it in 4.87 secs.

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) February 27, 2012

Myles Garrett, Texas A&M, 2017: At 274 pounds, he was only beat in the 40 (4.64) by three true linebackers in his class, let alone linemen. His size-speed combo compare well to the impressive 2016 workout by Oklahoma 271-pounder Charles Tapper, but Garrett landed 10 more bench reps, seven more vert inches (No. 3 since 2006 among DL), and nine more broad inches (No. 4).

Margus Hunt, SMU, 2013: Tied for No. 12 among all players since 2006 on the bench with 38 reps, despite having to push iron higher than almost anybody else (he’s 6’8). Even sillier: he’s No. 13 among linemen with a 4.6 40, behind players who weighed as many as 37 pounds less.

Also! Mike Mamula, Boston College, 1995: Mamula’s numbers remain impressive on their own, but you can’t have an All-Combine Team without the guy who helped establish the Combine as an event prospects should specifically train for:

And he scored a 49 of 50 on the Wonderlic.

Also also! Aaron Donald, Jadeveon Clowney, J.J. Watt, and a ton of others. DL is one of the hardest groups to pick.

Linebackers

Jamie Collins, Southern Miss, 2013: As the second-biggest linebacker that year (250 pounds), he dropped a 4.64 40, set the LB broad jump record, and came within an inch of the LB vert record.

Vic Beasley, Clemson, 2015: Pulled off an absurd sweep, ranking top-five among his year’s position group in the six most popular drills (Watt’s workout is considered epic for nearly doing this), with his bench total ranking No. 3 among all LBs ever.

NFL.com

Von Miller, Texas A&M, 2011: Similar numbers to Beasley across the board, plus top-10 numbers among all LBs since 2006 in all three agility drills, including No. 2 in the 60-yard shuttle.

Defensive backs

Byron Jones, UConn, 2015: He didn’t just set a football record. As far as anyone knows, he pulled off the best standing broad jump in human history: 12’2.75. NFL.com at the time:

Norwegian Arne Tvervaag is believed to have held the world record of 12-2 set on Nov. 11, 1968. The standing long jump hasn't been an Olympic event since 1912, so records are spotty. American Ray Ewry, who won gold medals in the event in the 1900, 1904 and 1908 Olympic Games, had held the world record (11-4 1/2, 1904) before Tvervaag established a new mark in '68.

youtube

Gerald Sensabaugh, North Carolina, 2005: His Combine-record 46-inch vertical was so high, it can only be topped by Harlem Globetrotters and international myths.

Deion Sanders, Florida State, 1989: Sports Illustrated:

There was talk pre-combine that Sanders wouldn’t run the 40 at all; he later said he would take his medicals, run his 40 and go home.

Special teams

Pat O’Donnell, Miami, 2014: Oh, just a punter running a 4.64, faster than Johnny Manziel’s 4.68 that year, and benching 23 reps, two more than Clowney did.

0 notes

junker-town · 7 years ago

Text

The NFL's Combine’s all-time team

A celebration of the greatest workout warriors football has ever seen.

The NFL combine, America’s most-watched indoor exercise convention, annually produces tales of workout legends. It’s also the closest thing to football we get for months.

So let’s squad up.

Quarterback

Note: Arkansas’ Matt Jones would be the pick, based on his 4.4 40 and other impressive numbers at 6’6 in 2005, but he was projected as an H-back and ended up at WR.

Running backs

Chris Johnson, East Carolina, 2008: Held the official 40-yard dash record until 2017, at 4.24 seconds.

Bo Jackson, Auburn, 1986: Bo’s hand-timed 4.12 in the 40 has been debated for decades. One detail in his favor: modern Combine dashes aren’t entirely electronic, either.

Wide receivers

John Ross, Washington, 2017: Ross is the fastest 40-yard dash runner since laser timing got involved, with a 4.22. He somehow did it while hurting himself.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland, 2009: At 6’2, 210 pounds, he’s the biggest player to ever officially crack 4.3.

Also: Julio Jones, Stephen Hill, Tavon Austin, Eastern Kentucky’s Rondel Menendez (the other guy who ran a semi-electronically timed 4.24, with an unofficial time of 4.19 in unapproved shoes), and tons of other WRs.

Note: Calvin Johnson didn’t actually run a 4.35 in somebody else’s shoes. Other way around. He did, however, run a 4.35 at 239 pounds in his only drill.

Tight end

Offensive line

Mitch Petrus, Arkansas, 2010: Holds the Combine bench record among offensive linemen since at least 2000: 45 reps. Not common behavior for former walk-on fullbacks.

Lane Johnson, Oklahoma, 2013: Among OL since 2006, he’s No. 2 in the 40 (4.72 at 303 pounds), No. 1 in the broad jump, and top-10 in the three-cone and vert.

Bruce Campbell, Maryland, 2010: Ran a 4.85 at 6’6, 314 and benched 34 reps.

Note: Tony Mandarich had a monstrous 1989 workout that included a 4.65 40, but that was at Michigan State’s pro day.

Defensive line

Justin Ernest, Eastern Kentucky, 1999: The Combine’s all-time bench record: 51 reps.

youtube

The physics catastrophe Poe’s unofficial time loosed on the universe:

Fun with Numbers: RGIII's 4.41 40 is proportionate to a 346-lb man running it in 6.84 secs. And Poe (at 346 lbs) just did it in 4.87 secs.

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) February 27, 2012

Margus Hunt, SMU, 2013: Tied for No. 12 among all players since 2006 on the bench with 38 reps, despite having to push iron higher than almost anybody else (he’s 6’8). Even sillier: he’s No. 13 among linemen with a 4.6 40, behind players who weighed as many as 37 pounds less.

And he scored a 49 of 50 on the Wonderlic.

Also also! Aaron Donald, Jadeveon Clowney, J.J. Watt, and a ton of others. DL is one of the hardest groups to pick.

Linebackers

Jamie Collins, Southern Miss, 2013: As the second-biggest linebacker that year (250 pounds), he dropped a 4.64 40, set the LB broad jump record, and came within an inch of the LB vert record.

NFL.com

Von Miller, Texas A&M, 2011: Similar numbers to Beasley across the board, plus top-10 numbers among all LBs since 2006 in all three agility drills, including No. 2 in the 60-yard shuttle.

Defensive backs

Byron Jones, UConn, 2015: He didn’t just set a football record. As far as anyone knows, he pulled off the best standing broad jump in human history: 12’2.75. NFL.com at the time:

Norwegian Arne Tvervaag is believed to have held the world record of 12-2 set on Nov. 11, 1968. The standing long jump hasn't been an Olympic event since 1912, so records are spotty. American Ray Ewry, who won gold medals in the event in the 1900, 1904 and 1908 Olympic Games, had held the world record (11-4 1/2, 1904) before Tvervaag established a new mark in '68.

youtube

Gerald Sensabaugh, North Carolina, 2005: His Combine-record 46-inch vertical was so high, it can only be topped by Harlem Globetrotters and international myths.

Deion Sanders, Florida State, 1989: Sports Illustrated:

There was talk pre-combine that Sanders wouldn’t run the 40 at all; he later said he would take his medicals, run his 40 and go home.

Special teams

Pat O’Donnell, Miami, 2014: Oh, just a punter running a 4.64, faster than Johnny Manziel’s 4.68 that year, and benching 23 reps, two more than Clowney did.

0 notes

junker-town · 8 years ago

Text

The NFL's Combine’s greatest performers ever, by position

A celebration of the greatest workout warriors the NFL has ever seen.

The NFL combine, America’s greatest indoor exercise convention, annually produces tales of all-time workout legends. It’s also the closest thing to football we get for months. So let’s squad up.

Quarterback

Robert Griffin III, Baylor, 2012: The No. 2 40-yard dash since 2006 among QBs (4.41, behind Texas A&M’s Reggie McNeal at 4.35), plus a vertical jump one inch shy of the QB record (Division II Joshua Portis in 2011). Here’s the fun part: he aced his interview sessions, and not a word was ever said about his off-field personality after that! Let’s move along.

Note: Arkansas’ Matt Jones would be the pick, based on his 4.4 40 and other impressive numbers at 6’6 in 2005, but he was being projected as an H-back and ended up at WR.

Running backs

Chris Johnson, East Carolina, 2008: Held the official 40-yard dash record until this year, at 4.24 seconds.

Bo Jackson, Auburn, 1986: Bo’s hand-timed 4.12 in the 40 has been debated for decades now. One detail that’s sort of in his favor: modern Combine dashes aren’t entirely electronic, either.

Also! Jerick McKinnon, Georgia Southern, 2014: Plenty of RBs have had amazing all-arounds, but McKinnon’s hilarious bench press number sets him apart. Among RBs since 2006, the 5’9, 209-pound former QB ranks No. 2 in 225-pound bench reps with 32 (ahead of plenty of linemen), No. 5 in the broad jump, and No. 11 in the vert, plus top-20ish (NFL.com’s results tracker is iffy) in the 40, three-cone, and 20-yard shuttle.

Wide receivers

John Ross, Washington, 2017: Ross is now the fastest 40-yard dash runner in this event’s history, eclipsing Johnson with a 4.22 mark. He somehow did it while hurting himself. That’ll do.

Chris Conley, Georgia, 2015: A bigger WR at 6’2, 213, Conley dropped a 4.35 40 and then tied the all-positions vert record (1.5 inches ahead of the next WR) and would’ve done the same in the broad, if not for UConn DB Byron Jones entering orbit (Conley’s three inches ahead of the next WR here). He’d been considered a late-rounder and went to the Chiefs in the third.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland, 2009: At 6’2, 210 pounds, he’s the biggest football player to ever officially crack 4.3.

Note: Calvin Johnson didn’t actually run a 4.35 in somebody else’s shoes. Other way around. He did, however, run a 4.35 at 239 pounds in his only drill.

Tight end

Vernon Davis, Maryland, 2006: The easiest pick at any position, other than the 40 and bench record-holders. He ran a 4.38 at 254 pounds. Inhuman. That’s No. 1 all-time among TEs and also ranks No. 6 since 2006 in a group including all QBs, LBs, and safeties. He also remains top-four all-time among tight ends in the bench and both jump drills.

Offensive line

Mitch Petrus, Arkansas, 2010: Holds the Combine bench record among offensive linemen since at least 2000: 45 reps. Not common behavior for former walk-on fullbacks.

Terron Armstead, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 2013: Add all of 2013’s tight ends and linebackers to that year’s offensive line class. In a group of athletes weighing between 223 pounds and 339 pounds, Armstead ranked No. 9 in the bench, No. 10 in the vert, and No. 15 in the 40. He holds the fastest OL 40 time ever: 4.71.

Lane Johnson, Oklahoma, 2013: Among OL since 2006, he’s No. 2 in the 40 (4.72 at 303 pounds), No. 1 in the broad jump, and top-10 in the three-cone and vert.

Bruce Campbell, Maryland, 2010: Ran a 4.85 at 6’6, 314 and benched 34 reps. That’ll work.

Note: Tony Mandarich had a monstrous 1989 workout that included a 4.65 40, but that was at Michigan State’s pro day.

Defensive line

Justin Ernest, Eastern Kentucky, 1999: The Combine’s all-time bench record: 51 reps. Next.

Dontari Poe, Memphis, 2012: Known by most college fans as a space-clogger who didn’t make first-team All-Conference USA, Poe ran an official 4.98 at 346 pounds, with 44 bench reps. He was thereafter known as the guy who ran a 4.98 at 346 pounds, with 44 bench reps. He’s been a two-time Pro Bowler for the Chiefs.

youtube

One of his unofficial times demonstrates the physics catastrophe Poe had just loosed on the universe:

Fun with Numbers: RGIII's 4.41 40 is proportionate to a 346-lb man running it in 6.84 secs. And Poe (at 346 lbs) just did it in 4.87 secs.

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) February 27, 2012

Margus Hunt, SMU, 2013: Tied for No. 12 among all players since 2006 on the bench with 38 reps, despite having to push iron higher than almost anybody else (he’s 6’8). Even sillier: he’s also No. 13 among linemen with a 4.6 40, behind players who weighed anywhere between six and 37 pounds less.

And he scored a 49 of 50 on the Wonderlic.

Also also! Aaron Donald, Jadeveon Clowney, J.J. Watt, and a ton of others. DL is one of the hardest groups to pick from.

Linebackers

Jamie Collins, Southern Miss, 2013: As the second-biggest linebacker in the building that year (250 pounds), he nevertheless dropped a 4.64 40, holds the LB broad jump record since at least 2006, and came within an inch of the LB vert record.

NFL.com

Von Miller, Texas A&M, 2011: Similar numbers to Beasley across the board, plus top-10 numbers among all LBs since 2006 in all three agility drills, including No. 2 in the 60-yard shuttle.

Defensive backs

Byron Jones, UConn, 2015

He didn’t just set a football record. As far as anyone knows, he pulled off the best standing broad jump in human history: 12’2.75. NFL.com at the time:

Norwegian Arne Tvervaag is believed to have held the world record of 12-2 set on Nov. 11, 1968. The standing long jump hasn't been an Olympic event since 1912, so records are spotty. American Ray Ewry, who won gold medals in the event in the 1900, 1904 and 1908 Olympic Games, had held the world record (11-4 1/2, 1904) before Tvervaag established a new mark in '68.

youtube

Gerald Sensabaugh, North Carolina, 2005: His Combine-record 46-inch vertical was so high, it can only be topped by Harlem Globetrotters and international legends of varying veracity.

Deion Sanders, Florida State, 1989: Sports Illustrated:

There was talk pre-combine that Sanders wouldn’t run the 40 at all; he later said he would take his medicals, run his 40 and go home.

Special teams

Pat O’Donnell, Miami, 2014: Oh, just a punter running a 4.64, faster than Johnny Manziel’s 4.68 that year, and benching 23 reps, two more than Clowney did.

0 notes

junker-town · 8 years ago

Text

NFL's greatest Combine performers ever, by position

A celebration the greatest workout warriors the NFL has ever seen.

The NFL Combine, America’s greatest indoor exercise convention, annually produces tales of all-time workout legend. It’s also the closest thing to football we get for months. So let’s squad up.

These picks are based entirely on what happened at the Combine, not on college careers, pro careers, NFL Draft results, or anything else. Workout warriors only, with special consideration given throughout for those who moved fast while also being big.

Quarterback

Note: Arkansas’ Matt Jones would be the pick, based on his 4.4 40 and other impressive numbers at 6’6 in 2005, but he was being projected as an H-back and ended up at WR.

Running backs

Chris Johnson, East Carolina, 2008: Shares the official all-positions record in the Combine’s most-watched event: a 4.24 40. Next.

Bo Jackson, Auburn, 1986: Bo’s hand-timed 4.12 in the 40 has been debated for decades now. One detail that’s sort of in his favor: modern Combine dashes aren’t entirely electronic, either.

Wide receivers

Rondel Menendez, Eastern Kentucky, 1999: The other guy who ran a semi-electronically timed 4.24, with an unofficial time of 4.19 in unapproved shoes.

Chris Conley, Georgia, 2015: A bigger WR at 6’2, 213, Conley dropped a 4.35 40 and then tied the all-positions vert record (1.5 inches ahead of the next WR) and would’ve done the same in the broad, if not for UConn DB Byron Jones entering orbit (Conley’s three inches ahead of the next WR here). He’d been considered a late-rounder and went to the Chiefs in the third.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland, 2009: At 6’2, 210 pounds, he’s the biggest football player to ever officially crack 4.3.

Also: Julio Jones, Stephen Hill, Tavon Austin, and tons of other WRs.

Note: Georgia Tech’s Calvin Johnson didn’t actually run a 4.35 in somebody else’s shoes. Other way around. He did, however, run a 4.35 at 239 pounds in his only drill.

Tight end

Offensive line

Mitch Petrus, Arkansas, 2010: Holds the Combine bench record among offensive linemen since at least 2000: 45 reps. Not common behavior for former walk-on fullbacks.

Lane Johnson, Oklahoma, 2013: Among OL since 2006, he’s No. 2 in the 40 (4.72 at 303 pounds), No. 1 in the broad jump, and top-10 in the three-cone and vert.

Bruce Campbell, Maryland, 2010: Ran a 4.85 at 6’6, 314 and benched 34 reps. That’ll work.

Note: Tony Mandarich had a monstrous 1989 workout that included a 4.65 40, but that was at Michigan State’s pro day.

Defensive line

Justin Ernest, Eastern Kentucky, 1999: The Combine’s all-time bench record: 51 reps. Next.

youtube

One of his unofficial times demonstrates the physics catastrophe Poe had just loosed on the universe:

Fun with Numbers: RGIII's 4.41 40 is proportionate to a 346-lb man running it in 6.84 secs. And Poe (at 346 lbs) just did it in 4.87 secs.

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) February 27, 2012

Mike Mamula, Boston College, 1995: Mamula’s numbers remain impressive on their own, but you can’t have an All-Combine Team without the guy who helped establish the Combine as an event prospects should specifically train for:

And he scored a 49 of 50 on the Wonderlic.

Margus Hunt, SMU, 2013: Tied for No. 12 among all players since 2006 on the bench with 38 reps, despite having to push iron higher than almost anybody else (he’s 6’8). Even sillier: he’s also No. 13 among linemen with a 4.6 40, behind players who weighed anywhere between six and 37 pounds less.

Also: Aaron Donald, Jadeveon Clowney, J.J. Watt, and a ton of others. DL is one of the hardest groups to pick from.

Linebackers

NFL.com

Von Miller, Texas A&M, 2011: Similar numbers to Beasley across the board, plus top-10 numbers among all LBs since 2006 in all three agility drills, including No. 2 in the 60-yard shuttle.

Defensive backs

Byron Jones, UConn, 2015

He didn’t just set a football record. As far as anyone knows, he pulled off the best standing broad jump in human history: 12’2.75. NFL.com at the time:

Norwegian Arne Tvervaag is believed to have held the world record of 12-2 set on Nov. 11, 1968. The standing long jump hasn't been an Olympic event since 1912, so records are spotty. American Ray Ewry, who won gold medals in the event in the 1900, 1904 and 1908 Olympic Games, had held the world record (11-4 1/2, 1904) before Tvervaag established a new mark in '68.

youtube

Gerald Sensabaugh, North Carolina, 2005: His Combine-record 46-inch vertical was so high, it can only be topped by Harlem Globetrotters and international legends of varying veracity.

Deion Sanders, Florida State, 1989: Sports Illustrated:

There was talk pre-combine that Sanders wouldn’t run the 40 at all; he later said he would take his medicals, run his 40 and go home.

Special teams

Pat O’Donnell, Miami, 2014: Oh, just a punter running a 4.64, faster than Johnny Manziel’s 4.68 that year, and benching 23 reps, two more than Clowney did.

0 notes