The 2013 NFL Combine

Every football player has a dream of someday playing in the NFL. They all want the opportunity to play at the highest level and reap the rewards from playing professionally. This weekend is the next step for all the college athletes that have performed on the field and drawn the attention of NFL scouts and NFL organizations. Combine weekend can thrust people into the spotlight or drop them from all NFL talks.

Would you be nervous if you knew you were walking into a potential $10 million dollar interview? Wait a minute...not just an interview but also having to perform on all of these things:

· Body Measurements
· Neuropsych baseline testing
· Complete orthopedic & internal medical examinations
· Special medical tests – as needed
· Wonderlic Test – to assess learning and problem solving skills.
· Isokinetic lower extremity testing
· Personal interview
· Bench press
· 40 yard dash
· Vertical jump
· Broad jump
· 3 Cone drill
· 60 yard shuttle run
· Position-specific drills                                                                          Source for list: Mike Ryan Fitness

Tyler Bray

The goal, of course, is to be drafted early. First round picks will be able to command four year deals worth over $20 million, while third round picks may only get $500,000/year. Any negative report, slip in performance, incorrect answer or poor test score, can result in dropping to later rounds or dropping out of the draft completely.  Athletes are scrutinized over every detail of their career and life. Everything is fair game, including their personal life, use of social media, juvenile crimes, personal relationships, etc. Players become “investments” for team franchises, and the organization needs to look over every detail of their potential million-dollar investment.

Denard Robinson

In addition to the behind the scenes scrutiny for players, they have to be able to perform under a new level of intense pressure on the field. College prepares athletes to perform on the field, but nothing really prepares a player for the pressure that comes with throwing a touchdown in front of 50,000 screaming fans, making a game winning field-goal in the NFL playoffs, or scoring the game winning touchdown run in a huge NFL rivalry game. Athletes have prepared themselves to perform on the field, but are they ready for extreme pressure that comes with the NFL experience? Players are going to be exposed in all ways, and their performance and response under pressure in the spotlight is what will determine their fate. Performance on the field will seem easy to when it’s compared to the entire NFL experience.

  

Manti Te'o

Manti Te'o (LB, Notre Dame) will be watched carefully to see how he handles the questions raised by his social media nightmare.

Tyler Bray (QB, Tennessee) has the size at 6'6 and the arm strength of an NFL QB, but many scouts question his accuracy. The combine will give him the opportunity to throw with different WR's in front of all teams and scouts. How he handles that will determine his fate.

Denard Robinson has been a QB for Michigan all his career, but now has to make the transition to WR for the NFL. Denard will have to show the scouts that he can play the position, make the cuts, be strong enough to block, understand route concepts, and prove that he has the hands to play in the NFL. This is a huge weekend for Denard!

Getting Back to the Basics: All Fundamentals Team

USA Football is an organization that is very focused on improving player safety in the sport. I have posted many of their links and articles because I think the emphasis on learning proper fundamentals is extremely important to overall safety in the sport. One of their safety-focused campaigns is to select an All Fundamentals Team comprised of 26 NFL players who exemplify proper football techniques for youth to emulate. 

The All Fundamentals Team for 2012 can be found here.  I wanted to share the list with you and add some thoughts on which players I thought represented the "best of the best" when it comes to fundamentals.

1. Charles Tillman (Corner, Chicago Bears)
Tillman had an amazing year, and that is mainly because he is so fundamentally sound at his position. Tillman has an amazing ability to break down on the ball carrier, commit to tackling and then punch the ball out as he is tackling. Seeing a player punch at the ball as he is tackling is a great reminder for all defenders! Watching Tillman should remind all coaches to teach kids to eliminate space, break down, never stop their feet, commit to tackling the opponent, show NO HESITATION, drive through the ball carrier, and then punch or rip the ball out. Tillman has perfected these skills, and he is a great example of excellent fundamental tackling!

2. Haloti Ngata (Nose Tackle, Baltimore Ravens)
Haloti Ngata is one of the most unselfish players in the NFL. Ngata is able to control two gaps on the defensive line, while still engaging offensive linemen to protect his LB. The NT position is asked to take on two offensive linemen and not allow them to get off the line to block the LB. The LB is then the one that is able to make all the tackles. Ngata is able to do this better than anyone and is still able to get pressure on a QB. He is able to bring a combination of size, strength, speed and great technique to dominate his opponents. It is also good to watch how Ngata gets his hands on the offensive linemen, staying below the offensive lineman's shoulders to have leverage, and then continues to drive the offensive lineman to disrupt the offensive play. Ngata is another great player demonstrating the value of football fundamentals. 

3. Matt Ryan (QB, Atlanta Falcons)
Matt Ryan has very good fundamental skills. I enjoy watching Matt Ryan take 3, 5, and 7 step drops.  As you watch him, he keeps the weight on the correct parts of his feet, then when ready to throw, transfers weight towards his front foot, so he is able to make a great throw. Ryan's eyes are always reading the defense, while he keeps two hands on the ball with the ball tight to his body. When setting to throw, Ryan has no wasted motion. The ball is elevated and gone, with no "hitches" or elongated movements in his throwing.  Ryan is really the ideal QB for young QB’s to watch and learn from because of his solid fundamentals and his poise! Not only does he have excellent football technique, Ryan does a very good job of keeping his composure, not getting rattled and leading his teammates.

4. London Fletcher (LB, Washington Redskins)
London Fletcher has been playing in the NFL for 15 seasons and has a streak of 240 consecutive games. Fletcher is the catalyst for the Redskins defense, and is considered to be the heart and soul of the team as a leader. Fletcher's longevity is attributed to great health, luck and solid fundamentals. Fletcher is very instinctive and rarely misses a tackle. The Redskins are able to keep their middle linebacker on the field, no matter the situation. If it is an obvious passing down, he is able to make the drops that are needed for a LB to cover specific areas or key on the running back out of the backfield. Week in and week out, Fletcher is on the leaderboard for tackles.

5. Chad Greenway (LB, Minnesota Vikings)
Greenway has always had solid fundamentals dating back to his days at the University of Iowa. He has been able to excel in the NFL as a defender that is able to eliminate space between himself and the ball carrier, and then finish the play by making the tackle. If you watch Greenway, he is very good with keeping his head up, driving his hips through and continuing through the ball carrier, so there is no chance to miss the tackle. Greenway is an excellent player for young kids to watch with the proper technique of playing the LB position!

As you can see from the All Fundamentals Team list, these players are successful from a performance standpoint as well as safety.  You can work a lot of drills and skills in football, but the essence of excellent performance will always break down to solid fundamentals!

Super Bowl Preview

It's hard to believe that Super Bowl weekend is here! There is plenty of excitement for this year's game, and you have probably already heard many of the media storylines for the game. I wanted to give you a quick preview of what to anticipate for the game itself...I think it will be a great game to watch!

The saying in football is that, "Defense wins championships." If you watched the second half of the NFC and AFC Championship games, you saw the truth behind this saying. Both San Francisco and Baltimore were able to hold their opponents from scoring a TD in the second half of their games. Both teams have an identity of strong, aggressive defenses that can get pressure with their front four defensive linemen and can dominate a game. While the defense definitely contributed to victory in the championship games, it really was the offensive changes and performances that defined the two teams through the playoffs.

San Francisco’s starting QB Alex Smith suffered a concussion during the regular season, and many doubted Coach Jim Harbaugh's choice to stick with the backup after Smith was able to return. That backup, Colin Kaepernick, has brought an entirely new dimension to the 49er’s offense. Kaepernick is able to create a little magic when a play looks all but dead, so he keeps the offense on the field and rolling. Kaepernick’s extremely athletic combination of running and passing, along with the strong 49er's running game has made the 49er’s offense a difficult team for others to predict and match.

Baltimore was on a three game losing streak deep into the 2012-2013 season, and Coach John Harbaugh felt a change was absolutely necessary. It wasn't a small change. He decided to fire his offensive coordinator, which is basically unheard of at that point in the season. In hindsight, it is easy to say that this was a bold and amazing move, and he was absolutely correct. The change in their offensive look makes Baltimore appear even more impressive offensively then defensively. Joe Flacco looks very relaxed, he has a great pocket to throw from, he is giving his star receivers a chance to make plays, and most importantly they are finding ways to get Ray Rice the ball within their new offensive scheme.

Two of the playmakers that I think will be fun to watch in this game are Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree. Since the beginning of the playoffs, both receivers have clearly become the "go to" guys for their teams, and they are presenting themselves as nearly unstoppable forces. Both defenses will always know where these receivers are on the field, but the question remains whether anyone will be able to stop them.

This should be a great game, with many off field storylines. We could discuss the coaching brothers, Ray Lewis, or Alex Smith. But really this game comes down to two very talented teams that are going to put on a tremendous show. Both teams are very well-rounded in all facets of the game.  This Super Bowl will truly come down to which team is able to create turnovers and capitalize from the mistakes of their opponents.  Looking forward to a great game! Enjoy!