The NFL Draft and the specificity principle

I may be weird, but the NFL draft is my favorite sports day of the year. I usually have a few guys over and we diagnose what went wrong with the Vikings' picks. Actually, they have been doing quite well in my opinion - I would say Adrian Peterson hasn't been a bust! This year they picked a couple of players with character issues - I guess Ziggy's code of conduct goes out the window if the guy has enough talent. Percy Harvin of Florida was our number one pick on Saturday, a guy who got booted from playing football in the state of Virginia for choking a coach. He also tested positive for smoking dope the day before the NFL combine, proving he is not the brightest bulb on the tree. Oh well, typical Viking shenanigans!

Speaking of the combine, that is the portion of the draft that intrigues me the most. As I am always attempting to break PRs and love strength training, it is awesome what kind of numbers these kids can put up. My PR for benching 225 is 12 reps, whereas most guys get at least 25 - I do remember a guy getting 45 a few years back - WOW! A little trick for finding out a max is to multiply your reps * .03. For me, 12 @225 is 12*.03 = .36; 225 * 1.36 = 306. My max at the time was 305 so that is pretty dang close!

As for the specificity of these tests, it surely remains to be seen. For some players, it has shown to be true - for others the specificity of benching 225 for reps, running a 40 yard dash and a vertical jump test doesn't transfer to the playing field. I think it shows the athlete's potential no doubt, but is not a guarantee. The guy who benched 225 for 45 reps is not a pro bowl player. All I know is that if you can "pass the test" you can become a richer man overnight! My chiropractor buddy Dr.Josh Sandell helped a Notre Dame player drop his 40 time from 4.92 to 4.67 - which raised his stock from a potential 6th rounder to a 2nd rounder...making him MILLIONS of dollars. And with the number one pick from Georgia signing with Detroit for a reported $78M ($42 guaranteed) you wonder if the economy is so bad after all. If I could just talk a team into believing my bench translates into excellence on the field. On second thought, after hearing what pro players do to practice squad players during scrimmages, I'll keep my day job and fight for my life in a non-violent manner!