Mike Martin-Bench

Submitted by yoopergoblue on

Shawn Zobel ‏ @ShawnZobel_DHQ

Close 36 reps for Michigan's Mike Martin

2:05 PM - 26 Feb 12 via UberSocial for BlackBerry · Details Reply Retweet Favorite

 

Dude has to be disappointed with "only" 36 reps. He and everyone else figured he would challenge for the combine record. Molk wins the battle. Still a fantastic job for Mike!

BVB

February 26th, 2012 at 7:15 PM ^

Said it in the Hemingway thread already, but measurables help your draft position, while hard work and performance keep you in the league. MM will work his tail off for whomever is lucky enough to draft him - regardless of his bench reps

UMgradMSUdad

February 26th, 2012 at 7:57 PM ^

I think we all thought Molk, and especially Martin had a real shot at 50 reps, so in that, we are a bit disappointed.  But instead of just measuring them against some number they were hoping to achieve, if you look at it in the sense that of all the NFL prospects at the combine, only one dude lifted more than Molk and only two lifted more than Martin (one of them being Molk).  They are in elite company, among the best of the best, at least in bench press reps, so they have nothing to hang their heads about, and we shouldn't be disappointed either. Congrats to both of them for their effort and success.

BVB

February 26th, 2012 at 8:16 PM ^

Great points. Perspective is a wonderful thing. Key to the league is hard work and these seniors have it in spades. Good luck to them all, whether at the combine or not. I dare anyone to count a guy like Koger out and watch him make it

PurpleStuff

February 26th, 2012 at 8:50 PM ^

Only one guy in the entire country lifted more than Molk and Martin.  Yet there are still people on this blog acting like this is a disappointment and some are even complaining about the guy who helped them prepare for the workout.

This is one of the best displays of strength by two guys from the same school that the combine has probably ever seen.  And it came from two great players who are also by all accounts great guys.

Nothing but celebration should come from this.  Congrats to Mike, David, Barwis & Co., and all the guys on the current S&C staff who helped make it happen.

Sione's Flow

February 26th, 2012 at 10:26 PM ^

Not bad for UM though if you consider Long put up 37 a few years ago, Molk does 41, and Martin puts up 36.  All in all some definite beasts have played in the trenches at UM

Geneticblue

February 26th, 2012 at 11:23 PM ^

I had a pretty crummy weekend, and even tho its sad, I was actually looking foreward to some ungodly killer number on his bench test.  I suppose that's what I get for hanging all my hopes on something like this.  Nonetheless, it still is a great number and from what I hear, his draft status wasn;t going to be based highly on this anyways.  It would have been nice, but hes still Mike Martin, and whoever gets him is going to get a workhorse!

hfhmilkman

February 27th, 2012 at 10:33 AM ^

I know it is fun to set a goal, but the benchpress is really a bit overrated when measuring strength.  When you are trying to do 50 reps of something it is no longer a strength issue but a measure of endurance.  Do 50 of anything and see how long it takes.  Since football is played in 5 second increments I am far more interested in a players strength move over that period and how fast they can recover to do it again in 30 seconds.

Also missed out is work equals force times distance.  A six foot eight tackle in the Mike Adams build is going to have a much more difficult time then someone who has a more squat build and shorter arms.   So anyone presuming he is not strong is being foolish.

These measurables along with 40 times and what not are nice.  But they are as meaningful as measuring football skill as the SAT is for measuring inteligence.  Just an arbitrary test.  Losts of real strong guys can't make it in the NFL because their strength/endurance does not equat to the impulse power that really determines success.  Ditto for real fast guys do not make the league because they can't cut or stop on a dime.

Suh benched 225 32 times.  Presuming Martin is capable of benching 225 50 times and actually did, would anyone even entertain the possibility that the two are remotely close?  No, because the play on the field is what is more important.

The Claw

February 27th, 2012 at 10:50 AM ^

I'm sure Michigan will have a Michigan Day for those seniors not invited to the combine.  Martin could try it again if he had a bad day.  There is also enough out there on Youtube that NFL teams interested have more video proving what a machine he is.  He'll still get drafted and I believe have a pretty good career.