NFL Combine Bench Press results for RB's
I didn't see this posted, so here are some results for players of note:
Karan Higdon - 21 reps
Damien Harris - 16
Bryce Love - 18
Mike Weber - 22
Benny Snell - 16
Miles Sanders - 20
Sissy girly men....
My favorite are the 40 yard dash times for linemen. Those dudes never, ever run 40 yards in an actual game.
....they do when stafford throws a pick-six.
But often that is more of a faux-effort jog
. . . a once around the park James kind of thing.
Hey Old Man... what the hell are you trying to pull here?...obviously not a guard.
Not all yardage is goal line to goal line.
I'm not saying OL are speedsters but to get to the second level you don't ask porky.
Patrick Omahmeh has made a career of getting around the edge and to the second level. His time was 5.18 (NFL average OL time is 5.33ish). It matters when you run certain plays.
HOF OLs have some incredible exceptions to the fatty icons.
Avg NFL 40 by position cuz I had to look it up...
Worth noting that Alex Barnes of K-State set the all time record for RBs with 34. Only one of the OL there was able to match that.
I see Harris doesn’t have free access to Bama’s “nutrition” plan any longer.
The fear of an actual pee test that uses his own sample? The horrors!!!
I love the bench press test ;) ...complete misunderstanding of how sports work and how strength correlates to being a successful football player. But, I do love watching them bench!
I think you are missing the point. They just have them do this shit to see if they actually care enough to put in the work and impress teams.
Correct, you also don’t have the ambiguity of something like squat depth that would require judges and all sorts of arguments. The players are basically given a test and the teams are seeing if they did their homework.
Correct, you also don’t have the ambiguity of something like squat depth that would require judges and all sorts of arguments
Is there any evidence that squat strength has any correlation with being a successful NFL player?
They just have them do this shit to see if they actually care enough to put in the work and impress teams.
So, you're saying NFL teams purposefully ask prospective employees to work hard on getting good at something that they know has no bearing on their ability to be successful at their job? I can't imagine any potential employee having a problem with logic like that :/
Clearly, you've never taken the LSAT/Bar Exam.
Clearly, you've never taken the LSAT/Bar Exam.
From the sounds of it you think preparing for it was a productive use of your time as well :)
Look at the opposite to test the theory that bench press doesn't matter. Would you prefer that the RB only be able to lift 180 lbs 5 times? It should be obvious that Higdon with 20 reps is going to be better than Higdon with 5 reps unless he sacrificed time on something more important. You can get really strong lifting 60 minutes everyday for a few years.
Would you prefer that the RB only be able to lift 180 lbs 5 times? It should be obvious that Higdon with 20 reps is going to be better than Higdon with 5 reps unless he sacrificed time on something more important.
I think the demands of what it requires to be an NFL RB would make it unlikely that they could only do 5 reps of 225 or that it would be that big of a difference just based on preparing for the combine. However, although size and strength are beneficial skills for a RB, bench press in particular is really irrelevant. Here are top bench press performances all time for RBs.
1. Tommy Bohannan 36 reps
2. Alex Barnes - 34 reps
3. Jerick Mckinnon - 32
4. Anthony Sherman - 32
4. Knile Davis & Shane Vereen - 31 reps
5. Jerome Felton, Tony Fiammetta, Joey Iosefa, Andy Janovich, Samaje Perine, Carl Stewart, Dan Vitale, all with 30 reps
Average: 31 reps
Compare that to the top two RBs taken the past 5 years.
2018: Saquon Barkley - 29 reps, Rashaad Penny - 13 reps
2017: Leonard Fournette - Did not participate, Christian McCaffrey - 10 reps
2016: Ezekiel Elliott - Did not participate, Derrick Henry - 22 reps
2015: Todd Gurley - 17 reps, Melvin Gordon - 19 reps
2014: Bishop Sankey - 26 reps, Jeremy Hill - 20 reps
Average: 18 reps
Here is the first team all pro RBs from the past 5 years.
2018: Todd Gurley - 17 reps
2017: Todd Gurley, Leveon Bell - 24 reps
2016: Ezekiel Elliott - NA, David Thompson - 25 reps
2015: Adrian Peterson - NA, Doug Martin - 28 reps
2014: Demarco Murray - 21 reps, Leveon Bell - 24 reps
Average: 22 reps
You can get really strong lifting 60 minutes everyday for a few years.
Of course you can. You can get really good at playing the guitar if you practiced 60 minutes everyday for a few years as well. But, is that the best use of your time to become a better RB?
Wish I could 1 rep 225
Pfffft. No problem here. I do 250 easy. I simply do 50 pounds five times.
I don't know many grown men that couldn't rep 225 if they spend the time preparing....but maybe you mean you just wish you could without having to try? But, if lifting weights and eating right was your hobby and you'd been practicing for some time, assuming you're a healthy average sized grown man, you shouldn't have any problem doing it. I don't know many avid lifters that can't that are actually trying to.
I did 225 exactly once in my life. I was a junior in high school. That was 21 years ago.
Sigh.
If you could do that at age 16, imagine what you'd be able to do if you kept lifting (and possibly eating right) all this time!
Bench press tells you a lot of things.
A. In general is the guy strong? (+/- for long arms or short arms) Everyone in the NFL is strong except maybe Tom Brady.
B. Did the guy go to work in the weight room? There is a probably a strong correlation here to how hard of a worker is the guy in general. (QBs might be an exception)
C. Are you solid enough to hold up to the NFL? This might be a little of a stretch, but if you can bench 225 21 times then you can probably take a few hits without falling apart.
D. Each guys psych up routine probably gives you a good view into their personality.
It doesn't tell you everything about a player, but it tells you a lot of things. Your comment tells me that you are a flabby little girlie man with skinny little arms I could use as dental floss. ;)
Do you even lift bro?
Protein! Maaaaaaaaa, where's the protein!?!?
Bench press tells you a lot of things.
I see a number of flaws in this logic or at least things that we can learn elsewhere in a more productive way.
A. In general is the guy strong? (+/- for long arms or short arms)
Here's one of the main problems with this test. Having long arms is beneficial for just about every position in football, yet detrimental in bench pressing.
B. Did the guy go to work in the weight room? There is a probably a strong correlation here to how hard of a worker is the guy in general.
I think it's good to know if a guy works hard, but the bench press as a way to measure that is misguided. Why not have them do something that would correlate better with football? To ask a prospective employee to put in work to get good at something that not only has little bearing on his job, but takes time away from working on things that are is...counterproductive to say the least.
C. Are you solid enough to hold up to the NFL? This might be a little of a stretch, but if you can bench 225 21 times then you can probably take a few hits without falling apart.
Yeah, I agree we're reaching here. Being strong is not a good predictor of injury. Plus, the most common NFL injuries are to the lower body and head (concussion).
D. Each guys psych up routine probably gives you a good view into their personality.
Not sure what that can add that you can't already gleam by watching their college games, talking to their coaches, and interviewing them.
Here's the thing. Do we want to learn about the athlete?...yes. But, why not do things that are more specific to being successful at their job rather than a bunch of random shit. If it doesn't correlate well with playing success it seems like a waste of time to me.
It is easy and it is low cost and it doesn't take much time.
I am not going to lose any sleep over it.
Heck, it may be a credibility test. In the interviews the day before they probably ask the player how many can he do and if he comes up wildly short then they know he lacks something in the arena of mental capacity.
It is easy and it is low cost and it doesn't take much time.
Time to complete the test or time to prepare for it? I'd bet these guys are putting in lots of hours preparing for it.
I am not going to lose any sleep over it.
Nobody is, does that mean we shouldn't discuss it? This is just a discussion on sports performance testing. I have a master's in exercise science so I love this stuff.
Heck, it may be a credibility test. In the interviews the day before they probably ask the player how many can he do and if he comes up wildly short then they know he lacks something in the arena of mental capacity.
I think you're really reaching here.
The only lift that matters here is whether or not one can lift the keg up and onto the table to tap it. And damn it, I can!
Why are you putting a keg on a table? That isn't where they go.
Hey Karan outlifted Michael Jordan, OL from OSU. So there's that.
I think he out lifted 8 lineman, and 2 or 3 of those guys are expected to be 1st round picks. But now someone will come on here and tell us that they have longer arms and it's harder to bench with longer arms.
It is harder to bench with long arms. Also, maybe those guys didn't bail on their teams to maximize their combine bench numbers!
Hey, he didn't bail on his team to maximize bench numbers. He bailed on his team to get ready for those 5 carries at the Senior Bowl.
EDIT: Also, it wouldn't be that hard to just take measurements from shoulder to elbow, elbow to wrist, and then use physics to translate into units of strength based on arm lengths and not just use reps.
Don't give them any ideas. It's a general test, and realistically just gives a very indirect measurement of their raw athleticism and work capacity. It's also a way to weed out candidates who might struggle in the NFL at most positions. If a non-injured running back candidate couldn't manage 5 reps, for instance, that might indicate a problem. (Although there are always exceptions.)
Guys like Saquon Barkley, Nick Chubb and Barry Sanders managed 29 reps, but I'm sure we can find plenty of busts and marginal NFL players who did really well on that particular test.
The NFL places far too much importance on the combine.
Point to the place on the doll where Karan hurt you, JPC. Was it the heart? I think it was the heart.
Iosua Opeta must have t-rex arms to put up those 39 reps to lead all players as an OL
Where's the guy who wanted mgoblog to start selling Michigan themed Armani muscle tees? We need him to break down these bench press numbers.
He is busy manscaping.
So Higdon loses to Weber. Again.
Still glad we had Higdon instead of Weber.
Yeah, it definitely worked in UM's favor right?
Of course Weber beats him by fucking one... cause... OSU. God dammit.
Note to thread jack, but any reason why Karan isn't running the RB drills?
He was there, but not running. Did I miss a big injury update?
Did anyone else see Justice Hills(Dax’s brother) numbers?
4.42 40, 21 reps on bench, 40” vertical, and 10’10” broad jump.
40 yard dash was third for rbs, bench press was in the top 10, vertical and broad jump were the best among running backs and should be among the best for all positions.
And he says Dax is way more athletic than him.