Broncos Challenge 11: NFL fitness test

The 10-0 BSU Broncos face off against the Utah State Aggies (3-7) tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Logan, Utah. There are only a handful of seniors of BSU’s squad this year, but with only a few games left in the regular season, those seniors are thinking about life after BSU. All season, this column has explored some fun ways to associate fitness and healthy eating with each Broncos game. Today, we look at what it takes to pass the fitness test for the NFL draft. The NFL Combine is an invitation-only assessment which allows potential players to show the depth and breadth of their athletic abilities. How would you fare? Obviously, the scores given are for men, but women can still test themselves and adjust the numbers accordingly.

Probably one of the most talked about numbers is a prospective player’s time for the 40 yard dash. Players start in a three-point stance and sprint for 40 yards. A split, or partial time, is taken at 10 and 20 yards. Coaches look at these split numbers for linesmen since it’s unlikely that they’ll be running for 40 yards at a time. A good “40” time would be between 4.2 and 5 seconds, depending on the player’s position. To increase speed, see this article.

Athletes at the NFL Combine, except quarterbacks and wide receivers, are asked to bench press 225 pounds as many times as possible. This is a critical assessment for linesmen. Think of picking up your average, slightly burly male and hoisting him over your head as many times as you can. Anything over 30 is impressive. For more on strength training, click here.

Vertical and broad jumps, which are tests of plyometrics, make up another element of NFL fitness assessments. Receivers and defensive backs are watched carefully in the vertical jump, which measures explosive power. Running backs and linemen are watched more carefully on the broad jump. Starting in a standing position and jumping as far forward as you can, this s a test of lower body strength. For more on plyometrics, click here.

The three cone drill is a classic test of agility for football. It’s not quite as simple as it sounds: three cones, in an L-shape, five yards apart, run. Except that the athlete is not just running straight through. They go from one point to the next, then back, then around and then finally all the way back. (Watch the video below—it’s easier than explaining it!) Because of the L-shape, the athlete must start and stop, which displays alertness and dexterity. Shoot for a time in the 6.5 second range. It’s not as easy as it sounds. For more on agility, read this article.

Finally, there are two shuttle drills in the assessment. One is 20 yards, and the other is 60 yards. In the 20-yard shuttle, a player runs laterally for five yards, drops down to touch the ground, then switches direction and goes 10 yards, drops down to touch the ground, then switches direction again and goes back 5 yards to his starting position, running through the finish. This is a test of speed and acceleration, as well as the ability to change directions. A time under 4 seconds is impressive. For the 60-yard shuttle, lines are set up at 5, 10 and 15 yards. The player sprints to each marker, touches it, runs back to the start and then progresses to the next marker. So it goes: 5 yards, touch, run back, 10 yards, touch, run back, 15 yards, touch, run back. These shuttle drills look easy, but you will get winded in a hurry.

Who will win tonight, Aggies or Broncos?

Read all of the Broncos Challenge articles

About the Broncos Challenge: Watching the big game doesn’t have to mean plopping down on the couch to eat and drink in excess. On every game day, this column features health-related articles to help keep you moving and eating healthy. So far, we’ve talked about having a healthier tailgate, working some exercise into your game watching, strength training, increasing speed, plyometrics training, increasing agility, and how to do burpees. Come back each game day for a new article. Go Broncos!