From Prospect to Pro

Alabama's Glen Coffee and Michigan State's Javon Ringer each ran a 4.44 second 40-yard dash when timed as college prospects at Nike camps in 2004. But at the recent NFL scouting combine, Coffee clocked a 4.58 and Ringer a 4.6. So how did they become slower after four years of college ball?

The obvious answer is that in 2004, handheld times were used at Nike camps and electronic timing has always been used at the combine. As Heisman Pundit put it, "the high school recruiting camps and combines where guys are measured are complete jokes. Players stand on their tiptoes and get hooked up on their 40 times by corrupt recruiting hacks with quick stopwatch thumbs. It's tainted by hype and salesmen who have an interest in over-promoting these kids."

Then there is the myth that as kids get bigger, they get faster.

Pundit: "Strength coaches are always going to claim that guys will get faster as they go through their programs. That's how they justify their employment. But in the end, it's just basic physics. Players grow naturally to a point before their size and speed hit a plateau, then growth must be manufactured. In college, they put on extra muscle or bad weight and tend to get slower, not faster."

 Things to consider when digesting recruiting hype.

Comments

[T-Bone]

In 4 years Ringer added 19 pounds and only lost 2 tenths of a second. What the hell is wrong with that?

[Steve]

plus Ringer has been out with knee/ankle issues multiple times.