For Would-Be NFL Players, 40 Yards Stand In Their Way

With the NFL season now over, attention in football world turns to the hopefuls preparing for May’s draft.

Over the next few weeks, athletes will highlight their skills during pro days and the annual Combine later this month in Indianapolis.

The focus is on strength and speed, specifically the 40 yard dash and as Sam Klemet reports, a tenth of a second can mean all the difference.

                                                                
A tenth of a second may not seem like much, but for those running towards a career in the NFL each tenth is magnified.

“You can feel it. A little bit off here and there, but you know if you ran fast or not.  You feel just smoother when you run faster,” said Zane Fakes.

The 6-foot-3-inch, 235 pound tight end is one of 18 former college football players who are braving the frigid Midwest cold and snow to work out with St. Vincent Sports Performance at SportZone Indy, a warehouse-sized center on the city’s northwest side.

For hours, tiny pieces of rubber tire fly off the indoor artificial turf as their feet furiously pound it.  They do lateral dashes, runs with resistance bands, and straight sprints while catching balls.
Every motion is designed to improve speed

“Double feet quick feet guys, double feet quick feet.  Lace ‘em up…”

Trainer Greg Moore may be the smallest guy here, but he’s the man these athletes look up to for improving their quickness.

“We see gains like in the 40 – from start to finish we know that a minimal goal we can get is two tenths off if the guy puts in the work and gets it done,” he said.

And every extra tick on a stop watch matters in the NFL.

“You know, if we are looking at two guys and they are pretty similar in skill when it comes to football, who stands out as a better athlete,” said Moore.  “They sort through it with a fine tooth comb.”

The comb is never finer than at the NFL Combine.  Players undergo body evaluations; mental tests, and strength and speed drills and the marquee event is the 40 yard dash.

“And that’s basically what you are training for.  You are fighting for your body to get in the best possible shape in order to get those tenths of a second when the combine comes or your pro day comes,” said Dezmond Southward.

The former defensive back at the University of Wisconsin has run the 40 as fast as in 4.3 seconds.

“I think the biggest thing is the start, just getting out of the blocks and getting those first good two or three steps.  Having that great drive and then after that lifting it up and striding it through,” said Southward.  “I think you can feel the difference between that and kind of stumbling out and trying to feel like you have to make up time.”

And time lost can be costly.

“It could be a $5-million swing.  A $2- to $5-million dollar swing just based upon, you know, your speed,” said agent Derek Spearmen who represents about a dozen players in the NFL including Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Lamaar Thomas, whose fast 40 time catapulted his career.

“He could have been possibly working a nine to five right now,” said Spearmen.  “But, because of his ability to run that time, he’s able to go out here and live his dream.  Make a nice income.”

Rosevelt Colvin has been on the other side.

He estimates he lost about $150,000 in signing bonuses because of a poor Combine showing.

“I didn’t test well when it came to strength and the 40.  The agility stuff I did really well,” said Colvin.  “So, I think I dropped at least one to two rounds.  I think I could have been at least a second round pick.”

Colvin was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1999 and played nearly a decade in the NFL winning two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.

Now, Colvin works with players here to help them prepare for the Combine and tells them they have no time to waste, not even a tenth of a second.

This story, by WFYI's Sam Klemet, originally aired on NPR. You can listen to it here.