As soon as the college football season ends, NFL hopefuls begin training for the combine or for a scouting session on campus. The combine’s seven core drills—the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill, and 20- and 60-yard shuttle runs—require more fitness technique than football skills, so that’s why most players often work out at facilities staffed by fitness experts and retired NFL players who focus on form and can help them maximize their performances.
Last week, we spoke with two experts about what the combine drills purport to show. Below, Geir Gudmundsen, a former All-America tackle at Albany who had a stint with the Bills in 2005 and current owner of the Test Football Academy in Martinsville, N.