We've seen "Burners" blow people away with their speed at the combine and Pro days. This is done in ideal conditions with track shoes, shorts, t's, and on a sprinter surface. How does this translate into actual football speed when you're running with football shoes, carrying 25-30 pounds of equipment (from what I've read) on a football field? Obviously, it has to be slower, and I cannot see it being the same for everyone. I have to believe that it would not affect a guy who is stronger/sturdier build as much as a weaker/thinner player. I was always curious as to why guys did not run in full football attire. Any thoughts or info on this?
Football speed is not about 40 times at all. Alot goes into it and many things effect it. #1 is read and react. If a corner runs a 4.8 40 but can read and react faster, then he can get to the ball quicker than someone who runs a 4.4 and reacts slower. Running backs vision and motion. If a player makes downhill cuts and sees the field better he can appear faster in pads than one who runs a 4.4 40. Linebackers read and react same thing. A WR's ability to run a route is a huge. A wr who runs a 4.6 can beat a corner who runs a 4.3 purely on route running skills. Desire has a lot to do with it to. Footwork! Quick feet may not get you that 40 time you want but it can get you paid! Way too much emphasis is put on the 40 these days. I would rather see a record shuttle.
Terrell Davis ran a 4.7 40. Jamaal Lewis had 2000 yards on a season. Le'Ron McClain ran a 4.88 40, basically a 4.9. He broke two 82 yard runs in one season and ran for 902 yards. Anquan Bolding gets his 40 speed or not. 40 speed is necessary, but rarely will that person be more than just a complementary piece. Technically, Mike Wallace is a number two. He got less targets than Hines Ward (2 though) but did more with it. The only exception at RB is really Chris Johnson. At certain positions, short speed is better than long. Ingram's 10 yard split helped keep him high along with his college tape and other drills. Speed is great, but technique is King. Adrian Peterson is fast for a man his size. A 4.4 40 is nothing to joke about. But, the guy's shuttle drills, jumping prowess, and vision is what made him. Before a RB breaks a big run, he usually has to break a few ankles. At WR, speed is more pronounced IMO. The thing is, there still needs to be certain things present for success to occur. Game speed IMO is more important than 40 time. But, the merits of the 40 need not be discarded.
My main question is if someone runs a 4.3 or 4.4 over 40 yards in a combine, how fast is he running with 25-30 pounds of equipment on him while having to carry and protect a football? Guarantee it is not a 4.4. The best WR ever, Jerry Rice, ran a 4.6. I never saw anyone catch him.
40 times really only matter for DBs and WRs. They're the only ones who burst out into full sprints more than 1 or 2 times a game. Outside of that, the 40 time is useless. I don't know why LBs run it, almost all of their movement is lateral. QBs is a joke. A RB who sees 40 yard worth of open field clearly doesn't have the ball in his hands (except on a few very rare occasions) I do agree SouthBeach that they should run the 40 in pads with the ball. I also think they should run it as a race. Put a DB with a WR and clock them at the same time, side by side. That would add a competitive nature to it and I guarantee it would result in better times.
You want speed from WR's & DB's, as you say. However, a WR is gonna make a move or get bumped before getting into stride. A DB is gonna hesitate on a move or a read, and need recovery speed. It is very seldom a sprint, more bursts of speed, to make a move or recover.
Even if they made these guys run in full pads on wet grass against the wind, you would still not get football speed. Football speed is how they react in a game situation. A lot of times the pro game is just to fast for these college kids and they dont make it even if they ran a 4.3. I dont think I quite understand what you are trying to get at here. Do you want to know how fast they run in pads, or football speed? Jerry Rice runs a 4.6 a corner runs a 4.4. The corner is one stutter, one shortened stride, a slow hip turn away from not catching Jerry Rice. So many things have to happen for Jerry Rice to beat a faster guy and he did all of those things time and time again hence he was football fast. The guy was smart and ran a great route. Plus he had good qb's throwing to him that helps speed too.
The drills are run b/c you have all of the players in one place at one time and teams can see for themselves how well each guy moves. But I doubt anyone is going to throw out 2-4 years of tape based on how fast a guy ran thru some cones.
GM, Do you, or anyone, have any idea how fast a 4.3 guy can run with the equipment and carrying a football? Would that add like a half a second or am I way off?
