Florida State SPEEDINOLES

(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

If it's true that SPEED kills then the 2009 Florida State Seminoles will need stop sticks to slow them down!

Yesterday, the Noles put on a little show of their offseason training accomplishments next to Doak Campbell stadium. Needless to say, the Seminoles are going to be fast, REALLY fast in 2009. In a little friendly competition, Bert Reed, Wide Receiver put the rest of the team on notice that HE was the man to beat in the 40 yard dash, which is the true barometer of speed in football. Bert said "Although you don't do much running straight in football, the fans love this competition and the players get caught up in it too." True football fans know that if prospects or players can run the forty in the mid four second range that they will be Division 1 players. 

The amazing part of this is that even with these mammoth bodies, they were still able to be so fast.The guy to watch this fall on Defense has to be Linebacker Nigel Bradham who said "Coach Stroud (Strength and Conditioning Coach at FSU) trains us well!""We set goals for ourselves and we came out strong!" Nigel is 6'2"and 242 lbs. ran a 4.48. Bert Reed said "It's really scary to come out here and see these big guys runnin' 4.4's and 4.5's. I set a personal goal to run a 4.2 so we still have some work to do!"

At the end of the contest the laser times revealed the speed on this young team:Tavares Pressley ran a 4.59. Understand this is a running back who five months ago had an ACL reconstruction, it seems he might recover in time for the season. Other notable times include Christian Ponder with a 4.7.Workout Warrior Dakota Watson had a 4.39, Wideout Richard Goodman had a 4.34, Quarterback E.J. Manuel had a 4.51, Middle Linebacker Kendall Smith had a 4.52, Running Back Jermaine Thomas had a 4.49, Wideout Avis Commack at 6'4" had a 4.45, Jamar Fortson at 6'3' 220 lbs had a 4.5, Wideout Louis Givens had a 4.31, JaJuan Harley had a 4.31, Running Back Jaime Robinson had a 4.4 and yes, the fastest time of the day, was Bert Reed at 4.3. 

Coach Stroud has been training these guys hard in the offseason and yesterday it showed. ACC you better wake up and get your "A" game going because in 2009 the Seminoles are gonna be fast:REALLY fast.

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