The Senior Bowl and NFL Combines: Their Little-known Truths

Larry Burton (Panama City Beach, FL) I had the chance the go to the Senior Bowl in Mobile this year with press credentials and hob nob with all the NFL coaches who were there. It was an eye opening weekend because some of the things I thought I knew about the Senior Bowl and combines weren't true, and others I didn't think were true, actually were.

In talking to them, with many asking their comments not be publicly attributed to them, here are some of the things that surprised me.

1. Senior Bowl - The game itself is not as important as the week of practice

A lot of coaches only came for the week of practice to watch and not the game itself because to them, they see everything they need to know in practice.  Things they look for are:

a. Seriousness - Do the players take every play of every practice seriously?  Are they taking taking advice that's given and paying attention?

Coaches told me that they did notice a few players treating this more like an all-star celebration than an NFL audition and that it would lower them on their charts accordingly.  No one was willing to give me any names though.

b. Work Ethic - Do they give 100 percent in practice and do they encourage others around them to do the same?  Are they consistent with that ethic and attitude each day?

The big winner here might have Roy Upchurch.  He got almost no game time except for special teams, but he impressed many coaches with his adaptability, serious attitude, basic skill set, and most of all his work ethic.

Roy raised eyebrows and definitely got noticed by many scouts there.  He went from last-second substitute to perhaps an NFL roster with this week at the Senior Bowl.

c. Attitude - Do they think they're already a star, or are they still coachable?  Every coach I talked to said they don't want a player that thinks he already knows everything.  They say that there are differences players must adjust to from the college to the pro game, and some never make it because they think they already know everything and won't change.

This one was huge with all the coaches.  LeGarrette Blount was a prime example. Was he the bad boy the media played him out to be?  Or had he learned his lesson?

The coaches I talked to all said that this was something they looked for and all agreed he was all business and grateful for the opportunity to be there.  They said he was humble and hard working.  They didn't see a reason why he would be a problem to their team.

d. Adaptability - If a player can only do one thing one way and not change he's not as valuable.  Can he play special teams?  Can he go from tackle to guard?  Can he play outside instead of inside?  Versatility is key.

Again, Roy Upchurch was a good example here. He played at special teams and running back.  He even offered to return kicks and punts as well.  At least two coaches said they gave him higher than expected marks for hands and that he could even be a slot receiver.

As I said before, Roy Upchurch did well at the Senior Bowl practices, not so much the game, and got a lot of notice because of it.

e. Power - Lots of players who look good against regular talent don't always do well against "All-Star" talent.  Offensive tackles who often have their way against mediocre talent suddenly look vulnerable against another all star and vice versa.

There were a lot of comments about players like that.  And that's where a lot of note taking was going on.  Georgia sent two defensive players that never made a lot of news during a mediocre Georgia season that were eating up offensive linemen in practice.

That week did them well. So did a few hits by a player some felt too small for an NFL corner back position, Javier Arenas. The hits Arenas gave and took showed scouts he may indeed have what it takes to survive the NFL.

One scout, with a smile, said of Arenas, "Nick Saban must have taken all the mirrors out of the dressing rooms so that guy didn't know how small he is, because he hits like a linebacker.  Great heart and technique, he was coached well."

For the people who don't know, the same was said when Arenas was signed by Alabama.  Every other "big" school passed on him because of his size.  He went on to become an All American and team leader in tackles.

And to end the Senior Bowl comments, the most profound statement I heard over and over was, "You don't have to impress every scout here, just one."

What they mean by that is, you can only be drafted by one team. Once you get to the NFL, the rest is up to you. You can earn your own way from there, sink or swim or your own merits.

A great example of this is Tim Tebow, who had a bad week of practice and maybe an even worse game.  All the scouts did agree that someone was going to pull the trigger on Tebow and take the risk.  He may not have had a great week at the Senior Bowl, but he he did show seriousness, work ethic, attitude, and power.

The one left out was adaptability and that was the big question mark. Can he adapt his throwing motion and take snaps under center?  All agreed that someone would think so, and all were sure that he would be drafted.

As for the combines, there are quite a few of them for players to have the chance to attend.  What's hard to believe is that some players have been drafted after completely snubbing the combines.

A sure first-round pick may think he has nothing to gain from the combines and only has ground to lose.  But the majority of players take advantage of the combines by attending all the ones they can.

Combines are different in what scouts see from things like the Senior Bowl.  Coaches and scouts told me the combines are more about summing up what a player can do against other players times and measurements than in manhandling them like at games and full pad practices.

What they mean by that is how measurable is that player's best from years gone by to now and how does he stack up against others?

a. Weight - Has his weight and condition gone to pot since the end of the college football season? This lack of control tells a big tale and shows them what may happen after they make a team. Teams want players who realize conditioning are a year round thing.

Terrance Cody, (Mt. Cody from Alabama) showed up to combines at a lower weight than even his Senior Bowl showing.  He is serious about wanting to control his weight and increase his stamina.

b. Speed - What's his true speed under the best conditions? Has his speed dropped off from his younger days?  Has it improved?  In the NFL, speed is almost everything and is what separates many pros from many want to be pros.

Here, the 40 yard dash is a marquee event.  Here Maryland's big offensive lineman Bruce Campbell raised eyebrows with a faster than expected 40 that raised his stock even higher.

c. Agility - You can almost mix this with speed. How fast can he run sideways and change directions?  Here, the three cone drill tells the tale.

The 3 cone drill tests an athlete's ability to change directions at a high speed.  Three cones in an L-shape.  He begins at the starting line and goes 5 yards to the first cone and back.  Then, he turns, runs around the second cone, runs a weave around the third cone, which is the high point of the L, changes directions, comes back around that second cone and finishes.

Here little-known offensive lineman Jared Veldheer from Hillsdale College really impressed the scouts with his top time in this event.  In fact, he was less than one second slower than maybe the fastest man at the combines, Trinton Holliday, from LSU, who is also a world class track star.

d. Bench Press - Common sense here. Just how strong is the player? This tells not just what he can lift but how often and for how long. This tells how much time he has spent in the weight room.

e. Vertical Jump - The vertical jump is all about lower-body explosion and power.  The athlete stands flat-footed and they measure his reach. It is important to accurately measure the reach, because the differential between the reach and the flag the athlete touches is his vertical jump measurement.

For defensive linemen and corner backs, leaping is life.  Can you bat a ball down and at what height?  For receivers, how high can you go up and get a ball?

In this drill Dorin Dickerson, a Pittsburgh tight end went up 43 inches to lead all tight ends. With him already at 6'4'', that's a lot of height. That pass catching ability may aid him as he may be used more as a fullback in the NFL making him a duel threat.

f. Broad Jump - The broad jump is like being in gym class back in junior high school. Basically, it is testing an athlete's lower-body explosion and lower-body strength. The athlete starts out with a stance balanced and then he explodes out as far as he can. It tests explosion and balance, because he has to land without moving.

So far Miami tight end Jimmy Graham has gone the farthest with a jump of 10'8", well over one foot better than any lineman tested so far.

g. Shuttle Run - The short shuttle is the first of the cone drills. It is known as the 5-10-5. What it tests is the athlete's lateral quickness and explosion in short areas. The athlete starts in the three-point stance, explodes out 5 yards to his right, touches the line, goes back 10 yards to his left, left hand touches the line, pivot, and he turns 5 more yards and finishes.

There is also a longer 60 yard shuttle run as well. Dennis Pitta, BYU's tight end, smoked all others at this drill including the aforementioned Trinton Holliday. That's really moving for a big tight end and this drill upped his stock considerably as a receiving tight end for an NFL team.

So with hitting, moving bodies, taking new coaching instructions, and adaptability, being the keys at all-star games like the Senior Bowl, and speed, strength and leaping ability the keys at the combines, you can see that though they are very different procedures. Both have huge effects for some players and affect their stock greatly while others it affects very little.