Combine cred: Strength or speed?
Published on March 2, 2011 by Seahawk Fanatic
The NFL Scouting Combine has wrapped and everyone has filtered their way out of Lucas Oil Stadium, but two notable players cracked the high marks in this year’s drills.
Oregon State’s Stephen Paea pumped his way to the most bench-press reps in a decade, and Miami’s DeMarcus Van Dyke tied for the third-fastest 40-yard dash in the same time span.
So which record holds the most promise for NFL success? Does beast mode top blaze historically, or is it the other way around?
When we posted Paea’s feat to NFL’s official Facebook page, more than 760 comments poured in — mostly with people bragging about their own bench-press feats — but perhaps the most telling came from a Carl Stickland in Jacksonville who wrote, “Keep that name in mind because he will be out of the league in three years.”
Valid?
If we check out the best benchers list, most are washouts like Kudla, Young and Owens:
| Pos | Player | School | Combine | Reps |
| DT | Stephen Paea | Oregon State | 2011 | 49 |
| G | Mitch Petrus | Arkansas | 2010 | 45 |
| DE | Mike Kudla | Ohio State | 2006 | 45 |
| DT | Leif Larsen | Texas-El Paso | 2000 | 45 |
| DT | Jeff Owens | Georgia | 2010 | 44 |
| DT | Brodrick Bunkley | Florida State | 2006 | 44 |
| G | Scott Young | Brigham Young | 2005 | 43 |
Even Justin Ernest, who owns the record for the most reps of all time with 51 in 1999, was a one-and-done with the Saints.
But Paea, who was born in Auckland, New Zealand (which is somehow inexplicably a place that last week’s Wheel of Fortune contestants have never heard of) might be the exception since he’s slated to go in the first round, according to NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock.
Comparatively, the list of the quick guys are pretty recognizable, with the top time going to CJ2K himself:
| Pos | Player | School | Combine | Time |
| RB | Chris Johnson | East Carolina | 2008 | 4.24 |
| CB | Stanford Routt | Houston | 2005 | 4.27 |
| CB | DeMarcus Van Dyke | Miami | 2011 | 4.28 |
| WR | Jacoby Ford | Clemson | 2010 | 4.28 |
| WR | Jerome Mathis | Hampton | 2005 | 4.28 |
| CB | D. Rodgers-Cromartie | Tennessee State | 2008 | 4.29 |
| CB | Fabian Washington | Nebraska | 2005 | 4.29 |
And if we go back all time, Champ Bailey also ran a 4.28, and it’s safe to say that his 12-year career as a consistent Pro Bowl corner has gone pretty well – so much so that he just signed another deal with the Broncos.
Welcome to your future, DeMarcus. Speed wins.
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Tags: Beast Mode, Bench Press, Benchers, Brodrick Bunkley, Demarcus Van Dyke, Jacoby Ford, Jeff Owens, Jerome Mathis Hampton, Leif Larsen, Lucas Oil Stadium, Mike Kudla, nfl network, Nfl Scouting Combine, Paea, Stanford Routt, Time Span, Washingt, Wheel Of Fortune, Wheel Of Fortune Contestants, Young Brigham
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