By: Mike Akerson, MS, CSCS, HFI

Every December through April, hundreds of NFL hopefuls attend Combine Preparation Training Camps at sites all over the country. Whether these athletes stay 1 week or 3 months, each is hoping to improve their speed, agility, quickness, vertical leap, and overall athletic performance.

As one sportswriter calls it, "The NFL Combine is the final exam for most players where their 40 time or weight lifting reps can make a difference of several rounds in April's NFL Draft" (Coyle, 2000). However, those who put on the National Invitational Camp, as it's called by its host, have another take on what the combine is for.

Duke Babb, Director of NFL Scouting believes that the medical exams can have more significance than the non-football physical skills testing. (Babb, 2001 interview). The medical exams include an EKG, vision test, blood test, urinalysis, x-rays of the knee and back, and all sorts of poking and prodding of each athlete's joints six times over with NFL personnel from several teams at each station (Hamilton, 2001). Hamilton says, "If you've had any injuries since you were 12 years old, they're going to find them.

In addition to all these medical tests, each of the 300-325 athletes invited is paraded around in shorts bare-chested on several occasions so that NFL personnel can critique their physique. Height, weight, hand span, and length of arms are also measured in this meat market they call the NFL Combine. Furthermore, each player takes an intelligence test called the Wonderlic, a 12 minute IQ Test of 50 questions and also undergoes an intense interview process with each NFL franchise (Hamilton, 2001).

Beyond all the medical tests, the athletes do get a chance to strut their stuff and compete against each other in several physical events along with their specific position drills. Several choose not to participate in these events and opt to workout privately with the comfort of their own campus surrounding them. Whether the invited athlete's choose to workout at the combine or another site, sooner or later, each must measure up to the times and distances of those who have come before them. It is the role of the strength and conditioning professional to help maximize athlete's physical potential in hopes of helping them make it to the next level.


Combine Power, Speed, Agility, Quickness Preparation Workout

(Workout Goals = agility, quickness, explosive change of direction and combine specific drills)


Example Dynamic Warm-Up - 15 minutes
(Each drill is performed for 2 sets x 10 yards each)

  • High Knees (knee up to hip, and dorsiflexion of ankle). Emphasize popping off toes.
  • Butt-Kickers (heel straight up to butt while traveling forward)
  • A-Skip (old fashioned skipping with knee up, toe up)
  • B-Skip (skip and extend leg, pull back through and pop off toes again)
  • Shuffle, shuffle, 180' turn, shuffle, shuffle, 180' turn reverse pivot, shuffle, shuffle, 180' turn, etc
  • Karioka with quick feet, short steps
  • Karioka with strong leg drive in front
  • Forward Lunge and hold (stretching hip flexors)
  • Crossover Lunge and hold (stretching IT Band and Glutes). Emphasize keeping shoulders square.
  • Long Stride backpedal (Reach out behind with the strides)
  • Defensive backpedaling (Good athletic stance and quick choppy backpedals)
  • Step Over imaginary hip high hurdles one leg at a time and step under hurdles next.
  • Position specific 50% speed take-offs (getting ready for full-speed)
  • Position specific 75% speed take-offs (Emphasize mechanics: arm drive, good stride, loose jaw, etc.)
  • Position specific 90% speed take-offs (not full-speed quite yet)


Example ABC Ladder Drills - 15 minutes
(Each drill is performed for 2 sets x 10 yards with 30 sec rest)

  • Forward one in a hole
  • Forward two in a hole
  • Lateral one in a hole
  • Lateral two in a hole
  • Ickey Shuffle (Change of direction with a power cut)
  • Ickey Crossover Shuffle (Change of direction with a speed cut)
  • Lateral Shuffle
  • Slalom
  • Double Ali Shuffle
  • Ali Shuffle
  • Two in two out
  • Double Leg Hops through ladder forward
  • Single Leg Hops through ladder forward
  • Double Leg Hops through ladder lateral
  • Single Leg Hops through ladder lateral
  • Perform drills A-O with a change of direction upon exiting ladder.

Things To Consider:

  • It is the trainer's responsibility to have perfected these drills himself or herself prior to teaching.
  • The trainer should look for triple flexion (ankle, knee, and hip) of the athlete to ensure proper balance in an athletic stance while moving through the ladder.
  • Arm drive should be emphasized with elbow at 90' of flexion and loose hands traveling from pocket to chin height.
  • These drills can be also performed with resistance bands to increase load on legs.


Example Combine Specific Drills - 20 minutes
(Each drill is performed for 3-5 sets with 2-3 minutes rest)

a. 20 yard shuttle (a.k.a. - pro agility)

Notes: Make sure athlete touches line upon each change of direction.

  • Emphasize loading inside leg upon direction change to decrease shift of body weight.
  • Emphasize arm drive and staying low to the ground. Athlete should never be at full extension of height.
  • Train athlete to start from both directions with lead leg loaded ~ 70% of body weight in 3 point stance.

b. L Drill (a.k.a. - 3 cone drill)

Notes: Make sure athlete touches line with right hand only on first turn and second turn.

  • Emphasize loading inside leg upon direction change to decrease shift of body weight.
  • Emphasize arm drive and staying low to the ground. Athlete should never be at full extension of height.
  • When circling 3rd cone, athlete should keep feet driving and dip his hips upon deceleration.
  • Finally, athlete should perform a speed cut off inside foot around last cone through the finish line.

c. 60 Yard Shuttle

d. Broad Jump

  • Measure jump from starting line to back heel after landing.
  • Emphasize jumping outward and upward at ~ 45' angle.
  • Preload with arms and rock from heel to toe before jump.
  • Take a deep breath before powering off and exhale upon jump.

e. Vertical Jump

  • Emphasize keeping abdominals tight and maintaining neutral spine position when first measuring athlete's reach.
  • Line up toes ~ 6 inches behind pole.
  • Preload arms with quick extension and legs with quick flexion before take off.
  • Take a deep breath before powering off and exhale upon jump.


Example Cool-Down/Flexibility Exercises - 15 minutes
(Each passive stretch is held 15-30 seconds)

  • Hamstrings (laying on back with one leg horizontal and one leg vertical for stretch)
  • Hip Flexors (lunge position)
  • Piriformis /Glutes (Stretched by crossing one leg over the other laying on back and pulling opposite thigh to chest)
  • Quadriceps (on stomach with knee flexed and heel to butt)
  • Groin (butterfly stretch)
  • Calves (standing with ankle dorsiflexed)