Speed at the Combine

I think I’m pleased that the Vikings appear likely to pick up Sage Rosenfels. If nothing else, he’s demonstrated that he’s a competent NFL quarterback and he’s not going to cost them too much either. I think I’d still consider drafting a project in the later rounds, though, as I think it’s unlikely that Rosenfels will ever be an elite quarterback. Still, he can’t be worse than the Tarvaris Jackson Experiment or the Frerotte Interception Machine.

By the way, all the talk about 40 times got me curious, so I looked up my old times. It seems I was just a bit faster than Reggie Bush, at 4.32 to his 4.33. However, one thing I didn’t realize is that at the Combine times are artificially fast compared to track times, since at the Combine the timing is started in reaction to the player’s movement, whereas track starts are in reaction to the gun. Under those easier conditions, I think I might have had a shot at going under 4.3.

In fairness, I have to point out that very few football players have any idea how to start. I wasn’t especially good out of the blocks, but I was once challenged by the fastest rugby player at the university. He beat me when we started standing up on grass and ran the length of the rugby field, but when we raced 55m on the track, I blew him away by several steps. So, technique obviously makes a difference.

Dammit, I should have played cornerback….