Today marks the beginning of a weekend that will determine the future of over 300 collegiate football players preparing to enter the 2008 NFL Draft. Athletes from across the country will come together in Indianapolis at the NFL Combine to voluntarily be poked and prodded by coaches and scouts from around the league.
An impressive performance in the wide array of tests can lead to millions of dollars come draft day.
A poor performance has the potential to do irreparable damage to the future career of a player.
The Combine has evolved into yet another spectacle for the league and is broadcast live by the NFL Network the entire weekend. These young men are treated not as individuals, but rather potential investments for NFL franchises and leads to a very unique event in the sports world.
Medical records are examined by innumerable team doctors, physicians and trainers. That sprained ankle you had back in the fourth grade could potentially make or break a team's desire to select you with their first round pick. It's gotten to the point where your entire personality is broken down so coaches and other team personnel can try to predict what kind of player you will be.
There is the infamous Wonderlic test administered to measure the intelligence of players. Current Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young was rumored to have scored a 6 out of a possible 50 points on the test in 2006. Despite the fact he single handedly led his University of Texas team to the Rose Bowl in one of the most dramatic finishes in history, national pundits actually thought the low score would lead to him dropping out of the first round.
There is nothing else like the Combine in the sports world. It is the ultimate representation of how the NFL is a business and nothing else. Players need to realize this point early on if they want to make it in the most cut throat professional sports leagues in the world.
The NFL is the only league that does not guarantee its player's contracts. Teams can arbitrarily decide to cut a player and will never have to pay him a dime even though five years remained on the original contract. The most important part of a rookie contract is not the length of the deal or the annual salary. It's the signing bonus these kids are after and the combine will be the ultimate determination of what dollar amount will be handed to them come draft day.
It's a sick process that has become glorified to the point of insanity. Unfortunately, these kids are used to it. The NCAA has already made millions of dollars off of their sweat and tears during their collegiate tenure. This is a harsh reality that is really not looked at as a problem because it's all about the payday that may come in the future.
The next couple days will be filled with mentions of the 40-yard dash, bench press, Wonderlic and - my personal favorite - the shuttlecock race. Pay attention to the coverage and make sure you realize that a split second could mean the difference between failure and success.
Welcome to the NFL kid.
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