The NFL Combine just finished this week.\u00a0 The media attention surrounding the Combine has been overwhelming.\u00a0 Airtime that was previously devoted to the Sochi Olympic Games was quickly filled with coverage of 40-yard dash times and the results of vertical leap, broad jump, three-cone, and shuttle drills.\u00a0 For the next ten weeks until the NFL draft, pundits will be offering opinions about who shined at the Combine and should be drafted in the first round of the draft.<\/p>\n
I never paid much attention to the Combine, other than to see how a player from my alma mater ranked.\u00a0 This year was different, however, because I had the unique experience of observing NFL prospects prepare for the Combine.\u00a0 Chip Smith, owner of Chip Smith Performance Sports, is an internationally recognized strength and conditioning expert with vast experience training prospects for the NFL draft.\u00a0\u00a0 Chip invited me to his facility to see how he gets players ready for the Combine and he even ran me through some of the drills.<\/p>\n
I was immediately impressed by the strength, speed, and pure athleticism of the players.\u00a0 The linemen were all physically massive and quick.\u00a0 Standing next to Kony Ealy made me feel like a little kid.\u00a0 \u00a0I doubt I could get up after being hit and tackled by any of these guys.<\/p>\n
Most impressive, however, was how hard the players trained.\u00a0\u00a0 Their typical training day to get ready for the Combine consisted of two hours of intense practice with a position skills coach, two hours of combine drill training, and two hours of weight training. \u00a0Every two-hour session was intense, fast-paced, and purposeful.\u00a0\u00a0 The players adhere to this grueling schedule for six consecutive weeks.<\/p>\n
I left Chip\u2019s facility extremely sore and with a greater appreciation for the effort and dedication it takes to make it into the NFL.\u00a0 Certainly, many of the NFL players are gifted with extraordinary natural talent and physical ability.\u00a0 But, more than their natural talent, the success of these players depends on their dedication and willingness to work.<\/p>\n
Perhaps no player illustrates this point better than Hall of Fame Wide Receiver Jerry Rice.\u00a0 Rice\u2019s work ethic is legendary. \u00a0\u00a0Even after he reached stardom, Rice ran grueling uphill sprints to stay in top physical form. \u00a0\u00a0Rice acknowledged his hard work was the cornerstone of his success:\u00a0 \u201cI was\u00a0always willing to work;\u00a0I was not the fastest or biggest player but I was determined to be the best football player I could be on the football field and I think\u00a0I was able\u00a0 to accomplish that through hard work.\u201d\u00a0 Rice\u2019s work ethic has not only led him to him to be one of the all-time football greats but has also garnered the respect of fans.\u00a0 We praise athletes like Rice who demonstrate a strong work ethic and dedication to their teams.\u00a0 We admire those who give it their all \u2014 those who stop at nothing to achieve greatness.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, we are quick to critique athletes who do not exhibit a strong work ethic.\u00a0 We are critical of players who have the reputation of taking plays off.\u00a0 We get angry when one of our favorite players holds out or fails to report early to training camp.\u00a0 We mock athletes who do not see the value of practice.\u00a0 Few have forgotten Allen Iverson\u2019s attitude toward practice:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re talking about practice. \u00a0I mean listen, we\u2019re sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we\u2019re talking about practice. \u00a0Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it\u2019s my last but we\u2019re talking about practice man.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Iverson was indeed a talented athlete, his comments led people to question his dedication and his willingness to work.<\/p>\n
Most recently, one of the biggest stories coming out of the Combine relates to the work ethic of defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Despite Clowney\u2019s athletic potential, Clowney\u2019s college coach, Steve Spurrier, commented that Clowny\u2019s work ethic was \u201cOK.\u201d Commentators reporting on the Combine and the NFL draft have stated that there are red flags about Clowney\u2019s work ethic and questioned whether he has the dedication \u00a0it takes to maximize his potential.<\/p>\n
The Combine gives players the chance to showcase their potential future value and allows scouts an opportunity to evaluate both the players\u2019 physical and non-physical performance.\u00a0 Although many of us do not have to endure the demands of the Combine, many of us do face similar evaluations every day at our jobs.\u00a0 Each day we have the chance to showcase our abilities and our work ethic.\u00a0 Each day, our partners, supervisors and colleagues assess our job performance \u2013 they judge the quality of our work, our productivity, and our dedication and work ethic.<\/p>\n
It is easy for us, as fans, to sit back and watch our favorite players (or our least favorite players) and opine about their work ethics.\u00a0 It is easy for us to say that a player should have pushed himself a little more, or attended that extra practice, or played hurt.\u00a0 But if we were to apply those same opinions to ourselves, how would we measure up in our own careers?\u00a0 Below are five questions that will help you determine whether you practice what you preach.<\/p>\n
Players who demonstrate both a natural ability and an excellent work ethic accomplish greatness and also garner the respect and admiration of fans across the board.\u00a0 As owners, managers or employees, we should strive to demonstrate a dedication to our careers and an unfailing work ethic that earns the same respect from our colleagues that players like Jerry Rice have earned from us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The NFL Combine just finished this week.\u00a0 The media attention surrounding the Combine has been overwhelming.\u00a0 Airtime that was previously devoted to the Sochi Olympic Games was quickly filled with coverage of 40-yard dash times and the results of vertical leap, broad jump, three-cone, and shuttle drills.\u00a0 For the next ten weeks until the NFL […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_mo_disable_npp":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,10],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n