TCU’s Patterson thinks players are wasting money on NFL Combine training. Is he right?
TCU coach Gary Patterson feels NFL prospects are spending too much money to prepare for the NFL Combine when they can do all the work at their schools for free.
Patterson made the comments when asked how he felt TCU’s seven players fared at last week’s combine.
“I think we did some good things, but I think all of our guys could’ve tested a lot better,” Patterson said following a spring practice on Monday. “I think they should’ve stayed here and trained, to be honest with you. You want to know my two cents? They paid a lot of people a lot of money to not make them better.”
Costs can run upward of $25,000 when you factor in training costs, housing and food. None of TCU’s players invited to the combine trained at the school, opting to scatter across the country at different training facilities.
Receiver Jalen Reagor and cornerback Jeff Gladney headed to EXOS in Frisco; defensive tackle Ross Blacklock went to Proactive Sports Performance in southern California; running back Darius Anderson and offensive tackle Lucas Niang are preparing at gyms in Florida; and running back Sewo Olonilua is training at a Houston-based gym.
As Patterson said, the players had their moments in Indianapolis.
Reagor and Anderson flourished with impressive broad jumps. Olonilua had a standout showing in the bench press, and Gladney and Blacklock posted solid 40-yard dash times.
As a school, TCU finished tied for the third-most medals of any program at the combine with five (four silvers, one bronze). Medals are awarded to the first, second and third place finishers in each drill within each position group.
Notre Dame had the most with seven.
But TCU’s players struggled in other tests such as Reagor and Anderson posting disappointing 40-yard times.
To Patterson, it’s head-scratching to see players spend thousands of dollars for training when he feels TCU is more than capable of getting players ready for the tests.
“We’ve had plenty of guys who trained here,” Patterson said. “We don’t charge them.”
Asked why players don’t take advantage of that option, Patterson said: “It’s the sexy thing to do, don’t you know? I’ve got to go to San Diego. I’ve got to go Florida. I’ve got to go to all these places because these guys can make me better. C’mon.”
Patterson’s point is backed up by Gil Brandt, the Hall of Fame scout who is known as the godfather of the combine.
Brandt mentioned Iowa offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs as a player who trained at his school and went on to dazzle at the combine. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Wirfs ran a 4.85-second 40-yard dash, the best time of any offensive linemen.
He also had a 36.5-inch vertical jump, a modern record among offensive linemen.
“Rather than drop out of school and not graduate, Wirfs stayed and look at what he did,” Brandt said. “The strength coaches that they have at schools now are so capable. They know these kids so well.
“The guys who leave school for three months to train in Florida and California and Texas and every place else, I think is kind of a waste of money because I do think the same thing can be accomplished right on campus without spending a lot of money.
“But more than anything, the kids also take care of their academics if they stay on campus.”
Benefits of private gyms
Bobby Stroupe has been training NFL Draft hopefuls for years at APEC [Athlete Performance Enhancement Center], his highly-specialized training facility in Fort Worth. His clients include Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and former Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant.
Stroupe did not train any of the TCU players who went to the combine this year, but understands Patterson’s mindset to an extent.
For a handful of players, going to a facility such as APEC is not necessary.
“For some, it’s better to stay at school,” Stroupe said. “For some, it’s not. There’s a lot of factors. Does that school have the type of environment, culture and time they need to succeed in this process? What about the town and their circle of friends and any other type of distractions? There’s a lot to factor in.”
As Stroupe alluded to, sometimes it’s in the best interest for a player to remove himself from a comfortable environment. Or from an environment where the focus may not be 100% on preparing for the combine or pro day.
Another factor is that coaches at specific schools may not have a speed forte. Instead, most coaches focus on strength and bulking up. Preparing a team for a football season is different than preparing for the combine tests.
“Their jobs are not to build a track team. They’ve got to build guys to play football,” Stroupe said. “It’s not personal. It’s not about if you have good resources. It’s a personal decision.”
For Stroupe, the proof is in the results as to why APEC is an attractive option for aspiring NFL players. He has seen his players lower their 40-yard times. He’s seen improvements in bench press reps and vertical jumps.
Alabama’s Jedrick Wills trained at APEC and had a solid showing at the combine, solidifying himself as arguably the top offensive tackle in the class. He had 34.5-inch vertical jump, second-best among O-linemen.
Another APEC player, Baylor running back JaMychal Hasty, also had a strong showing by gaining 10 pounds and still running a 4.55-second 40-yard dash with a 39-inch vertical. He also posted the best short shuttle (4.03 seconds) among RBs.
“The 40 is an event itself,” Stroupe said. “That’s a technically trained event. There’s speed dynamics and also technical aspects you can do to improve someone’s 40 time.
“We’re pretty much training decathletes during this process. They’re getting ready for eight or more events and you have to approach it like that.”
Stroupe went on to say that combine training is not a huge money maker for gyms. Prices for different programs vary depending on if players require housing and how extensive the training program is.
Highly-touted players who have first-round potential could spend close to $25,000 for an all-in package that includes housing, food and training. Others may spend $4,000 for their combine prep.
Most players fall somewhere in the middle.
“It’s expensive to have a chef make food. It’s expensive to have doctors on call,” Stroupe said. “Our business is not built off combine training and never will be. Those margins aren’t great. That can be a misnomer.”
Agent’s take
Veteran agent Scott Casterline of Team Sports Agency doesn’t disagree with Patterson’s take when it comes to combine prep.
In the early 1990s, Casterline said, schools such as Texas A&M had outstanding training staffs that prepared players well for the combine. Clearly Iowa’s staff did a great job getting Wirfs ready this year.
But Casterline is hesitant to have his players train at schools if the proper structure isn’t in place. Coaches are likely more focused on the current players and getting them ready for spring practices than the NFL hopefuls.
Or the school doesn’t have anyone specialized enough in teaching drills such as the shuttles or 3-cone.
Casterline simply wants his players to train at a facility where they’re getting enough one-on-one coaching and dedication. If the university is the best option, he has no problem with that.
In fact, Casterline said several Baylor players were going to train at the school this offseason until Matt Rhule and a number of assistants bolted to the Carolina Panthers.
“As long as the school is dedicated to give those guys the right amount of time, I think that could be a good thing,” said Casterline, who represents former TCU players such as L.J. Collier and Olonilua as well as former Dallas Cowboys great Randy White.
“But not everybody is set up that way. They’re more worried about their current players and next year. A lot of times there’s too many variables going on, but I do think it has gotten blown out of proportion.”
Sometimes the draft prep costs pays off, though. Collier worked his way into the first round with a strong pre-draft process.
Casterline believes another one of his clients, Texas A&M defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, has solidified himself as a first-round talent with a strong showing at the combine (4.83-second 40-yard dash, 31 bench press reps).
Castereline is also representing Hasty, who excelled at the combine following his work at APEC, and Olonilua, who fared as well as Casterline hoped.
Olonilua had the third-slowest 40-yard time among running backs at 4.66 seconds, but Casterline feels that’s a solid number for a 232-pound back. Plus, Casterline said, most teams hand-timed Olonilua in the high 4.5s.
“That’s exceptionally good for his body type,” Casterline said. “Those were good times. I don’t know if he’ll run at pro day unless he can substantially beat that.”
Olonilua is training at a smaller gym in Houston where he is receiving more personalized training. Casterline has also been pleased with the results and work he’s seen at EXOS in Frisco where Madubuike trained and APEC in Fort Worth where Hasty trained.
He just tries to avoid sending his players to overcrowded facilities where he doesn’t think his players will get the proper attention. And, hey, he isn’t opposed to having his players stay at their respective schools if it makes sense.
At the end of the day, this is a big business decision with thousands of dollars at stake. Shaving two-tenths off a 40-yard dash could be the difference between being a first-round pick or falling into a later round. Or the difference between being drafted or going undrafted.
“I can see where Coach P is coming from and I don’t totally disagree with that,” Casterline said. “Again, the question is, ‘Does the school have the time and the coaches there to help those guys in certain areas like teaching guys how to run a shuttle?’
“If the school has the right setup to allocate the time that these guys have to have and the right people to teach specific areas, then I have no problem with training there.”
