http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=2341786
Yeah, I read that. As a former Husker, I’m a bit sore that we don’t have him as our S&C guy. In fact, a lot of Huskers are (a long story as to why he’s not). But, we do have Kennedy, who’s pretty damn good.
BTW, did you read the article about the “workout freaks”? Here it is:
College football’s top workout freaks
posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
As the NFL combine kicks off this week, time to unveil my list of college football’s top workout freaks. Last year’s top guy was Miami (Ohio) LB Terna Nande, who I’m expecting will bench 225 pounds around 171 times for the NFL scouts. Maryland TE Vernon Davis, last year’s No. 2, figures to create a Shawne Merriman-like buzz at the RCA Dome. Other “freaks” from last year’s list who will be on display in Indy are NC State’s Manny Lawson, Miami’s Sinorice Moss, Boise State’s Daryn Colledge, USC’s Winston Justice and Florida State powerhouse OG Matt Meinrod, who coincidentally has some training video floating around the Web.
- Owen Schmitt, FB, West Virginia: Actually, freak doesn’t seem to do the 6-foot-3, 255-pound junior justice. “He’s a mutant,” says Mike Barwis, WVU’s loquacious strength coach. Schmitt is a helluva walk-on story. He’s a former 1,000-yard tailback at Division III Wisconsin-River Falls who decided to see if he could play at a higher level. He shopped himself around, reportedly twice approaching Maryland, which finally said they had no use for him. Maybe the UnderArmour school should’ve at least offered to use him as the company’s new pitchman.
Schmitt’s outrageous in the weight room. He squats 650 pounds and hang cleans an unheard-of 480. Barwis reports that Schmitt did eight reps at 405 the other day, and “there ain’t many people in America who can do it for one.” Schmitt’s increased power and explosiveness, which translates into a 4.57 40 and a 36-inch vertical, was evident in his 54-yard run in the Sugar Bowl win over Georgia. It was also evident in the two facemasks he bent last season. One of the facemasks sits on Rich Rodriguez’ desk in Morgantown.
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Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech: The 6-5, 235-pound junior is the most dynamic wideout in the country and has the total package. “Along with freakish skills, he has an unbelievable work ethic to match,” says Tech director of player development Eric Ciano. “Calvin leads by example and he never complains or quits. His athletic ability is second to none. His first semester at Georgia Tech, Johnson vertical jumped 43 inches and had a standing long of 11-2. He has run consecutive 4.3 40-yard dashes at 235 pounds. He also power cleans over 330 pounds with ease. His strength, speed, and explosiveness are unmatched.”
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Jon Abbate, LB, Wake Forest: The 5-11, 245-pound rock, who is Wake’s tackling machine, benches 474 pounds, hang cleans 440 and power cleans 392 without using straps. “Every day he’s always doing something extra,” says Wake strength coach Ethan Reeve. Abbate’s also a coverboy for Reeve’s one-arm power program. The junior does sets of seven presses with a 160-pound dumbbell on the bench. He also has his 40 time down to 4.5.
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Luke Sanders, LB, LSU: The redshirt sophomore is a name you will hear a lot about this fall, predicts Tiger strength coach Tom Moffitt. “He’s kind of a prodigy,” says Moffitt. It doesn’t hurt that Sanders’ dad was a strength coach and he came to Baton Rouge pretty well versed. Sanders arrived weighing about 225 and now goes 242. He clocks a 4.5 in the 40. He can do five reps of one-leg step-ups (onto an 18-inch box) with 242 pounds.
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Adrian Peterson, TB, Oklahoma: The 2006 Heisman favorite turns plenty of heads in the Sooners’ weight room. Most impressive feat: Peterson can hold an 80-pound dumbbell in each hand and make a standing jump to the top of a 36-inch wooden box.
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Clint Stitser, kicker, Fresno State: Stitser is not your average place kicker. “He’s above most linebackers,” says Fresno State strength coach Andy Bennett. The 6-1, 202-pounder power cleans 341 and hang cleans 357. Best of all, Stitser proves to be quite the motivator for teammates. “Guys are thinking, ‘Damn the kicker’s stronger than I am. I better get after it,’” Bennett says.
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Brock Pasteur, OL, Nebraska: A former JC transfer, Pasteur didn’t play in '05, but he is being counted on this fall after redshirting. The 6-6, 290-pounder is a horse and strength certainly won’t be an issue. Pasteur, who has benched as much as 545 pounds, lettered three times at University High in Orlando as a weight lifter.
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Hugh Charles, TB, Colorado: The diminutive speedster, a 4.37 40 guy, figures to be a building block for new coach Dan Hawkins. The 5-8, 185-pound junior, who also is a jumper on the CU track team, benches 405, squats 510 and has a 40?-inch vertical.
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Richuel Massey, RB, SMU: Talk about r?sum?s, the 5-11, 215-pound Massey actually won the Texas state power lifting championship in the 220-pound weight class as a high school junior. He also set state power lifting records in his weight class in the squat (700), bench (425) and deadlift (675).
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Andy Alleman, RG, Akron: The one-time Pitt Panther D-lineman was an anchor on a front wall that enabled the Zips to become just the 31st team in NCAA history to boast a 1,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard receiver and 1,000-yard rusher in a season. The 6-4, 285-pounder benches 430, squats 570 and power cleans 370. He has blossomed into a legit NFL prospect. “Timing wise I want to be among the top five in the country by next spring [in preparation for the 2007 NFL draft],” says Alleman, who is running a 4.9 40 these days.
Just Missed the Cut: Xavier Carter, WR, LSU; Thomas Brown, RB, Georgia; Trai Williams, OG, Kentucky; Ted Ginn Jr., WR-KR, Ohio State; Jamaal Charles, RB Texas; Craig Stevens, TE, Cal; Zach Smith, LB, Duke; Troy Kropog, OL, Tulane; Eddie Royal, WR, Virginia Tech.
(Editor’s note: A player’s class standing in the list refers to his status for the 2006 season.)
That is a very interesting article. I think strength coaches today are working hard at finding ways to minimize all the knee injuries, that occur during football games and practices. Im not so sure that doing too much sguatting isnt one of those reasons for the knee injuries. It seems to make sense to try and use plyometrics when working the lower parts of the body and maybe still train the upper body using specific weight training movements.
A interesting strength feat I wish I could’ve witnessed: prior to Barry Sanders’ 1988 Heisman season, he would squat with 585, ass below parallel, for EASY sets of 8 at a bodyweight of 195. While they never had him max-out due to fear of injury, it was common belief that he could’ve got 700+ up. His thighs were/are huge. He doesn’t lift seriously anymore and when I saw him last year he still had tree trunks for legs.
It just goes to show , that there truly are “natural freaks”, among us. I just wish I was one of them…
The articles on Syracuse and TCU’s offseason workouts were pretty good as well.
I’m interested to see the article on Double P that comes out today as well.
My brother-in-law who’s a Penn State grad doesn’t believe their S&C coach is a problem.
Although I do.
Richuel Massey should just become a world class powerlifter now!
[quote]SLERG wrote:
That is a very interesting article. I think strength coaches today are working hard at finding ways to minimize all the knee injuries, that occur during football games and practices. Im not so sure that doing too much sguatting isnt one of those reasons for the knee injuries. It seems to make sense to try and use plyometrics when working the lower parts of the body and maybe still train the upper body using specific weight training movements. [/quote]
I had to read that like three times before I realised what you were saying. I don’t want no double negatives.
That said, I find plyometrics put way more stress on my joints than the wide stance squats I normally do. Also outside of maybe Mike Tyson I’ve never seen people get big off of plyometrics.
“Hard Work Beats Talent When Talent Doesn’t Work Hard!”
LMAO - whole article, reeks of no pain, no gain! Nothing but a drill Sargent
you either have to be on drugs or a freak to make progress on that crap
2 hour conditioning session, followed by weights? WTF
[quote]OKLAHOMA STATE wrote:
A interesting strength feat I wish I could’ve witnessed: prior to Barry Sanders’ 1988 Heisman season, he would squat with 585, ass below parallel, for EASY sets of 8 at a bodyweight of 195. While they never had him max-out due to fear of injury, it was common belief that he could’ve got 700+ up. His thighs were/are huge. He doesn’t lift seriously anymore and when I saw him last year he still had tree trunks for legs. [/quote]
I’d like to see that on video to verify, otherwise I don’t belive it. You mean he can beat elite olylifters on drugs who squat everyday and twice a day just about, and it’s pretty much their job, and they don’t do football conditioning work or have to runa round much
Before you talk about Barry Sanders, you need to realize that he, along with men like Jordan, Bonds, Gretzky, and Jerry Rice, are in the top .00001% gene pool for athletics. They are beyond freaks. These men are the best in the world at what they do. What the above poster wrote about Sanders doesn’t surprise me one bit because I understand his God-given ability is so great so nothing athletically he could do (within reason) would surprise me.
[quote]CoolColJ wrote:
OKLAHOMA STATE wrote:
A interesting strength feat I wish I could’ve witnessed: prior to Barry Sanders’ 1988 Heisman season, he would squat with 585, ass below parallel, for EASY sets of 8 at a bodyweight of 195. While they never had him max-out due to fear of injury, it was common belief that he could’ve got 700+ up. His thighs were/are huge. He doesn’t lift seriously anymore and when I saw him last year he still had tree trunks for legs.
I’d like to see that on video to verify, otherwise I don’t belive it. You mean he can beat elite olylifters on drugs who squat everyday and twice a day just about, and it’s pretty much their job, and they don’t do football conditioning work or have to runa round much[/quote]
You know there was a video with Barry Squatting and the dude could move some weight. I dont doubt he could workout with well over 500. What, u think Barry was clean?
I read that his 1RM at that time was 600lbs
and he was much lighter back then, over triple bodyweight fullsquat is plenty elite level already at that kind of bodyweight!
Don’t think he would be doing sets of 8 with 585lbs unless they were halfsquats…
Ahhh, this explains it. I remember watching his run with my jaw on the floor trying to figure out if he was just really fast or the Georgia back 7 was real slow.
And pound for pound Barry is the greatest RB ever, even if he could only squat 600 something.
“you either have to be on drugs or a freak to make progress on that crap. 2 hour conditioning session, followed by weights? WTF”
Those sessions only last about an hour. I played ball my freshmen year of college at Oklahoma State. We would do conditioning 4 days a morning at 6 AM for a hour and then lift either in the morning or afternoons depending on class schedules. All of the conditioning drills are anaerobic. I was not a genetic freak and my gained weight and srength.
Regarding Barry, yes, he did have a triple-bodyweight plus squat. I stand by my claim- he was squatting 585 (at least to parralel, if not below)with ease for sets as a 195-pounder. If you ever saw him in khaki pants you would understand. His legs are HUGE.
My best friend in high school squatted 445 (parallel) at a bodyweight of 158. Almost triple-bodyweight. He wasn’t on drugs.
ColJ, don’t be a jealous hater just because you aren’t in the same league as a lot of great athletes.
BTW, Barry Sanders was clean.
Not hating but I don’t believe half the bullsh*t I hear on the net these days without a video to back it up
and usually when there is a video the form isn’t exactly what I call a fullsquat either…
There are probbaly only a handful of SHW olylifters that can fullsquat that kind of weight for those reps, and those guys live and breathe squats. Let alone a 200lb or less lifter.
if you believe football player clean numbers then, elite level olylifters should hang their head in shame 