Height: 6'4"
Weight: 220 (approximately)
Position: Middle Linebacker
College: Kent State
Drafted: 2nd Round
Everyone knows Lambert as an intimidating Pittsburgh Steelers' middle linebacker. However, most underestimate his athleticism. Lambert earned 9 high school letters in football, basketball and baseball. He averaged a double/double in basketball (18 points and 13 points). He was a baseball catcher who might have had professional potential. Lambert was a quarterback and defensive back in high school. He had only one college scholarship offer (Kent State). Lambert spent many summers on his grandfather's farm performing farm chores
Lambert was credited with transforming the Middle Linebacker position due to his mobility and ability to cover the field.
Lambert made 9 Pro-Bowl teams in 11 seasons, was NFL Defensive Player of the Year once and had 28 career interceptions. He was admitted to the Hall of Fame in 1990.
(Sources: Zimmerman P., A Rose by any Other Name, Sports Illustrated Article, July 30, 1984; Wilkipedia.org)
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Football Work to Rest Ratios and Conditioning
When I was a high school and college football player, we tested in the "12 mile run". We ran as far as we could in 12 minutes. In light of what we know about football demands and the specificity concept, does the "12 minute run" really make sense? A 2006 study gives us great insight on this issue.
The study timed work (how long the play lasted) to rest (time between plays) ratios for high school, college and pro games.
The average high school play from scrimmage lasts about 5.6 seconds. The average recovery period between these plays is about 31 seconds. The high school work to rest ratio is about 1:5. The average high school drive takes about 6.7 plays. So in an average high school football drive, about 37 seconds of live action occurs. There are about 11 drives in an average high school football game. So that is a total of 6 minutes and 47 seconds of live action for a player (assuming the player is not playing both ways).
The average college play lasts about 5.5 seconds with a recovery average of about 34 seconds. The college work to rest ratio is about 1:6. The average college football drive takes about 6.3 plays. So in an average college football drive about 35 seconds of live action occurs. With an average of 13.8 series per game, the average college football player would see just under 8 minutes of live action.
The average NFL play lasts about 5.5 seconds with a 35 second recovery period. The NFL work to rest ratio is about 1:7. With an average of about 8 plays per drive, the average NFL drive will last about 44 seconds. With an average of about 11.7 series per NFL game, an NFL player will see about 8.6 minutes of live action during an entire game.
If the average football play lasts about 5 seconds of all-out effort followed by 30 something seconds to recover, it does not make sense to run twelve minutes (which is 144 x5) at a relative slow pace to train for the sport.
Without even beginning a discussion of energy systems, the demands of an average football game make clear the twelve minute run is not a good football test. In light of the specificity concept, which states an athlete must train near the sport's demands in order to improve performance, jogging and football seem a poorly matched pair.
I will discuss the interference effect (another problem associated with jogging and football training) in another post.
Rhea, M.R., R.L. Hunter, and T.J. Hunter. Competition
modeling of American football: Observational data and implications
for high school, collegiate, and professional player conditioning.
J. Strength Cond. Res. 20(1):58–61. 2006.
The study timed work (how long the play lasted) to rest (time between plays) ratios for high school, college and pro games.
The average high school play from scrimmage lasts about 5.6 seconds. The average recovery period between these plays is about 31 seconds. The high school work to rest ratio is about 1:5. The average high school drive takes about 6.7 plays. So in an average high school football drive, about 37 seconds of live action occurs. There are about 11 drives in an average high school football game. So that is a total of 6 minutes and 47 seconds of live action for a player (assuming the player is not playing both ways).
The average college play lasts about 5.5 seconds with a recovery average of about 34 seconds. The college work to rest ratio is about 1:6. The average college football drive takes about 6.3 plays. So in an average college football drive about 35 seconds of live action occurs. With an average of 13.8 series per game, the average college football player would see just under 8 minutes of live action.
The average NFL play lasts about 5.5 seconds with a 35 second recovery period. The NFL work to rest ratio is about 1:7. With an average of about 8 plays per drive, the average NFL drive will last about 44 seconds. With an average of about 11.7 series per NFL game, an NFL player will see about 8.6 minutes of live action during an entire game.
If the average football play lasts about 5 seconds of all-out effort followed by 30 something seconds to recover, it does not make sense to run twelve minutes (which is 144 x5) at a relative slow pace to train for the sport.
Without even beginning a discussion of energy systems, the demands of an average football game make clear the twelve minute run is not a good football test. In light of the specificity concept, which states an athlete must train near the sport's demands in order to improve performance, jogging and football seem a poorly matched pair.
I will discuss the interference effect (another problem associated with jogging and football training) in another post.
Rhea, M.R., R.L. Hunter, and T.J. Hunter. Competition
modeling of American football: Observational data and implications
for high school, collegiate, and professional player conditioning.
J. Strength Cond. Res. 20(1):58–61. 2006.
Does the NFL Combine accurately predict NFL success for Skill Players?
Over 300 aspiring NFL football players recently completed the NFL combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. Players complete a variety of tests in the hope of impressing NFL teams and receiving big pay days after being drafted.
A recent study asked whether the NFL Combine was an accurate method to predict football success for quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers. 10, 20 and 40 yard dashes, vertical jump, broad jump, bench press, 20 and 60 yard shuttle runs, cone drill, and the Wonderlic Test were are all assessed against NFL success.
Success was determined by considering draft order, games played, salary and one position specific variable from 1999-2004.
The authors concluded combine performance did not predict success for QBs or WRs.
Sprinting performance was a good predictor for RBs, but no other test was a good predictor of NFL success.
Bottom Line: The combine testing process is a poor predictor of NFL success for skill players.
Kuzmits FE, Adams A., The NFL Combine: Does it Predict Success in the NFL?, J. Strength Cond Res, 22(6):1721-1727, 2008,
A recent study asked whether the NFL Combine was an accurate method to predict football success for quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers. 10, 20 and 40 yard dashes, vertical jump, broad jump, bench press, 20 and 60 yard shuttle runs, cone drill, and the Wonderlic Test were are all assessed against NFL success.
Success was determined by considering draft order, games played, salary and one position specific variable from 1999-2004.
The authors concluded combine performance did not predict success for QBs or WRs.
Sprinting performance was a good predictor for RBs, but no other test was a good predictor of NFL success.
Bottom Line: The combine testing process is a poor predictor of NFL success for skill players.
Kuzmits FE, Adams A., The NFL Combine: Does it Predict Success in the NFL?, J. Strength Cond Res, 22(6):1721-1727, 2008,
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