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2/25/2006, 07:39 PM
College football's top workout freaks
posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 | Feedback
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.
1. 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.
2. 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."
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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 40¾-inch vertical.
9. Richuel Massey, RB, SMU: Talk about résumés, 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).
10. 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.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=feldman_bruce&month=2&year=2006
posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 | Feedback
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.
1. 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.
2. 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."
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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 40¾-inch vertical.
9. Richuel Massey, RB, SMU: Talk about résumés, 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).
10. 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.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=feldman_bruce&month=2&year=2006