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NFL Players Performance Analysis

Value Of The NFL Combine

Looking to have your client rise up on Mel Kiper’s Big Board? Hoping to prevent him from falling to the 6th round? Realize the importance of the NFL combine.

This year, 327 players have been invited to Indianapolis, which is where the combine is held every year.

There are 3 activities in particular that stick out at the NFL combine. It would be important to make sure that your client is prepared to take on all 3 highly visible sections:

1) 225-pound bench press (# of reps)

2) 40-yard dash (amount of seconds it takes)

3) Wonderlic test (23 minute, 50-question exam)

Vince Young was in the paper for a long time after the combine for his terrible performance on the Wonderlic test last year. He has obviously made up for his score with his performance so far for the Tennessee Titans; however, the initial bad publicity could have caused him to drop in last year’s draft.

There are many companies that specialize in preparing players for the NFL combine. If you represent a player who has been invited to the combine, it may be worth your while to enroll your client with one of the companies. A simple Google search led me to programs such as Xplosive Speed, IKEI Performance, and Cris Carter’s FAST Program.

Some players opt out of the combine and decide to limit the showing off of their skills to pro day workouts at college campuses across the country. Brady Quinn and JaMarcus Russell have decided to take such a path [Pasquarelli: Quinn confused by plunging stock]. The top 3 quarterbacks in each draft often refuse to perform at the combine [Clayton: Russell makes a big impression].

Realize the importance of the combine, and make sure that if your client is prepared to raise his stock if he is lucky enough to be invited.

-Darren Heitner

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

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