It’s that time of year. The NFL Scouting Combine has taken over Indianapolis once again. Blood, sweat, and tears have been shed by every athlete in preparation for this moment. Technology continues to play an increasingly important role in helping these young athletes realize their dream of getting drafted into the National Football League.
Nestled in the town of Martinsville, New Jersey is the TEST Football Academy. If you have heard of it before, then you know TEST has trained over 200 NFL draft picks since 1992. Those who have not, probably do recognize some of their alumni, including Joe Flacco, Patrick Peterson, and Demario Davis, among others.
Using special heart-rate monitors, TEST is able to track the workouts of their athletes and push them to another level of performance. A strap around their chest holds a plastic monitor that measures several key metrics, such as heart rate, performance percentage, calories burned, and several others.
“We set goals each day based on how long workouts are, how intense workouts are and we can pinpoint if we need to back down on volume of their workout if they’re overworked or sleep deprived,” Kevin Dunn, Chief Executive Officer of TEST Sports Club, told USA Today.
The data collected is then translated into easy to understand visuals. A large video board hanging on the wall at TEST displays a variety of colors, numbers, and other data measured by these heart-rate monitors. When the athletes heart-rate goes up for example, the corresponding tile on the screen changes colors to indicate the level they are at. These simple graphics allow trainers and athletes to make immediate adjustments to the workout.
“I just assumed it monitored your heart rate, but it helps with everything from recovery to diet to how hard you’re working and that alone sets the schedule for when you rest,” said an LSU fullback.
This year, 22 players worked out with TEST, four of them are in Indianapolis this week for the combine. Wide receiver Justin Hardy (East Carolina), offensive linemen Austin Shepherd (Alabama), Laurence Gibson (Virginia Tech), and Mark Glowinski (West Virginia) hope to stand out thanks to this state-of-the-art training; and turn their dreams of being drafted into a reality.