Schwartz: TEST Football Academy In New Jersey Prepares NFL Draft Prospects
By Peter Schwartz
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There are plenty of football fanatics that love to watch the scouting combine every year to get a glimpse of the prospects that are available in the NFL draft. The players go through a series of on-field drills as they strut their stuff in front of all 32 NFL teams.
Many of these players will also go through a Pro Day, where they once again try to impress NFL general managers, coaches and scouts. The goal is to improve where they go in the draft, and in some cases ensure that they just get selected.
For a lot of players, the road to the draft starts at the TEST Football Academy in Martinsville, N.J. The facility has trained and prepared a number of familiar names, including Jets linebacker Demario Davis, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco and Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson.
The athletes go through a very structured program.
"TEST takes a meticulous approach to medical and functional assessments," said TEST CEO Kevin Dunn. "TEST has a major focus on the mental preparation of players and puts them through every possible scenario they will experience the day of their Pro Day."
TEST has gained a reputation as one of the best facilities in the country for preparing for the combine and Pro Days. For many current NFL players -- including Jets tight end Jeff Cumberland -- the facility also serves as an offseason training home.
As far as prepping for the draft, a player will work six days a week at the TEST academy with each day focusing on a different aspect of the program. A typical day will feature breakfast and supplements, a speed session, lunch, strength training, drills with former players and some well-deserved time in the hot and cold tubs.
Former NFL tackle Geir Gudmundsen did his combine prep at TEST and now serves as the facility's director of football operations. Ten years later, the process of preparing a player has changed significantly.
"NFL teams are going to look at all aspects of a player's on and off-the-field issues under the microscope," said Gudmundsen, who was a member of TEST's first-ever draft class. "Teams are investing in these athletes and want to make sure that there is no stone unturned. We make sure to prepare our athletes for everything they might go through."
Among the unique aspects of TEST are heart rate monitors that track a player's pulse, calories burned and performance percentage. The facility also uses power training equipment, and a coach's eye on iPads which gets streamed to a television and provides on-the-spot film review.
"TEST has one of the most advanced training facilities in the country, which draws players from coast to coast," said Dunn. "All of this leads to the building of bigger, stronger, and faster athletes, so that they can shine on their Pro Day."
Flacco is an example of a player who improved his draft stock by using TEST. After a brilliant career at Delaware, Flacco used the TEST facility in advance of the 2008 NFL Draft, and it paid off big time. He put up a 4.27 20-yard shuttle at the combine, with was the second-best mark among the quarterback class. He also turned in the best score in the three-cone drill with a 6.82.
"Joe came to TEST Football Academy and went right to work," said Gudmunson. "We made sure to work on his weaknesses and make them strengths. His steady demeanor and his work ethic helped him with all of the question marks he might have had pre-draft."
TEST also points to a pair of players in the 2014 Draft that used the facility to better their position.
Patriots defensive back and former Rutgers player Duron Harmon was taken in the third round, and had the game-clinching interception in the AFC championship. Dolphins defensive end Terrence Fede had to overcome the stigma of playing at a small school and was taken in the seventh round, becoming the first Marist player ever to be selected in the draft.
"Yes, he was from a smaller school, but his dominance in his game film opened some eyes," said Gudmunson. "Scouts saw some raw potential, so ultimately we wanted to put that potential on display."
Just getting into the program is no easy task. TEST only accepts up to 24 athletes into its group so each player gets the individual attention he deserves. Players get referred to the academy from the alumni that previously went through the system. Over the years, TEST has built a very good reputation for getting players ready for the draft.
"The team we have built is unique and has the very best our industry can offer," said Dunn. "The respect we offer to the agents we decide to work with is unmatched. We offer the truth. It is important to tell the agent what they need to hear about their players, rather than what they want to hear. With that honesty, you build trust."
The path to the NFL is a long and winding road. Many kids playing youth football don't even get the chance to play in high school. Not every high-school player gets to play in college. For those who do get to play college football, only a select few get taken in the NFL draft.
There can be a fine line in determining what round a player gets taken in, and there is also a battle among players to simply get their name called in the NFL draft.
For some players waiting to hear their names called, their fates are determined by how they prepare, and it's the work that they do at the TEST Football Academy that makes a difference.
For more information on TEST, visit their website here.
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @pschwartzcbsfan. You can also follow the TEST Football Academy @TEST_Football.
