I always get a kick out of the guys who haven't done shit on the field yet are combine warriors and some dumb GM drafts them 3 rounds too high because they have an impressive vertical jump. TM has to earn the trust without a doubt but he's a pure playmaker on the field. His ability to only bench 4 times could have been the result of improper nutrition that day. You also have a lot of backroom poor-mouthing in the media because some GM wants him to fall to a certain spot.
NFL.com: Former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu had a mixed NFL Scouting Combine performance. While he exceeded expectations in the interview room and on the field, Mathieu only managed an embarrassing four reps in the bench press on Monday. To his credit, the artist formerly known as "Honey Badger" realizes it's his biggest weakness. "Definitely, I want to work on my bench," Mathieu told NFL Network on Tuesday when asked which area of his game needs the most work. "I'm not one of those guys who gets stronger in the weight room. ... but it's something I will focus on going forward." Leading up to the combine, Mathieu understandably concentrated on his 40-yard dash technique and on polishing up a tarnished reputation. But now, it's apparent he needs to hit the weight room, so his body can match his reputation for toughness and physicality on the field. Perhaps most surprisingly, the under-sized playmaker revealed that NFL teams are not looking at him purely as a slot cornerback. "They basically said they want me to play on the field, whether it's nickel, whether it's outside cornerback, and the return game," Mathieu said. "But I feel like I'm an elite prospect. ... I make the same plays those bigger guys make. And I think I'm more physical than those guys." http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...nn-mathieu-knows-bench-press-needs-to-improve
TM7's official forty time.... 4.50 here's how the SEC DBs did: 4.36 -- Darius Slay, Miss State (projected 2nd-3rd Round) 4.37 -- Dee Milliner, Alabama (projected 1st Round) 4.41 -- Sanders Commings, Georgia (projected mid-to-late Rounder) 4.46 -- Shawn Williams, Georgia (projected 2nd-3rd Round) 4.50 -- TM7 4.51 -- Tharold Simon 4.53 -- Eric Reid 4.54 -- Matt Elam, Florida 4.57 -- J.J. Wilcox, Georgia 4.58 -- Josh Evans, Florida 4.61 -- Johnthan Banks, Miss State 4.66 -- Robert Lester, Alabama 4.67 -- D.J. Swearinger, South Carolina NA -- Bacarri Rambo, Georgia NFL.com: Tyrann Mathieu came to the NFL Scouting Combine with the intention of losing his "Honey Badger" moniker and proving to teams that he's not as slow as his reputation. Consider the second goal accomplished. The former LSU cornerback posted an official time of 4.50 seconds in the 40-yard dash Tuesday. That's not as quick as potential top-five draft pick Dee Milliner, but it's still fast enough for a slot cornerback like Mathieu. ... Mathieu's speedy time shows he's not a bad athlete...He received somewhat more mixed reviews in the position drills on Tuesday, but he did a terrific job catching the football. No defensive back looked more natural snatching balls out of the air. One concern for NFL teams: Mathieu was only able to bench 225 pounds four times.
Yahoo Sports: As much as Manti Te'o's workout yesterday was an unmitigated disappointment, this start for Mathieu is a major victory... Though he put up just four reps at 225 pounds in the bench press drill (most defensive backs can do at least 10 more)...Mathieu ran a 4.5 flat...He also looked smooth in the backpedal drills, turning and running quickly. In the longer rotation/catch drill, Mathieu stayed low to the ground, rotated well, and was confident enough in his ability to run to the spot of the throw to high-point both catches. All in all, not a bad little day for a guy who desperately needed a great showing.
........and running a 40 time that I could beat, being roughly 15lbs lighter and an inch shorter than advertised, being rumored to be gay and had a certifiably fake girlfriend, other than that the bench press was headline material.
it is very much a shocker, and it's the 3rd-worst bench performance by anybody at the combine since 1999 when they started keeping combine records. TM7 weighed in at 186, and even guys that are below 175 at the combine do three to four times as much. since 1999, here's what the players weighing 175 lbs or below did on the bench: 175lbs -- 17 (CB Reggie Austin, Wake Forest) -- Drafted 4th Round 175lbs -- 14 (WR Travis Benjamin, Miami) -- Drafted 4th Round 175lbs -- 13 (CB Dexter Wynn, Colorado St) -- Drafted 6th Round 174lbs -- 11 (CB Ryan Smith, Florida) -- Drafted 6th Round 173lbs -- 11 (CB Jerametrius Butler, Kansas St) -- Drafted 5th Round 172lbs -- 20 (WR Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss) -- Drafted 2nd Round 172lbs -- 14, then 17 at his Pro Day (CB Cliff Harris, Oregon) -- not drafted 172lbs -- 13 (CB Scott Starks, Wisconsin) -- Drafted 3rd Round 171lbs -- 18, then 21 at his Pro Day (CB Wilrey Fontenot, Arizona) -- Drafted 7th Round 170lbs -- 6 (CB Bruce Johnson, Miami) -- not drafted 168lbs -- 13 (CB Cedrick Williams, Kansas State) -- not drafted 166lbs -- 10 (Trindon Holliday, LSU) -- Drafted 6th Round note that the only two players to have a worse bench press than TM7 since 1999 both got drafted... Worst Bench Press Results, NFL Combine 1999-2013 (players in bold got drafted) 6 -- WR Darius Johnson, SMU, 2013 (not projected to be drafted) 6 -- WR Owen Spencer, NC State, 2011 (not drafted) 6 -- CB Rashad Holman, Louisville, 2001 (6th Round) 6 -- CB Chris McKenzie, Arizona State, 2005 (6th Round) 6 -- CB Bruce Johnson, Miami, 2009 (not drafted) 5 -- CB Demarcus Van Dyke, Miami, 2011 (3rd Round) 5 -- CB Jacoby Shepherd, Oklahoma State, 2000 (2nd Round) 5 -- FS Carl Nesmith, Kansas, 2001 (not drafted) 4 -- CB Demetrius McCray, Appy State, 2013 (projected 7th R/UDFA) 4 -- TM7 (projected mid-to-late rounds) 3 -- CB Demarcus Faggins, Kansas State, 2002 (6th Round) 2 -- CB Joshua Moore, Kansas State, 2010 (5th Round) (note: TE D.C. Jefferson, 6-6/255, only did 3 reps on the bench at the 2013 Combine before stopping due to injury, it looks like he tore his pectoral muscle)
