Campus Recreation hosted its edition of the “NFL Combine” on October 5 at the IM Building’s indoor turf.

The program featured four tests of physical ability: a bench press, 40-yard dash, 5-10-5 agility test, and a long jump. For the winners of each event, prizes included bookstore gift cards, t-shirts, and, of course, major bragging rights.

Feeling especially athletic and ambitious, our staffers and photographers were on site to complete and capture the challenges. Staffers Michael Siroty and Mitchell Corcoran participated in the events and put their skills to the test for the honor of the blog.

The long jump was first up for the NFL prospects. Mitchell went first and completed with an impressive 84 inches. Then, it was Michael’s turn, and he narrowly won out with an 85-inch jump.

Next, putting them to the speed test, was the 40-yard dash.

Mitchell ended with a 5.55-second time, just barely beating out Michael’s 5.60 personal best. The competition was close!

The bench press was the next challenge for our staffers, which none of the participants seemed particularly excited about. The weights came in at 185 pounds for male participants and 90 pounds for female combine attendees.

Mitchell put up an Onward State team-high of two reps of 185.

Michael humbly chose to take the L and instead focused on form and reps with the 90-pound bar, ending with a respectable 18 reps. It’s always good to know your limits.

One participant chose to compete wearing one of the newest trends in athletic wear: a banana costume. The Steelers could use him on the offensive line.

The final test for our brave staffers was the 5-10-5 agility test. Participants were required to sprint between three cones, demonstrating their ability to change direction on a dime.

Mitchell finished with a 5.46s on both attempts. Michael finished with a high score of 5.40s, showing his ability to serve as an elite running back for your fantasy team.

Overall, the rookies’ performances didn’t win first place, but the most important thing was that they had fun. The event was a success, even if there are no bragging rights to the Onward State name just yet.