Five Nittany Lions from the 2014 squad are currently at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
They’re trying to make their mark, hoping to earn a spot in this spring’s NFL Draft. In part, their Indy numbers will write their future story.
Dozens of Penn Staters have preceded them at the NFL annual’s meat market … er, job fair.
And who among them have been Penn State’s Combine Lion kings?
That would have to be Allen Robinson (2014), Tim Shaw (2007) and Omar Easy (2002).
Those three are the only Nittany Lions who are in the school’s Top 10 list for NFL Combine scores in four separate events, dating back to 1999, when complete stats were recorded.
And the best showing in a single combine test by a Nittany Lion? Easy (and we don’t mean Omar). The answer is Cameron Wake in 2005 and Justin King in 2008.
Wake’s jump of 45.5 inches in 2005 is No. 2 in NFL Combine history, a mere half-inch behind the 46-inch mark set by North Carolina’s Gerald Sensabaugh. (Wake was known as Derek at PSU.) King’s 4.31 electronically-time 40-yard dash in 2008 ranks No. 14 in the 40 since electronic timing was implemented in 2000. (BTW: King is the stepson of Terry Smith, a current Penn State assistant coach.)
MR. ROBINSON’S NEIGHBORHOOD
Robinson’s 2014 Combine performance led to the Jacksonsville Jaguars drafting him in the second round of last year’s draft and 61st overall.
Here’s a breakdown of what A-Rob did: His 10-foot, 7-inch broad jump tied King’s 2008 effort and fell just three inches short of the best-ever Combine broad jump by a Penn Stater, by Wake in 2005. Robinson’s 4.00-second time in the 20-yard shuttle is second only to Rich Gardner’s 3.92 in 2004. Robinson’s 39-inch vertical jump was the fourth-best by a Penn Stater at the Combine, while his three-cone time of 7.0 seconds is tied for 10th-fastest by a Nittany Lion. A-Rob also had a 4.60 in the 40-yard dash.
Robinson’s 2014 performance is among the three best in PSU history. In 2005, Wake ran a 4.65 40, had 20 reps, a shuttle run of 4.13 seconds and a three-cone time of 7.12 seconds, to go with his 45.5-inch vertical jump and his 10-10 broad jump. Wake played several years in Canada, before moving to the NFL, where he’s become one of the league’s top sack specialists with the Miami Dolphins. King had 14 reps, a 34-inch vertical leap and a 7.14-second cone score in addition to his 4.31 40 and 10-7 broad jump.
PENN STATE’S NFL COMBINE RANKINGS
Below are the best Combine results recorded by Penn Staters since 1999, adapted and updated from rankings I first did in February 2014. Wake is No. 1 on two lists, while King has a No. 1 and a No. 2. In addition to strong performances by Shaw and Easy, Rich Gardner (2004) and Chaz Powell (2012) were Combine stars. Both are in Penn State’s Top 10 in three tests.
1.) 40-YARD DASH
1. Justin King (2008), 4.31 seconds
2. Deon Butler (2009), 4.38
3. Chaz Powell (2012), 4.42
4. (tie) Rich Gardner (2004) and Derek Moye (2012), 4.46
6. Lydell Sargeant (2009), 4.49
7. Tim Shaw (2007), 4.51
8. (tie) Omar Easy (2002) and Bruce Branch (2009), 4.53
NFL Combine record: electronically-timed — 4.24, Chris Johnson of East Carolina in 2008; hand-timed — 4.12, Bo Jackson of Auburn in 1986.
2.) BENCH PRESS – REPETITIONS WITH 225-POUND WEIGHT
1. A.Q. Shipley (2009), 33
2. (tie) Stefen Wisniewski (2011) and John Urschel (2014), 30
4. (tie) Levi Brown (2007) and Johnnie Troutman (2012), 31
6. (tie) Jordan Hill (2013) and Michael Mauti (2013), 28
8. Matt Stankiewitch (2013), 27
9. (tie) Tim Shaw (2007), Gerald Cadogan (2009), Navorro Bowman (2010) and Jared Odrick (2010), 26
NFL Combine record: 51 reps, Justin Earnest, Eastern Kentucky, 2011.
3.) VERTICAL LEAP
1. Cameron Wake (2005), 45.5 inches
2. Chris Harrell (2006), 40.5
3. Omar Easy (2002), 40
4. Allen Robinson (2014), 39
5. Aaron Maybin (2009), 38
6. (tie) David Macklin (2000) and Sean Lee (2010), 37.5
8. (tie) Joe Nastasi (1999) and Paul Posluszny (2007), 37
10. (tie) Rich Gardner (2004) and Tim Shaw (2010), 36.5
NFL Combine record: 46 inches, Gerald Sensabaugh, North Carolina, 2005.
4.) BROAD JUMP
1. Cameron Wake (2005), 10 feet, 10 inches
2. (tie) Justin King (2008) and Allen Robinson (2014), 10-7
4. Aaron Maybin (2009), 10-4
5. (tie) Omar Easy (2002) and Rich Gardner (2004), 10-3
7. Chaz Powell (2012), 10-1
8. (tie) David Macklin (2000), Calvin Lowry (2006) and Sean Lee (2010), 10-0
NFL Combine record: 11-7, Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech, 2007; and Jamie Collins, Southern Miss, 2013.
5.) 20-YARD SHUTTLE
1. Rich Gardner (2004), 3.92 seconds
2. Allen Robinson (2014), 4.00
3. Joe Nastasi (1999), 4.06
4. Josh Hull (2010), 4.07
5. David Macklin (2000), 4.09
6. Justin Kurpeikis (2001), 4.10
7. (tie) Omar Easy (2002) and Tim Shaw (2007), 4.12
9. (tie) Cameron Wake (2005) and Chris Harrell (2006), 4.13
NFL Combine record: 3.73, Kevin Kasper, Iowa, 2001.
6.) THREE-CONE DRILL
1. Justin Kurpeikis (2001), 6.82
2. (tie) Chaz Powell (2012) and Nathan Stupar (2012), 6.84
4. Josh Hull (2010), 6.86
5. David Macklin (2000), 6.90
6. (tie) Rich Gardner (2004) and NaVorro Bowman (2010), 6.91
7. Paul Posluszny (2007), 6.94
8. (tie) Lydell Sargeant (2009) and Allen Robinson (2014), 7.0
NFL Combine record: 6.42, Jeff Maehl, Oregon, 2011.
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