TCU coach Gary Patterson would like to see his former players remain on campus to train for the Combine every year. Patterson said players are spending too much money to train at private facilities when they could get as good or better prep where they played collegiately.
“I think all of our guys could’ve tested a lot better,” Patterson said, via Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I think they should’ve stayed here and trained, to be honest with you. You want to know my two cents? They paid a lot of people a lot of money to not make them better.”
None of TCU’s seven Combine participants trained at the school.
It can cost up to $25,000 in training costs, housing and food at a private facility.
Hall of Famer Gil Brandt, the godfather of the Combine, mentioned Iowa offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs who had a successful Combine after training at his school. Wirfs ran a 4.85-second 40-yard dash, the best time of any offensive linemen, and his 36.5-inch vertical jump is a modern record among offensive linemen.
“We’ve had plenty of guys who trained here,” Patterson said. “We don’t charge them.”
For some players, remaining on campus makes sense. For others, training away from any possible distractions with specialized training works better.
“There’s a lot of factors,” Bobby Stroupe, who trains draft hopefuls at Athlete Performance Enhancement Center in Fort Worth, told Davison. “Does that school have the type of environment, culture and time they need to succeed in this process? What about the town and their circle of friends and any other type of distractions? There’s a lot to factor in.”
