The recruiting rundown thread reminded me of something I always have floating in the back of my mind. Just how important is speed for football as it is usually measured (40 time)?
I understand that being flat out fast can certainly help, and is required at some positions, but isn't it much more important to measure change of direction and the first 3-4 steps? Yes, sometimes you have to chase down a guy across the field, but much more often you have move 2-3 steps in another direction to quickly fill a hole, not run 40 yards and catch someone.
So how do you measure this ability and compare its worth to flat out speed?
I understand that being flat out fast can certainly help, and is required at some positions, but isn't it much more important to measure change of direction and the first 3-4 steps? Yes, sometimes you have to chase down a guy across the field, but much more often you have move 2-3 steps in another direction to quickly fill a hole, not run 40 yards and catch someone.
So how do you measure this ability and compare its worth to flat out speed?
