Are You a Pro- Level Athlete? The NFL Scouting Combine Tests
Do you ever wonder how your athleticism stacks up against the NFL players you watch on the field every Sunday? Well, it’s actually not too hard to find out. Every spring, the top prospects for the NFL draft participate in the scouting combine, where they perform tests in front of representatives from every team. The tests cover speed, strength, endurance, and explosiveness. You can easily replicate these tests and see how you compare to some of the world’s best athletes. The 40-yard dash, which is exactly what it sounds like, is a test of raw speed. The 40 is the headline event of the combine, and a player’s draft stock can rise and fall based on a few tenths of a second.
L, each five yards apart. Run from the first to the second and back, touching the ground as you reach each cone. Run back to cone two, turn right, and weave in between cones two and three. Then turn around the last cone and sprint back to the start, making a 90-degree turn around cone two. The shuttle drill tests lateral quickness and acceleration. Starting in a three-point stance (one hand on the ground), sprint five yards to the right, then 10 yards to the left, placing a hand on the ground at each stopping point. Finish with a five- yard sprint back to the starting line. The bench press highlights strength and endurance. At the combine, players are tasked with lifting 225 pounds as many times as they can. You can choose a weight that you feel
comfortable with, and make sure you have a spotter on hand.
The vertical and broad jumps measure the height and length of your jump, respectively. To find your vertical, reach your hand as high as you can to get a baseline measurement. Jump as high as you can from a standstill, reaching your hand up again. The difference between these heights will determine your vertical. The broad jump is a standing long jump. The difference between the start line and your heels at landing will give you your score.
The 3-cone drill gauges change of direction. To perform it, set up three cones in the shape of an You can perform these tests regularly to measure your progress. It’s a fun way to see how you stack up against your friends — and the pros. To see the best combine results, check out nfl.com/combine/ top-performers. The Law Is Not Enough
Underinsured Motorists Pose Risk to Your Health and Finances
Want to make smart investment in your future? Add uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to your vehicle insurance policy. Yes, you’ll pay a couple dozen bucks more a month. But let’s talk about what that money buys you in our great state of Massachusetts. In our state, drivers are only required to have $20,000 per-person insurance, with a $40,000 limit on all payments from a single accident. That means that if you’re hit by someone carrying only the legally required insurance, the most you’ll get is $40,000. What if you’re taking the kids to soccer practice? Will that be enough to pay for the medical bills of everyone in the car?
drivers are hard to sue successfully and even harder to get money out of, if they even have any money worth taking. Furthermore, a protracted legal battle is much more aggravating than an insurance claim. And if you need money now (say, for medical bills), it’s not the way to go. As personal injury attorneys, we regularly make claims against our client’s uninsured/underinsured policies, often enough to tell you that if you don’t have this coverage, you need it. Uninsured/underinsured coverage also helps you in case of a hit-and-run, where the at-fault driver flees the scene and cannot be tracked down. You can effectively triple or even quadruple the money available to you after an accident by only spending a few more dollars a month.
Of course it won’t. So, what are your options? You can always sue in civil court, but I have to be honest: Unlike businesses and other entities, at-fault
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