David Buehler is a Pretty Strong Dude

Every year, the top NFL Draft prospects ascend on Indianapolis in the middle of February for the NFL Combine. I know they should have made it in Miami or Los Angeles. But even with the challenge of spending a few days in Indiana in the middle of winter, these former college stars still must undertake many challenges before they can be drafted in April. These future millionaires take a Wonderlic Test, interview with several teams, and perform various physical tests such as the 40-yard dash in the hopes of impressing the scouts and improving their draft stock.

But what you might be surprised to learn about the combine is the fact that even kickers, punters, and long snappers, get invited to the event. Yes, because Adam Vinatieri’s 40-yard dash time and bench results are a clear indicator of his ability to kick game-winning field goals in the Super Bowl.

Typically, very few people actually pay attention to the performance of kickers at the combine due to the fact that scouts typically use calenders to track their “blazing” speed. However, that has not been the case with former USC kicker David Buehler. In fact quite a few people are actually taking note of Buehler, whose performance last Weekend might have been the greatest physical display of any kicker in the history of the combine.

That is because the 6’2” kicker from Southern California bench pressed 225 lbs. 25 times and ran a 4.6 40-yard dash. To put that into perspective, his bench press bettered 27 offensive linemen, including Ole Miss’s Michael Oher and Virginia’s Eugene Monroe. Even the great Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitas benched just 225 lbs. 22 times, three less than Buehler.

I don’t think it would be a stretch to say that USC has a pretty good strength and conditioning coach.