When Florida cornerback Joe Haden ran a 40-yard dash in the 4.6-second range at the scouting combine, it led to much hand-wringing: Why, everyone wanted to know, did a cornerback widely regarded as the best in college football last year run so slowly in his underwear?
The answer, Haden says, is that he had a lower back sprain.
Haden’s father, Joe Haden Sr., doubles as his personal trainer, and he says his son made a mistake by trying to tough it out with a bad back at the combine.
“We had stopped doing some of the heavier lifting, but it just stiffened up on him, one of those things,” Haden Sr. told the Palm Beach Post. “It just really affected him. I wish I had known, because I would have had him not even work out.”
If the back sprain was serious enough to slow him down, not even working out obviously would have been the right decision. And if he was going to work out with a back sprain, it would have been wise to get out word ahead of time that his back was bothering him to minimize the hand-wringing that his sub-par 40 time caused.
Frankly, it sounds like Haden could have gotten some better advice about how to approach the combine and other pre-draft workouts. Although the Palm Beach Post describes Haden Sr. as “a former semipro bodybuilder,” that doesn’t make him qualified to prepare an NFL prospect for the combine.
Mel Kiper was on ESPN Radio this morning saying that he had moved Haden down from No. 7 to No. 13 on his own mock draft after the combine, and that Haden could be available for the Steelers at No. 18 overall if he doesn’t improve his 40 time at Florida’s pro day.
That probably says more about the variability of the draft boards put together by the so-called experts than it does about how Haden’s 40 changed how NFL teams actually view him. But Haden’s 40 was a disappointment, and it’s a disappointment he’s going to need to overcome when he runs at Florida’s pro day.
The bigger question is ‘why are we still putting Mel Kiper out there as an expert?”
I don’t buy that garbage, if anything a sprained lower back would affect you greatly, but why would you even run or participate in other drills, guarantee he only runs a 4.48 at his fastest…which is still subpar.
Someone better teach this guy what injuries are ok to play through and which are not. You don’t want to lose a game cause this guy got beat for a TD cause his back (or something else) is out of whack.
You always here GMs and draftniks tell us that players have nothing to lose by working out at the combine.
Tell Joe Haden that. According to Kiper, he’s now lost millions.
excuses are like butt-holes
we all have them and they all stink
“That probably says more about the variability of the draft boards put together by the so-called experts than it does about how Haden’s 40 changed how NFL teams actually view him.”
Exactly. That’s why Helmet Hair Jr. continues to work for ESPN and has never been approached by an NFL team. Putting too much stock in anything he, or any other “draft expert”, says is foolish. The only person even worth listening to is Mayock.
The hair on my balls knows more about football than Mel Kiper does.
Here is one for you that the great Mr. Kiper does not have…… Ryan Matthews RB Fresno State= Top 12 selection. Mark that down!
Anytime an analyst cough(Mel Kiper) cough says that a prospect “throws a very catchable ball” after they are selected in the draft and said analyst is supposed to give some opinion on them, i immediately think they guy has no idea what he is saying.
what does “he throws a very catchable ball even mean?” i dont think there is a QB in the NFL that doesnt throw a catchable ball. I mean look at how catchable Favre’s were with the Jets. Even the defense liked to catch them.
Hey Iamhawk,
4.48 is not subpar, it is actually about par for CBs. I am not a huge Haden fan and this story only conforms my opinion. There is a reason I would not draft players from Florida.
Seriously, the guy is a potential top 10 pick and his dad is his trainer? I can not believe the agent was cool with that.
If Haden falls to the Steelers the draft will be a success. Get Rudy ‘Always in the way but no big play’ Gay out of there from day 1. Even if Haden is gone the CB from Boise st might still be a good pick at 18 or trade down a couple places to snag him. Besides MAYBE a OT or OG this draft will be defense-defense-defense. Well pick up a RB late but get a CB early.
If Haden falls to the Steelers the draft will be a success. Get Rudy ‘Always in the way but no big play’ Gay out of there from day 1. Even if Haden is gone the CB from Boise st might still be a good pick at 18 or trade down a couple places to snag him. Besides MAYBE a OT or OG this draft will be defense-defense-defense. Well pick up a RB late but get a CB early.
Either Haden did something incredibly stupid or this is his father’s attempt at damage control.
He’ll run at the Pro Day and he’ll run faster just like all athletes do at their Pro Days, but the real question is, is he going to be as fast as the guys that were way faster at the combine were at their Pro Days? I think not.
Ok, I think the biggest issue here is that Haden has a “lower back sprain”… is this true? A sprained back is some serious stuff… but if it is a strained back then that’s no big deal….
there is a huge difference between
a sprain (breaking of cartilage or ligament)
and a strain (slight pull of a muscle)
Haden is the only CB the Steelers will take with the 18th pic. If HAden or McClain fall to 18th then thats the pick. Other than that, its Mike Iupati, Maurkice Pouncey, Trent Williams, Brian Bulaga & CJ Spillar on Offense or Jared Odrick, Dan Williams, Sean Weatherspoon or Brandon Graham on Defense.
i could care less about speed as long as he played or plays the way he did in college!
If Haden falls, I don’t see the Niners passing him up.
4.57 isn’t a bad 40-yard dash time, especially with a back strain. But then again, who really drafts anyone for their 40-time?(Besides Al Davis)
If this is true, wouldn’t Haden have mentioned this about a week ago, maybe at the combine.