Combine Notes

The NFL Scouting Combine is underway in Indianapolis. (Isn't an Indiana Combine a piece of farm equipment?) One may ask: "Why is the Combine so important?" Well, in addition to being a place where NFL hopefuls can strut their stuff (or fall flat on their face) in front of all 32 teams at once, it also seems to have become almost a requirement to be a top round draft pick. Consider this:

• In the past 17 years (1988 through 2004) only 13 out of 667 total players drafted on day #1 of each year's draft did not attend that year's Combine.
• In that same 17 year period only 3 first round picks did not attend the Combine.
  
• Over the past 12 years over 95 percent of the Combine attendees have ended up in the NFL either through the draft or via the free agent route.

So, who is causing the biggest stir at the Combine? Hard to say, but former Buckeye Maurice Clarett seems to be getting a lot of attention, especially for someone who only played one year of college football (2 years ago). As much as it pains this Buckeye to say this, in Indiana (land of farms and combines), if players like Ohio State's Mike Nuggent or USC's Mike Williams are the cream of the crop, then Clarett provides the fertilizer.