INDIANAPOLIS — For the first time ever, fans are able to watch the bench press at the NFL Combine. It’s yet another way the NFL is trying to welcome fans into the game with a closer view of the player experience, though it appears it may be a mixed bag for the players.
The NFL let fans in to watch the combine and it’s causing problems for players
In addition to the usual poking and prodding, players at the combine are having to deal with spectators bothering them too.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
On Friday, Washington State wide receiver Gabe Marks was asked what it felt like for fans watching the players during their big NFL audition.
“I don’t know, man,” he said. “The whole cattle thing, with you standing in line with the compression shorts on and you, like, stand up there and people, like, touch you and stuff. And the bench press in front of people, it’s like…I don’t know.
“I mean, I guess it’s part of the experience,” Marks continued. “If there wasn’t cameras, there wouldn’t be a thing. It would just be bench press and then we go do the next thing, but NFL Network has this whole thing.”
Friday, Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram appeared to have a particularly difficult time with the setup:
Throughout media interviews with NFL Combine participants, the bench press sessions were clearly heard. The coach spotting the athlete on the bench shouted, but the crowds, which varied in size, got loud at times.
Other players at the combine didn’t seem to view it in the same way as Marks had, and they didn’t take issue with the spectators.
UConn wideout Noel Thomas said, “It’s a little different trying to get acclimated to it.” However, Thomas conceded there was “a little bit” of a cattle call vibe to it.
Ricky Seals-Jones of Texas A&M said, “It doesn’t bother me. I mean at the same time, it’s a different atmosphere than what we’re used to. But I think if you’ve been training and doing what you’re supposed to do, you can go out anywhere.”
He added, “This right here is just a couple hundred people; a lot of us are used to playing in sold out stadiums. But it’s a little different when you have on gear playing with 22 people on the field.”
Alabama receiver ArDarius Stewart relayed a similar message.
“You gotta be used to the fans being out there and doing things,” Stewart said. “In this football industry, we’re also entertainers, so it’s something you have to be ready for.”
It’s the first year fans can experience the NFL Combine in such a capacity, and a hiccup shouldn’t be a surprise. Overall, it seemed that players didn’t mind. If more cases like Engram’s happen, perhaps the NFL will have to take the access away from fans.
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