Impressive Young Man

[Slatts]

Not a question, but some supporting evidence that the best athletes go into sports that pay rather than Olympic lifting.

There's a young man at my YMCA that is graduating HS now and is going to play football in college. He's about 5-11, 195 and he plays tailback. I've been talking to him a bit and he does squats to depth, heavy power cleans, and then a lot of speed work in between sets using rope, box jumps etc... His focus is extremely high and he works damn hard. He gets his programming from his older brother who plays wide receiver in the NFL.

A couple of weeks ago I watched him squat 475 to depth with good form and speed, in running shoes. And I think he can run a 4.5/40. It's humbling thing to watch what hard/smart work and genetics can produce at such a young age. I feel pretty confident that we'll be watching him play on Sundays in a few years and, of course, not see him at a lifting competition.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Guys like this are quite uncommon. I wish we had access to him.

[Mike C]

Guys like this are quite uncommon. I wish we had access to him.

Move to LA...they grow on trees out here. My buddy was a football coach at West LA and was recruiting absolute beasts out of high schools around here - and those are the guys that had to go to community college for whatever reason (actually not that uncommon a route among NFL players).

[Mac Ward]

- and those are the guys that had to go to community college for whatever reason (actually not that uncommon a route among NFL players).

More playing time.

[LimieJosh]

More playing time.

More likely academic ineligibility

[Mike C]

More likely academic ineligibility

nailed it