NFL Combine: Top Special Teams Performances
By Ryan Mayer
The special teams group is among the three who will be participating in today's combine workouts and for some players, it's an opportunity to shine. As we did with both the offensive linemen and the running backs, let's look at the top performances in the drills from this position group.
Trindon Holliday, KR/PR, LSU (2010): Holliday is listed by name because he holds the records in the 40-yard dash (4.34 seconds), vertical jump (42 inches), and 3-cone drill (6.54 seconds). Holliday was known as a blazing fast returner at LSU, so his combine performance didn't come as much of a surprise. The Chargers took him in the 6th round (197th overall) before trading him to the Texans. He has bounced around to six different teams in five professional seasons. He does have four special teams touchdowns to his credit (2 punt, 2 kick), but was cut by the Raiders prior to the 2015 season.
Tyler Schmitt, LS, San Diego St. (2008): Schmitt, like Holliday, holds the record for the position group in multiple drills. He broad jumped 9'9" and ran a 4.33 in the 20-yard shuttle drill. He was drafted in the 6th round (189th overall) by Seattle, but a back injury forced him to be placed on injured reserve and was ultimately cut by the Seahawks in May of 2009.
Joe Cardona, LS, Navy (2015): Cardona was a long snapper his junior and senior seasons at the Naval Academy and chose to pursue that route in the NFL as well. At the combine, he put up 225 pounds 30 times which is the record for special teams players. He was drafted in the 5th round (166th overall) by the Patriots and served as the team's long snapper for the 2015 season, playing in all 16 games. More impressively, Cardona works for the Navy in addition to playing for the Patriots on Sundays.
Ryan Mayer is an Associate Producer for CBS Local Sports. Ryan lives in NY but comes from Philly and life as a Philly sports fan has made him cynical. Anywhere sports are being discussed, that's where you'll find him.