If you're even a casual follower of the NFL Scouting Combine, you're no doubt aware of John Lott, the boisterous Cardinals strength coach who has spotted combine participants during the bench press for the past 15 years.
Surprisingly, there's been a bit of a Lott backlash among some agents at the combine, according to a Tuesday report by ProFootballTalk.com.
Some agents are concerned their clients are pushed unnecessarily by Lott, with the torn pectoral muscle suffered by Iowa tackle Markus Zusevics on Friday serving as an example.
“Who cares if my guy gets 24 instead of 27 reps?” one agent told PFT. “No one has ever won a football game because of how many times a guy can lift 225 pounds with his arms.”
(Note: If done properly, the bench press primarily works chest muscles. So good stuff there, Doughy Unnamed Agent.)
We've all been to gyms where one insufferable meathead screams at another, causing you to turn up your iPod to dangerously high decibel levels. While those men are usually bouncers, erstwhile Limp Bizkit roadies, or just unemployed dudes using their girlfriend's gym membership, Lott represents a professional in matters of weight-training.
Moreover, Lott clearly cares about the well-being of the young guys at the combine, something made clear by all those awkward hugs he doles out.
The injury to Zusevics was unfortunate, but using an isolated incident to criticize Lott is just dumb.