Why are players more athletic now than they were 20 years ago?

[CamMoon]

I'm watching the 97 Playoffs where we play Dallas in the divisional round. I haven't watched an old game in a while, and I dont think I've ever watched any NFL game in its entirety that happened to be that old.

That being said, the players look clumpy, stiff, and a heck of a lot slower than todays players. Deion Sanders is the only guy that looked like he had the speed to play in todays NFL. Visually the game just looked slower, and it dragged along. What has changed in 20 years? Note, these guys look a lot bulkier than guys today.

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[Eazy-E]

Steroids / PEDs. It's crazy how many high schoolers use them now. 

[CarolinaCoolin]

Genetics, training, knowledge in recovery, eating, sleeping habits. The science of athletics is light years head of where it was even 10 years ago. 

 

 

[iamcline]

Higher talent pool, nutrition, evolution. Little bit of everything. McDonald's.

[csx]

I don't believe they are more athletic. I think they train better and more.

Genetics haven't evolved in 20 years.

[iamcline]

13 minutes ago, csx said:

Genetics haven't evolved in 20 years.

Sure they have. Obviously not by much but if Genes haven't evolved then you wouldn't have so many players running 4.2 40s compared 20 years ago when a 4.4 was considered excellent.

[csx]

1 hour ago, iamcline said:

Sure they have. Obviously not by much but if Genes haven't evolved then you wouldn't have so many players running 4.2 40s compared 20 years ago when a 4.4 was considered excellent.

That's training. Evolution doesn't solve for making people faster. It solves for reproduction. This is what I heard an evolutionary biologist sayou when debunking the paleo diet. I don't know if it applies here but it sounds good to me.

 

But whatever it does it doesn't make football players faster in 20 years. I've taken enough science in my life to know that. These guys parents aren't out running cheetahs to fug and make football players.

[cardiackat88.]

Kinda stupid post.

Think about everything else that has advanced in the last 20 years.

[iamcline]

16 minutes ago, Hammerin'Cameron1 said:

The changes in speed may directly be associated to better workout supplenents, food and workout plan

Well sure, but not soley. Evolution is ok. It happens (and fast).

[WilmyWood]

Well sure, but not soley. Evolution is ok. It happens (and fast).

I'm watching the 97 Playoffs where we play Dallas in the divisional round. I haven't watched an old game in a while, and I dont think I've ever watched any NFL game in its entirety that happened to be that old.

That being said, the players look clumpy, stiff, and a heck of a lot slower than todays players. Deion Sanders is the only guy that looked like he had the speed to play in todays NFL. Visually the game just looked slower, and it dragged along. What has changed in 20 years? Note, these guys look a lot bulkier than guys today.

Sent from my LGLS992 using CarolinaHuddle mobile app

All those old replays are in slow motion. Duh.

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[electro's horse]

53 minutes ago, iamcline said:

Sure they have. Obviously not by much but if Genes haven't evolved then you wouldn't have so many players running 4.2 40s compared 20 years ago when a 4.4 was considered excellent.

Good god take a genetics course.

[electro's horse]

Also camera quality has improved dramatically. Lets you see things better. 

Another thing is that many of the players going around today didn't really have positions in the mid to late nineties. Due to the rules the game really favored a bigger, slower player who could take a hit. Today the game has room for lots of little tiny shifty dudes that would have been murdered twenty years ago, and secondary players have adjusted to reflect this. 

but yeah the main reason is just training. 

[iamcline]

19 minutes ago, electro's horse said:

Good god take a genetics course.

So your primary logic is camera quality?

So instead of posting your own opinion (which I see you have now done) you wanted to take a jab at me all because you don't agree with me. Ok, bud. Maybe I just read that wrong, let me get a new monitor so I can see it clearly.

[imminent rogaine]

1 hour ago, iamcline said:

Sure they have. Obviously not by much but if Genes haven't evolved then you wouldn't have so many players running 4.2 40s compared 20 years ago when a 4.4 was considered excellent.

You joking? It's not like running a 4.4 is killing people off and keeping them from spreading their seed. It's clearly training. 40 time wasn't even a measured thing that long ago. Now it is a major factor in draftability and paycheck. Players train very specifically to be good at the combine exercises for those reasons and since they put their focus there, results improve.