Toughness Predicts Performance In College Football

A premium college football player is estimated to generate over $1 million for his program, so optimal player assessment and selection are paramount. Lean body mass, back squat, and vertical jump have been the most predictive physical test scores, but such metrics typically account for less than 10% of variance in football performance. NFL scouts have tended to rely on vertical jump, 40-yard dash, and 20-yard shuttle scores, but reliance on none of the physical tests conducted at the NFL Combine was predictive of team success. Dr. Tom Osborne suggested the Performance Index for interpreting physical performance metrics, but insisted that psychological attributes such as toughness were equally important to his evaluation process. Toughness can be characterized as the ability to cope with stressors more effectively, and is measured in this program of research by examining cortisol reactivity. Results from this investigation suggest that cortisol reactivity may capture a distinctive attribute of players and predict on-field performance better than many individual physical performance variables that have traditionally been used to predict performance in college football.