The NFL Draft Combine began Tuesday in Indianapolis, Indiana. The best college football players are in attendance and showing off their skills to professional coaches and scouts, hoping to impress ahead of the draft. Multiple players who will take the Lucas Oil field spent the last month in Fort Myers training at X3 Performance and Physical Therapy.
X3 has been training NFL hopefuls for years in its Fort Myers facility. However, this year's class might be the best. The group is comprised of 65 players, 20 of which were invited to the NFL Draft Combine. Numerous Power Four schools are represented and some household names have been training in our own backyard, like Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo and Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke.
“It’s been a great experience so far," Rourke said.
“The improvement I’ve made from being here than not doing it at all has changed a lot," Skattebo added.
X3 focuses on getting players ready for the specific tests they will see at the combine and their individual pro days. They work on events like the bench press, cone drills, the 40-yard dash and more.
“The big thing is they’re teaching me how to run the right way," Skattebo said.
X3's physical therapists make sure all the players stay healthy and ready for the predraft process. Plus, they help the players prepare for their interviews and intellectual tests.
X3's draft program has been growing for years. It has built a lot of interest thanks to Jordan Luallen. The former college football player turned trainer has a proven track record of getting guys to the league.
“I’ve heard nothing but positives about Jordan and how he prepares everybody for the combine, for pro day," Rourke said. "It was just an opportunity I wanted to take advantage of.”
This year's high level of talent has helped to raise the competition level. The players come from all over the country to work together on getting better.
“At the end of the day, you guys are all working to get higher on the board," Skattebo said. "So we’re all pushing each other and making sure that everyone is giving everything they got.”
Their hard work is starting to pay off as the predraft process begins.
“I’m much more prepared for the combine, for pro day, for talking to scouts, but also just the game itself," Rourke said.
The NFL Draft Combine began Tuesday and runs through Sunday.