And a player's
True Speed Rating is their speed in a helmet and football pads minus the negative effects I listed below. Their "true football speed" is slower than their 40 combine speed and speed without a helmet and pads on. Their madden speed rating is a theoretical 40 combine speed rating. Their true football speed is their top speed Minus the negative affects of a lack of confidence (being nervous in front of a crowd and tv cameras) minus the negative effects of hesitation, the deer in headlights reaction and indecision has, minus the negative effect of having anything less than perfect ball carrier vision, minus the effect of carrying a football, minus the effects of having bad football awareness. Anyone that carries a football will run at a slower speed than someone that is not carrying a football assuming they have the same speed.
Madden's speed ratings are off. I played football so I know. When I played football they put track guys on a football field. These track runners had faster "track speed" but also had slower "true football speed." So the track runners all got burned on the football field by football players that could not outrun them on a track but could outrun them on a football field. I still remember them laughing at me (a football player) in the beginning because they thought their track speed would supposedly transfer to the football field. Us football players got the last laugh because we burned them on the football field.
Football players top speed is negatively affected by less than perfect awareness, confidence, decision making,
motivation, the weight of a helmet and pads, carrying a football, and even personality, arrogance. It's the human elements that affect speed. Point is stop using the 40 combine times as a guide. Watch game film of every player to determine their True Speed ratings. Ignore the flashy 40 times that requires zero decision making, and football awareness. If I know this than you should've to.
