"I’ve always been stronger"
That might turn out to be the understatement of the year in the Canadian Football League.
The man that uttered that phrase, Wilfrid Laurier offensive lineman Michael Knill, has become the talk of the 2011 CFL evaluation camp because of his strength.
In both the CFL and the NFL, the ultimate measure of a player’s strength is determined by how many times they can bench press 225 pounds.
On the eve of the bench press test, Knill had told Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun that he not only wanted to break the CFL combine record of 40 reps, he was gunning for the NFL combine record of 49 reps.
The Queen’s Park ball room at the Park Hyatt hotel in Toronto was packed with coaches, general managers and scouts from around the league in anticipation of this enormous feat of raw strength.
Knill eased his enormous 6"6’, 350-pound frame onto the bench and calmly adjusted his grip.
In what is the ultimate job interview for a football player, Knill proceeded to blow the minds of the CFL’s movers and shakers gathered in the room.
Knill’s first 20 reps came so quick it was difficult to keep count. His first 30 reps were done with such ease it looked as if he was lifting an empty bar. Knill didn’t even start breathing heavyily until his 40th rep. By his 45th, Knill began to struggle and had to really work hard for his final few.
By the time Miles Gorrell helped him rack the weight Knill had completed 47 reps, obliterating the CFL’s previous record of 40 set by Laurier’s Mike Montoya last year.
"I’ve been working my butt off to get to a specific number, 50," said Knill. "I didn’t quite achieve my goal, but I’m very happy with the result.
To put Knill’s feat into perspective, the NFL combine bench press record is 49 reps, set by Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea this year.
Knill ended up at Laurier after his eligibility at the University of Michigan expired. Coming from a family that put a large emphasis on academics, Knill loved the way he was able to equally focus his time and energy on both football and his studies at Laurier. "The coaching staff was great, the MBA program was great," he said. "I got to finish it in three semesters."
While the number of times you can bench press 225 pounds doesn’t guarantee you a job in the CFL, it does tell the respective coaches and general managers a lot about an individual athlete.
"This shows who has worked out, who hasn’t worked out, who’s trained for this and how important playing football is to them," said Argonauts head coach and general manager Jim Barker.
The bench press also tells CFL coaches and GM’s a lot about a player’s character.
This is especially true when a player from a CIS school ends up doing more reps than a kid from a big NCAA program.
"If they’re the same body type and the same position, it tells you the kid that puts up more reps has worked harder to get ready to this," added Barker.
Barker has noticed the quality of players that are being produced by CIS schools has improved dramatically over the last decade.
"What you see now, you see a much better trained athlete. You look around the CIS and the facilities are much better and their strength programs are much better."
One final word on Michael Knill and his 47 rep performance: it’s nowhere near his personal best.
Knill said that when he was really into power lifting, he could routinely crank out 60 reps at 225 pounds.
Yes, you read that right. The dude is capable of doing 60 reps at 225 pounds.
Knill tried to downplay the hype surrounding his 47-rep performance. To him, lifting weights has always been part of his daily routine, and always will be.
"It’s like eating breakfast for me," he explained.
A Tiger-Cats fan growing up, Knill would love to play in the CFL some day. But he’s also aware that what he accomplished Saturday might draw the attention of scouts and teams in the NFL.
"Wherever I can open doors for myself is great."