# Albert Haynesworth Conditioning Test **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 4, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083 "2010-08-04T00:59:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/1 "2010-08-04T00:59:04Z")
Some background: the washington redskins football team last year signed albert haynesworth - a 6’6 350lb defensive tackle - to a $100 million contract. this is a mammoth contract for a mammoth man. this offseason haynesworth skipped all but one conditioning session, saying that he’d prefer to train on his own. the new coach said, fine, but in order to practice you’ve got to run this little diagnostic drill so i know you’re in shape. the challenge? a 300 yard shuttle run broken up into 50 yard intervals. run 50, touch the line, run back, etc. until you hit 300 yards. the first run has to be completed in under 71 seconds. then he gets a 3.5 minute recovery period. after the recovery period, he has to run the shuttle again, this time under 73 seconds. (in my HS football days the 2nd run was the shorter allotted time, probably just to be sadistic). well haynesworth has failed this test like… 6 days in a row now. i decided to go out and see how tough this run actually is. i ran it in 60/63 barefooted. i urge you all to get out there and see what your time is, and how you compare to a professional athlete who’s getting paid one of the fattest contracts in the league. those who are in particularly good shape, i tried to do it backwards and missed the window - 78/82. maybe you can do better? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/2 "2010-08-04T01:10:38Z")
350 lbs is a lot of weight to carry whether it’s fat or muscle. That alone will slow him greatly in an endurance type test no matter what shape he’s in. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/3 "2010-08-04T01:25:50Z")
All those capital letters is heavy, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/4 "2010-08-04T01:30:33Z")
[A TV reporter tried](http://outofbounds.yahoo.com/?id=21186151) and did pretty damned well. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/5 "2010-08-05T01:34:05Z")
Well, I’m not running the test (because I’m fat and lazy) but I know a lot of Redskins fans here in DC are \*pissed \*about this deal. Rings of Deion Sanders leaving town with a bunch of Redskins dollars in the bank. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/6 "2010-08-05T01:36:59Z")
I don’t think it matters. Shanahan is obviously trying to embarrass him. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/7 "2010-08-05T01:53:57Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > I don’t think it matters. Shanahan is obviously trying to embarrass him. Is there some way to get him to quit or in some other way get some money back? I think they’ve written him off completely. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/8 "2010-08-05T02:02:38Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > > [@Superhal](#): > > > > I don’t think it matters. Shanahan is obviously trying to embarrass him. > > Is there some way to get him to quit or in some other way get some money back? I think they’ve written him off completely. I think Shanahan’s methods are working. Last I heard, Haynesworth is toeing the line. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/9 "2010-08-05T12:13:28Z")
Hey I took a shot at it too. I was thinking about writing an OP on it but just didn’t feel up to it. Went to our high school’s new turf field which is clearly marked. Wife was using the stop watch function on the cell phone and baby was half watching, half doing her own thing. Outcome…? I failed it. The first shuttle took me 73 seconds and the second a whopping 85 seconds. This was with no warm-up and very little stretching. Given one week to work on it –if so desired- I know I could definitely pass it. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/10 "2010-08-05T12:20:46Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > i urge you all to get out there and see what your time is, and how you compare to a professional athlete who’s getting paid one of the fattest contracts in the league. > > those who are in particularly good shape, i tried to do it backwards and missed the window - 78/82. maybe you can do better? Ah, yes, I remember the days I ran just for the hell of it. Now I just amble. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/11 "2010-08-05T12:46:07Z")
It’s a 7 minute split for only a fifth of a mile. I’d bet money I could do it the first time. The second time, well, I certainly could for $100 million. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/12 "2010-08-05T12:58:37Z")
Moving from MPSIMS to Game Room. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/13 "2010-08-05T14:14:07Z")
When I was a college offensive lineman playing at 6’6" and 330 we did this test at the begining of camp every year. I failed every year. The closest I ever came was during my junior year when I had focused on running all summer and was down to 318. I failed the first run by 30yds and the second run by about 60. A majority of our offencive and defensive line failed every year while the skinny fuckers almost never failed even with more then 20 sec less to do it for the DBs and recievers. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/14 "2010-08-05T15:23:49Z")
Think I heard something about ESPN morning radio personality and retired NFL player Mike Golic taking and passing the fitness test earlier this week. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/15 "2010-08-05T15:47:16Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > It’s a 7 minute split for only a fifth of a mile. I’d bet money I could do it the first time. The second time, well, I certainly could for $100 million. Turning around every 50 yards adds a significant amount of time. The last time I tried playing soccer, I had problems because I couldn’t slow down or change directions fast. And with a lot of mass to him, making those direction changes gets rather difficult. Were these supposed to be done in full pads? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/16 "2010-08-05T16:06:51Z")
I tried this morning and failed. The first half took me 75 seconds, so I didn’t bother with the second. I’m 40 years old, not the couch potato I used to be, still overweight but not obese any more. One problem is that it’s so ridiculously, outrageously, oppressively humid today that I have a little trouble breathing even without exercising. The dew point is 76 F today, which is about as bad as it ever gets around here. I’ll try again this weekend when the dew point is forecast to be in the 40s. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/17 "2010-08-05T16:40:48Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > [A TV reporter tried](http://outofbounds.yahoo.com/?id=21186151) and did pretty damned well. I’m not defending Haynesworth here, but she only kinda did the drill. She did not go low and touch the line. As an old football player, believe me when I tell you that doing so 6 times in a 300-yard sprint drill will tax you like crazy. It’s kind of ridiculous how much that one simple motion will fatigue you and impact your time. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/18 "2010-08-06T03:24:45Z")
Meh, he can still bench 500 pounds, right? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/19 "2010-08-09T03:52:22Z")
He passed the test yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083/20 "2010-08-09T11:57:00Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Meh, he can still bench 500 pounds, right? If by “bench” you mean the benches at Dunkin Doughnuts, and by “500 pounds” you mean 4 oz at a time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albert-haynesworth-conditioning-test/549083.md?page=2)