NFL Scouting Combine: Record for bench press

What is the best bench press of all-time at the NFL Scouting Combine?

The point of the NFL Scouting Combine is to identify promising talent on the football field. One metric used is bench press. Instead of maxing out on a single rep, players demonstrate both strength and stamina by getting as many reps as possible at 225 pounds.

In 1999, defensive tackle Justin Ernest of Eastern Kentucky established the combine record with a 51 reps, a feat that is even more impressive when you consider he only weighed 284 pounds. Though Ernest holds the combine record, he did not see any NFL playing time. In 2011, 306-pound Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea managed to get 49 reps, the second best performance ever at the combine. Unlike Ernest, the Tonga native was drafted by the Chicago Bears where he is still an active player.

Former Memphis Tiger, 346-pound defensive tackle Dontari Poe was drafted 11th-overall by the Kansas City Chiefs. With 44 reps in 2012, Poe has the fourth-best combine performance for bench press.

In 2015, the best bench press results were by Ereck Flowers, a 329-pound offensive tackle out of Miami, who had 37 reps. Flowers was the ninth-overall pick in the 2015, selected by the New York Giants.