Under Armour Combine Recap: International Combine, Canton, OH

On Sunday, July 5, over 60 under-19 football players from around the world came to compete in an Under Armour Combine held at the Jr. World Championships in Canton, OH. While Team USA prepared to battle Team Canada in the Championship Game, representatives from Germany, Japan, France, New Zealand and Mexico came out to learn and compete in the NFL-Combine style drills under the mentorship of the Under Armour Combine coaching staff.

Former NY Jets coach Noel Mazzone and Under Armour All-America coach Don Cox led the athletes through a warm-up and the testing drills, finishing the day with a pass-catching competition.

There was no shortage of talent on the field, as members of the five nations became one red-and-black clad army looking to own the moment and measure their potential. The energy level was high all day long and at the end of the day there were results that matched that intensity.

The standout of the Combine was Christoph Waldemer of Germany. Considered one of the players to watch in the entire tournament, Christoph did not disappoint. The six-foot running back had the fastest 40-yard dash of the day, clocking in at 4.55 seconds. He followed that effort with a 7.15 3-cone, 4.1 short shuttle and a 31.5" vertical.

Another German player made his case for top athlete: Mark Nzecho. Mark ran a 4.73 40, and had a 32 inch vertical.

Suguru Matsuzaki of Japan was small in stature at 5'8", but his 10'2" broad jump was one of the days best.

New Zealand brought several high energy players including John Nicodemus and Mitchell Crossland-Scott.

While there were several languages being spoken on the field, everyone was unified by their UA uniform and the universal languages of football and competition. It was truly a fun and competitive day that everyone enjoyed.

FOR FULL INTERNATIONAL COMBINE RESULTS CLICK HERE