WILSON X-PRO CONNECTED FOOTBALL TRAINING SYSTEM MAKES CANADIAN DEBUT AT THE CFL COMBINE PRESENTED BY NEW ERA

TORONTO (March 21, 2019) – The Canadian Football League (CFL) and Wilson Sporting Goods announced today that the company’s Wilson X-Pro Connected Football and Training System will be used at the CFL Combine presented by New Era. The Wilson X-Pro System utilizes an undetectable sensor embedded in a Wilson CFL football to measure quarterback performance in the areas of throw quality and play timing.

“Any time we can work with our partners and provide teams with more tools to evaluate prospects with evolving technology we will take that step like we have with the Wilson X-Pro,” said the CFL’s Senior Director of Football Operations, Ryan Janzen. 

“It’s exciting to see our technology at the center of the CFL Combine,” said Kevin Murphy, General Manager, Team Sports, Wilson Sporting Goods. “We’ve designed this System to give coaches, scouts, and players a definitive starting point for evaluating performance and objectively define what to work on to improve a player’s skill set and level of play. In essence, we are replacing what we’ve relied on for years -- the 'eye test' -- with quantifiable facts on a player’s ball speed, spin rate, launch angle, timing, and much more. We believe this technology has the potential to change the way we look at, train and coach quarterbacks.”  

The Wilson X-Pro System offers deep insights into a quarterback’s performance. The System delivers data that helps a team and its staff evaluate arm strength and quarterback mechanics, while also more efficiently analysing the success of pass plays.

Specifically, the System measures:

• Timing: snap to release, snap to target, release time, and time of flight
• Throw Quality: spin rate and spiral efficiency
• Arm Strength: throw count, distance and velocity

This is the first time the Wilson X-Pro Ssystem will be utilized in a professional football Combine format. The System has been used by National Football League (NFL) Draft prospects in preparation for the NFL Combine and NFL Draft.

Three quarterbacks at the CFL Combine will utilize the Wilson X-Pro System: Chris Merchant (Western), Michael O’Connor (UBC) and Sonny Weishaupt (Germany).

The CFL Combine presented by New Era takes place in Toronto from March 22 – 24. For a full list of participants, click here and for a list of the 18 ‘global’ players, click here.

The CFL will once again have exclusive live coverage of the 2019 Combine, starting with the Bench Press on Saturday and continuing with the 40-yard dash and 1-on-1 drills on Sunday.  For more information, please visit CFL.ca/Live.

Below is the schedule for the CFL Combine presented by New Era:

FRIDAY, MARCH 22 TO SUNDAY, MARCH 24 - CFL COMBINE PRESENTED BY NEW ERA 
GOLDRING CENTRE & VARSITY STADIUM

FRIDAY, MARCH 22
MARRIOT BLOOR YORKVILLE

Player arrivals, measurements, and medicals. No media interviews, unless pre-arranged through the CFL's communications department.

SATURDAY, MARCH 23
GOLDRING CENTRE FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE SPORT

Order of testing: WR, DB, RB, LB, QB, DL, OL

9:30 a.m.                   Height/Weight Measurements, Video Shot, Vertical Jump

11:30 a.m.                 Bench press

Players will be made available by request after the completion of morning testing.

SUNDAY, MARCH 24
VARSITY STADIUM BUBBLE

9:00 a.m.                   OL/DL 40-yard dash, shuttle, 3-cone drill, broad jump

10:00 a.m.                  OL/DL individual drills followed by one-on-ones

10:45 a.m.                  Long-snappers workout

11:00 a.m.                  RB/LB/QB/DB/WR 40-yard dash, shuttle, 3-cone, broad jump

1:00 p.m.                    RB/LB/QB individual drills followed by one-on-ones

2:00 p.m.                     WR/DB individual drills followed by one-on-ones

3:00 p.m.                    Combine completed

Players will be made available by request after the completion of their testing.