College athletes turn to local fitness expert to help take the next step

While David Buchanan's business bio lists him simply as a sports trainer and kinesiotherapist with more than two decades of experience, he should add another title: dream maker.

Buchanan, who has worked with more than 2,000 athletes over the past 23 years, is currently helping several top college football players in their quest to take the next step and play in the NFL.

Buchanan's ProSport Sports Performance Training staff, with the help of the state-of-the-art facilities at the massive Lake Barrington Field House complex, is working with Northern Illinois University wide receiver Matt Simon, Ball State offensive tackle Robert Brewster and Louisville running back-fullback Brock Bolen to help them get stronger, faster, quicker, more flexible and better balanced.

But the real question is, after all they high-level training they've had for years, what can Buchanan do to make their drams come true?

The answer - a lot, especially if their goal is the NFL.

Much of the work the three draft hopefuls do is geared toward maximizing their performances at their school's upcoming pro days, when NFL scouts and coaches will make evaluations that determine a player's future. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Brewster also will perform on the ultimate stage, the NFL's Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, which runs from Feb. 18-24.

For Brewster, his performances in the 40-yard dash, the bench press, the 20-yard shuttle and the three-cone drill could easily move him up or down an entire round come draft weekend at the end of April.

For the 6-foot, 238-pound Bolen and the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Simon, their performances could determine if they are drafted at all or whether they'll have an opportunity to sign a free-agent contract and get a shot with an NFL team in training camp.

All three are represented by agent Cliff Brady, who has been utilizing Buchanan's services for years to give his clients every advantage, and he keeps tabs on the improvements they've made.

And they have made strides:

• Simon's time in the 20-yard shuttle has dropped from 4.20 to 4.03. The best time at last year's NFL Combine among the wide receivers was 3.96.

• Simon's three-cone time has plummeted from 6.98 to 6.24.

• Bolen was running the short shuttle in 4.75 about a month ago, but he is now down to 4.58, and in the three-cone he has gone from 8.04 to 7.62.

• Brewster's shuttle time was 4.39 and is now 4.16, while his time has dropped from 7.29 to 6.96 in the longer drill. If he can duplicate those performances in Indianapolis, his times are guaranteed to be among the best for offensive linemen.

"We're trying to optimize everything we can," said Buchanan, a Mount Prospect resident. "Sometimes you tell a kid, 'The difference between a 5.0-flat 40 or a 4.9 is maybe $250,000 on draft day.'"

That's not an exaggeration. Every year at the NFL Combine there are players whose stock shoots up dramatically because of elite workout numbers, and there are also players whose stock dips because they don't run, jump or lift as well as expected.

A tenth of a second might not seem like much, but it can make all the difference in the world if you're hoping to realize the NFL dream.

"It's a big deal, especially for me because I'm kind of on that bubble whether I'm going to get drafted or have to be a free agent," Simon said. "We want everything to be perfect. Every little technical thing is a factor because that might be the difference for me getting drafted if I run a tenth of a second faster than someone else. It's really amazing how those little, small things make such a big difference."

That's where Buchanan's trained eye comes in. The players take turns running 20-yard shuttles, starting from a set point, sprinting 5 yards in one direction, then back 10 yards the other way and finally 5 yards back to the starting point. They also work tirelessly at improving their time in the "three-cone" or "L drill," which involves short sprints and quick turns and changes of direction.

Buchanan points out any form flaws immediately and afterward they all watch video replays, where the tiniest technical flaw is identified in order to slash precious fractions off their times.

This particular group has been working out since early January, and by now the players are often able to identify poor technique.

"When you're out there running, you always think you're doing everything perfectly," Bolen said. "But then you see it on video and you pick up on the little things."

Preparing for their evaluations has become a full-time job for Buchanan's pupils. They're at the Lake Barrington Field House from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. most days. Aside from constant repetition of the drills that all NFL teams use in their workout evaluations, players have daily session on Pilates machines that resemble torture racks and have almost the same effect on a body, even a muscular one, if it lacks flexibility.

In another part of the building, in a position-specific drill, players stand on a small platform and leap to catch a football while wearing cables attached to their hands to create resistance with every movement. Most of the drills the players execute are designed to increase balance, strengthen the core muscles in the trunk and/or increase agility and explosive power.

"We're trying to make them into a better athlete, so we have to look at all those little pieces," Buchanan said. "I'm focusing on the weaknesses. I'm looking at what I need to enhance even a little bit so that I can get them to a better performance. Generally, a lot of athletes, even good ones, still need balance."

Sometimes the players say they wonder about Buchanan's methods, but they're convinced by the results.

"It's completely different from our normal football workouts," Bolen said. "There are so many different things we do, so many crazy things with all these devices. At first you don't even know why you're doing them; you don't know how they're going to help you. But this is the best shape I've ever been in, so he's obviously doing something right."

The proof will come in the next couple months, when Buchanan's clients find out if their hard work pays off with a shot at the NFL dream.

<p class="factboxheadblack">You don't have to be a pro to improve your game</p> <p class="News">David Buchanan has more than 20 years experience training professional, college and high school athletes, but his ProSport Sports Performance system at the new Lake Barrington Field House takes on all-comers.</p> <p class="News">Buchanan, a Mount Prospect resident and kinesiotherapist, trains athletes of all ages, most of whom have never been and will never be professional athletes. Ninety-five percent of his clients are children and active adults, some as young as 6 and one as old as 89.</p> <p class="News">Many are high-schoolers looking to make the team or increase their playing time, and others are adults seeking a professional's expertise to make their sport-specific workouts more productive.</p> <p class="News">Whether he's working out a high school soccer player, a middle school girl hoping to make the volleyball team or an older runner looking to try his first triathalon, Buchanan and his staff put everyone through the paces at the Lake Barrington facility, which is the largest of its kind in the state.</p> <p class="News">The massive Field House complex offers 95,000 square feet of field turf under a 40-foot ceiling. That's more than enough room for a full-size football field as well as two softball/baseball fields at opposite ends. There is also 40,000 feet of maple flooring for basketball, volleyball and other court sports.</p> <p class="News">For more information on the staff and programs at Lake Barrington Field House, visit its Web site at <a href="http://www.lakebarringtonfieldhouse.com" target="new">lakebarringtonfieldhouse.com</a> or call them at (847) 382-3433.</p> <div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Video</h2> <ul class="video"> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=16&type=video&item=12">A little help getting to the next level </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>