The 40yd Dash: Bridging the Gap between Injury Prevention and Performance Enhancement
Some coaches are hesitant to administer a 40 yard dash test with their football team due to concerns of possible hamstring injury, especially during preseason or spring practice. This presentation will cover a systematic approach to reducing risk of hamstring injury while improving performance of the test. Offseason athlete screening, specific weight room exercises and prescription of on field drills will be covered in depth. The approach outlined has produced 3 annual testing sessions which have resulted in zero hamstring injuries and consistent speed improvements as tracked via laser timing systems.
Jeff Butler enters his first season at the helm of UNC’s Sports Performance Department. He directly oversees the development of the Football, Wrestling, Softball and Men’s Golf programs. Butler joined the Bears after spending the last 2 seasons overseeing the strength and conditioning program at Southern Utah University. During his tenure, the Thunderbirds were the 2015 Big Sky Football Champions and sent 3 players into the NFL.
No stranger to the Big Sky, before SUU, he was Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning at the University of Montana. Working with Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Tennis and Track and Field, Butler team’s saw significant improvements in overall strength, speed and conditioning. He also led the internship development program and provided nutritional advice to the student athletes.
Prior to UM, Butler also gained experience as an assistant at Dartmouth, Arkansas and North Carolina State.
Butler earned his master's degree in Biomechanics from Arkansas in 2012. Butler played football at Appalachian State University and later at Mississippi where he was a team captain and earned his bachelors degree in Exercise Science in 2007.
He is certified through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, USA Weightlifting and is FMS certified.
