Triplett, Craig

• D.P.T., Physical Therapy, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 

• B.S., Wellness Management, Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD

TITLE: Normative Values of Relative and Absolute Strength by Playing Position in Freshman NCAA Division II American Football Players

The project aims to generate information that will assist college football teams in choosing tests and measures that will give accurate information regarding individual athletes’ strength. We would like to give football teams more comprehensive information related to an athlete’s individual abilities, which could potentially enhance performance and reduce their risk of injury. While many teams rely on absolute strength testing to understand the athlete’s force they can generate, a relative strength calculation may also provide quality information that is more descriptive to the athlete’s capabilities. Our study will assess maximal strength (absolute strength) on various resistance training exercises, which then allows us to also calculate their relative strength (strength in relation to body weight). Our research will look to establish normative values of relative and absolute strength by playing position in freshman NCAA Division II American football players and compare relative and absolute strength across position groups (e.g., linemen, skill, hybrid) to identify whether meaningful differences exist between these groups. Because football players must also use speed, agility, and full body power to be successful, we will also conduct a series of tests to calculate their performance on these measures. Student researchers will assist with collecting data on strength, speed, and agility of the incoming freshman for the Black Hills State University football team. This will be a unique opportunity to have hands on training with athletes while also studying performance by utilizing statistical analysis and drawing correlations based on data.

Initial data collection for this study will begin in the summer of 2027, collecting maximal strength on various resistance training exercises, then calculating the relative strength of each of the participants. These strength assessments will then be compared to testing results from the summer 2025 and 2026 freshman football players. Once the data is collected and analyzed, any injuries that the participants may experience will be tracked over the 2027 season. Research in the summer of 2027 will also include analyzing the injury data from the fall 2026 season and will continue with performing strength and agility testing on the new freshman arriving on campus in the summer of 2027.