Tony Villani: The Truth About NFL Combine Speed Development

This week’s episode builds directly off Wednesday's conversation with former NFL first-round draft pick Adam Archuleta, where we discussed intent-based training, speed development, and the training methods that helped shape his rise to becoming one of the most explosive athletes in football.That conversation sparked an interesting follow-up discussion around long-term speed development, efficiency of training, and what actually separates good combine preparation from truly elite results. While Adam discussed the years of work that helped improve his speed profile, this episode shifts toward the modern world of combine preparation and the coaches who have consistently produced high-level testing performances in a shorter time frame.Enter Tony Villani.Tony is one of the most respected names in elite athlete development and NFL Combine preparation. As the founder of XPE Sports he has trained multiple first-round draft picks across the NFL, MLB, and NBA, helping athletes maximize their testing numbers and dramatically improve their draft stock. His work has helped shape the modern combine preparation landscape, particularly in speed development and explosive performance.Tony earned his Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from George Washington University, where his graduate research on exhaustive interval training was published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology. His career path included stops with the Washington Capitals, Orlando Magic, and Cris Carter’s FAST Program before launching XPE in 2002.This episode dives into the realities of speed development, combine prep, and what actually moves the needle when athletes are trying to separate themselves at the highest level.XPE: https://tonyvillani.com/SHREDmill: https://tonyvillani.com/shredmill/