Morphological profiles for first-year National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football players

We are aware of no published research in which the morphological profiles of first-year collegiate football players are characterized. In light of the known association between obesity and cardiovascular disease and recent data suggesting an increased frequency of obesity and early death in professional football players, we have compiled a morphological profile of 65 freshman and transfer recruits (age = 18.4 +/- 1.2 years) from a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I football program. Measured variables included height (HT), body mass (BM), and body fat percentage (BF) (hydrostatic method). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using HT and weight variables. Individuals were grouped by player position for descriptive statistical analysis. The means for all 65 players were as follows: HT = 189 +/- 7 cm, BM = 106.5 +/- 4.8 kg, BF = 15 +/- 7%, and BMI = 29.8 +/- 4.7. Mean data from these collegiate athletes were compared to recently published data from professional players. By comparison, the average HT, BM, BF, and BMI of the professional football athletes were 188 +/- 4 cm, 107 +/- 4.8 kg, 14 +/- 5%, and 30.1 +/- 1.9, respectively. While the average BMIs of the collegiate athletes in this study would be classified as overweight or obese, the BFs were found to be within an acceptable range for health status. These data provide important indicators of morphological characteristics and BM health risks of new football recruits at a Division I university. The data presented also provide an historical basis for (a) evaluating both the conditioning of first-year incoming athletes, (b) determining the physical development of the athletes as they progress through the training program, and (c) charting the morphological changes that occur in collegiate football throughout time that may contribute to increased health risks to the athletes.