Terrell sets mark at Atlanta iLLSPEED competition

DULUTH, Ga. -- The fourth and final Ill Speed competition presented by Under Armour, the Illist drill in football which measures not only speed but burst, agility, dynamic reaction and footwork, took place at Northview High School outside of Atlanta, Ga. with more than 15 of the fastest the area has to offer competing for a spot in the finals in Baltimore.

The test is made up of four different parts – start, dynamic reaction agility, feet and agility skill and the all-important race to the finish. Competitors got two individual runs through the drill where they began two yards behind the start line, burst out of their stance once the red light on the first gate is illuminated and then were off to the races.

After the competitor passed through the first gate, dynamic reaction was tested as they had to quickly determine which of two gates lit up and dash towards the proper gate. This showed vision, reaction time and cognitive reflexes, all important traits for any player skill position player.

After choosing the proper gate, the competitor then rounded a standing bag and then navigated the ladder drill, or the Ickey Shuffle, where footwork is a must and any slip up cost them time. After completing the Ickey Shuffle, the competitor then headed back toward the start gate where he had to grab a football in stride, turn back through the original gate and then show off his speed by racing 40 yards downfield to the finish.

All in all, the drill itself showed off a player’s ability to start off the whistle with burst, react to visual stimuli and make a key cognitive choice while reaching top speed, flash his footwork and ball skills and then finish with straight line quickness.

This is a drill like no other in the training industry and challenged each competitor in a way they’ve never seen before. The top four in Atlanta get rewarded with a trip to the Ill Speed finals where they will compete with finalists from the Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta events to determine who is the Illest. The top four from Atlanta were…

AJ Terrell, Atlanta (Ga.) Westlake – 13.74 seconds (fastest from all four events)

Zyon Gilbert, Montgomery (Ala.) Jeff Davis – 14.25 seconds

Tyler Hamilton, Hilton Head, S.C. – 14.25 seconds

Bruce Judson, Cocoa, Fla. – 14.57 seconds

“I thought it was easy,” said Terrell, who dove across the finish line on his first run to set the record for fastest time. “The hardest part was the change of direction but I think my long stride helped and I think diving at the end finished it off well.”

Judson, who finished fourth in a run off, thought his ability playing many positions helped him.

“I loved it, the hardest part was the finish and the third one I ran, the run off, was tough but I think my stamina helped,” said the former Ohio State commitment. “I think playing a lot of positions and playing on both sides helped with that. The easiest part for me was the footwork part.”

Each player that competed wore the brand new Georgia-branded Spotlight cleats by Under Armour (photo here).