Pasternak, Ferra, Paulinellie 1

Blazing Big Boys

By: Ryan Pasternak, Mitchell Ferra, and Braden
Paulinellie
Period 1
 Pasternak, Ferra, Paulinellie 2

As a group, we decided to do our project on the relation between the height of the NFLs

top receivers compared to their 40 yard dash times. We hypothesized that if a wide receivers

height increases, then their 40 yard time increases as well, with a moderate, positive correlation.

We did an observational study where we found our data from multiple websites that ranked the

top receivers and showed their 40 yard dash times.

Population is defined as the entire group of individuals being studied whereas sample is

defined as a part of the population from which data is actually collected. In our project, our

population is all the wide receivers in the NFL however our sample is the top twenty-five

receivers based on yardage. A variable is defined as any characteristic of an individual. The

explanatory variable in our project is the height of the receivers while the response variable is the

40 yard dash times of the receivers.

Height to 40 Yard Dash Time Correlation

 Pasternak, Ferra, Paulinellie 3

Name Height (in) 40 yard dash time (s)

Julio Jones 75 4.39

Antonio Brown 70 4.47

DeAndre Hopkins 73 4.41

Odell Beckham Jr. 71 4.43

Larry Fitzgerald 75 4.63

Allen Robinson 75 4.60

Brandon Marshall 76 4.52

A.J. Green 76 4.50

Demaryius Thomas 75 4.38

Calvin Johnson 77 4.35

Amari Cooper 73 4.35

John Brown 71 4.34

Jeremy Maclin 72 4.45

T.Y. Hilton 70 4.34

Mike Evans 77 4.46

Brandin Cooks 70 4.30

Travis Benjamin 70 4.36

Jarvis Landry 71 4.51

Eric Decker 75 4.54

Doug Baldwin 70 4.48

Allen Hurns 73 4.54

Willie Snead 71 4.56

Alshon Jeffery 75 4.48

Emmanuel Sanders 71 4.41

Michael Crabtree 73 4.54

 Pasternak, Ferra, Paulinellie 4

Correlation measures the direction and strength of a straight-line relationship. We found

the correlation (r) between height and 40 yard dash time to be 0.298. Coefficient of

determination is defined as the fraction of the variation in the values of y that are explained by

the least-squares regression of y on x. We found the coefficient of determination (r) to be 0.089.

If r = 0.298, the correlation is positive meaning as the height increases, the 40 yard dash time

increases. The correlation of 0.298 means the correlation is weak meaning the correlation is not

very valid. Since r = 0.298, then r = 0.089 meaning any prediction has an 8.9 % explained

variation.

In order to state a prediction, the regression equation of y = 0.011x + 3.651 must be used.

To predict the 40 yard dash time of a wide receiver of 74 inches, plugging 74 in for x would be

the first thing to do. Next, we multiplied 0.011 and 74 and got 0.814. Finally, we added 3.651

and calculated our prediction to be 4.465. If a wide receiver is 74 inches tall, we predict that the

40 yard dash time with be 4.465 seconds with a 8.9 % explained variation. If r = 0.298, then r =
 Pasternak, Ferra, Paulinellie 5

0.089 meaning any prediction has a 8.9 % explained variation. The correlation of 0.298 means

the correlation is weak meaning the correlation is not very valid.

A few lurking variables in the study include the weight of the wide receivers and injuries.

The weight could affect the speed of the receivers since it is more likely than not that a lighter

receiver would run faster than a heavier one. The weight could have slowed some of our

receivers we studied, affecting our scatterplot. Injuries could have affected the speed of the

receivers obviously. It is obvious a healthy receiver would run faster than one that has an injury.

A receiver could have a small injury that would affect his speed and his time running a 40 yard

dash. Injures could have easily affected our data as some receivers were not running at 100 %.

Our hypothesis was if a wide receivers height increases, then their 40 yard dash time will

increase as well with a moderate, positive correlation. Our hypothesis was correct in correlation

direction as it was positive. However, our hypothesis was incorrect in correlation strength as it

was weak rather than moderate.

 Pasternak, Ferra, Paulinellie 6

Works Cited

NFL player receiving statistics.(2015). Retrieved from http://espn.go.com

Draft scout rankings. (2015). Retrieved from http://nfldraftscout.com/rankings

NFL scouting combine. (2015). Retrieved from http://nfl.com/combine/profiles