In this episode of The Speed Lab Podcast, Les and Cici dive deep into what it really takes to make an NFL 53-man roster — from the grind of training camp to the politics behind roster cuts. They discuss how performance, personality, and availability often outweigh raw talent, and share firsthand stories from elite athletes like T-Mac and others who've fought their way through the system. The conversation expands into profiling athletes, tendon efficiency, data tracking, and how different physical and mental traits shape player development from high school to the pros.  Episode Timestamps 00:00 – 05:30 • Opening banter & introduction 05:30 – 10:30 • The brutal reality of making a 53-man NFL roster 10:30 – 15:30 • What rookies face between college and the draft 15:30 – 20:30 • Balancing health, opportunity, and the grind 20:30 – 25:00 • Inside T-Mac's training structure and workload 25:00 – 30:00 • Force profiling, tendon efficiency, and athletic resilience 30:00 – 35:00 • Speed mechanics, reactive strength, and acceleration profiles 35:00 – 40:00 • Eccentric strength, propulsion, and elite-receiver analysis 40:00 – 45:00 • Collaboration between coaches, data, and athlete management 45:00 – 50:00 • Leadership, confidence, and women in sports performance 50:00 – 55:00 • GPS tech, game-speed tracking, and practice data 55:00 – 01:00:00 • Coaching creativity from NFL pros to high school athletes 01:00:00 – 01:04:30 • Work-life balance, family priorities, and future goals