By Greg Bates
Sports Editor
GREEN BAY – Ian Blom burst onto the local scene this past season with some explosive runs for the Notre Dame Academy football team.
The junior running back got a chance to make his name visible on the national scene recently.
Blom was one of only two Wisconsin football players that took part in the invite-only National Combine held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on Jan. 5-7.
The National Combine is an opportunity for 600 of the nation’s top underclassmen to demonstrate their physical talent and compete against one another before high school and college football’s top scouting organizations, as well as the All-American Bowl Selection Committee.
“I thought it was good to go show myself and show what I can do and see some of the competition across the country and see what I’m going up against,” Blom said.
After running for 1,395 yards — which was tops in the Fox River Classic Conference-South — and 17 touchdowns this past season for the Tritons, Blom was sought out by FBU North team director Nate Provost to take part in the National Combine.
“I wanted to have somebody that represented us well and the area well, and that was an easy pick,” said Provost, who lives in Suamico. “Obviously, one thing is his love for football, but he’s always such a good person on and off the field.”
To prepare for the National Combine, Blom sought some help at Synergy Sports Performance in Hobart.
Trainer Nate Burchell worked with Blom for three weeks prior to the event.
“I started basically from ground zero with combine stuff, and he helped me drop my times by like .3 of a second in basically everything,” Blom said.
The National Combine, which is held in association with the U.S. Army All-American uses the standardized athlete test (SAT) for an athlete’s body measurements and physical tests. The results of the SAT show how each athlete how they compare by graduation year and position to other athletes
around the country. The SAT also shows what an average college athlete performs at by position.
On the opening day of the combine, Blom had his body measurements logged for his height, weight, reach, wingspan and hand size.
On the main of the combine on Saturday, each athlete went through a series of tests and competed in the 40-yard dash with 10- and 20-yard splits; pro agility (5-10-5/20-yard short shuttle); L drill; vertical jump; and broad jump.
There were also position-specific drills to highlight each athlete’s skills. The running backs ran routes against linebackers in one-on-one pass coverage.
Blom fared really well in most categories. The numbers were based off measurements taken between the years 2020-23.
Blom’s broad jump was in the top 91% of all athletes graduating in the year 2024 and the top 74% of all running backs. His vertical jump was in the top 88% of all athletes graduating in ’24 and top 65% of all running backs.
“I was really surprised by my jumps,” Blom said. “My broad jump was nine feet and my vertical was 36.6. I haven’t really worked on my jumps too much, but I was very surprised and happy with those numbers.”
Blom’s 40-yard dash time was 4.8 seconds, which was in the top 88% of all athletes graduating in ’24 and top 69% of all running backs.
Provost wasn’t at the National Combine, but he spoke with some of his fellow FBU folks, and they were impressed by Blom’s showing.
“I talked to them and they just said that his numbers were higher than average, that they were very impressed not coming from a program that maybe isn’t dedicated, having people come year after year after year,” Provost said. “He did very well in all the aspects of the testing and training stuff there and was very well spoken.
“I heard this and I didn’t realize how important this is … is being a multi-sport athlete. Colleges are now looking for multi-sport — they don’t want just one sport. Not that they won’t take a kid that’s just a stud in football or whatever, being that you can handle two sports.”
Blom believes the scouts really like how he competed in the one-on-one receiving drills.
“They liked my route-running and how I created separation on some of my routes,” Blom said. “There’s definitely a little bit to improve on in there, just starting my break and cuts a little bit earlier, but they liked that. They liked just my speed.”
Being able to compete in the National Combine was a valuable experience and learning lesson for Blom.
“I learned that I can compete and hang with some of these guys, and in the end we’re all still human beings and we all put pants on one leg at a time,” Blom said. “It’s just fun to go out and compete and see other guys. I thought that I’d be a little bit small, but I think the game of football is kind of going to smaller, quicker guys, so my speed definitely helps me with that.”
Blom isn’t competing in a sport right now at Notre Dame Academy, but he’s getting ready for track and field in the spring.
He’s looking at running in the 100- and 200-yard dashes as well as relays and throwing the discus. Blom is hoping his track season will aid him when it comes time for football.