Father of Isaiah Spiller adds context on injury status at NFL Combine, reason behind not running 40-yard dash

Chandler Vesselsby:Chandler Vessels•03/05/22•

ChandlerVessels

Texas A&M running back Isaiah Spiller was apparently dealing with an injury when he participated in the NFL Scouting Combine on Friday. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Spiller went through workouts while nursing a strained abductor muscle.

Shortly after Schefter broke the news, Fred Spiller, the father of Isaiah Spiller, responded in a quote tweet.

“He wanted to compete because that’s who he is, but I begged him not to run because he was not 100%,” he wrote.

Isaiah Spiller took in both the vertical and broad jumps at the NFL Combine, but did not rank among the top running backs in either jump. He opted not to run in the 40-yard dash. The talented running back will still have a chance to impress NFL scouts at Texas A&M’s Pro Day on March 30. Spiller will then aim to “show why he should be the first running back taken,” according to his agent.

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound running back was a three-year starter for the Aggies from 2019-21. The Texas native stepped onto campus as a four-star recruit and the No. 10 overall running back from that class according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. He finished just shy of 1,000 yards rushing as a freshman, but would go on to surpass that mark in both his sophomore and junior seasons. Spiller ended his career at Texas A&M with a total of 2,993 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns.

Spiller is currently listed as the No. 1 running back according to CBS Sports’ NFL Draft big board, but could slip following his underwhelming performance at the combine. Iowa State’s Breece Hall and Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III, the second and third-ranked running backs on the list, both had impressive performances Friday.

The 2022 NFL Draft is set to begin April 28 in Las Vegas and will conclude on April 30. CBS Sports’ most recent mock draft did not have a running back selected in the first round. Isaiah Spiller will attempt to change that with a big showing at the Aggies’ Pro Day later this month.