Trying to calculate force of a tackle

[novafc23]

Homework Statement

I'm trying to calculate the force that certain NFL players exert on stationary objects. I have their 40 yard dash times, weight, and height. Are there any other characteristics of the players I need to know? And how would I calculate force in this problem?

Homework Equations

Of course f=mass*acceleration

The Attempt at a Solution

 

[gneill]

You need to determine the time over which a collision occurs (the time during which momentum transfer is happening). This will depend upon things like padding, and how "squishy" a human body is under compression. What's the surface area of contact? The angle (both horizontally and vertically)? Is the player still driving forward with his legs during the collision, or is it a 'flying tackle'?

 

[Clever-Name]

F=ma really won't contribute to this problem. As said by gneill, you want to look at the change in momentum, which will depend on mass and velocity, not acceleration since when people are running at full speed they aren't accelerating anymore.