VertiMax founder and CEO Michael Wehrell wanted to jump higher.

A former University of Florida wide receiver in the early 1980s, Wehrell moved across the country to California, where he took up playing beach volleyball. In search of a way to improve his vertical, Wehrell developed his own machine.

He created a system to perform exercises at a high velocity with a light load. In time, many professional volleyball players came to use his invention, which eventually led to a patent and UCLA to purchase the first unit.

Over the years, VertiMax has developed four models, including the V8, which "allows an athlete not only to perform jump training but to actually leave the system with bands connected to the feet and waist and develop power in the muscles that drive the leg when it breaks contact with the ground."

Wehrell said almost all of the traditional athletes train by driving with their legs, but VertiMax's V8 model is the only system in the world to apply a load to the foot when it leaves the ground.

Because of this, the Tampa-based company has caught the attention of many. While VertiMax may not have a lucrative budget, the company finds ways to connect with the public.

VertiMax has been known to give units away, and also supply them to high profile athletes who quickly endorse the training system.

According to VertiMax, currently 50 percent of the NFL, 40 percent of the NBA, 30 percent of MLB and over 75 percent of all Division I colleges use the system in their training. This includes high profile teams such as the New York Yankees and FC Barcelona as well as a growing contingent that connects with Wehrell’s early vision.