Archive for June, 2011
Execution
While researching YouTube highlights for my last blog post, I came across a series of short videos on fundamentals for wide receiver and tight end. One set of these videos features former Packers, Chiefs, and Vikings tight end Paul Coffman, who does a fantastic job of demonstrating fundamental techniques for blocking, releases, routes, and pass catching…. Read More ›
YouTube Chalkboard: Six WRs Who Will School You
Wide receiver can be a difficult position to evaluate because there are three general factors that contribute to a player’s success in the NFL: Athleticism, technique, and the mesh of his skills within the team’s offensive system. Here are six NFL WRs with lessons to share through the lens of YouTube highlights. Welcome to a… Read More ›
YouTube Chalkboard: Three `90s RBs to Learn From
Walking into the lobby of the Pro Football Hall of Fame a couple of weeks ago, the banner of 2011 inductee Marshall Faulk got me thinking about the runners who came into the league in the mid-to-late `90s. Runners who had hall of fame ability but aren’t likely to be first-ballot inductees, if enshrined at… Read More ›
Grinding Tape: Chad Spann – Stiff arms and Green Dogs
NIU RB Chad Spann led the NCAA Divison I-A with 22 rushing touchdowns in 2010. That’s one more than LaMichael James and two more than Colin Kaepernick and Cam Newton. Recently, I had the chance to watch tape with the 2010 MAC MVP. This week we discuss two plays where there are problems with the… Read More ›
Remove The Beer Goggles (A Sober Look at Terrelle Pryor)
I’m going to give you a ton of analysis on Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor. But if you subscribe to the “Keep It Simple Stupid,” approach, here’s an executive summary: All NFL prospects have physical talent. All NFL starters have technical skill. However, few NFL prospects in a given year become NFL starters because they… Read More ›
In Perspective: Marshall Faulk Defensive Back???
Every year the draft brings rookies into the league and many of the prospects have question marks about their game. Pick a player and there’s a criticism: too short, too light, too slow, not muscular enough, didn’t play well against top competition, came from a lesser program, you name it. This is why I love… Read More ›
Grinding Tape Part III – NIU RB Chad Spann
In Part I of the Grinding Tape Series, Mid American Conference MVP Chad Spann explained the concepts behind plays that require a running back to understand blocking schemes, defensive tendencies, and reading keys. In Part II, he revealed how quickly a runner needs to be able to process information to choose a hole, ball security… Read More ›
An Unexpected Visit With Family
On Saturday, my wife and daughter drove to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to attend a family event, which I hoped to make, but I had work that kept me home. At least that’s what I thought. Then I received news that my grandmother passed away. By Sunday morning I was on the road for an 11-hour… Read More ›
Grinding Tape: NIU RB Chad Spann Part II
In Part I of the Grinding Tape Series, Mid American Conference MVP Chad Spann explained the concepts behind plays that require a running back to understand blocking schemes, defensive tendencies, and reading keys. This week, he reveals how quickly a runner needs to be able to process information to choose a hole, ball security protocol,… Read More ›
Grinding Tape: NIU RB Chad Spann Part I
This is the first in a series of posts will feature a film study session I had with former NIU RB Chad Spann, 2010′s Division-I leader in rushing TDs and the Mid-American Conference’s Most Valuable Player. If you don’t know about Chad Spann, you’re probably not alone. He wasn’t drafted in April. However, that doesn’t… Read More ›
