It’s not every day that I have a quarterback coach tell me that he likes my analysis of passers. This happened seven months ago when Will Hewlett introduced himself to me. I didn’t know who Hewlett was–and many of you probably don’t either–but a lot of the quarterback coaches in college and pro football do:
Hewlett has consulted with NFL, UFL, and NCAA coaches and continues to work with quarterbacks in the SEC, ACC, Big 10 and other conferences. In addition, Coach Hewlett is a top-ranked speaker at the Glazier Clinics tour, the largest football coaching clinics with over 26,000 active members and has co-authored a top-selling book on passing mechanics.
You can read the rest of his bio at his website.
January rolled around and Hewlett broached the idea of doing an RSP Film Room. He chose Jameis Winston because of the range of discussions we could have about quarterbacking:
- Gaining the proper perspective on quarterback technique when evaluating a prospect.
- Which components of throwing a football are more difficult than others?
- Why Winston has arm talent?
- Where the public and analyst can nitpick quarterback technique.
- Throwing stances in terms of foot width and knee bend.
- Why leg strength is an overrated discussion point about arm strength.
- The importance of down-to-up with quarterback setups and releases vs. up-to-down.
- Where the weight room and training will aid specific types of throws in Winston’s game.
- Throws that show of Winston’s arm strength.
- How Winston needs to borrow from Aaron Rodgers’ lesson plan to become a more resourceful passer.
- Off-field maturity and on-field maturity are entirely separate things.
- Why Hewlett has a different mindset with training details and observing/evaluating details in a game scenario.
- The importance of throwing in rhythm.
- Inside and outside structure throwing techniques.
Of course, there’s much more in this nearly 90-minute episode with Winston’s performance against Louisville. See for yourself
and Part II
If you haven’t seen the rest of the RSP Film Room episodes, check them out at this page or subscribe to the RSP Film Room on YouTube.
For analysis of skill players in this year’s draft class, get the 2015 Rookie Scouting Portfolio – available for pre-order now. Better yet, if you’re a fantasy owner the 56-page Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2015 RSPs at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 apiece.
The 2015 RSP, like every other RSP from 2006-2014, will be ready for download April 1.
4 responses to “RSP Film Room No.31: QB Coach Will Hewlett on Jameis Winston”
Matt, Good feature and film session. You continue to develop quality information and views from fresh, assorted ‘angles’. Continued success. John Cooney Player Analysis & Scouting Service http://www.pass2win.com
Thanks, John!
I am one if those guys who likes to see good dudes do well. This kid is talented but as an owner I am gonna pass in him. Even the law of money says stay away from him. He is not the one for me mostly for non football reasons which is the latest barometer for greatness. A gamble is not in the cards here and notice I did not say he was NOT the best qb in this class, because he is. It’s his humanness scale where he flubbes!
And that’s a valid reason, even if some will say you’re presuming guilt over innocence.You may turn out to be wrong, but as someone assuming the role of owner in a hypothetical scenario if you think that Winston lacks the maturity and/or has serious risk off the field it’s the subjective call well within an owner or GM’s right to make.