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Football TipsSUPPLIES
Overview
The NFL is an exclusive club. Less than 1,600 people make an NFL roster every year despite a massive amount of talent trying to get that shot at glory. Most general managers refer to it as a numbers game because so many people vie for so few slots. It has become so time-consuming that people spend thousands of dollars on extra training, equipment and the proper diet just to get a shot at making an NFL roster.
Acquire offensive skills
Step 1
Get fast. Most teams look for speed. For a running back, that means he needs to run at least a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash to get a serious look from a pro team. The same is true of receivers. Quarterbacks don't need to run as fast, but a great 40 time will open scouts' eyes. A super-fast time is not always indicative of ability, but teams want to see speed. Work on stretching activities to make your legs stronger. Also, work on starts. The faster a person starts in their dash, the better he will run.
Step 2
Wake Forest's Aaron Curry during the 2009 NFL Combine (www.nfl.com)Develop your hands. Teams look for a player who can catch the ball with ease, whether it is wide receiver, a running back, a tight end or even a lineman. Yes, a lineman. The New England Patriots, under head coach Bill Belichick, have often used linemen as pass options in games. The best way to develop catching skills is to have someone throw you a wide variety of passes in different ways: high, low, left-handed, right-handed, knuckling, over the shoulder. If you can catch those, you will succeed.
Step 3
Be diverse. Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll always preached a mantra of the more you do, the better you will be. Simply put, that meant learn to play more positions. For example, a running back needs to know how to catch the ball, block and play special teams to enhance their chances of making a roster. Linemen need to know the workings of all five players on the line. A receiver needs to know how to block downfield.
Step 4
Learn to play in space. This is especially true for offensive linemen, but applies to all offensive players. A good drill for this is to set up cones in a square formation about five yards between each coach. Start at the bottom left cone and run forward to the next cone; crawl on all fours to the next cone while facing forward, backpedal to the next cone and then sidestep to the starting cone.
Step 5
Hit the weight room and eat right. This is true for all players. The NFL likes to test linemen on how many times they can bench press 225 pounds. The idea is to assess their strength. While size is not a requirement, players are getting bigger. Quarterbacks are generally about 6-foot-4 and weigh 235 pounds. Offensive linemen usually weigh around 300 pounds. They are only getting bigger, and it is not all fat. You need to be in shape.
Learn defensive skills
Step 1
Learn to backpedal fast. This is a must for linebackers and defensive backs. The best cornerbacks can run backward while covering a receiver for up to 10 yards before turning and running. The more you can move backward and still face the ball, the better. One training technique is to focus your eyes on a particular object (a cone, for example) and practice running backward for 10 yards while somebody times you. Keep trying to get faster with each turn.
Step 2
Warren Moon of the Houston Oilers (courtesy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame)Learn to fend off moving blockers. This is key for defensive ends and linebackers who often get met by a blocker in open space. One training tip is to work with a medicine ball. Have someone roll the ball at you and practice pushing it away with force. This will build up your arm strength as well as your agility to take on a low blocker. A good weight-training exercise for this is the incline press, which mimics the pushing away motion.
Step 3
Study film. While many think of defensive players as modern barbarians storming the gates of Paris, they actually do a lot of film study to look for other teams' tendencies so they can react when the offense runs a particular play. NFL great Deion Sanders had tremendous natural talent, but was known to watch film of opposing receivers up until the start of the game because he wanted to see what the other team would do.
Step 4
Hit the weight room and eat right. You have to do the same thing the offensive guys are doing. Maybe more.
TIPS AND WARNINGS
- WARNING : Drug usage by college players can hurt their chances of making an NFL roster.
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