Post by Coach Campbell on May 9, 2013 14:12:25 GMT
Football Training: Running Back Drills and Fundamentals
by Matt DeBarros
When playing the position of running back at any level of football you truly need to be a jack-of-all-trades. A "three-down" running back is expected to be able to run effectively in between and outside the tackles, be able to catch the ball out of the back field, and also able to step up in the hole to pick up the block on a blitzing defender. Essentially the running back has to be one of the most impactful players on the offensive side of the ball. Take a look at the NFL today where there are few teams that possess a "franchise back," and in fact there may only be about a half dozen teams in all of football. Continue reading to uncover football training tricks and tools from some of the best running backs and coaches in the game.
The most important characteristic of a "three down back" is ball security. Your coach will not continue to put you out on the field if you cannot hold onto the ball. Next time you're looking at the weekly football standings take a quick glance at which team won the turnover battle. More times than not, the team that gave the ball away more ends up with another tally in the loss column. With that said as a running back you cannot afford to give the ball up with a lost fumble. In BenJarvus Green-Ellis' first four seasons in the NFL he had a total of 536 touches with zero fumbles. During the 2012 off-season Ellis (who has averaged 4.0 yards per carry in his career) cashed in with a 3-year $9 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. Check out the video below to learn proper technique when it comes to ball security.
Now that you've got the proper grip on the ball we can begin to check out some fundamental football training drills that will provide any running back with a solid foundation. The following running back drills emphasize essential skills such as quick feet, high knees, reactionary speed, and gaining yards after contact. Check out the following drills from University of Alabama running backs coach, Burton Burns, who has produced NFL running backs Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson.
Now things are starting to come together. We've got the grip down and we're starting to feel good after running those drills. Being a successful running back means you are consistently bursting past the line of scrimmage and advancing into the secondary. Now once you get into the secondary there may only be one man to beat. What are you going to do? Are you gonna give him a head fake, throw a spin move at him, or just flat out run him over? A great running back can do all three, but it takes time and practice. To learn how to run though or spin past defenders we turn to future hall of famers LaDainian Tomilson and Adrian Peterson.
by Matt DeBarros
When playing the position of running back at any level of football you truly need to be a jack-of-all-trades. A "three-down" running back is expected to be able to run effectively in between and outside the tackles, be able to catch the ball out of the back field, and also able to step up in the hole to pick up the block on a blitzing defender. Essentially the running back has to be one of the most impactful players on the offensive side of the ball. Take a look at the NFL today where there are few teams that possess a "franchise back," and in fact there may only be about a half dozen teams in all of football. Continue reading to uncover football training tricks and tools from some of the best running backs and coaches in the game.
The most important characteristic of a "three down back" is ball security. Your coach will not continue to put you out on the field if you cannot hold onto the ball. Next time you're looking at the weekly football standings take a quick glance at which team won the turnover battle. More times than not, the team that gave the ball away more ends up with another tally in the loss column. With that said as a running back you cannot afford to give the ball up with a lost fumble. In BenJarvus Green-Ellis' first four seasons in the NFL he had a total of 536 touches with zero fumbles. During the 2012 off-season Ellis (who has averaged 4.0 yards per carry in his career) cashed in with a 3-year $9 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. Check out the video below to learn proper technique when it comes to ball security.
Now that you've got the proper grip on the ball we can begin to check out some fundamental football training drills that will provide any running back with a solid foundation. The following running back drills emphasize essential skills such as quick feet, high knees, reactionary speed, and gaining yards after contact. Check out the following drills from University of Alabama running backs coach, Burton Burns, who has produced NFL running backs Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson.
Now things are starting to come together. We've got the grip down and we're starting to feel good after running those drills. Being a successful running back means you are consistently bursting past the line of scrimmage and advancing into the secondary. Now once you get into the secondary there may only be one man to beat. What are you going to do? Are you gonna give him a head fake, throw a spin move at him, or just flat out run him over? A great running back can do all three, but it takes time and practice. To learn how to run though or spin past defenders we turn to future hall of famers LaDainian Tomilson and Adrian Peterson.