'13 PA WR Will Fuller (Notre Dame Signed LOI)

[Irish#1]

He looked like he'd been playing college ball for a while. I look for him and Robinson to get more and more time.

 

[Ignats]

Awesome speed today on his TD and another solid catch after that. Even with TJ gone next year I love our receiving core of Daniels, Robinson, Fuller, Brown and eventually Hunter.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

Great catches today! Kid's got a high ceiling.

 

[Irish YJ]

future is bright for WF and Admiral Jr

 

[Redbar]

This young man is going to be really good, he reminds me of DeSean Jackson without the drama, with his acceleration and body control.

 

[ulukinatme]

Had a great catch yesterday. Looked like he didn't quite have a good grasp on the ball because the defender was on him tight, but he held onto the ball regardless and came down with the catch. Great hands.

 

[TexasForever]

Anyone not named Longo

Speaking of... From the write-up on Will in the South Bend Tribune:

Kelly pointed to Fuller's speed as being a big part of his impact. Fuller, though, said it hasn't always been that way.

"Coming here, I really wasn't a speed demon," the rookie said. "I give everything for my speed to coach (Paul) Longo and the strength and conditioning staff."

Notre Dame football: Fuller delivers in fine fashion - South Bend Tribune: Football

 

[Me2SouthBend]

Speaking of... From the write-up on Will in the South Bend Tribune:



Notre Dame football: Fuller delivers in fine fashion - South Bend Tribune: Football

Kuehnja disagrees with this statement.

 

[yankeeND]

How bright is this kids future?! WR corps is gonna be strong for whoever starts at QB next season.

 

[IrishLion]

Kuehnja disagrees with this statement.

Yeah, Fuller would be even faster if ND would've canned his *** and hired someone better.

 

[IrishLion]

On a serious note, it is exciting to think about what could come of this WR group with Golson at the helm next season. Tommy has obviously done a fine job of distributing the football, but to have guys like Fuller, Brown, Daniels and Robinson that have either the size or speed (or both) to hurt defenders deep, I can only imagine the nightmares future D-coordinators could have on their hands with a QB that can run around and buy time for his receivers to break open on deep throws.

 

[Crazy Balki]

On a serious note, it is exciting to think about what could come of this WR group with Zaire at the helm next season. Tommy has obviously done a fine job of distributing the football, but to have guys like Fuller, Brown, Daniels and Robinson that have either the size or speed (or both) to hurt defenders deep, I can only imagine the nightmares future D-coordinators could have on their hands with a QB that can run around and buy time for his receivers to break open on deep throws.

FIFY

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

FIFY

Zaire over golson?

 

[Kak7304]

On a serious note, it is exciting to think about what could come of this WR group with Golson at the helm next season. Tommy has obviously done a fine job of distributing the football, but to have guys like Fuller, Brown, Daniels and Robinson that have either the size or speed (or both) to hurt defenders deep, I can only imagine the nightmares future D-coordinators could have on their hands with a QB that can run around and buy time for his receivers to break open on deep throws.

Multiple dangerous WRs and a mobile QB also opens up the run game.

 

[IrishLion]

Multiple dangerous WRs and a mobile QB also opens up the run game.

Indeed. Here's hoping that something works out amongst the RBs and that someone is given an opportunity to be THE guy to take advantage of what should be a dangerous offense.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

You are forgetting about James Onwualu. Please don't. Have you noticed the crushing blocks he has made? He clobbered someone against AFA. Looked like a linebacker on offense. He can catch, and he is just about the size of Michael Floyd. Maybe a tad faster. And then Brent and Lazzard, Holmes and McKenzie come in . . . Ooops!

 

[IrishLion]

You are forgetting about James Onwualu. Please don't. Have you noticed the crushing blocks he has made? He clobbered someone against AFA. Looked like a linebacker on offense. He can catch, and he is just about the size of Michael Floyd. Maybe a tad faster. And then Brent and Lazzard, Holmes and McKenzie come in . . . Ooops!

Oh, I haven't forgotten about him. I was just speaking in terms of the guys that have made an impact as WRs thus far and that have already shown the ability to be deep threats.

I do not doubt that Onwualu will be a force at receiver, but we have only seen him as a blocking threat to this point.

I guess we should include Prosise as well. So many options in the position group!

 

[irishff1014]

Oh, I haven't forgotten about him. I was just speaking in terms of the guys that have made an impact as WRs thus far and that have already shown the ability to be deep threats.

I do not doubt that Onwualu will be a force at receiver, but we have only seen him as a blocking threat to this point.

I guess we should include Prosise as well. So many options in the position group!

He has made some nice special team plays.

 

[IrishLion]

He has made some nice special team plays.

Indeed, he is an ace in kick/punt coverage, but I'm still only considering his reps thus far as a wideout in terms of my original post.

 

[Irishman77]

Should be our KR going forward...GA 3 is not getting it done. Next man in

 

[Irish Insanity]

Should be our KR going forward...GA 3 is not getting it done. Next man in

He had one for 37 yds yesterday. They kicked off 3 times. So 2 touch backs and a 37 yarder. I'll take it.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

'13 PA WR Will Fuller (Notre Dame Signed LOI)

He had one for 37 yds yesterday. They kicked off 3 times. So 2 touch backs and a 37 yarder. I'll take it.

Agree


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[dublinirish]

Seemingly you CAN teach speed...who knew???

 

[Cackalacky]

Seemingly you CAN teach speed...who knew???

I don't think that is what keunjha means. He thinks Longo should be able to make a guy faster (which I interpret to mean straight-line speed such as GAIII has) I think maybe you are being facaetious? If so I am not disagreeing with you.

A person can slightly improve measurables like 40 time, but mostly what we see on the field as football speed is separation, explosiveness off the line, getting off your blocker, findings lanes, and attacking spaces on the field, which is what strength and conditioning coaches can improve and I have mentioned ad naseum to him in the Longo thread.

This involves fluid movements, changes of pace and direction, and quick acceleration while balancing against the size/mass of the person. You can't take a OL and make him have sub-4.5 speed while maintaining his ideal on the field weight.

When I played college football, it amazed me how many of my teammates had no clue how to optimize their sprint times. Their technique is poor, their starts are awful, and they think they are OK!

And their high school coaches are "know-it-alls"! While I was a player, several teammates approached me to help them improve their 40-yard dash (one was a legitimate draft pick). The situation required a quick fix for speed.

I had no time for a training program so I had to look at their technique. I have found that most football players untrained in sprint technique make four common mistakes.


1. Poor Starting Stance.


The starting stance and "set" position of the athlete is crucial. Improper form here will result in a super slow time. To begin, the athlete needs to decide which foot goes in front. A simple test is to have the athlete stand upright with both feet together. Moderately push the athlete in the back and watch which foot moves first. The foot that moves first should be their rear "quick" leg. The other leg will be called the "drive" leg or "power" leg.

Leg Position
For athletes shorter than 6-feet tall, place their "power" leg just millimeters from the start line. Athletes taller than 6-feet should play with their stance for the best time. Most athletes at this height place their "power" leg about 4-6 inches behind the starting line.

The front foot is placed close to the starting line because this places the body's center of mass (about the belly button) almost over top of the starting line.

Since the idea of the sprint is to get the body's center of mass from point A (start line) to point B (finish line), you want to eliminate as much distance as possible without sacrificing power and speed.


Hips, Hands & Knees.
Bend the opposite knee to the ground so the front of the knee almost touches the starting line. Take the hand that is to the "quick" leg side and place it on the ground (I have seen college athletes do this backward!). Place the opposite hand near the hip so it is "cocked" and ready to "fire!"

The coach should view the athlete from the side and make sure the athlete's hips are above their shoulder height. The athlete's eyes should be focused on a spot on the ground about 2-3 feet in front of them. If the athlete's hips are not higher than their shoulders, their legs need to be re-adjusted. Most athlete's feet are too far back because it's "comfortable." In the "set" stance, the athlete should feel cramped for maximal recoil.

Some athletes cannot achieve this position because they have flexibility issues. If time permits, this should be a focus of the training. If you have little time, do the best you can with what you have to work with!



2. Poor First Step


A poor first step is the result of a poor stance. Having your feet too far back will result in a step that may not pass the starting line which results in one extra step to run the sprint, which could add 0.1 seconds to your time! If flexibility (addressed above) is not an issue, practicing the start from the new stance is the next step.

Measuring The First Step
Set a hoop or line of tape on the floor to help as an aiming point. How far should the athlete step? I was pretty flexible and was able to get a large first step without sacrificing body angle.

This is up to the coach to decide. A good starting point is to measure the athlete's femur length and use that as the optimal distance. This keeps equilibrium for the athlete's height (taller athletes have longer legs and vice versa).


Perfecting The First Step.
Practice several starts and get an idea where the first foot contact is. A short step means the rear foot is too far back. Too long of a step results in an overstride which decreases force potential. The best way to be sure if the stride is too long is by using a video camera.

It doesn't have to be a fancy set-up. You just need a VCR that plays in slow-mo. Pause the tape when the athlete's foot contacts the ground. You can even use a protractor to measure the leg angle. An optimal leg angle would be about 45 degrees.



3. Not Accelerating Long Enough


The 40-yard dash is a test of acceleration and top-end speed. Research suggests that top end speed can be maintained in elite sprinters for about 2 seconds and occurs around the 50-meter mark. Knowing this fact, timing top end speed is critical. Most 40-yard dashes by elite football players are less than 5 seconds. The athlete should try to reach top-end speed about one second from the finish. This normally occurs around the 30-yard mark.

Forward Body Lean
The athlete needs to keep an exaggerated forward body lean for 30 yards. The forward lean keeps the athlete from reaching full speed too fast. During this acceleration phase, the athlete should focus on keeping arms bent at about 90 degrees and focus on "pulling" the elbows back and "pushing" with the feet. Trying to "pull" back may result in a hamstring pull and also a slower time.

Upright Posture
At the 30-yard mark, the athlete's posture is upright and the focus is still on pulling the elbows back. By only focusing on the arms, you will also control the stride rate (the legs will only move as fast as the arms will pump).

First Breath
The final point about the acceleration phase is that the athlete should have his first breath just before coming out of the acceleration phase. Normally a quick grunt is taken at the start of the sprint. The second breath should come at about the 20-yard mark and the final breath taken just before the finish.


4. Too Many Steps


The final common mistake is that players take way too many steps. The 40-yard dash should be over in about 18-20 steps for high school players and older (If you have seen programs to reduce 40-yard time by 0.2 seconds, they take 20 strides and try to reduce ground contact time but 0.01 seconds x 20 strides = 0.2 seconds). However, counting an athlete's strides is not an easy task.

Count Every Step.
The simplest lo-tech way to count steps is to start with the first step and count every other step. If the right leg is back, the first step is 1, then when the right foot hits again, 3, 5, 7, 9 etc. When the athlete crosses the line, notice what foot crosses and make your final count.

Video Camera.
A more accurate method uses the camera. Count the steps in slow-mo on the VCR. If the athlete takes too many steps, their stride is not optimally lengthened. Coaching the athlete to reach farther while running may give instant success.

Improve Stride.
For those with training time, focusing on exercises to improve stride length would be a main focus (stadium steps, step ups, alternate leg bounds, over speed bands).


Conclusion


Improving the athlete's 40-yard dash time in a matter of minutes is possible. The amount of improvement may only be 0.1 seconds but that could be the difference between being drafted and being on the couch in the fall.



Tips On Improving Your 40-Yard Dash!
The 40-yard dash is tested in almost all sports now. Whatever your sport the mechanics remain the same. Here are some key pointers to lowering your time.
[ Click here to learn more. ]


Understanding that each athlete is unique is important. Also, focusing on the weakest part of the sprint should be the coach's focus. Overteaching may result in a worse time.

Roger White BS, CSCS, SSC, is the Head Speed Coach for Sport X Training. For questions, e-mail Roger at Roger@SportXTraining.com. For more tips like this, visit www.SportXTraining.com.

 

[md_bennett]

You can't take a OL and make him have sub-4.5 speed while maintaining his ideal on the field weight.

unless there are a few bacon burgers waiting on the other end of the run....

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Purdue has burned us for decades with tiny receivers (and DBs) nobody else wanted. It often is the size of the heart and not the body that is important..

think your missing the joke my man.

Don't feel bad Irish1958, most of miss his jokes all of the time.


kuenja loves longo { >

 

[Cackalacky]

You are forgetting about James Onwualu. Please don't. Have you noticed the crushing blocks he has made? He clobbered someone against AFA. Looked like a linebacker on offense. He can catch, and he is just about the size of Michael Floyd. Maybe a tad faster. And then Brent and Lazzard, Holmes and McKenzie come in . . . Ooops!

LOL. Onwualu is bulldozer. Violence personified. Love seeing him crash down on someone.

 

[Ironman8]

Onwaulu's great physical blocking contributions are mitigated, IMO, by the way he is employed, either through his limitations as a route-running WR right now or simply a flaw in the way BK and Chuck run their offense.

When James is on the field, we run. Every. Time. We have heard other teams say they have picked up on our tendencies and it makes us much easier to play against. How long until a team (BYU? Stanford?) is able to sell out on these tendencies are hinder our offense simply because we telegraph everything?

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

Onwaulu's great physical blocking contributions are mitigated, IMO, by the way he is employed, either through his limitations as a route-running WR right now or simply a flaw in the way BK and Chuck run their offense.

When James is on the field, we run. Every. Time. We have heard other teams say they have picked up on our tendencies and it makes us much easier to play against. How long until a team (BYU? Stanford?) is able to sell out on these tendencies are hinder our offense simply because we telegraph everything?

We are waiting for the Stanford game to release him on a vertical route. You just wait and see.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Onwaulu's great physical blocking contributions are mitigated, IMO, by the way he is employed, either through his limitations as a route-running WR right now or simply a flaw in the way BK and Chuck run their offense.

When James is on the field, we run. Every. Time. We have heard other teams say they have picked up on our tendencies and it makes us much easier to play against. How long until a team (BYU? Stanford?) is able to sell out on these tendencies are hinder our offense simply because we telegraph everything?

Ironman, agreed with all. I guarantee that Onwualu can catch. Look back at the summer film.

I wonder if in part his being so incredibly strong and the loss of Daniel Smith has created a rut, I mean role for him.

I agree with you about tendencies, if it weren't for the staff's cloak of invisibility. The staff isn't giving up tendencies, nor are they telling teams that they are unwilling or unable to make logical adjustments at the start of games, (even though it is admitted in press conferences.) So do not worry. (Good point, lets all worry!)