Football Tips
When it comes to Football, we've been there, done that, now serving 39 tips in 18 categories ranging from Arena to Tryouts.
How to Make College Football Recruiters Take Notice
Playing football in college is the dream of many high school players. There are a couple of things that hopefuls can do to make themselves more visible to recruiters:
1. Make a Highlights Tape
This is the most crucial piece of information you can put out there about yourself. Clips of you playing your position to the max are exactly what recruiters are interested in seeing. Make sure you get good footage and compile it so that the recruiters can see you clearly. Add your stats to the end of the film so it can be a one-stop shot containing everything about you. With the advent of video sites like YouTube, sharing this visual is easier than ever.
2. Promo Pack
Put together a promotions package showcasing your information. Craft a cover letter that details your interest in collegiate sports, include a recent copy of your transcript, a color photo, and provide a link to access your highlight video. If you have letters of recommendation, add them to the pack as well. Make copies of these documents and keep them on hand to give out whenever possible.
3. Go to Camps
Get out there and make yourself known. Attend camps given by the schools you want to play for. Recruiters might make an appearance and be able to see what you can do. These camps are also great to test yourself against the competition.
4. Blow Their Minds
You have to be good. After all of the preparation and marketing is done, it all comes down to that. Hone your skills and make sure you are a beast at what you do. Work on things like increasing your speed and agility. Run as many drills as you can so you can be more accurate. Do it better than anyone else and people will take notice.
The Best of the Best of College Football Teams
Dynasties rise and fall in college football, but the passion and obsession for the game remains. Great teams are immortalized in history and revered by alumni and fans. Here are some of the greatest teams that college football has ever offered.
Yesterday's Favorites
Notre Dame, 1924: Irish fans have long romanticized the success of the 1924 team, but the perfect record isn't the only reason for the fond remembrance. The team trampled over eight teams during the season which each came to the field with a winning record. The mythical "Four Horsemen of Notre Dame" also played that year and helped the team ride into Indiana history.
Nebraska, 1995: The Cornhuskers steamrolled the competition in 1995 and scored an incredible 638 points for the season. Coached by Tom Osborne, the team managed to win their first game against Oklahoma State with a score of 64 to 21. The team continued their dominance with a bevy of Division 1-A records and an average victory margin that exceeded 38 points.
USC, 2004: Trojan football is like a religion for USC alumni, and the 2004 season had enough drama for a feature film. The team started the season with a split national title shared with LSU and ended the year with a BCS championship that was vacated due to an NCAA investigation. Despite the vacated game, USC crushed Oklahoma at the Orange Bowl with a score of 55 to 19.
Today's Juggernaut
Florida State, 2013: With a record of 14 to 0, a major poll crowned the Seminoles as the best team of the year. Their hard-fought victory of 34 to 31 against the Auburn Tigers at the BCS championship game cemented their dominance of 2013.
How to Increase Your Speed
Here are some ways to improve your speed:
Lift
That’s right. Lift weights. You might think that lifting weights will bulk you up and slow you down, but that is not the case. Lifting weights helps to strengthen your leg muscles. Stronger leg muscles apply more force to the ground when you dig in to run. This allows you to have long strides and cover more ground. This, combined with an increased strike rate (how often you cycle your legs) will increase your speed.
Lunges
This exercise works the legs in the same manner that a stride does. The hip flexors will open up and give you more range of motion as your leg muscles strengthen.
Aqua Running
You are working on increasing your strike rate with this exercise. Aqua running is exactly that – running in water. Deep water, to be exact. Before you get in the water, time how often your right foot touches the ground when you are running. Then run in the water, concentrating on bringing the foot down faster. Your strike rate will be less but the effort will reveal itself when you try the drill again on land. You will gradually see your strike rate increase.
The Best Strategies to Become a Quality Quarterback
Quarterbacks can be the difference between an elite team and one that just plain stinks. The quarterback is the captain, the leader, the most important player on the field. He can make all of the throws, make all of the play-calls, and read every single defense he comes across.
Sounds easy, right? We don't think it does either. Because of the depth that goes into becoming a quality quarterback we have found that there are a few strategies to really excelling at the position--regardless of skill level. Let's take a look.
1. The main strategy that a quarterback should follow is to stick to his skill-set. Many people play the quarterback position for many different reasons.
-Dan Marino was able to play quarterback at an elite level because he had an amazing arm.
-Chad Pennington had an insanely successful college career because of his dead eye accuracy.
-Tim Tebow became a household name due to his ability to scramble and keep plays alive.
So, find out where you are on the spectrum. Know what makes you a good quarterback. If you have great athletic prowess then lean on your legs. If you have a killer arm then try to make the big throws. So on, so forth.
2. Outside of sticking to your skill-set as a quarterback you should also try and become the most well versed player on the field. This means that you need to glue your eyes to the playbook and learn all of the routes. Becoming the most prepared player will pay huge dividends down the road towards your successful career.
The 5 Best Quarterbacks in NFL History
You may find yourself wondering how we can narrow down the NFL to only name five of the best quarterbacks of all time, and it's true, it wasn't easy. After much research, many names appeared on the list and only six or seven were repeated. After narrowing even further, the list is complete.
1. In no order of importance, we begin with Peyton Manning on the simple fact that this year was definitely his greatest year. He set five records as a rookie including most touchdown passes and yards. Peyton is more a student of the game than any other quarterback. His ability to read a defense during the game based on film that he has watched makes him stand out among his peers.
2. Coming in at number 2, Tom Brady had the most wins in his first 100 starts and his team was the only undefeated in the 16-game era.
3. For the third position on our list we must recognize the always cool under pressure, Joe Montana. He won back to back MVP's and won Super Bowl XXIII with a 92 yard drive.
4. Our number four slot goes to John Elway who has one of the best winning percentages in league history (148–82–1). Also, he boasts nine Pro Bowl selections for a quarterback, which is the 2nd highest in history.
5. Last but certainly not least in any regard is Johnny Unitas. He certainly changed how the position was played by introducing the two-minute offense and becoming the first quarterback to have a 30-touchdown season. Johnny Unitas was instrumental in the Baltimore Colts' 23-17 win against the New York Giants in 1958 which was dubbed "The Greatest Game Ever Played."
Highest salaries in pro-sports
Athletes nowadays make an insane amount of money for the jobs that they perform. Let's take a look at the highest salaried earners in the NFL.
QB - TOM BRADY - 31.3 MILLION
One of the greatest to ever play the game. Brady would be higher on this list had he not taken a paycut.
QB - JOE FLACCO - 35.9 MILLION
Probably the least talented of all major earners on this list, Joe Flacco still has a winning pedigree. He declined a contract extension in the 2012 offseason and decided to play for his new contract. The Ravens won the Super Bowl and he got paid like a Super Bowl leader. Baltimore will probably regret this contract in a few years, but they're still flying high.
QB - DREW BREES - 40 MILLION
Drew Brees, quarterback for the Saints, probably isn't upset that he placed second on the list of highest paid professional athletes. At 40 million dollars his contract, along with his skills throwing a football, is truly out of this world.
QB - AARON RODGERS - 43 MILLION
Aaron Rodgers, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the NFL, makes the most annually for his record breaking 43 million dollar contract. Thanks to his leadership abilities the Packers have turned in to perennial Super Bowl contenders. Money well spent, some would argue.
Interestingly, these top 4 make up the top 5 highest earners across all professional sports.
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