Running against bigger guys

SpreeWheels24 · 06-05-2005, 05:04 PM

Im going to be a freshman next year, and going ot be playing at tailback. back in middle school, i was pretty good, i was never scared to get hit, whether at practice or games. But now im gojng to be agaisnt bigger guys, and i mean BIG. 4 seniors at my school bench 350+. and about 9 seniors/juniors bench 300+. these are big guys. Im not going to be playing varsity, so i dont have to worry about bigger guys at games. But at practices, when we do 3-a-days, we're going to be hitting. And me being a rb, i'll have to run agasint the whole team, which inclueds all those big strong guys, and those strong lineman.

Remeber when you guys were freshamn during practice? How did you guys handle running the ball against another teammate that is 100+ lbs bigger than you and stronger than you?

DBjohn24 · 06-05-2005, 05:16 PM

freshmans dont practice against varsity...not even jv. freshmans practice with freshmans. coaches arent trying to get thier players hurt.

SpreeWheels24 · 06-05-2005, 05:53 PM

Well that might be like that at your school, but at my school freshman practice against everybody, including varsity. This is for hitting drills and crap, not scrimmages.

Remember, im talking about hitting drills.

TheDiesel · 06-05-2005, 06:55 PM

Last year our sophmore RB got a concussion in practice. Just man up and take anything they throw at you and dish back more. Look at Archie Griffin, he won 2 Heismans and was always playing against people bigger then him. Infact one of his most famous quotes was "It's not about the size of the dog in the fight, it's about the size of the fight in the dog". Or you could just get bigger..... lol.

Bubba LB 4 · 06-05-2005, 07:28 PM

Well, since you are already scared ****less, I'd say you're screwed. Just go out and play, if you get whacked, whatever get up and play again. Get tough man. Work your ass off to get stronger and realize its part of getting better to play against better kids, what are you going to do next year when you are a sophomore, be scared again and never play against "the big boys?"

TheDiesel · 06-08-2005, 10:47 AM

Think about it though, unless you just let them have free shots at you in open field, you wont get too hurt. Think about all those pads you have, they are their for a reason. This is one of those times when the only thing to fear is fear itself, I learned that the hard way this year except I wasnt afraid of getting hit, I was afraid of not doing well in games. It really backfires on you bro, just don't be afraid and remember, they are HighSchoolers just like you.

Cowart69 · 06-08-2005, 12:04 PM

I think that once you take a couple of hits......you will relax and not worry about this as much.....

Walk onto the field for the first practice and dont forget your helmet....thats a good start...

TheDiesel · 06-08-2005, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cowart69

I think that once you take a couple of hits......you will relax and not worry about this as much.....

Walk onto the field for the first practice and dont forget your helmet....thats a good start...

Thats true. After the first play the nervousness and fear goes away. Thats how it always works for me anyway.

Numba90 · 06-08-2005, 01:33 PM

Dont be scared. The worst thing you can do is to be afraid to get hit. I play defensive end, so it's my job to destroy people like you every time you try and run an outside zone play. No matter what your size is if you run hard and give it yur all it doesnt matter if you get killed cuz youll get a ton of respect. If you act like a pussy and half ass it and brace for the hit theyll just try harder to kill you. My senior year of High School we had a RB on our team who was a sophmore and he was 5'3" 115 pounds and he would get ROCKED by our two 230 pound backs who are both playing D1, but now he is going to be team captain next year. SO yea, just tough it out, and dont think youre gunna get hurt. Think that youre gunna hurt them

TheDiesel · 06-08-2005, 05:56 PM

Aloung with what Numba90 said, people often assoiciate offense with the guys that get hit. Offense is aloud to hit hard too, you just have a ball when your doing it, lol. When I'm running the ball I sometimes run I WANT to hit defenders, that need to destroy can be found on offense aswell.

RubberBandMan30 · 06-10-2005, 12:20 AM

Well, since your small and quick (I assume, since you're a running back), work on your strengths, which is your speed. You won't see substantial size gains if you lift during season, so why not work on your quickness, footwork and moves? It doesn't matter if the guy infront of you is 250 lbs., if he can't touch you, he won't do ****.

A well placed juke, spin or (my favorite) stiff arm can catch many players off guard and downright embarass them at times. Learn to read the holes and squeeze by withouth even being noticed by staying really low. Running low with the ball will take out a lot of those Varsity guys that still haven't grasped that concept/importance. Good luck, and if you get creamed, get up and shake the shoes of that guy the next play and wait for the "Oooooh's" and "Ahhhhh's".

TheDiesel · 06-10-2005, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RubberBandMan30

Well, since your small and quick (I assume, since you're a running back), work on your strengths, which is your speed. You won't see substantial size gains if you lift during season, so why not work on your quickness, footwork and moves? It doesn't matter if the guy infront of you is 250 lbs., if he can't touch you, he won't do ****.

I agree with you. Except in the offseason you should definatly CONCENTRATE on your weaknesses, while still training for what you do well also. You want to be the complete package, speed, strength, agility, technique, etc. My dad's cousin's son played QB at Penn State when they won their national championship in the 80's and then went on to play 2 years with the Cheifs. His name is Tod Blackledge btw. Anyway, last year at a family get together he wanted to give me some advice and said "Work on your weaknesses so that you can become balanced. Alot of times all big guys want to do is hit the weight room and all fast guys want to do is run." Thats almost word for word, or atleast how I remembered it, lol.