Speed is one of the most important factors in college football. When players compete at the college level, they have demonstrated they know the basics of the game and that they understand how to block and tackle. However, when it comes to winning, teams that are equal in all areas will be able to separate themselves from the competition if they can win the speed battle.
Parachute Training
To help football players become faster, sprinting with a parachute can help them get more explosive. Attach a running parachute to your back. You wear it the same way you wear a back pack. Start off at the goal line, and sprint 100 yards to the opposite goal line. As you sprint, you will feel tremendous resistance when the parachute unfurls. Do not turn around and do not slow down. Sprint as fast as you can for the whole way. Then turn around, and run 100 yards in the opposite direction. However, when you reach the 50-yard mark, hit the release button, and the chute will drop off. This will create a surge of velocity called overspeed. Keep running, and finish the sprint.
Sprint Ladder Drill
The ladder drill combines speed and endurance training. In full uniform and pads, start off at the goal line and sprint 40 yards and then return to the starting line. Then turn around immediately, and sprint 30 yards and back, and then 20 yards and back. Take a two-minute break and repeat the drill.
Rope Ladder Training
Build a rope ladder with two horizontal rungs by eight. Jump with both feet into the first rung on the left. As quickly as you can, jump horizontally in the first rung on the right. Jump up one, and then to the side and then up another rung. Follow this pattern until you complete the rope ladder. Take a one-minute break, and repeat the drill. This exercise builds explosive strength in the calf muscles--the most explosive ones when it comes to running speed and quickness.
Hill Running
Running up and down hills help football players build game-breaking speed. Sprint 40 yards up a hill, and then run the same distance down the hill. Running up hill builds power and strength, while running downhill helps with stride length and balance. Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice followed this training regimen throughout his career. "No matter what I achieved on the field, I was motivated by fear," Rice said. "I always feared that someone would catch me, hit me or be better than I was. I knew if I trained hard I had a better chance of overcoming those fears. That's why I ran those hills. They made me faster."
Member Comments