College football players at the elite level are some of the most athletic players in the world. Being fast by high school standards does not mean you are fast by college standards. These athletes train all year to improve their linear and lateral speed as well as their acceleration and deceleration. If your goal is to prepare for a college football season, drills can help you see the needed benefits.
Short Sprints
The most obvious way to build speed is to run as fast as you can. While this sounds simple, it requires discipline and consistency to complete the drills. Stick to distances of no more than 100 yards, concentrating most of your reps in the 20- to 30-yard range. You want to get to top speed as fast as possible and then maintain that speed for a few seconds. Use your 80- to 100-yard sprints rarely, and on those occasions try to stay at max speed for as long as possible. This is referred to as long speed. Rest until you feel almost 100 percent before running the next sprint. Anything less than this trains your endurance instead of building speed.
Acceleration and Deceleration
Football is not a track meet, and therefore you must train to do more than run as fast as possible. Increasing your ability to accelerate and decelerate efficiently will increase your game speed. One of the best drills to work on these abilities is a 60-yard sprint. Set up two pairs of cones with each pair two yards apart. The first pair of cones is placed at the 20-yard mark, and the second pair at the 40-yard mark. Sprint from the start to the first pair of cones. You should be at full speed when you reach the cones. In the two-yard segment between the cones, decelerate as much as possible. As you move past the second cone, accelerate again, and repeat the deceleration at the second pair of cones. Finish the drill with a sprint over the final 20 yards.
Lateral Speed
Moving laterally is a skill that can be difficult to develop but is crucial to several positions. By placing blocking dummies on the ground you can create obstacles to step over. Beginning at the first dummy, shuffle laterally over the dummies as quickly as possible, keeping your head up and your shoulders perpendicular to the dummies. As you begin this drill you will likely pump your knees high and move relatively slowly, but as you grow more comfortable you will widen your base and assume a more athletic position as you step over the dummies more smoothly.
Position Speed
Every position on the field has its own unique set of speed requirements. You should perform drills specific to your position frequently to improve both technique and speed. Defensive backs should practice transitioning from a back pedal to a sprint without breaking stride or swerving. Linebackers should run in place in the middle of four cones and react to a partner pointing at a cone by either backpedaling to the cone and then running back to the middle or running to the cone and then backpedaling to the middle. This drills simulates a linebacker reacting to run or pass and getting into a zone or attacking the run. Talk to your coach about drills you can perform at your position to increase game speed.
References
- "Complete Conditioning for Football"; Michael Arthur, Bryan Bailey, Tom Osborne; 1998
- "The Complete Book of Speed and Agility Football Drills"; Jerry R. Tolley; 2002
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