Some of the greatest athletes who have worn NFL uniforms have been running backs. Barry Sanders may have had more quickness than any player who played the position when he starred for the Detroit Lions. Gale Sayers had the ability to accelerate and run away from tacklers when he played for the Chicago Bears. Jim Brown was a combination of speed, power and toughness when he played for the Cleveland Browns. As talented as those players were, all of them developed their techniques to reach high levels of accomplishment.
Step 1
Condition yourself thoroughly to be the best running back possible. Work on your speed by running hills and training with resistance like running parachutes. Build your strength by going to the weight room and doing exercises like the bench press, leg press, arm curls and lunges. Work on your quickness by doing interval sprints and the shuttle run. Do the bulk of your strength work in the offseason and do your maintenance work in this area as the season progresses.
Step 2
Run with patience when you have the ball. An effective back will run with patience and wait for his blocks to develop before turning a play upfield. This is difficult for most running backs to learn. If you let your blocks develop, you have a chance to find a significant hole and make a big gain. If you lack patience, you will turn upfield immediately and possibly run up the back of your own blocker or into the arms of a defensive player.
Step 3
Develop a powerful stiff-arm when you are running in the open field and a linebacker or defensive back is coming at you. As you see the tackler bearing in on you, drive the base of your hand into his helmet or shoulder in an attempt to shunt him aside. When Brown did this during his Hall of Fame career, New York Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Huff said it was like taking a hard punch from a heavyweight boxer. This will allow you to get extra yards and help your team win.
Step 4
Work on your pass-catching skills. In the modern game played at the high school, college and professional level, teams depend on their passing game for a majority of big plays. When running backs are covered one-on-one by linebackers who may not be able to match their athleticism, they should be able to get wide open. The ability to get open, catch the ball and run into the open areas of the field can help a good running back become a great one.
References
- "Inside the Helmet"; Peter King; 1993
- "Play Football the NFL Way"; Tom Bass; 1991
- Fauquier; Sam Huff Featured In SI Article; July 2011
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