To catch a college football coach’s eye (or a college coach in any sport),  not only do you have to have the Purple Cow qualities of Speed and Explosion, you have to be able to prove that you can transfer those physical skills to the game field and be a great football player.  You have to show the recruiting coaches that you have the next Purple Cow Quality – Playing Speed!

As coaches we have all had athletes that “looked like Tarzan, and played like Jane”.  When I was an assistant football coach at the University of Central Missouri, we had a player that had all the tools.  He was 6’2”, 210 pounds, ran a 4.4 to 4.5 40 yard dash, smart, had good character, and was strong and explosive.  He was the first player that every NFL scout asked about when they visited our campus.  Unfortunately, his physical attributes did not transfer to the field or to film.  He very seldom showed up making the type of plays you would expect an athlete of his caliber to make.  He very seldom showed up on film at all making any plays.

How do you improve your “playing speed”?  How does your speed stand out on film like a (fast) Purple Cow?

Practice!

You will play like you practice. Develop Great practice habits, Championship practice habits, Purple Cow practice habits!

Championship (Purple Cow) practice habits:

1. Finish every drill
2. Full speed effort during drills
3. Go at “game speed” during scrimmages
4. Do not take a play off during practice.
5. Never walk on the practice field – jog (or run) onto the field and jog (or run) off the field. Develop the “between the while lines” mentality.
6. Study  – Know you Alignment and Assignment and Opponent.  Watch Film!  The better you know these things, the faster you will play!
7. When you are not actively participating in a drill or scrimmage, get a “mental rep”. The better you know your alignment and assignment, the faster you can play.
8. Get in great shape – the old saying “fatigue makes cowards of us all” is as true today as when Vince Lombardi stated it. Not only does it turn us into cowards, but slow cowards as well!

It sounds simple, but it is really true. When great effort becomes a habit, it will show up in improved playing speed, and it will show up on film.

Most high school players have no real concept regarding effort, and what it means to truly play hard every play – and it shows on film.  I can count on one hand the number of high school athletes that I evaluated when I when I was a college football coach (over 14 years) that went hard every play.  Every one of those high school athletes that did were full scholarship athletes, either at UCM or a level higher.

Those players that do give great effort every play, stand out on film like… well… a Purple Cow!

The next quality that recruiters will look for – Athleticism and Quickness!

In addition to these written posts, I have recently launched my YouTube Channel that deals specifically with the recruiting process.  The channel can be found here : The YouCanDoMore YouTube Channel, and the complete playlist can be viewed here.

Remember – “You Can Do More…. your brain is lying to you… Don’t Believe It!”

Any Questions?  Just comment or email, I will respond!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

Follow @youcandomore1