Football ?

[Bam Bam]

THis is for you football gurus like gino

I have been pondering trying out for a semi pro team here in oklahoma.

positives- i can throw the ball extremely well outs slants or bombs up to 60yds

i am very fast at 4.51 forty last week and 4.49 the week before

I am a good runner as far as when i get into open field im hard to take down and i seem to outrun most defenders

i love football

negatives- I am 27 yrs old with little experience

i dont know if defensively id be able to pick up schemes (whereas if i played rb id hit assigned hole and get into open field)

i play ball without pads with several college atheletes or x atheletes on the weekends i usually play qb but if i get rushed i go for a touchdown probably 8 out of 10 times. Granted this is with a 3 or four man line if someone blitzes i take off

these are not bums some of the guys are college baseball players and everyone there besides me played football in highchool

question is should i try out and if so what position should i concentrate on im 6ft 1 180lbs right now

[ElPietro]

Go watch the movie Waterboy.

[Relentless]

I'm clearly not the guru that gino is, but based on your size, speed and lack of experience a WR gig might be the best choice to try for...180lbs is a bit small for an RB, IMHO. If you can catch as well as you can throw, then you're all set.

[Relentless]

you might also want to ask yourself how bad you want to play ball in this kind of league; if you have a day job or other things for which you value your health, is it worth risking your health to play full-contact ball??

I know I sound like an old woman here, but it has to be a consideration...

[ericg]

I say try out, see what the coach thinks. Tell him what you told us, and he will prob try you out at different positions for a lil while but you will find what you are most comfortable playing. I play ball in a mens flag league and I have also played full contact with pads, once you throw on the pads things are much different.

[gino]

I guess it depends on the general talent level of the league. Athletic ability is only a small piece of the football success equation. Non-physical aspects of the game are just as important. These include experience, technique, mental capacity, and instincts.

The best running backs at any level are not always the fastest running backs(Barry Sanders was far from the fastest). The same applies for any position. I had a friend in college who was jacked and very athletic. I talked him into trying football, which he hadn't played in 10 years. He tried out and made the team based on physical stature alone, but once he got the pads on, he was lost on the field. He spent most of the time on 3rd team defense, catching helmets in his chest and laying on his back during practice. Even with extra help after practice from the coaches and myself, he never progressed - no instincts or experience.

If I were you, I'd try receiving. If you are fast & agile, can run a sharp pattern, and have good hands, you'll do ok. Other positions require more of different attributes - QBs need high levels of talent, fundamental mechanics, and experience to succeed. Running backs need a lot more instinct. Defensive players need a good balance of instinct, athletic ability, and experience. (a few screws loose like myself doesn't hurt either lol)

[Praetorian]

I'm 210lbs and i play RB...its a pretty cool position, cause you get to run with the ball like hell. I like that! The thing is that you need, as gino pointed out, instinct. You gotta be able to get an overwiev of the field while running like you got Eric jacked up on viagra running after you, while you keep your head down and trying to hold the ball.

If you wanna run with the ball, you could also try WB. Just try the different positions and see what you like.

But like Callahan said, think about your health before starting out. Cause I play RB and i get smashed really good sometimes when the O-line doesnt do their jobs. I messed up my knee in the last game and today at practise i hurt my hand. So keep that in mind if you want to play american football. Btw i play in norway and i presume that they play much tougher over in the US.

[Relentless]

whaddya know, the guru agrees with me

:D
Cal

P.S. One other thing to consider is what you LIKE doing. Personally, i'd rather be a mediocre linebacker than any offensive player because I LIKE tackling people. But that's just me. If you can get into this league and make it work at something other than WR and you enjoy it, more power to ya.

P.P.S. I totally appreciate gino's comment about instinct... there's one guy that plays with us in our weekend scrimmage games that is old and overweight and wheezes a lot. But he has amazing instinct and can make really good moves to the ball on defense and gets just enough cuts to get open for short routes on offense... his ability is not huge, but his instinct is MASSIVE

[Bam Bam]

thanks guys

i needed to hear that . I have grown to love football and have been urged to make a go at it hell i had a college linebacking coach tell me to come out for the team granted this is a division II school but its still NCAA.

I think i would really like playing lb or safety SS that is where i could get involved in the run . I think my weakness is angles and open field tackling. But if im near the line im a monster . Everyone tells me i have good instincts with the ball and that im hard to bring down but i realize there is more to the position than that. I pretty much know qb is out of the ? too much reading coverages shifting the lines and such
Wr is a possibility i guess but ive never caught the ball since i always play qb or run it.

If this matters and i take into account ginos statements i can gain considerable weight without losing speed as i was 268 of fat ass and ran a 4.63 forty on 3 seperate clocks
maybe after my next boxing competition i will try to get to 220 or so and see where i feel i am at again i appreciate all the input except from the twinkie bandit el peitro

[ElPietro]

Haha! You will need lessons in becoming a twinkie bandit if you expect to put on 40lbs foo! :p Do not mock the master! tuttut

[Bam Bam]

lol yeah i am also assuming i get magically healthy enough to workout on a regular basis

but i think ive got the golden coral and chinese buffets down pat :angel:

[Gyno Rhino]

Go for it. What's the worst that could happen: you get turned down. But you're guaranteed to not make it if you don't try. Do it.

[zwarrior99]

Just go for it the worse that can happen is that they pick you, and you become the teams star!

[Accipiter]

eric's a twinkie master.....