Question for Carl or Kris1 or others

[HistoryMajor]

In separate thread/article about Arkeel Newsome, it mentions AK has much better ball security this year. I never played FB beyond peewee leagues. So my question is - what does a FB player do to improve ball security?

Separately - Just have to say that watching AK is worth the price of admission.

 

[kris1]

 

[kris1]

Just kidding....I don't think Arkeel used that thing.

I think each player is different and requires different methods to fix the problem. I would bet Newsome watched film of his fumbles last season to find out what, when, where, why, and how it was happening and addressed those issues in the off season. I think strength and ball placement, along with anticipating contact, were a factor. Newsome also had to learn the importance of protecting the ball at this level. He fumbled in HS, but it never really hurt his team. I think the message HCBD sent at the end of last season was read loud and clear. I don't know exactly what Arkeel did to address it, but it seems to have worked. I'm not a Giants fan but Tiki Barber always comes to mind people talk about improving ball security.

 

[Husky25]

In separate thread/article about Arkeel Newsome, it mentions AK has much better ball security this year. I never played FB beyond peewee leagues. So my question is - what does a FB player do to improve ball security?

Separately - Just have to say that watching AK is worth the price of admission.

Quite simply, Coach Diaco pulled Newsome very calmly, with clear eyes, and love in his heart and said, "Nice run. Think what it coulda done for us if we still had the ball. This is a football. I want you to carry it with you wherever you go. Never let it out of your sight."

He turned to the rest of the team. "Arkeel's gonna keep this football. Any of you see him on campus, take a swipe at the ball. Try to knock it out of his hands. Recover it."

Then back to Arkeel, "If anybody, but you, returns this ball to me, you'll wish you'd never been born."

In all seriousness, Arkeel was an 18 year old true freshman last year playing behind a porous line and vs. comparative men. There was a Courant Article a few months back stating that gained about 15 lbs. over the offseason while working out his forearms and biceps.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Lol.

Kill the carrier is a game that I used to play as a kid that was a lot more fun thsn trying to play football with only a few people. You run around and hit each other and tackle and strip the ball, and try to stay up and keep the ball, or knock the carrier down and the ball loose. Funny thst now that I think of it, I never really was interested in keeping the ball. Always more fun for me to knock it loose, and then just toss it up in the air for grabs. Figures. Don't think ive ever really thought about it before.

I bet Arkeel is a kid that wanted the ball in that game, and enjoyed trying to stay on his feet and keep the ball.

He just started playing kill the carrier with a lot bigger and faster and stronger people last year.

That said, there are definitely fundamentals of ball carrying technique that I'm sure all the backs have been coached and drilled on, as well as TE's, Wr's. Meyers needs work.

 

[Husky25]

Lol.

Kill the carrier is a game that I used to play as a kid that was a lot more fun thsn trying to play football with only a few people. You run around and hit each other and tackle and strip the ball, and try to stay up and keep the ball, or knock the carrier down and the ball loose. Funny thst now that I think of it, I never really was interested in keeping the ball. Always more fun for me to knock it loose, and then just toss it up in the air for grabs. Figures. Don't think ive ever really thought about it before.

I bet Arkeel is a kid that wanted the ball in that game, and enjoyed trying to stay on his feet and keep the ball.

He just started playing kill the carrier with a lot bigger and faster and stronger people last year.

That said, there are definitely fundamentals of ball carrying technique that I'm sure all the backs have been coached and drilled on, as well as TE's, Wr's. Meyers needs work.

We called it Muckle or smear the q.u.e.e.r. (12-13 year olds weren't much for political correctness 25 years ago).

In case you missed it, my little anecdote was a combination of Friday Night Lights (Clear eyes and love in his heart) and The Program (Everything else).

 

[Carl Spackler]

We called it Muckle or smear the q.u.e.e.r. (12-13 year olds weren't much for political correctness 25 years ago).

In case you missed it, my little anecdote was a combination of Friday Night Lights (Clear eyes and love in his heart) and The Program (Everything else).

Kill the carrier is what the older brothers of a couple kids in my neighborhood that went to catholic city high schools called it. It wasn't till I got to public high school, that I learned the phrase: "spear the queer".

Great memories. Ha. haven't thought about that in forever. There are a player on my high school team, that was a senior, that the coach really approved of this now - times have changed - he would spear every new player with his helmet at some point in a full contact practice to see how we would respond. I remember thinking I had every rib in my chest broken, couldn't breathe. Turned out it was just the normal popping, like when you crack a knuckle, but it was every single joint in ribcage. I remember laying on the ground looking up at the sky and thinking I was going to die. But I got up. Lots of other players dropped out of freshmen football.

TImes have changed.

This was in the same valley league of football that Arkeel came out of. Times have changed, but the game is still the same, only safer now.

 

[kris1]

Kill the carrier is what the older brothers of a couple kids in my neighborhood that went to catholic city high schools called it. It wasn't till I got to public high school, that I learned the phrase: "spear the queer".

Great memories. Ha. haven't thought about that in forever. There are a player on my high school team, that was a senior, that the coach really approved of this now - times have changed - he would spear every new player with his helmet at some point in a full contact practice to see how we would respond. I remember thinking I had every rib in my chest broken, couldn't breathe. Turned out it was just the normal popping, like when you crack a knuckle, but it was every single joint in ribcage. I remember laying on the ground looking up at the sky and thinking I was going to die. But I got up. Lots of other players dropped out of freshmen football.

TImes have changed.

This was in the same valley league of football that Arkeel came out of. Times have changed, but the game is still the same, only safer now.

Good stuff, maybe it was an NVL-thing. I played at Ansonia. The day before games we would be in helmets and shorts. Our safety loved to spear the kids on the scout team. He would grab his face ask and ram right into their back right between the shoulder blades when the coaches weren't looking. Often it was after the play was over and the kid was walking back to the huddle. Funny at the time (thankfully I was never on the other end of it), but would definitely be frowned upon today.

 

[NYUConn]

Lol.

Kill the carrier is a game that I used to play as a kid that was a lot more fun thsn trying to play football with only a few people. You run around and hit each other and tackle and strip the ball, and try to stay up and keep the ball, or knock the carrier down and the ball loose. Funny thst now that I think of it, I never really was interested in keeping the ball. Always more fun for me to knock it loose, and then just toss it up in the air for grabs. Figures. Don't think ive ever really thought about it before.

I bet Arkeel is a kid that wanted the ball in that game, and enjoyed trying to stay on his feet and keep the ball.

He just started playing kill the carrier with a lot bigger and faster and stronger people last year.

That said, there are definitely fundamentals of ball carrying technique that I'm sure all the backs have been coached and drilled on, as well as TE's, Wr's. Meyers needs work.

We called it "Pick up and Slaughter."

So much fun despite the bruises and bloody noses growing up.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I doubt it's unique, but maybe it was a valley thing - the actual spearing I guess. I'm from north in the valley, I won't get more specific, but when I did play - and we were good when I was an upperclassmen - it's one of the only times we beat Ansonia 2x in a season. It was always the most sadistic player on the team that wanted the job as a senior, but every freshmen on my team got nailed with a spear to chest, front/ back - didn't matter - mine come from the front - at one point or another. I didn't particulary care at the time, and I didn't want the job when it was my turn to be a senior, and thought it was actually a good idea, because it did separate people and it was a good way to see what a player was made of, but looking back it was pretty dangerous.

 

[NYUConn]

I doubt it's unique, but maybe it was a valley thing - the actual spearing I guess. I'm from north in the valley, I won't get more specific, but when I did play - and we were good when I was an upperclassmen - it's one of the only times we beat Ansonia 2x in a season. It was always the most sadistic player on the team that wanted the job as a senior, but every freshmen on my team got nailed with a spear to chest, front/ back - didn't matter - mine come from the front - at one point or another. I didn't particulary care at the time, and I didn't want the job when it was my turn to be a senior, and thought it was actually a good idea, because it did separate people and it was a good way to see what a player was made of, but looking back it was pretty dangerous.

I grew up in Jersey and by the time I got to 8th grade football coaches banned it because they didn't want to risk losing our guys to injury in this absurdly dangerous game. Got to the point where if they found out we were doing it outside of practice we'd be punished pretty severely too.

 

[SHS72]

Watched him play for 4 years in HS. Fumbling was never an issue for Kel during that time. Think the move to D1 ball with bigger kids, tougher hits was the difference. He has figured it out and we're just enjoying watching him run!

 

[huskypantz]

It's mostly awareness and experience. Be aware of how you're holding the ball and where guys are around you. As a freshman, he was probably thinking about each play, trying to remember where to go and what his assignment was. As you get more comfortable, instincts begin to take over. As an upperclassmen, you understand your strengths and pit them against your enemy (think DB and the stiffarms).

 

[kris1]

Watched him play for 4 years in HS. Fumbling was never an issue for Kel during that time. Think the move to D1 ball with bigger kids, tougher hits was the difference. He has figured it out and we're just enjoying watching him run!

I coached at Ansonia when Arkeel was there, he fumbled more times then the MaxPreps stats will show. I wouldn't say it was an issue but he definitely fumbled more then the six recorded for his career on MaxPreps. He had six his senior year.