Work in Progress

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[colincloherty]

Draft Day

I never expected to be that guy who would have a draft night party. I never fantasized that I’d be sitting in Radio City Music Hall surrounded by cameras, while Mel Kiper chatted with Boomer on ESPN about how I was the best player available or discuss the #Jets latest draft blunder. The fact is, I wasn’t highly recruited out of high school and I played my college ball in a conference known for its academics, not its athletics. I wasn’t even the best player on the Brown Bears when we won the Ivy League Championship in 2008. I’ve always had confidence in my ability, but it seemed that confidence was only shared by a small circle of family, friends, and coaches.

But in April 2009, there we were, the Cloherty Clan and friends, at my brother Tyler’s one bedroom basement apartment in Boston watching round after mind-numbing round, hoping for that magic moment when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would stride to the podium and say, “with the X pick in X round, the Washington Redskins select Colin Cloherty, Tight End, Brown University.” (Cue the wild applause from Redskins fans while my agent and I channel House of Pain and Jump Around.

After months of working and waiting, the day had finally arrived. The 2009 NFL Draft began on April 25th. Roger Goodell announce that the Lions drafted Matt Stafford and a slew of other first rounders that you know and love or you wish you could forget. Most of these collegiate studs are in crisp new suits sitting and about to sign contracts with millions guaranteed. Must be nice.

(Roger Goodell with Matt “I didn’t play beer pong on my Draft Day” Stafford)

When the Draft started on Saturday afternoon, I was sitting at a friend’s house at Brown, trying in vain to focus on anything but the draft. Running conversations touched on who went where and what that might mean for me or the team’s upcoming season. Everyone cracked open a beer and discussed how their team got better. Remember the draft used to be two days. Rounds 1-3 on Saturday and Rounds 4-7 on Sunday. I couldn’t wait for day two.

Sunday, I woke up early and drove to my brother’s apartment. My parents flew up and met me there. I also had some friends from Brown come up to celebrate after I got draft. It was a little party. Chips and Dip. Music. Even a beer pong set up out back. The back up anchors ESPN anchors (its day two remember) announced pick after pick while I waited.

“The Redskins are going to call any minute now” I kept telling myself. Over the past few weeks, Skins Tight Ends coach Scott Wachenheim called me a few times and told me to “be ready” Sunday afternoon and to “stay close to my phone” during the late rounds. They had a couple back up phone numbers in case they couldn’t reach my cell phone -- I still had a flip phone. The iFlip ((C) Moss). I grew up as a Skins fan and had an autographed Art Monk picture in my bedroom right next to a faux-Redskins locker. I wore my #47 Chris Cooley jerseys on Sundays while they were usually losing. 

(Cooley sporting some Daisy Dukes)

Cooley was my favorite player not just because he was one of the main offensive targets for the Burgundy and Gold, but because I modeled my game after his. Now I had a change to learn from him up close and emulate the Pro Bowler. But back to the party.

Partygoers unfamiliar with the draft (or my prospects) were starting to wonder if I was going to get drafted at all. For that matter, so did I. Maybe I shouldn’t have had the stupid effing party anyway. What a mistake. This will be pretty embarrassing. I ate too many chips and can’t stand listening to one more person get picked ahead of me. I’m getting too wound up. 

Time for beer pong. After a couple games I forgot all about the draft and relaxed -- never say mindless competitive drinking games never helped anyone. I seriously doubt Matt Stafford was throwing balls in cups on his draft day. Periodically, I checked in on the draft. Nothing seemed to be happening. I talked to my agent, Brooks Henderson, and he didn’t have a whole lot of information for me. Instead of playing the waiting game, I went back to playing the drinking game.

“With the 13th pick in the 7th Round, the Washington Redskins select: Eddie Williams, Tight End, Idaho State.”

I was crushed. Immediately, I knew that the Redskins drafted the 6 foot 2, 240 pound Williams instead of me. Plus, what a buzz kill at the party. We all sat around with out much talking. Everyone knew, or was figuring out pretty quickly, that my prospects just turned south. Then Ryan Succop had his name call. Mr. Irrelevant. The draft was over.

I can’t tell you how jealous I was of Mr. Irrelevant (Succop). He had a chance to make the League. I just sat there, with a group of friends and family who had driven and flown all the way to the party, empty. I got some pats on the back -- “its amazing that you even had a change to get drafted” -- “you should be proud for making it this far.” They were trying to help. I wasn’t ready for the help yet.

My agent called and told me to be ready because that’s when the feeding frenzy starts. In the minutes after the draft ends, every team reaches out to undrafted players and offers them a try out or an undrafted free agent contract. According to Brooks, things could happen pretty fast.

But they didn’t. After five long minutes, Coach Wachenheim popped up on my caller ID. He wanted me to try out next weekend with the Skins at rookie minicamp. I had three days to beat out their draft pick, and if I did I could stick around for training camp. I quickly told my agent about the offer. It was better than nothing, but it was pretty far from a guarantee that I would be on the team for longer than 3 days. They obviously liked Williams more to begin with if they drafted him. This would be tough sledding. We waited a few more minutes for other teams we talked to before the draft, like the Eagle, Saints, or Cardinals, to call. Ten more minutes passed.

A full 25 minutes after the Redskins called me and 30 minutes after the draft ended, my phone buzzed. I grabbed it off the coffee table and ran into my brother’s bedroom for some privacy. A three one seven area code.

“Hi this is Colin”

“Hi Colin, this is Ryan Cavanaugh from the Indianapolis Colts. How would you like to catch passes from Peyton Manning?”

[colincloherty]

MNF Post: Offensive Schemes

My last post (on the language of different offenses) kind of opened up a can of worms. There is just so much to write about, but I don’t want to get bogged down in too much detail. 

A couple questions came up -- what is an offensive scheme and why are schemes different? -- what is a gameplan and how different is each one? -- what are the calls the QB is making at the line of scrimmage? I’m going to try to break them up into different posts and spend a bit of time on each one.

Offensive Schemes/ Systems

Let’s start with the basic idea and we’ll build out from there. The Offense’s purpose is to score. That’s why you come to this blog -- for unique insight and expert analysis. Color Announcer Dan Fouts was known for similar in depth analysis and Will Ferrell nailed an impression on SNL if you have the time.

But I digress, we score points by gaining yards. Stick with me.

You gain yards by . . . 

1) Having better players than the other team

2) Overpowering the defense

3) Tricking the defense

4) Creating spacing in the defense and put defenses in lose-lose situations

5) Creating mismatches so your best players are on their weakest

In high school, the first two work pretty well. That’s why you see those 42-7 games where Gonzaga (or some other great HS program) dominates a team -- say Georgetown Prep -- that had no chance. The game is over before it starts. I don’t need to dwell here because it’s so rarely the case in the NFL.

Tricking the defense can work pretty well, but you have to be pretty inventive to keep doing it.  Sometimes I think the triple option is kind of built on trickery. Most people would say its built on spacing and putting the defense in lose-lose situations. Also, it requires defenses to play their responsibilities perfectly. No wonder the service academies defend it well. 

The truth is that its hard to trick people too often. Reverses can work, but not every play. Ditto with double passes. These plays are far better at keeping the defense honest. Example: The best way to blow up a wide receiver screen is to have your corner beat the blocker or a safety/LB get there quick and make an open field tackle. If you do a double pass, then the Safeties, who are used to coming up to make a tackle quickly, can get burned deep. Once burned, twice shy. Those Safeties won’t fly up as quickly the next time. The trick gets old.

NFL schemes or systems all try to create proper spacing and put defenses in lose-lose situations. That’s the goal of the system. The goal of the coaches in their weekly game planning is to figure out ways to use their system to put their players in mismatches that favor their team. For the rest of the post, I’ll pay more attention to the schemes -- the strategy. Next post will focus more on the game plan -- the tactics.

There are a couple different types of schemes in the NFL. The West Coast System best run by the 80s and 90s 49ers, Air Coryell wasbest run by the 80s Chargers and Norv Turner, The Spread which is all over the place in college football, Run and Gun run by Detroit back in the 90s. There are also more modern ones, like the Moore-Manning offense run by the Colts, the Mike Shanihan/Gary Kubiak system of zone blocking and play action, I could go on. I haven’t played in all of them, but I will use a few of the systems I discussed to highlight what schemes can do.

The West Coast Offense

Bill Walsh developed the West Coast Offense with Paul Brown as an assitant coach on the Bengals.  But it really came into its own when Bill Walsh was the Head Coach of the 49ers. When Bill Walsh implemented this offense, running the ball was still king. To do so, however, your team needed some big linemen and a strong running back. Think of the Redskins “Hogs” paving the way for John Riggins. Walsh crafted an offense where short passes replaced running plays. Football has never been the same.

Instead of 3 yards and a cloud of dust -- or the inch play as my Mom calls it -- Walsh realized he could throw short slants and outs to pick up the same amount of yardage.  All you need is a great QB and some receivers who can get open. Broseph Montana and Jerry “Colin can’t figure out how to work the work Bro into this name” Rice are two of the greatest ever to do it. Poof, dynasty.

Most West Coast plays basically divide the field into a right half and a left half. The two receivers on one side of the field run a pattern combination that will defeat a 2 high safety look. The two receivers on the other side of the field run a pattern combination that will defeat a single high safety coverage. The QB and receivers read the safety, the QB delivers an accurate ball to the WR, the WR catches it and tries to make a lot of yards after the catch. Then, you get the defense expecting a pass and you can pick up big yards when running the ball. That is the very basic concept of the West Coast Offense. If the other team plays a lot of man to man coverages, then (obviously) one half of the field will be a man-beater (yes, that’s an actual phrase used on a daily basis in the NFL) and a zone-beater.

The key is that the WRs are spaced to make it impossible for the defense to defend every option.  Usually, the scheme does this by creating triangles of receivers in one part of the field (the back or a receiver running across the field becomes the 3rd option on that half of the field). The Defense is in a lose-lose situation.

Pro-Tip: You hear all the time that the NFL is a copy cat league. Competitors will try to steal anything that works. Every offense now uses West Coast concepts in their passing games. Announcers call an Offense a West Coast Offense if the team uses short passes instead of runs and uses the pass to set up the run. 

Air Coryell

There is also the Air Coryell system currently run by Norv Turner. It was originally designed by the 70s and 80s San Diego Chargers, with Dan Fouts and Kellen Winslow Sr.  This is the exact opposite (in a way) from the West Coast. The passing game is still king, but instead of dink and dunk passes plays are designed to hit down the field. It is less concerned with a 5 yard out then a 16 yard post route. Mike Martz also uses this system, or his variation of it.

This offense uses a passing tree to designate routes. The tree goes from short routes to long routes. Odd numbers break out and even numbers break in. See?

Each position’s (TE, WR, Slot, RB) passing tree is a bit different, but you get the idea. The Play call will have three numbers and tag the back route: 989 F post. The two WR’s run 9′s (Go/Fade/Comeback depending on coverage). The TE runs an inside post (which looks like a seam), the F back runs a short post from the backfield and the other back blocks.

This playbook is very versatile and pretty easy to learn. You can string different numbers and routes together very quickly and everyone knows their job. New players pick it up pretty quick. It gives coaches a lot of room to game plan. They can create complicated motions and new plays to 

The complaint that I’ve heard from players is that there is so much change that sometimes it can be hard to follow.  Mike Martz was known for adding completely new plays on Fridays and Saturdays, not giving his players a chance to practice the new plays, and calling them on Sundays. That’s the draw back.

Another drawback, and this is more of a personal thing, is that there are usually a lot of motions and shifts before the play. The purpose of these movements is to put the Defense in tough situations and create mismatches for your offense -- like a linebacker covering a WR. I think that Defenses are complex and smart enough to see through this window dressing and I didn’t feel like it helped a lot. But smart teams still do it a lot, so what do I know.

In my view, these two offenses are the foundation for modern offenses. The West Coast used spacing and a smart scheme to beat defenses. The Air Coryell allowed OCs the flexibility to create mismatches. Every offense now replicates these two

Moore-Manning Offense

I got to play in this one (I don’t think there is an “official” name for it) for 18 months. It is very simple compared to other offenses. It focuses on simplicity for two reasons. First, every player has run every play 1000 times. They know what to do and how to do it. The QB knows exactly where the WR will be on the play. The WR knows who is hot on a blitz, how the QB will read the safeties, etc. Second, the simplicity of the offense allowed for Peyton to do his thing. The Colts kept very few personnel groups in rotation and kept the formations the same. This allowed Peyton to diagnose the defense (he is seeing similar looks from the defense on a lot of plays because the offense lines up in the same places). Peyton can then call a play that will put the defense he sees in a bad position. Then it is all about executing the play.

Instead of using motions and shifts before the play (to put the defense in a bad alignment and) create mismatches, Peyton simply changes the play so that the defense can’t be right. 

This offense is pretty hard to learn because they use words to describe passing concepts instead of numbers.  For example, “Dice Right Scat Right Z Dig” tells all 5 receivers what to do. There are also two hand signals for this play.  There are also two verbal keys to get to this play. We had to have shorter names for plays so that Peyton could change the play quickly. We had to have multiple names (or hand signals) so the defense couldn’t read our mail.

I’ll stop telling you, I’ll just list off different ways Peyton could get to one running play: (Remember, it goes Formation, Run or Protection and Pass Concept)

Dice Right 44 Gut. 

Dice Right Buddha. 

Philly Dome.

Attack.

Opposite.

So that is the most basic running play in the Offense. There are probably about 300 or 350 plays. With this many names for plays, everyone has to be smart and study. They have to do it so often, that when Peyton calls a play and quickly hikes the ball every player is ready. This takes time and hard work. That’s one reason why the Colts built through the draft. You can’t plug in a free agent into that system and expect the same success as you could in the Norv Turner offense.

I hope that touches on some of the points that questioners were interested in. If you have more questions or I didn’t explain it well enough, please let me know!

Thanks for reading.

[colincloherty]

MNF Post: Lost in Translation

Giants at Dolphins tonight. You are probably hearing a lot about how Ryan Tannehill has been in a couple different offenses and how that is holding him back (or at least slowing him down). What gives? Isn’t football just football? 

No. Non. Nien.

Every offense is its own language. They use similar words to express similar routes, blocks, and concepts. That can make things pretty confusing. When you get tired, somethings get lost in translation.

Basic Play Call Structure

Here is the basic structure of a play call:

[Shift] [Formation] [Motion] [Blocking Scheme] [Passing Routes] [Special Tags] ON [Snap Count] [Snap Count] READY Break (Everyone Claps)

(NB: Each skill player on offense has a letter assigned to him to make play calling easier. Q=Quaterback. Z=Flanker. X=Split End. Y=TE. F and H are the fullback and the half back (running back). Offenses can’t seem to agree on whether the RB should be the F or H. I’ve seen it both ways.)

Examples and Translations

Example: Trips Right 99 Y Choice On 1 On 1, Ready, Break. 

Translation: No shift. Flanker (that’s a wide receiver, usually called the Z), slot receiver, and TE line up on the right. The split end (again, a receiver usually called the X). You didn’t hear “Gun” so the Q is under center. The pass protection is 99. That tells the line it is a 3 step drop (all 90s numbers mean 3 step drop.) and the second digit tells them to move left or right. This also tells the RB to line up opposite the Trips side. The 99 tells the RB who he has in protection.

Y Choice is a pass play. The Z receiver runs a Go. The Slot receiver runs a seam or a 12 yard in, depending on coverage. The Y runs a 6 yard out. The backside receiver (the X) runs a comeback (15-18 yard sprint straight. Put your foot in the ground, turn towards the sideline, and run at a 45 degree angle towards the sideline).

The Center will snap the ball on 1, unless the Q changes it at the line.

Got it? Good. You learned a play. A really good play we used to run in college where I got to catch the ball. How about another one?

Example: Triple Right (Scat Rt) 96 On 1.

Translation: Same play as above. But instead of Dougherty to Cloherty -- the connection that lit up historic Brown Stadium -- its Manning to Clark. Go Horse. (We didn’t need to say the protection on this play, but I included it so that you would understand where things fit in)

Example: Deuce Right 44 Buddha On 2.

Translation: Z splits wide to the Right. Y is attached to the LOS with his hand on the ground. The slot and X are split to the left. This is a zone blocking scheme to the right  . . . On two.

Example: Double Right 44 Gut on 2.

Translation: Same play as above. In the first play, you saw Joe Live and Let Addai run an inside zone play to the right. In the second, Frank Gore and the vaunted 49ers running game ran the same inside zone scheme to the right. Different name.

Okay so same play, different words. Hello becomes Hola or Bonjour. Bonjour from the ooottthhhheeerrrrr siiiiiiiddddddeeee. I’m sorry I’m not sorry.  Anyway, same play, different meaning. Learn a new language or get cut. Buddha becomes gut. We get the basic idea.

Those are two of the most basic plays out there. As a player, you have to learn that its Gut now, not Buddha. Multiply this time 350 plays in the normal NFL offense. It gets complicated.

A lot of the plays are similar. Maybe they have similar themes (Buddha and Gut are easy to remember because Buddha has a big Gut). That’s an easy one. Most of them aren’t that easy. 

In the Jaguars offense during my first season, an Option route was a 5 yard route. The receiver could run right, or left, or hook in or out. In a choice route, the receiver has the same options, but they have to run the route to 10 yards.  We got a new OC (and head coach) in the second year I was with the Jags. Now, the Choice route was at 5 yards and the Option route was a 10 yards. That distinction can blur when you are tired.

Deuce Right for the Colts (Under Manning, it could be completely different now) meant that a TE lines up on each side of the LOS with his hand on the ground and one WR splits out wide. Double Right means that there is a TE with is hand on the ground and a WR on one side on the ball, and a slot receiver with a wide out on the other.

For the 49ers, Deuce and Double were the exact opposite.  

For the 49ers, Flex was a formation. For the Jaguars, Flex was a pre-snap shift.

I could go on, but you get the point.

The reason this gets difficult is because as a player you have to make quick decisions. There is no time to think; everything just has to be second nature. That’s why everyone practices so much. But when you are tired, you make mistakes. 

There is always more information to learn as a QB than any other position. Also, QBs mistakes are amplified, so you notice it more. But it is hard on every player.

My First Big Mental Mistake in the NFL

Coach Vince Lombardi said “fatigue makes cowards of us all.” Well it also makes idiots of us all. I’ve seen plenty of people do really dumb sh t when they are tied. I’ve done stupid stuff.

One play, during Colts training camp my rookie year, I screwed up a play pretty bad. I was playing TE and there was a WR to my right. There was two receivers on the left side of the ball. They (Double Right Jose) called for 4 vertical routes. I ran a crossing route and almost ran into the WR on the left. I screwed up the whole play. I was tired. I had run that play 100 times before just fine. But i just couldn’t think in the 101 degree heat after what felt like 101 snaps.

That night in film, we watched our practice as an Offense. Peyton, who held the remote, asked “who is that running a horizontal route on Jose and ruining my read? Is that you Ivy?” Me: “Yes” Peyton: “Guess that Brown degree isn’t helping you much Ivy.” 

That’s how I got the nickname ivy for a while. Thankfully, that didn’t follow me to other offenses as I made my way around the League.

[colincloherty]

One of the greatest days of my life

occurred on this day four years ago. I played in my first game as a Jacksonville Jaguar.  My amazing sisters reminded me in a couple facebook posts today.  I’ve been away from blogging for a couple weeks working my way through law school finals, so what better way to comeback than to revisit the high water mark of my football career. 

The Background:

I got picked up to the Jags practice squad on November 11th. I spent three weeks on the P-Squad.  On the Wednesday of Bucs Week, we had an interesting team meeting.  Head Coach Jack Del Rio told us that he was let go and wished us the best of luck with the rest of the season.  Then, Coach Del Rio introduce D Coordinator Mel Tucker as the interim head coach. Then, the owner of the organization -- Wayne Weaver -- came into the room and told the team that he sold the organization to Shad Khan.  Shad Khan gave a quick speech to introduce himself. Then, they left. Nuts. Craziest meeting I’ve ever been a part of.

Later that day, Tight Ends Coach Rob Boras (who is the man and just got elevated to OC of the Rams last week) told me that they team was moving me up to the active roster. Bueno.

The Game:

We played the Tampa Bay Bucs that Sunday. They weren’t very good. We weren’t very good. You may not have caught that game. The score was tied in the second quarter.

One of our safeties, Chris Prosinski aka Cowboy, broke his thumb on a normal defensive play.  The Bucs punt. We get the ball in our own territory, can’t gain a first down, and are forced to punt.

Here’s the problem. Cowboy was the PP on the punt team.  PP stands for Personal Protector. He is the guy standing between the linemen and the punter calling the protection.  Teams usually put an experienced player in that role. There is a lot of responsibility and you need to know the scheme in and out.

The Play:

Never underestimate being in the right place at the right time. When the Special Teams Coach, Russ Parnell, calls for the Punt team to go on the field, he realized that his PP just broke his thumb and couldn’t play. He look at the Left Wing, a veteran fullback named Brock Bolen, and told Brock to go to PP.

Then he looked around, saw me, and pushed me on to the field. He yelled “Left Wing” and I ran out to line up. I had played every position on Punt Team in practice, but not with this team. Still, all I had to do was make sure the kick wasn’t blocked.

I run out to the field and get lined up. Find my man. Block him. Then run down field as fast as I can.

Running back (and left guard on the Punt Team) Montel Owens  and Brock Bolen ran faster. He got down the field first and laid a HIT on the returner. They type of hit that the whole stadium feels in their bones. 

The hit.

I mean he laid the wood. Lo and behold, the ball pops up.

ITS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.

ONE BOUNCE. SCOOOOP and 

“HOLY FUCKING SHIIIIIIITTTTT”

was all I could yell as I pick up the ball on the 8 yard line and run for my first NFL Touchdown.

No, I didn’t have a celebration planned. I just hugged my teammates and screamed. It was the biggest adrenaline rush of my life. Just Insane.

The Aftermath:

That was my last play on the Punt team. I guess I didn’t give enough production! The truth is that Cowboy got that thumb taped up and went back in as PP. Brock went back to Left Wing. I went back to Left Out. 

We went on to put up 24 points in the next 5 minutes of the game and went on to win 41-14.

My parents and girlfriend (now fiancee -- Pro Tip: Chicks dig Touchdowns) were at the game. So was my agent. We all met up after the game and celebrated.

It was truly awesome.

I saved the ball and the Jags painted it for me. I still have it today. 

As I said, it was the best day of my football career.

Thanks for reading and indulging this memory. I will be back on the blog a lot more for the rest of the season.

[colincloherty]

TNF: Better late than never

It’s your weekly Tuesday Night Football post. Mike Tirico and Chucky (pic below) may have announced the game last night, but they are getting paid. 

So finally, at long last, STEROIDS and HGH!

To be honest, Steroids and HGH were simply not a big part of my experience in the NFL. I really didn’t see it, didn’t hear about it, and didn’t talk (much) about it. But the reader #6 wants to hear about it, so we’re doing it.

Steroids

Using steroids would be pretty tough in the NFL. Players get urine tested pretty often. The NFL conducts urine tests throughout the year. There are two types of tests. 

First, street drug urine test. Every NFL player is tested once a year. You have one test between OTAs (May) and the end of training camp (August). They leave a note in your locker and the athletic trainer will find you and tell you. From the time of notification, you have 24 hours to complete the test. The Piss Man (yup, that’s his nickname) is usually just chilling in a room the team has set up for these tests. Usually near the training room. Always near a bathroom. The test takes about 10 or 15 minutes. They test a bunch of people on the same day. So sometimes there is a decent back up. Also there are usually a bunch of people waiting for you to take a leak . . . always helpful. The requirement for the Piss Man to look at your junk while you go also sucks. Thanks Wizzinator.

After you complete the test, you don’t hear from them again. Unless you fail it. Fail means a) you have markers of street drugs, b) you didn’t pee enough into the cup c) you were too hydrated or not hydrated enough. The first fail leads to a 90 day period of a lot of tests and a flight to Atlanta to see a shrink. Fail again and UR INE trouble now. Sorry, just trying to go with the flow. Um where were we? Fail 2 is 2 games (I think). And so on.

Second, the PED test. Performance Enhancing Drugs. Steroids. Juice. Or if your a Raven, Deer Antler Spray. (It’s kind of crazy that two players, key players, used something the NFL clearly outlawed. But were allowed to play and win the Superbowl. If I was a 49ers player I would wonder why I can’t use Deer Antler Spray. Or why some teams aren’t punished for breaking the rules. Can’t wait to talk to Ravens fans tomorrow!) The NFL will test you whenever and where ever they want on this one. You have 4 hours to take the test. During the season it isn’t so bad. In the offseason you have to let them know where you will be. I’ve got a couple great/awful stories from this. 

Hoboken: I just moved into an apartment in Hoboken during the NFL Lockout. Remember that 24 hours when the Lockout was almost over, then the Judge issued an injunction? No? I do. I was hanging out in NYC with some friends and I got the call. I had 4 hours to get back to Hoboken. Not the end of the world. I head back. When I get off the subway, I realize I don’t have my key. A quick call to a few friends and roommates . . . nope, everyone is at work. The Piss guy was standing outside of the apartment saying that we couldn’t go to a restaurant get this thing done. (Even though I’m pretty sure Mr. Wraps would’ve been fine with it. That’s not a knock. I love that place and they love football. If you are in Hoboken. Go. Buffalo Chicken.) With time running down, I break into my first floor apartment through the window. I had to punch an AC unit out of the window and into my bedroom. It crashed and I kept finding pieces of AC unit the rest of the time I lived there. The Piss Man thought this was hilarious. He was laughing at me. He told me that the last house he was at had a gate, was in the ‘burbs, and had a security guard. And I was punching an AC unit out 10 minutes before my time was up to have a stranger watch me take a piss. The glorious life of the NFL ladies and gentlemen.

Other fun places I got tested: 

My parents home before 7AM. My mom walked down to make breakfast and a guy was watching me pee. Then he put the cup of pee on the counter. Rude. Although she’s probably dealt with more of my bodily functions than anyone cares to remember, so I guess it’s not all that embarassing.

More embarrassing was at my girlfriend’s parent’s house. (Editor’s Note: the hot, awesome girlfriend is now the beautiful, awesomer fiancee.) During dinner. Nothing says “you should trust me with your daughter” like asking “which bathroom should I take a drug test in?” #AmIRight? 

More mundane times were at 530AM during training camp. 

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to bring a valid driver’s license or government issued ID . . . that’s a fail!

I got tested 6 times in my first season. I got tested twice in the offseason if memory serves. It kept up at that pace for a little over 4 years. Basically, I don’t really know how anyone could cycle on and off without getting tested. I’m sure it’s possible. It may have even been done. But I just think you are really taking a risk. 

That’s why I usually believe guys when they say they didn’t know what they took had X, Y, or Z in it. Most guys are nutritionists and didn’t study science in college. Supplements are a notoriously shady industry. Not a recipe for success.

For what it’s worth I never once saw it in the NFL with my own eyes and never heard of anyone admitting to it. 

HGH

The NFL doesn’t test for HGH. As I understand it, they have to draw blood to test for HGH. The NFLPA fights NFLPA testing because of this. The argument is that drawing blood hurts your recovery, limits practicing or working out in that day, and is generally too invasive.

Speaking of invasive, the NFL tested urine AND STOOL samples from NFL referees in the last couple years. How do I know? Refs won’t shut up about how ridiculous it was. I don’t blame them.

I do think HGH goes on in the NFL. I really do. I didn’t do it. I never saw it. I never talked to anyone who did it. 

I thought I would’ve been a great candidate for it. I was fast and athletic for a TE, but small and not a great blocker. I think adding some weight and strength could’ve given me a longer career (possibly). But at what cost? No one knows what HGH does to the body. Some guys are fine with that trade. I am not. I loved football, but I didn’t want to write a blank check for another few games or seasons in the NFL. Personal choice. There’s life outside of the NFL.

Other guys don’t agree. Or they love football more than I did. Or they don’t have something to fall back on. Whatever their reasons, I thought it was BS that the NFL didn’t test. I feel like guys did it and I thought it was unfair.

I don’t have proof and I don’t want to throw names out of people who I think are using it. These are some of the factors that lead me to question whether someone is on HGH:

1. Late Growth Spurts. If they weren’t good or big in high school and college. Growth spurts happen, but not for as many people as are grown this late in their lives.

2. Atlas. Frankly, people’s bodies don’t look real if they are on HGH. Everyone in the NFL works out and lifts like animals. Some of the weight that gets moved is just ridiculous. (Great weight room quote: “Iron sharpens Iron” or how about: “The strongest steel is forged in the hottest fire. Make the weight room an INFERNO!”)  There are natural freaks who make everyone else look average. For example, Greg Jones (FSU to the Jaguars) made people look tiny. It was a complete joke. But he set lifting records in High School and College. As a true freshman at FSU, he set all time records for strength. He also biked to work in the NFL. Watch out Lance. There are other people who now look like Atlas and are All Pros, but were back ups in college. Questionable in my mind. Anyone who is head and shoulders above other NFL athletes who work their tails off has been an elite, world-class athlete at every level. Calvin Johnson.

3. Late Success. Chris Carter loves to say “Father Time is undefeated.” But some guys are taking Father Time to OT now-a-days. Questionable.

4.Weird injuries. This probably has nothing to do with science, or medicine, or whatever. But when you are tearing ligaments and tendons and things like that again, and again, and again, I think something is up.

5. Incredible recoveries. Everyone in the NFL gets operated on by the best doctors. Everyone works their ass off to get back. Everyone works with top physical therapists. Why does it take everyone, literally everyone, a year to come back from X injury, but this player comes back in 6 months? Probably something that isn’t natural in my opinion.

6. Combinations. Once you start adding a few of these elements together and I raise an eyebrow.

In sum, I don’t think steroids play a big role in the NFL. I think HGH probably does, but I avoided it. I also think it’s naive to think that players aren’t using every possible edge, legal and illegal, to make millions and extend their careers. I mean, how many students are using adderall to get ready for exams? 

Speaking of examsl, time to go. Thanks for reading.

[colincloherty]

MNF Post: It’s all fun and games . . .

Until someone loses an eye. You probably saw Aqib Talib’s eye poke yesterday. No bueno. 

Here’s the quick summary. Broncos’ Von Miller (D End) and Colts’ Dwayne Allen (TE) start chirpin’ after a play. Talib walks up and pokes Allen in the eye. Aaaaaannnnnnddd, SCENE. 

I think it was a pretty classless move by Talib, but definitely something you can forgive in the long term. This definitely doesn’t reach Greg Hardy levels. At the same time, it’s not the way the game is supposed to be played. I’m sure Talib lost his temper. Allen will get over it and the course of human history remains unchanged. 

Talib got a 1 game suspension. So why am I blogging about this? Because Talib is appealing the suspension, and the judge will be . . . 

Derrick Brooks 

You may remember him as the Superbowl 37 MVP. You also may remember him as Aqib Talib’s former teammate!

I am not kidding. This is law and order in the NFL. The NFL investigates the crime and the NFL prosecutes the offender. (Dun Dun). Then, former teammates will sit down and go through an appeals process. 

The thing is, I don’t know if it will hurt or help Talib. Sometimes you hate former teammates; sometimes they are your best friends. But it will either hurt or help him. It won’t be a Detached and Neutral Magistrate . . . sorry for the Criminal Procedure reference, sat in on a lecture today. You really assume the risk of legal puns by reading this blog. That was the legal last pun. 

So this appeal won’t be fair to Talib, and may not be fair for the league. Or the Broncos next opponent who may or may not have to play against Talib (one of the leagues top corners). 

Over the past year or two, the NFL’s system of justice has been all over the news. From my perspective, it was ridiculous. Players have no rights and the NFL is constantly moving the goalposts. (I said no more legal puns, not no more puns in general.) 

That’s because the NFL isn’t run so players get a fair shake. Nor is the purpose so that teams have a level playing field. The NFL is run to maximize the amount of money it can possibly make. Profit. That’s it. Don’t harbor any illusions otherwise.

The NFL can impose whatever penalty it wants on players. Ask Tom Brady. The NFL can also change the penalty it imposed. Ask Ray Rice. The NFL can change your penalty, based on the public’s reaction to someone else’s deed. Ask Greg Hardy. What do these things have in common (other than they happened recently)? They are all based on Public Image.

I think that is why the Federal Judge tore the NFL apart in the Brady case. They system isn’t just. It simply isn’t fair. The system is designed to deliver whatever result the NFL thinks will be good for the bottom line. The bottom line goes up, in their view, if the PR is good.

It works in the short term. No one defends what Rice, Hardy, or a slew of other NFL players do to get themselves in trouble. But it is very short sighted. (Let that one sink in.) The problem becomes obvious once people start to pay attention to the League’s disciplinary policies. When the NFL goes after your team or your favorite player, you pay more attention and begin to realize that it is total BS. The Federal Judge realized it. Players realize it. ESPN may even catch on soon!

This is usually the part of the conversation where people say they aren’t going to shed a tear for millionaires. Well, they work their tails off every week for your favorite team. Pro athletes in all sports do. But unlike the NFL, other professional sports have reasonable and fair discipline regimes. 

The MLB is the gold standard. They have automatic arbitration. Appeals aren’t heard by former teammates. No one questions the legitimacy of the arbitrators because they are serious legal minds that care more about the facts of the case and the applicable rules than the public relations outcomes. The Yankees and the Brewers are subject to the same rules, and those rules won’t change.

The NFL could implement a similar policy. Then when the NFL goes after Brady, Pats fans know that it isn’t a witch hunt. When Brady gets off, Colts fans know that it was legitimate. Everyone plays by the same rules and public pressure doesn’t change how the rules are applied to everyone. The way it is set up now just isn’t good enough. Unlike Lady Justice, the NFL’s discipline system isn’t blind  -- for now. They do have to meet with Aqib “Let Me Get That Eyelash For You” Talib tomorrow after all.

(Stepping off soap box)

Thanks for reading this little rant. I feel pretty strongly about the NFL’s BS discipline policies. I’m thinking about going into more depth in the future. 

As you may have realized, I’ve slacked a bit recently. School is getting a little hectic, but I’ll try to keep posting for my four devoted readers -- Hi Mom! 

Next in the pipeline: the promised Gameday schedule post, a Steroids/HGH post, also a post for Pat about how hard it is to learn new offenses.

[colincloherty]

MNF Football Post: Saturday Schedule

aA lot to catch up on folks.  I’m getting back into the blog during my weekly MNF post, but the truth is I kinda forgot to finish the weekly schedule I started last week.  The good news is you can stop holding your breath, I’m going to post it now.  

The bad news is my man Doug “Prez 4 Life” Parvis is going to have to wait a day or two for a response to his HGH/Steroids-to-injury question.  Patience is a virtue Doug.

Saturday Schedule:

8-9AM: Treatment

9-9:30 ST Meeting: The whole team is usually in this meeting. The ST Coordinator usually goes through each special team to make sure everyone knows the depth chart.  Then, the team will watch a couple snaps of the opponent on film.

9:30-10AM Offense: The Offense will talk about their keys to the game and a couple things to keep in mind.  The OC will usually give the team the first 15 plays he has scripted for the game.

10:15-11AM Practice: This practice is mostly a walk through. No one is taped up and everyone is in jerseys and turf shoes.  

Usually, you start out with the “Dog and Pony Show.”  Everyone stands on the sideline and the ST Coordinator will call out a team. Punt for example. Then, the coaches will check to make sure everyone who is supposed to be out there is out there.  Then, the STC will say “Cloherty’s helmet is broken” and I would run off the field. My backup better be ready to run on.  No one would ever talk about a player getting injured . . . it’s bad luck. 

Then, the Offense and Defense would run about 15 plays. The Offense walks through the first 15 they will call in the game and the Defense runs through the looks they expect to get.

It’s a quick practice.

11-12PM Treatment

130-330 Flight -- If Away Game:  Get on the bus at the facility or drive yourself. Just don’t pull a Ryan Mallett and miss the flight.  The flight is chartered and there are a ton of people on the flight. I’ll write an entire post later on the flights.

6:30PM Optional Dinner: Most guys go out to a steakhouse nearby. A few people will eat at the hotel. There is a buffet ready if you want it.

7:30-8PM Mass/Chapel: A lot of people make it a habit of going to Chapel or Mass the night before the game.  There is no time to do it on Sunday.

8-8:30PM ST Meeting: Watch film of the opponent basically.  Talk about the things we concentrated on all week.

8:30-9:15PM Offense: Watch film and review the first 15. There is also usually a quick position meeting to review any last questions.

9:15-9:30PM Team Meeting: The HC will give a pregame speech to focus the team.  This is more of a speech about what the team needs to do.  No one spends much emotion the day before the game - you gotta save it up.  Except Coach Singletary.  He is all emotion all the time.

9:30PM Optional Snack: A little buffet of chicken fingers, fruit, whatever. 

T Train: A lot of guys line up for shots of Toradol shot.  Guys call it the T Train.  There is a nurse or two waiting in a conference room.  You wait in line and when you get to the front drop the back of your pants.  A quick shot in your butt cheek and you are good to go.  No pain during the game.  No liver in 40 years.  Or is it kidneys?  Whatever, that’s a long way off.

Lights Out -- Good luck getting sleep the night before the game!

As always, thanks for reading.  In upcoming posts, I’ll go through the gameday schedule, HGH and Steroids in the NFL, the Duke/Miami game, and maybe talk about practice schedules.  If you’ve made it this far into reading, you probably have a question or two.  Send them my way! It’s always helpful to get an idea of what people want to read about.

[colincloherty]

Fast Friday

We’re getting close to gameday! Friday is a quick day. It’s a time to polish the last two days of work. Coaches want everything to be fast and clean in practice. It’s a truncated schedule, so players love it. Speaking of the schedule . . .

7AM: Practice Squad Lift/ ARMS DAY

Practice squad guys get an extra lift in on Fridays. You can do it before or after practice. I liked to get it done before. A lot of guys who play on Sunday will come in before the day or after practice to get an arms lift. Gotta look good in that uni on Sunday right! You might be a meathead if you reward yourself with an Arms lift on Friday. You also might be a meathead if you use the word vascularity every week.

745/8-845AM: Special Teams Meeting

There is usually a lot of special teams work during Friday’s practice. Every special team has five or ten minutes in practice. Kick Off, KOR, Punt, Punt return, PAT/FG (both offense and defense), Onside kick, and Hands team. There are a lot of moving pieces and it usually takes most of this meeting to address them. Every head coach wants this practice to run smoothly and give them confidence before the game, so waiting ten seconds for a guy who doesn’t know where to line up isn’t acceptable. If there is any time, we’ll watch film of the opponent.

8:45-1030AM: Unit and Position Meetings

After Special Teams, the O and D meet and go over the practice. The team got most of its work done in the last few days, but there are still things to take care of. For example, most teams do their Red Zone work on Fridays. 7 on 7 (a passing drill where there are no lineman on the field) is in the Red Zone. 

Also, teams go through special situations. What’s a special situation? Plays when you are backed up against your own goalline, with the lead, with a few seconds left. You practice taking a safety. Or throwing a deep incomplete pass that will run out the clock. Or practice Bonzai FG with the O and the PAT/FG team. Bonzai FG (teams call it different things) is when the O gets into FG territory, but we don’t have any time outs and the FG team has to run on and get a kick off before the clock runs out. There are so many of these situations to review. On the Colts, Peyton would take the first 20 minutes of practice and call the plays in a specific order. The OC didn’t even talk. It was Peyton’s show and everyone played their part. I’ve never seen anything like it on any other team I’ve ever played for. Peyton just ran the practice for 20 minutes while the coaches watched and gave pointers to a few players.

Maybe I should’ve saved that little anecdote for next week when I discuss practice. The point is that you review a bunch of these situations in this meeting. You also watch a little bit of opponent film. Some weeks, we would break into position meetings. Other weeks, there just isn’t enough time.

11AM-1PM Practice

Every team wears helmets on Fridays. There is a a lot of Special Teams and special situations. It is a fast practice and everything is supposed to be clean. There is usually hell to pay for mistakes. Having a mistake on Friday due to sloppiness can get the play coach was planning on calling for you pulled from the Sunday Script. Bad news. So don’t f k it up. As Coach Tom Moore used to say, “It’s simple, but it ain’t easy.”

I’ll expand next week on what practices are like, but this week is about schedule. So onward!

1PM: Break

Unless you go get your optional Arms lift in, you are done for the day. Get off your feet. Get treatment. Watch film. Whatever. Peace.

A lot of practice squad guys will watch their film of the week vs. the starters right now. Starters spend some more time watching film of Sunday’s opponent.

1:15PM: Shower Pill Friday

Some guys don’t sweat that much during practice. Or they just want to get out of the building. Or they are disgusting human beings. But instead of showering, they just put on street close and peace out. Usually they get called out with a “Shower Pill Fridaaaaayyyy” yell/chant. Robert Royal on the Browns used to just wait by the door of the locker room to catch guys “taking the Shower Pill” instead of getting in the shower. 

I hope your Friday is as Fast as an NFL Friday!

[colincloherty]

Wednesday and Thursday Schedule

Hey all. I ran outa time yesterday, so here is your Wednesday and Thursday Schedules combined into one post. This will be pretty easy because the schedule is basically the same. 

Wednesday is the Monday of the NFL work week.

6-7AM: Optional Lift

You have to get a couple lifts done a week. This is a popular time for young guys to lift. It’s also a popular time for guys who did not come in on Tuesday to get their lifts in.

6-7:45AM: Mandatory Treatment

Anyone dealing with injuries is required to get treatment. The younger you are, the closer to 6AM your treatment time is.

I had a low ankle sprain for a long time my rookie year. You obviously play through it, but it takes a lot of treatment to be ready for practice. As a practice squad guy, I had the earliest treatment time. One November (November is the dog days of the NFL season. Everyone is exhausted, but there is a lot of football left to play) Wednesday, I got in at 5:45AM and ate breakfast. Peyton was already eating breakfast when I got there. He had 3 MVPs and a Superbowl ring. We were undefeated. I went to get treatment, he went to watch film. He won a 4th MVP that year. We won the AFC Championship. Something tells me Peyton was at Broncos facility before 6AM this week too. He is the embodiment of the phrase, “The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.” His work ethic is unbelievable.

Wed: 7:15-7:45AM: Position Meetings

Not every position has an early morning meeting, but Tight Ends usually did for whatever reason. Probably because there is a lot to learn every week as a Tight End (pass routes and passing packages, run blocking schemes, and pass blocking schemes). Also, Tight Ends are usually heavily involved in any formation shifts the coaches concocted for the game.

Wed:7:45-8 or 8:15AM: Team Meeting 

The Head Coach will usually give the team an outlook on the week. He will go over where the team is in the season (record and position in the playoff race) and talk about the opponent. The HC usually discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the other team. Then, Coach will usually talk about the talking points or themes for the week. You can tell if a team is all on the same page if by the end of the week, the media has picked upon the themes the HC talked about during this meeting. That means the players are all taking it to heart and repeating it during interviews. It’s a good sign.

Wed: 8:15-9AM: Special Teams

The special teams meeting involves only two special teams a day. For example, KO and KOR. Or, Punt and Punt Return. If the STC (Special Teams Coordinator) brings in the O and D line for GF/PAT team, they usually are only in this meeting for a few minutes.

The SPC will put up the depth chart for the week and the scout team for practice. He also does a scouting report of the other team’s special teamers. Then, he goes through the plays that we are planning on running for Punt (for example). Finally, we watch film of the other squad. At the end, the SPT will quickly run through what drills we will run during practice later that day and where on the field each player needs to be for each drill. 

Then, KOR. You get it.

Wed: 9-11AM Unit and Position Meetings

After Special Teams and a bathroom break, we break up into Offense/Defense. We get the scouting report. Usually the coaches will pick out three players from the Defense we have to be cognizant of. 

Of course, we get the gameplan for the week. For most teams, this is a limited version of the offense. The coaches only put plays on the sheet they think will work and players, by and large, are only responsible for what is on the sheet. For the Colts, every play in the playbook was fair game to be called at the LOS on any snap. Instead of discussing the plays we would run this week, the OC and Peyton would talk about the plays Peyton planned on focusing on.

Then, we watch film of the opponent’s defense. At some point, we break up into position group meetings to discuss any particular issues the position group may face during the week. For example, a weird shift that the TEs haven’t run since camp or a variation to our normal blocking schemes to account for a unique blitz. We also talk about our specific opponents. For TEs, that usually is the D Ends, the Linebackers, and the Safeties. The game plan usually takes any All Pros into account. So a TE will not be asked to pass protect (block) against JJ Watt 1 on 1. Things like that.

Wed: 11-11:45AM: Walk Through

The whole team heads out to the field in tennis shoes, jerseys, and hats to walk through some plays. The Offense runs through new plays for the week or interesting looks they may get from the defense. For the first 10-20 plays, the back ups will put on pinnys or little colored hats and stand in for the defense. During the second half of the walk through, the 1st team offense will walk through against the 2nd team defense and vise versa. It’s a great way to get comfortable with new plays and looks before practice. Even though you are not going full speed, good teams use this time to get mental reps and take it very seriously.

Wed: 12-1PM: Lunch

Every team has a cafeteria and guys go eat. It’s all pretty healthy food.

Every player has to be available to the media during the week. Most guys take care of this at lunch. Reporters are allowed into the locker room. Unless it is your media availability time or you are a scrub and no media wants to talk to you, players avoid the locker room. Guys will get a lift in, get taped for practice or other treatment, or go watch film.

I liked to use the time to review the plays we planned to run in practice. That’s if I could get the script. (Digression: The Script is the schedule for practice will every play that will be called on it. For a reason that eludes me, some coaches will not show it to players. It’s kind of a high school or college move. Most NFL coaches will show you the script and let you look it over. Reviewing it before practice should lead to less mistakes. Less mistakes by a player makes a coach look good right?). 

The only serious question I got during media availability during my rookie year was during the Divisional Round of the Playoffs, when I was on the Colts. A reporter said, “So you are from Maryland. Are you a Ravens fan? And if so, are you rooting for the Ravens this weekend?” At first I didn’t think she was serious, but she was. Stupid. Nope, grew up as a Skins fan. Even if we were playing the Skins, I’d still be rooting for the team I played for. Let’s go.

Wed: 1-1:45 or 2PM: Position Group Meeting

Everyone meets with their position group to watch more film and discuss any issues they didn’t get to earlier. Usually the morning position group meeting before Walk Thru is pretty short,so this is a time to hash out a few things. It’s also a time to watch film of Walk Thru. Yes, they film Walk Thru and every player watches it and it subsequently graded on it.

This is also a time to get a food coma. I hated having this meeting right before practice. I would get so sleepy right before a couple of the most intense hours of the week. It’s hard to keep your eyes open after a good meal in a warm, dark room watching film in a nice chair. First World Problems.

Wed: 2:15/2:30-4:30/5PM: Practice

Next week, I’ll detail what a practice schedule looks like. For our purposes here, On Wednesday, teams usually work on:

Punt/Punt Return

FG/PAT

1st and 2nd down

Wednesday is the day teams will wear pads. My rookie year, we wore pads every Wednesday (except for Thursday games). Thursday we wore pads most weeks. Toward the end of the year, we would wear Uppers (Helmet and Shoulder Pads) to start and take off the Shoulder Pads half way through practice on Thursdays. With the new CBA, teams are allowed one padded practice a week. Wednesday is the day. 

I thought practice during the year would be a lot easier to be honest. I always saw the local news stations have a short clip of guys tossing the ball around and smiling. That’s like the first 5 minutes of practice when people are warming up. Practice is long. It is hard. No bull. I’ll spend more time on what practice is like next week.

5PM: Break

Usually, the day is done for most players. Some teams bring in their practice squad guys and have them watch film as a group after practice. A few slackers get their lift in. Anyone who is hurt gets treatment.

I usually got take out food on the way home and got in bed. I was in bed before 8PM most Wednesday nights when I played. I was just that tired.

THURSDAY

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

It’s the same schedule with a few variations.

No team meeting to start the day. Special Teams meeting starts a few minutes earlier.

Instead of going over Punt and Punt Return, you do Kick Off and KOR.

Instead of focusing on 1st and 2nd down, you focus on 3rd down and 2 minute.

Usually, you are wearing less padding.

There is no lifting on Thursday because it should’ve been done by Wednesday.

Thanks for reading. Take a look tomorrow when I post “Fast Friday.”

[colincloherty]

Tuesday Schedule

Well, this post is pretty easy. Tuesday is the players’ day off in the NFL. 

Unless you are injured. The training room is always open and Tuesday is the best opportunity to get treatment on anything and everything that ails ya. Treatment usually opens up at 9 am and goes however long it takes. If you are hurt or injured, or the coaches think you may be hurt or injured, treatment is mandatory. Missing a treatment is as bad as missing a meeting. And missing a meeting is bad news. Do you know what’s worse than either of those things? Missing a flight . . . just ask Ryan Mallet.

A lot of players come in for weight training on Tuesday. NFL teams require a certain amount of lifts per week from each player. The rules vary depending on the position and the player, but usually two or three lifts is standard. Getting the lift done on Tuesday is a great way to make your Wednesday go by a little easier. The general rule is to have the lift done by noon.

Finally, players go out into the community on Tuesdays. This is the best day for community service and outreach. The Community Service Director will plan events and invite (or require) players to attend. Good money says Tuesday is when Play 60 will come to a school near you.

On their own time, and usually in their own home, guys will begin their preparation for Sundays game by watching film on Tuesday. The best players habitually watch film on Tuesdays.

Coaches are in prime game planning mode. By Wednesday, they need to be teaching the game plan to the players, so Tuesday is their deadline to get the plan of attack down. For some coaches, this means another night sleeping in the office.

Rest up, because the Tuesday Scaries will hit you tonight. The work week starts tomorrow!

[colincloherty]

MNF: Monday Schedule

If it’s Monday night, it’s time to post. This week I’m going to run through a normal NFL weekly schedule. All teams have their own quirks and small schedule differences. I’m going to give you the usual NFL practice week, not the quirky schedules.

Monday is a pretty short day. Most guys definitely have a bit of a hangover from the game. Most guys are dealing with bumps and bruises. If the team won, then everyone is happy. Mistakes are forgiven (for the most part). Everyone is smiling. If you lose, no one smiles. It’s a pretty shitty day. Sucks to suck.

9am - 12pm: Lift and Treatment. 

Younger guys have to come in earlier. Vets get to show up a little later for their lift or treatment. The lift is usually somewhat relaxed for the guys who played. No one is squatting heavy. If you didn’t play, then you are chalking up and getting under the bar. Squats, Bench, whatever. You are getting after it. As far as treatment, everyone has bumps and bruises to pay attention to. Some guys have serious injuries and will spend a lot of time in the training room. You’ll find a lot of guys rolling out or in the cold tub. It’s a great opportunity to get the lactic acid and soreness out of your muscles.

Noon: Team Meeting: Game Review 

Sometimes the team will meet briefly to discuss the game or an upcoming schedule change. To be honest, you have a lot more team meetings when you lose. Sometimes the Coach will address something that happened on the sideline or a story line in the media. 

Of all my coaches, Coach Mike Singletary of the 49ers used to have these meetings the most. Maybe it’s because we were 0 and 7 at one point. He often would challenge certain players or units to do better. Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell wouldn’t bother with these meetings all too often (my rookie regular season with Coach Caldwell and this QB that was pretty good ended 14-2). It just depends on what’s going on. I’d imagine the Bucs are having this meeting after folding faster than Superman on laundry day against the Skins. Maybe the Cowboys are too after Hardy’s performance on the sideline yesterday. I doubt the Patriots are. No inside information, just guesses.

Obviously, if there is team meeting, push all the following times back by 15 or 30 minutes.

12 - 12:45 or 1 pm: Special Teams Meeting: Film

The Special Teams Coordinator will run through all the plays in 45 minutes to an hour. He starts with FG and FG Block. We watch it with all the players who are on special teams in the team meeting room. For this, we usually use the end zone view of the game film. (Digression: NFL games are filmed at two angles for the coaches. One from the Sideline and one from the end zone. That way you can see pretty much everything). Then the ST Coach lets the lineman go to their position film.

Then we’ll run through KO, KOR, Punt, and Punt Return. It doesn’t happen in any particular order usually.

I used to dred film after a loss and when I know I didn’t have my best game. You get to watch yourself on film (not always a very fun experience) and have every step and movement dissected by your coach while all your teammates watch. You have to have some thick skin. You get “motherfucked” during film. Meaning the coaches call you every name in the book. I once heard a coach yell at a linebacker (a position that is supposed to be the hardest hitting on the field), “That was softer than two chipmunks fucking in a tube sock.” Yes, that happened. That was a pretty awesome line. Criticism is easier to take when it’s a bit funny like that. It’s harder to take when a coach challenges your toughness (which is everything in the NFL), your heart, your talent, etc. That usually only happens after tough losses or particularly poor performances. NFL coaches like to focus more on technique than personal insults. One criticism that always stuck with me was this line from legendary OC Tom Moore: “It doesn’t matter if you don’t know or you don’t care because the result is the same. You didn’t get it done. You are incompetent.” Tough.

1-3pm: Unit or Position Meetings

After ST, the team will split up. Most of the time, teams break up by position group. Every once in a while, the unit (Offense or Defense) will meet as a group to review film. The bigger the group, the longer film takes. The more embarrassing insults get. Usually, you watch it as a group after a bad loss -- like getting blown out. It’s call out time. Watching film by position group goes quicker and is a lot less painful. 

3:30-5pm: Practice

This is a pretty light practice. It’s usually hats or helmets. Hats means just jerseys and cleats with baseball or winter hats on. Helmets means shorts instead of football pants and no shoulder pads, but . . . you guessed it . . . only helmets on. 

With the Colts, we usually ran the plays we messed up from the day before. It didn’t take long for the most part. For the 49ers, it took a while. If memory serves, the 0 and 7 Browns (Yes, I played for the Browns for a month) had a fully padded 2.5 hour practice the day after the game. Woof. 

The practice is an up-tempo walk through. It’s supposed to be fast and clean. It looks really bad to make the mistake two days in a row. It usually doesn’t happen a whole lot.

Break.

After practice breaks, the day is usually over. Most players pick up DVDs of the upcoming opponent on Monday after practice. In my last year, we switched to iPads, so it was automatically uploaded (and the amount of filmed you watch was tracked) to the iPad.

Coaches start game planning for next week. They spend the night watching film and trying to find the opponent’s weaknesses. A lot, if not a majority, of coaches spend Monday night sleeping in the office.

Out. 

Monday night is the best night to go out as an NFL player. ILOVEMAKEONNEN doesn’t know sh t because the club goes up on Monday nights, not Tuesdays. Some guys go out. Others meet up for MNF and a beer. Some chill with their wives and kids. A lot of teams have Bible study on Monday nights. It’s a time to blow off some steam because Tuesday is a day off.

Until tomorrow, thanks for reading.

[colincloherty]

Not so Special Teams

Coaches love to talk about winning “all three phases of the game.”  That means Offense, Defense and Special Teams. Well, this weekend you found out why (if you didn’t know already). 

You also found out that the Gonzaga Eagles are a better football team than the DeMatha Stags. Just flat out better. I don’t care how many D1 FBS recruits on DeMatha’s Offense the ESPN 2 announcers want to talk about. Everyone watching the game saw the team in Purple and White play tough, disciplined football. Fisher, Randolph, McCaleb, Brown, and Taylor made this Alum proud. HAIL.

So let’s break down the Michigan-Michigan State play and the Colts’ fake punt.

Hail to the Victor . . . Spartans?

To tell you the truth, I turned the channel when Michigan got the ball at the end of the game. I figured Big Blue would run the rock a few times and finish the game, just like everyone else. Well, that’s why they play the games. Michigan State pulled off one of the great plays of the year. It was awesome watching the State guys go nuts in the Big House.

But I felt for that punter. He played a great game for 59 minutes. He had a Michigan record punt of 80 something yard. He helped his team win the field position battle. But you can’t ignore the biggest play of the game and he didn’t get it done.

When you head back into the locker room after something like that, there really isn’t anything to say. Some people will curse and scream. Others may throw their shit. Everyone is so frustrated. I’ve lost some heartbreakers in my time and it sucks. The truth of the matter is that one play never wins or loses a game for the team. If the Michigan O Line pushed the State D far enough back, they could’ve gotten a first down. If the D held up earlier, the game wouldn’t have been that close. All true. It all feels empty when you are sitting at your locker, exhausted and defeated.

A loss like that will break a team or make a team. It will reveal the character of each individual. Watch how they bounce back. The real leaders will pick up the punter, and the guys who were supposed to block for him, and carry them. The boys will bitch and moan about how a punter lost the game and isn’t a real football player. It’s up to the leaders in that locker room to decide what they want their season  -- and their team -- to be about. That’s what makes football great. The high Michigan State enjoyed. The character check Michigan must endure. Love it.

On to the Big Boys

I think everyone watched that Colts’ punt and thought the same thing. What.

With no insider information, this is what I think happened.

For those of you that live under a rock or watched Homeland instead, the Colts set up the line to the right in a picket fence with two skill players behind. One of three things can happen. 

1. The Pats don’t know how to line up against the formation. The Colts either A) snap it to the QB and run it, or B) throw it out to one of the skill guys on the right. It could be a big play and keep the drive going.

2. The Patriots don’t know how to line up and are forced to take a time out. It won’t break the game wide open, but you get to steal one of the Patriots’ time outs, which may help later. 

3. If the Patriots line up correctly and aren’t surprised, again as seen above, then the Colts don’t have an advantage. After going through a snap count, the picket fence motions back into a normal punt formation and let Pat MacAfee do his boomstick thing . . . or accidentally snap it with no plan for what to do next. 

Which is obviously what they did. I would put the blame on the snapper in this play.

The bigger point here is that the Colts coaches put them in this situation. I was surprised that they thought they needed to pull out all the stops to beat the Pats at home on National TV. That’s a sign to you Colts fans out there. It doesn’t look like they are ready to take the next step this year.

It stands in stark contrast to Gonzaga Head Coach Randy Trivers going for it on 4th and 1 in their own territory. He put the ball in his offense’s hands and said, “Go get one yard.” No tricks. That is a character builder. Maybe Michigan should look for some high character D1 FBS recruits from Gonzaga . . . Brian Johnson has a boomstick. That’s the type of player you need to win all three phases.

Thanks for reading.

[colincloherty]

Gonzaga v DeMatha. 7pm. ESPN 2. Let's go Eagles!! #beatdemafa

[colincloherty]

Gutsy Call

Was anyone else shocked by Steelers’ call on 3rd and Goal with 5 seconds left? Nuts. 

Every ounce of my being thought they were going to throw a quick fade or slant to Antonio Brown. That way, the Steelers would still have time left to kick the field goal. Shows you what I know. With 5 seconds left on the clock, the Steelers’ O didn’t throw; they split Mike Vick out as a WR and went into the Wildcat. Le’veon Bell made a great effort to break the plane and win the game.

Most teams have a clock management list going into every game. For example, the teams know that a normal play takes 6 seconds. It usually take 17 seconds to spike the ball. And so on.

My only guess for why they called that play is this: Most teams go into games with three or four Short Yardage plays. By the end of the 4th quarter, the Steelers probably used most of their plays, or they knew which plays they thought would work based on the defense’s alignment. So their best option in that Short Yardage may be the Wildcat.

Still, it took guts. Everyone applauded Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley and Head Coach Mike Tomlin because it worked. A similar gutsy call didn’t turn out so well for Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson in the Superbowl. Dems da breaks.

[colincloherty]

Lies and the Liars Who Tell Them

Are you ready? Come on and get ready! Are you ready for some FOOT---BLOOOGGGGINNNNGG, It’s a Monday Night Party! 

There’s nothing like Hank Williams Jr.’s Monday Night Football (MNF) song to get ya going! I know the NFL moved on from old Hank, but something tells me that country boy can survive. 

So what’s up for tonight? Lies and the Liars Who Tell Them.

Did he just quote Hank Williams Jr. and then reference Al Franken’s book in the first ten second of the blog? Yes, I did. It’s call versatile pop culture references, try to keep up.

Corners lie and Safeties tell the truth

Last week I let you know in one of my “Pro Tips” that Corners Lie and Safeties tell the truth. I don’t mean that corners are the only guys with two different phones, if you know what I mean. They probably both have two phones. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why. I didn’t have two phones. I was the idiot who got a blackberry for BBM right when all my friends on BBM got an iPhone. Don’t worry, I was never the butt of any jokes over that. Or when I asked a guy with a jacked up F-150 what that does to his gas mileage. Mistakes were made.

It means that the QB and receivers will be watching the Safeties all night to get a read on the defense. 

Defenses have a host of coverages they run to defend against the pass. Each coverage has advantages and disadvantages. If you played basketball, you know there is a difference between Man to Man, a 2-3 and a 3-2. Same thing if football, just a bit more complicated. Below, I outline a few of the most basic coverages. 

Cover 0: This is man to man with no safety. It is very risky because there is no safety help. If any DB gets beaten by a receiver, it’s a TD. On the flip side, the D has one more person to add to a blitz. If you see this, you know that the D is bringing one more man on a blitz than the offense can block. The Q will get rid of the ball quickly or eat it. High Risk, High Reward. The corners will have slight inside leverage on their man and be right up on the LOS, expecting a quick pass. The safeties are either 2 yards off a receiver or blitzing the QB.

Cover 1: This is also man to man, but there is a safety deep to make the tackle if one of the DBs gets beat. Flip side, the offense can pick up all the potential pass rushers. The corners will have slight inside leverage on their man and be right up on the LOS. The Safety will be 15 or more yards deep in the middle of the field. 

Cover 2: There are two Safeties deep. Each is responsible for a deep half of the field. The corners stay in the “flats” -- within 5 yards of the LOS between the Numbers and the Sideline. This coverage protects against short passes and keeps you safe deep. But there are holes - just like any zone coverage. The holes are right down the middle of the field (for the courageous receiver) and deep down the sidelines. The corners will play up on the line and jam the WR, forcing him to release inside (toward the middle of the field). The Safeties will play deep, like 14 yards or so.

Cover 3: The old phrase about Cover 3 is that “it covers everything and it covers nothing.” The Free Safety (FS) and the two corners each cover a deep 1/3 of the field. The Strong Safety (SS) can roll down closer to the LOS and act a little more like a linebacker. The holes in this coverage is down the seams (think the college hash marks which are a bit wider than the hash marks in the Pros). The Corners play about 7-8 yards off the WRs and immediately start back peddling when the ball is snapped. They can’t get beat deep because they have no help in their third of the field.

The FS will be about 12-14 yards deep. He MUST end up in the middle of the field at the snap. The SS will end up closer to the LOS. 

Sometimes they start there. Sometimes they have both Safeties deep and “roll” into the coverage on the snap. 

For the Corners, the difference between their alignment in Cover 2 and Cover 3 is just 3 or 4 yards. So they can disguise what they are doing pretty easily. They will try to hide how the line up, or move just before the snap. They will try to trick the WRs and the QB into reading the wrong coverage. Lies hurt. And if you let a corner’s alignment trick you, then you’ll be lying on your couch next week. Yup, I make dad jokes. Sorry I’m not sorry.

Not so for the Safeties. If they disguise a coverage before the snap, they have to cover some real estate to get back. Sometimes, they’ll have to run 10 to 15 yards to get in position. If they get caught out of position, they just might see themselves on Chris Berman’s fastest-two-minutes-in-sports during the MNF halftime show. (Which, if you haven’t watched Boomer read the highlights, you simply must. It is so choice.) 

And that’s why they tell the truth. They are like Jim Carrey in Liar Liar, they HAVE to tell the truth . . . because the CAN’T LIE.

That’s why the guys on O, which we will referred to as the “Good Guys,” will always watch the Safeties to figure out what coverage the D is going with.

Why does this matter?

It makes a huge difference. The coverage will change the WR’s routes and the QB’s reads. In some offenses, it will even lead the QB to change the play. That’s why Peyton always spent so long trying to figure out the D’s coverage before the snap and change to play. Well sometimes not that long; sometimes he just lit defenses up. Every coverage has a hole, you just have to find it.

As a receiver, once you know the coverage the D is running, you know how to attack it. You know whether the corner is worried about getting beat deep or looking for a quick throw.  Read your opponents mail always makes your life easier.

It doesn’t matter whether you think Hank is the man and Al should’ve stuck with SNL or that Franken’s recount was the right count and Bocephus should keep his Family Traditions to himself, when it comes to football, everyone agrees that

Corners lie and safeties tell the truth.

[colincloherty]

Football 101: Defensive Positions

It’s time to get back to the basics here on Work in Progress. Let’s go through some of the Defensive positions this week. 

Defense is the group of guys who constantly let offenses score. Like every week. That’s what sucks about playing defense. They also hit people every week. That’s the fun part. 

There are three position groups on Defense. First, the Defensive Linemen. Second, the Linebackers. Third, the Defensive Backs.

Defensive Linemen.

The Defensive Line are big, mean, athletic dudes. Before the daytime TV and fashion shows, Michael Strahan played D Line. So does J.J. Watt. And they were/are both really good. 

There are two types of defensive lineman. Defensive Tackles and Defensive Ends.

Defensive Tackles: These guys are behemoths. I mean big. Usually two are on the field at a time. One lined up on each side of the ball. Shaun Rodgers (#92 below) may be the biggest human I’ve ever met. 

One day at Browns practice -- yes, I played for the Cleveland Browns for three weeks under Coach Mangini -- Brady Quinn threw it to me for a TD just before Rodgers sacked Quinn. Rodgers runs after me into the End Zone, even though the play was over. He picked me up and gave me a big bear hug while laughing. My feet were 12 inches in the air. Cray. Also, he drove a 18 wheeler pick up truck like this . . . 

But I digress. 

The Defensive linemen in general, and the Defensive Tackles in particular, are responsible for stopping the running plays first and foremost.

Since the dawn of man, every single defensive line tries to stop the run first. Here’s the strategy: if you can stop the run, you make the Offense one dimensional. All they can do is pass. Once you know what they are going to do, it is a lot easier to stop them. The Offense usually needs 1-2 Offense lineman to handle a single Defensive Tackle. They are hard to move and they keep the Offensive Linemen from blocking the Linebackers (who make most of the tackles). It’s not a very glamorous job, but it’s essential. That’s why Ndamukong Suh, a DT for the Miami Dolphins, just signed a 6-year $115 Million contract. That’s million with an M.

The other type of Defensive Linemen are Defensive Ends. They aren’t quite as big as DTs, but they are still big and they are athletic and fast. It’s a pretty impressive combination of size and speed. You may have heard of a couple defensive ends because they are the glamour boys of the D Line. Michael Strahan, JPP, Mario Williams, Dwight Freeney, etc.

Their main goal is to rush the passer (read Quaterback). Their time to shine is when they sack the QB. They have trademark dances. They are not exactly Misty Copland, but who is. 

So D Tackles stop the run. D Ends rush the passer. Got it?

Pro Tip: A Nose Tackle is like a D Tackle, but bigger and lines up directly across from the Center (who snaps the ball for the Offense).

Linebackers.

They are big, fast, and tough. And they can hit. LBs are usually the heart and soul of the defense. Ray Lewis played Linebacker. Clay Matthews, Paul Posluszny, Jon Beason, D’well Jackson, Manti T’eo. Well one of these things is not like the other

LBs are supposed to stop the run first. They stand up a few yards (4 or 5) behind the Defensive Lineman. If the Offense runs the ball, they flow to the ball and tackle the guy who has it. If the Offense passes, they either 1) drop into coverage and try to cover a receiver or a zone of the field, or 2) blitz and try to sack the QB.

Linebackers may be the best athletes on the field. Moreover, they hit. They are the enforcer of the defense. Have a minute? Watch some of these Linebackers (and D Backs) inflict punishment.

Usually, there are three linebackers on the field. Sometimes there are 4, but let’s not get too far into that right now. That’s like an upper level football course and I’m trying to get you through the 100 level. In time young grasshopper.

Each Linebacker has his own nickname. The Sam plays on the strong side. The Mike plays in the middle. The Will plays on the weak side. Why those names? They start with the same letter and are one syllable. If you find a different reason, let me know. It’s not terribly important to know the differences here, but I’m wrote it and you read it. Sucker.

Pro Tip: The Linebackers call the plays for the defense.

Defensive Backs.

Think fast and quick. Then, think faster and quicker. Finally, think loud. Like Richard Sherman loud. He is probably the most famous DB right meow.

Defensive backs line up either in front of the Offense’s receivers or 5-10 yards behind the linebackers. Their main job is to stop the receivers from catching passes. There are two types: Cornerbacks and Safeties.

Cornerbacks the the guys standing up closest to the sideline. There is one on each side of the field (right and left) They line up directly in front of receivers, anywhere from 1 to 10 yards away. The pretty much exclusively cover the sick athletes are receiver. Not surprisingly, they aren’t really that big. It’s all about speed baby. Of course, when one of the big guys eventually finds them, they have to tackle. They hate this.

Safeties.

Safeties play in the middle of the field, usually about 10 to 12 yards from the line of scrimmage. They are a little bit smaller than Linebackers and a little bit slower than Corners. The Strong Safety is a bit closer to a Linebacker. The Free Safety is a bit closer to a Corner.

They cover the receivers and Tight Ends. They also tackle a whole lot more than Corners. They also take some cheap shots on receivers from time to time, like when the receiver isn’t looking. The Safeties try to keep every offensive player in front of them. They are the last line of defense.

The best in the game right now is Cam Chancellor for the Seattle Seahawks. Troy Polamalu was pretty good for the Steelers a few years ago. 

Pro Tip: Corners lie and Safeties tell the truth. Want to know what that means? Stay tuned and you’ll find out.

As always, thanks for reading.

[colincloherty]

MNF Q&A

I love getting to talk about the game, so please don’t hesitate to ask questions! I’ve gotten a few questions over the past week or two, so here are the answers for ya . . . 

Q: Why do some centers move the head to one side right before snapping the ball? Seems like a dead give away.

A: The Silent Count. Rumor has it that it was invented by Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf (who was undefeated my senior year of high school). Teams use the silent count to control the snap count and tempo when it gets loud ata away games. And it does get loud. All that yelling you did at your last NFL game effects the players and the game.

As a Tight End, I usually lined up on the end of the LOS (Line of Scrimmage). At away games, I could not hear the QB yelling at the top of his lungs. Depending on the stadium/dome, time of the game, and energy of the fans, I had problems hearing the guy standing next to me.

Teams prepare for this atmosphere. As Coach Jim Caldwell, then of the Colts, now of the Lions said: The will to win is nothing without the will to prepare. (I can’t remember if he was quoting someone else or if that was a Caldwell Orig) Every team will bring speakers out to their practice fields before away games to pump in noise. The Colts played white noise, static, and random fan chants (DE-fense clap-clap). The Browns played rap. Players loved one of those two options and hated the other. Guess which was which.

Okay, so let’s get down to the technique I learned from Pro Bowlers Jeff Saturday ( @SaturdayJeff ) and Peyton Manning. The QB lifts his leg or claps his hands. The Guard is turned around looking at the QB. The Guard touches the Center’s hip. And here comes the Center’s time to shine! 

He’s going to turn his head to signal to all the other offensive players when the ball will be snapped. The other Offensive players are “periph-ing” the ball out of the corner of their eye. They basically go as the Center is looking down, counting on the Center to snap the ball on time. Even in Silent counts, there are a couple different snap counts.

“Silent Quick” The Center waits for everyone to get in their stance and points out someone of Defense. Then, the Center gets in his stance and snaps the ball as soon as he touches it. You mix this snap count in to catch the defense off guard and to keep them honest.

“Silent One” The Center then looks to the left once, then looks down and snaps the ball.

“Silent Two” The Center then looks to the left once, then looks down. Then he looks to the left again, then looks down and snaps the ball.

“Silent Three” The Center then looks to the left once, then looks down. Then he looks to the left again, then looks down again. Then left, down, and snaps the ball. We’ve never used this one, but it was in the playbook.

There is also a “Silent Double, On One.” That’s when everyone goes through the the “Silent Two” snap count, but never snaps the ball. Then, the Guard will look back to the QB and start the process again. Guard taps Center, who looks left, then down, then we gain yards and score touchdowns.

And so on.

Is it obvious? Kinda. But the other option is not hearing the snap. It allows the offense to have some control over the snap count and keep the defense a little on their toes. The D can’t exactly tee off on the O, but they can time the head bobs pretty well. That’s one reason it’s harder to play on the road.

The Silent Count isn’t optimal; it’s just the best option at 100 decibels. 

Q: This is a follow up from yours truly - Why is the Guard tapping the Center? Teams used to have the Center looking back between his legs at the QB.

A: It’s just tough on the Center. Snapping before blocking is a hard job because you have to get your snap-hand up quickly. Hands are very important to blocking. Great hand placement can make the difference between a great block and a sack or TFL (Tackle For Loss). 

When the Center was looking between his legs to see the QB’s leg or hand movement just before snapping, the Defense would take advantage of it. They would move positions and run blitzes to exploit the center. 

They still try to take advantage of the Guard turning around, but this spreads out the challenges to two people and makes the jobs more manageable. 

Q: Why do defenses get more tired than offenses during long drives or over the course of games?

A: This one is hard to understand in the abstract, but once you do both, it’s painfully obvious. 

First, Offensive players know where they are going to go. Defensive players have to react. It just takes a lot of energy to react.

Second, Defensive players have to run to the ball every play to make the tackle. Offensive players should run to the ball so they can block for their teammate, but can get away without running to the ball most times. This turns into an extra 10-40 yard sprint most plays. That adds up.

Defensive players may want to add to this one, but that’s how I see it.

Q: Why are the college and high school footballs wider than the NFL football? Is it easier to throw the NFL ball? 

A: You’re right. The NFL ball is longer and skinnier. I don’t know when the NFL made the change, but yes it’s a whole lot easier to throw. It is one of those rule changes designed to make it a more offensive, pass-oriented game.

It’s also harder to catch. The white stripes on the high school and college ball make the ballspeed is easier to track. The NFL ball doesn’t have the stripes. It feels like the ball is coming at you quicker. It takes some getting used to, but you do get used to it. Then, the college ball seems a whole lot easier to catch. 

Here’s the Smithsonian’s take on the evolution of the NFL Football.

Thanks for the questions! Please keep them coming. As always, thanks for reading.