Today's College Football & Athletes

[Mack]

Yeah...we used to take 15-20 salt tablets a day.....that was the conventional wisdom back then. As a senior I got a "foam pad" helmet in lieu of the rope suspension ones running backs got the inflatable ones........what a difference that made not getting your bell rung.

We got the first Riddells that came out .Little rubber in top to keep head in proper line i guess.If you went up against a Wilson ,the kind the Bears used in NFL,and hit somebody; head on........you lost.

 

[Mack]

You must be a youngster if you had Gatorade. I'm not up there with Mack but if you were a superstar you got the 2 bar face mask. You never came out unless you didn't know what day it was or went off in the ambulance. A late hit was after the down marker had been moved. And yes, no water. I was a speed demon at a 10 flat 100 on the dirt track. The good old days.

Yep if you had a cage like lineman had .......you would scare folk to death and the only spearing we got called for was in front of the official or so late to be remembered..Nope no gator aide just plain sweat and pads three days a week ,scrimmage thirty minutes each and every day.Wind sprints at the end....at 5-7 and 145 lbs and a four year starter I am amazed all I got out of this four year tour was a separated shoulder.Man ten flat was smoking in early sixties..........

 

[Mack]

I understand your point, but unlike automobile safty football can't be made safer by something as simple as a seatbelt. Pads and a helmet are football's "seatbelt". There is no way to put a speed limit on players or other automotive measures to ensure playersafety
Football is a violent game and rules and regulations arnt going to change that. Players acknowledge their own personal risk of injury when they suit up to play. yes injuries are bad but there's nothing that can prevent them, they are just part of the game. If people arnt willing to risk getting injured, then they shouldn't play the game.

Yeah agree with you....wish something could be done to keep injuries down but its now speed and girth and violence and like you said its......football.When I first played in 61 the biggie was grabbing face mask and clipping.Now it is the hit across the middle high up on the reciver.Guess you could outlaw passes over the middle but hey.......that is football.Merry Christmas

 

[Mack]

I am not a fan of the "targeting" rule but I understand why it came into being. There's a huge difference between putting shoulder into the chest of a receiver and helmet to helmet. Proper tackling technique has almost completely disappeared in the game today. Part of that is the lack of proper coaching along with the lack of emphasis in practice. Each year it seems as if teams do less and less live tackling in practice in an effort to avoid injury. To me that cuts both ways in that players start head hunting and receivers/ball carriers don't get the contact to condition their bodies as well as learning how avoid the brunt of the blow. Hard hits are part of the game and the when you take away the physical contact you turn the game into flag football. There isn't a player, current or former, that doesn't know what a cheap shot is. It's up to the officials to call the fouls properly and eject players that go beyond what the rules of the game permit.

Now you are spot on.........todays kids just wrestle and throw folks around .No more form tackling where you put helmet in chest and lock up.See this so often with our dbs but we are getting better.We alsways stressed in practice the proper technique since that seemed to keep folks from being hurt.I see so many guys just arm tackling it just not right and guys run thru tackles.

 

[Rodney Kent]

Agreed, tackling has lost some of its true meaning. Too many players are trying to ram the runner rather than making a sure tackle. We were taught to keep your eyes on a runners torso, and you would not be fooled by sidesteps and other fake movements, then make a burst of agressive speed into the back, thus making him have to escape rather than giving him any advantage of the sidestep. I see way to many tacklers standing their ground rather than attacking the runner. Generally, the defensive player is sidestepped and the runner goes past him. At least, if the defensive player advances quickly toward the runner, it makes the offensive back have to divert his route giving other defensive players a chance to get to him. All of this has to be taught. When I see players not advancing toward the runner agressively and aiming toward his torso, I immediately think the defensive coaches are not doing their job.

 

[Mack]

Agreed, tackling has lost some of its true meaning. Too many players are trying to ram the runner rather than making a sure tackle. We were taught to keep your eyes on a runners torso, and you would not be fooled by sidesteps and other fake movements, then make a burst of agressive speed into the back, thus making him have to escape rather than giving him any advantage of the sidestep. I see way to many tacklers standing their ground rather than attacking the runner. Generally, the defensive player is sidestepped and the runner goes past him. At least, if the defensive player advances quickly toward the runner, it makes the offensive back have to divert his route giving other defensive players a chance to get to him. All of this has to be taught. When I see players not advancing toward the runner agressively and aiming toward his torso, I immediately think the defensive coaches are not doing their job.

Of course I had many wars with others on the other board but I felt like the coaches due to the prima donna athletes they had sort of dis guarded fundamental football We were taught to explode into the runner and keep head up and use shoulder then..........Bear Bryant started the bowing neck into sternum of the runner etc.My point is that some all state guys we deal with on college level played little defense and one day.........yep they moved to defense and are lost.. One thing I always remember about a GOL team was they hit you the proper way..Now pass defense was fair to poor with them but if they got a shot .....they popped you.Okay youngsters pay attention............its 59 and Georgie has 21 pt lead at half time and tech kicks off second half and Charles Britt a all SEC safety fields the ball and then ............MAXIE BAUGH UNLOADS ....what a hit ! Perfect form and the crowd went................WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO in unison..that was example of tackling we dont see today. We are getting better but still not fundamentally sound on defense like we should or hopefully will be in the near future..

 

[OldJacketFan]

Agreed, tackling has lost some of its true meaning. Too many players are trying to ram the runner rather than making a sure tackle. We were taught to keep your eyes on a runners torso, and you would not be fooled by sidesteps and other fake movements, then make a burst of agressive speed into the back, thus making him have to escape rather than giving him any advantage of the sidestep. I see way to many tacklers standing their ground rather than attacking the runner. Generally, the defensive player is sidestepped and the runner goes past him. At least, if the defensive player advances quickly toward the runner, it makes the offensive back have to divert his route giving other defensive players a chance to get to him. All of this has to be taught. When I see players not advancing toward the runner agressively and aiming toward his torso, I immediately think the defensive coaches are not doing their job.

Rodney it all starts young. Volunteer coaches haven't been taught how to teach proper tackling technique so the younger players don't learn it and by the time they get to high school it's too late. The time constraints at the middle and, especially at the high school level are so against being able to teach technique versus playing 7 on 7. I like the 7 on 7 camps but what do you do with the linemen, the linebackers and the defensive backs when it comes to contact? I can't think of a state high school association that doesn't place severe time constraints on practice in pads.

 

[Mack]

Rodney it all starts young. Volunteer coaches haven't been taught how to teach proper tackling technique so the younger players don't learn it and by the time they get to high school it's too late. The time constraints at the middle and, especially at the high school level are so against being able to teach technique versus playing 7 on 7. I like the 7 on 7 camps but what do you do with the linemen, the linebackers and the defensive backs when it comes to contact? I can't think of a state high school association that doesn't place severe time constraints on practice in pads.

Agree it does start young but in our area we still. Work hard on fundamentals.We used to practice hour and half and out but first fifteen to twentumy on each day was fundamentals.I know time is constrained but the fundamentals taught religiously pays off.

 

[OldJacketFan]

Mack, I commend you. It tough keeping kids interested in the fundamentals when your QBs wanting to throw the ball, WRs wanting to catch the ball, RBs wanting to run the ball. All of which are good things but trying to keep those players focused while you're teaching the defensive players is tough. At the youngest level of competition and through middle school, generally, you don't have enough coaches to work with each group and that leads to players just standing around. When I coached baseball I was fortunate to have a close friend who coached with me every year I coached. We were usually able to get a father or 3 that would help us but it usually came down to the 2 of us doing the vast majority of teaching the fundamentals and we never did have the time to do what we'd like to have done.

 

[Rodney Kent]

OldJacketFan: "You had a friend to help you"! I think you just hit on one of the problems of today. When we played, we had no thoughts of eventually playing in College or professionally. We played for the fun and love of the game. All players on the team realized it was a team game. Today, it appears there are too many players who want to be featured at the expense of the other players on the field.

 

[OldJacketFan]

OldJacketFan: "You had a friend to help you"! I think you just hit on one of the problems of today. When we played, we had no thoughts of eventually playing in College or professionally. We played for the fun and love of the game. All players on the team realized it was a team game. Today, it appears there are too many players who want to be featured at the expense of the other players on the field.

Rodney, I coached 13-14 year old baseball because I really enjoyed that age group. It was a county rec department program and that age group was the last age before high school ball, as such all the coached were volunteers. They were old enough to have their basic skill set learned, not too old to absorb some of the finer points of the game and not old enough to be complete smart a**es, for the most part My friend was a co worker who played D 1 baseball and we coached together for 8 years. If I remember correctly we coached 6-7 players that went on to play in college, one or two of which had their butts sat down for an attitude adjustment a time or two!

 

[Mack]

Mack, I commend you. It tough keeping kids interested in the fundamentals when your QBs wanting to throw the ball, WRs wanting to catch the ball, RBs wanting to run the ball. All of which are good things but trying to keep those players focused while you're teaching the defensive players is tough. At the youngest level of competition and through middle school, generally, you don't have enough coaches to work with each group and that leads to players just standing around. When I coached baseball I was fortunate to have a close friend who coached with me every year I coached. We were usually able to get a father or 3 that would help us but it usually came down to the 2 of us doing the vast majority of teaching the fundamentals and we never did have the time to do what we'd like to have done.

Grew up in Wadley Ga and am still here ...pop 2500 folks but when I was in second grade Sammie Lamb came to town as football coach and he coached everything even the kids like me so for ten yrs I knew how to pull as a lineman,run pass patterns and how to down field block and of course tackle..I guess we were so lucky to have him and what he taught me was how i coached ...do the fundamentals every day cause the guy in front of you is doing his.To back up a litle my friend remember when I worked with the B team one year and first day of practice ........everybody wanted to be a wide out or a corner....mainly due to the fact that Deon Sanders was in his prime and offensive catchers were having big years...well we were not diplomatic at all and finally got guy into position and they won but yeah......fundamentals and hitting a blocking sled when you are a back is tough but we made them do it and they got it down pat.Now my grand kid is 11 and little for his age yet he can put on a clinic with a football ..he has ability to run and hit and catch and loves to play.Lucky us we have four guys I coached yrs ago and they teach fundamentals..You got to do it and if done well when you get to Tech you can play.Merry Christmas !

 

[OldJacketFan]

Grew up in Wadley Ga and am still here ...pop 2500 folks but when I was in second grade Sammie Lamb came to town as football coach and he coached everything even the kids like me so for ten yrs I knew how to pull as a lineman,run pass patterns and how to down field block and of course tackle..I guess we were so lucky to have him and what he taught me was how i coached ...do the fundamentals every day cause the guy in front of you is doing his.To back up a litle my friend remember when I worked with the B team one year and first day of practice ........everybody wanted to be a wide out or a corner....mainly due to the fact that Deon Sanders was in his prime and offensive catchers were having big years...well we were not diplomatic at all and finally got guy into position and they won but yeah......fundamentals and hitting a blocking sled when you are a back is tough but we made them do it and they got it down pat.Now my grand kid is 11 and little for his age yet he can put on a clinic with a football ..he has ability to run and hit and catch and loves to play.Lucky us we have four guys I coached yrs ago and they teach fundamentals..You got to do it and if done well when you get to Tech you can play.Merry Christmas !

And a very Merry Christmas to you and yours! I'm waiting on my 2 youngins' to get here from out of town, they'll be in tomorrow morning

 

[Mack]

OldJacketFan: "You had a friend to help you"! I think you just hit on one of the problems of today. When we played, we had no thoughts of eventually playing in College or professionally. We played for the fun and love of the game. All players on the team realized it was a team game. Today, it appears there are too many players who want to be featured at the expense of the other players on the field.

Rodney you are spot on when I see guys make a tackle and then play to the crowd...it is something that in our time would fire us up to make sure the guy got nothing the rest of the night..We had only 150 kids in Class C Wadley Ga and were the smallest football playing school in Ga and first yr I played on 15 and five of then were fresheman finished the year.........we didnt enjoy much and only won one game but it got better and by my senior yr we had about 24 of all ages and shapes out for football.Yes we liked it and nobody I knew had much of a idea to go anywhere to play but now its so different.........Younger guys on this board may not like it but we had some fun on Friday nites in the old helmet leather days ! /

 

[JazzyD95]

Rodney you are spot on when I see guys make a tackle and then play to the crowd...it is something that in our time would fire us up to make sure the guy got nothing the rest of the night..We had only 150 kids in Class C Wadley Ga and were the smallest football playing school in Ga and first yr I played on 15 and five of then were fresheman finished the year.........we didnt enjoy much and only won one game but it got better and by my senior yr we had about 24 of all ages and shapes out for football.Yes we liked it and nobody I knew had much of a idea to go anywhere to play but now its so different.........Younger guys on this board may not like it but we had some fun on Friday nites in the old helmet leather days ! /

I never could imagine playing in a lether helmet. I got knocked around enough in a newer DNA helmet. I give a lot of respect to the old balls players. They may not have been nearly as big, strong, or fast, but they went through a lot more ****, both practice wise and pain wise, than I ever did.

 

[LibertyTurns]

Man ten flat was smoking in early sixties..........

I'm not quite that old Mack, you're off by a decade. Our town didn't idolize football players so our gear was a bit behind the times. We were in awe of the "high tech" helmets the colleges and bigger schools had. Met Blaine Nye when I was up and coming and realized that due to being much smaller my playing days were up at 18. Thankfully I survived without ever taking any direct hits. Small and fast is hard to hit.

 

[Mack]

I'm not quite that old Mack, you're off by a decade. Our town didn't idolize football players so our gear was a bit behind the times. We were in awe of the "high tech" helmets the colleges and bigger schools had. Met Blaine Nye when I was up and coming and realized that due to being much smaller my playing days were up at 18. Thankfully I survived without ever taking any direct hits. Small and fast is hard to hit.

Well what I meant was of course speed in the 100 was not as it was today..........I agree with you when I see some of the gear we wore........I wonder why I am not in the Nursing Home....We ,when I was a Sr in 65,got some of the famous girdle pads.....the kind that you put on and then put pads on...they were great first game but as year goes on the mesh is slipping and when you got hot you had another ten pounds it seems to carry around..All shoulder pads were one size and we never even taped ankles or had no idea what a neck brace was..My 11 yr old grandson has more protection and better equipment than I had it seems.Yep understand about the hard to hit when you were playing.....my problem it seems was after 40 yds tackles could catch me...went 82 yds one night and got caught three times ........and twice the guys were tackles....Oh for the breakaway speed i see now.

 

[Mack]

I never could imagine playing in a lether helmet. I got knocked around enough in a newer DNA helmet. I give a lot of respect to the old balls players. They may not have been nearly as big, strong, or fast, but they went through a lot more ****, both practice wise and pain wise, than I ever did.

I still keep my hand in coaching a little and was in coaches office last year or so and picked up a riddell.......the thing weighted it seemed fifty pounds !It also cost about 300 bucks.....the first one I bought was for around thirty bucks or so in 61 !

 

[GT Man]

go back to leather helmets and you'll immediately see fewer players leading with the crown

 

[LibertyTurns]

My biggest advantage was I didn't wear down and it probably wasn't real but I swore I sped up as the game went on. Put me in open field and you might as well stop running. I'd go just fast enough to let you get close just to screw with you but there was no way anyone was catching me.

On off days we played sandlot football. No helmets, no pads, no mouthpiece, no nothing except a pair of sneakers (no cleats) and some ratty old clothes- ones Mom didn't care of the grass stains came our or not.