Transcript Background Music Announcer: Welcome to The Podcast to be Named Later, where we explore the world a conversation at a time. Sit back and enjoy. Here are your hosts, Chris and Kelly. Kelly: Hey everyone, I'm Kelly and I'm here with my nephew Chris and we're kicking off the podcast to be named later. Kelly: We both have a big interest in sports and I happen to be blind. Kelly: Chris isn't and sometimes when we're watching the game, you know he can tell me about things that are going on, so that's going to be a little bit about what we're going to talk about. Kelly: Chris can describe some stuff, answer my questions and wow do I got a lot of them. Kelly: Chris is, as I said, my nephew. You want to talk a little bit about your sports career. Chris: Hey, thanks Kelly. Chris: I don't know how much of a career I'd. Call it I mean I definitely have been active in sports. Chris: All my life. Chris: I never made any money off of it though, so my my football playing days ended back in in high school. Chris: Played sports all growing up obviously. Chris: And then just been, uh. Chris: Big sports fan. Chris: And ever since done recreational stuff, but knows that we're giving me a paycheck, showed my athletic abilities to this point, and given my current age, I'm I'm not sure how she keep my hopes up for getting one in the future. Chris: Although I did join a Corn hole league, so that's about the extent of my athleticism these days. Kelly: It's going to be Drew Brees and Pickle Ball, and you and corn hole. Chris: Yeah, Yep all. Chris: Not my agent is currently reaching out to his to see if we can do at some up. Kelly: Well, I could go for that. Kelly: The commentary contract if you can give me some. Kelly: Tom Brady money. Chris: Yeah, can you make holes? Kelly: One I can make holes with the best of them. Kelly: I'm really good at divots. Kelly: Yeah, so Chris. Kelly: I mean you played high school ball, but I mean you know it's not like you played in the middle of nowhere. Kelly: You played in some of the best football in this country out in Southern California, and you played one of the toughest positions running back. Kelly: So you kind of know what it's like to get hit and hit guys and all that sort of stuff, right? Chris: Yeah, for sure. Chris: I mean, I definitely I play. Chris: I play sports all grown up and like I said I followed it ever since. Chris: And you know, I mean, it was a competitive environment that we played in the schedule we played was was competitive. Chris: You know, we played against Mission Viejo Capital Valley played against Bishop Gorman. Chris: You know nationally ranked teams and we don't really get squad, you know and and the the level of football that we played out was, you know, pretty high level. Chris: I did. Chris: I played, running back, played some secondary, you know, cornerback safety, return some punts and kickoffs things like that. Chris: So just you know the coaches wanted me. Chris: That's where I played, but my primary starting position was scaled back for the team. Kelly: So hey man, before we get into some of the Pro Football stuff, just give a little bit of insight into your back in the huddle. Kelly: And your numbers called. Kelly: What are you thinking about? Chris: Oh, it's just exciting at that point. Chris: Like you know, every time I play is called you, you know you want the ball man. Chris: I mean everyone wants the ball. Chris: I mean, any of us skill position players. Chris: Yeah yeah you you want it every time. Chris: I mean, as far as you're concerned, you're open every time you could break a long run every time you know it speak every one of us on the squad so like if they just put the ball in my hands every play, we'd be better off, right? Chris: So yeah, so you hear your numbers called and you know you're about to get the ball and get to do something then. Chris: It's exciting, you know, and and. Chris: Yeah, we we had. Chris: We had a really good squad man and and good lineman. Chris: A quarterback played in the NFL. Chris: I mean, we had a good team, so you know there was a lot of highly skilled individuals and so you know we had to spread it around quite a bit. Chris: But yeah, one of my number, you know and of course I have my favorite plays, right? Chris: There was some audibles that would come up. Chris: You know you get to the huddle and you know your audible call. Chris: You know we had a high caliber quarterback and so you know if he's switching to something, you know it's probably going to work, and so you know I had a a couple of a couple of. Chris: Play calls that I really like. Chris: You know I get the line. Chris: I played this wait wingback position I I kind of staggered. Chris: That tight end. Kelly: Let's stop right there for a second. Kelly: Chris 'cause this is. Kelly: This is we're going to go right into kind of what I'd love for you to tell our listeners a little more. Kelly: You talk about wingback. Kelly: Tell me more like. Kelly: A lot of times football announcer can say hey using the wingback and you can see what that all means. Kelly: Lay it out for us. Kelly: Where's the wingback? Kelly: Where's everybody on the field at that time on the offense? Chris: Well, so you have rules right? Chris: The X number of guys have to be on the line of scrimmage. Chris: Tackles have to be covered. Chris: Things like that, right? Chris: So there's there's certain alignment rules, a wingback, the position like I'm specifically talking about. Chris: I played this quite a bit in in our setup, so we do a lot of no back sets and what we would do is stock 2, right? Chris: Keepers on either side. Chris: So one guy has to be on the line of scrimmage by rules he has to cover up the tackle, meaning he has to be on the line of scrimmage so the tackle isn't the most exposed player. Chris: And this is this holds true throughout all of college. Kelly: Meaning he has to be on the right or left side of that guy, which at the side of the line is on. Chris: Yes, my opinion. Chris: Yeah, someone someone has to publish him. Chris: So the outmost person on the on the line of scrimmage needs to be eligible so anyway, so we we would line up with two receivers stacked up on either side and then then. Kelly: Gotcha so. Hold on. Kelly: Take him, take him pause. Kelly: Take it pause. Kelly: When when you're lining up there and you're covering this guy like how typical? Kelly: Whether it's your high school ball or out in the pros between you and that guy you're covering up, is there a typical amount of space between you? Chris: Well, that's real schematic based man, so you know the that's a huge. Chris: You know there's a lot of variation within thatKelly:, so you know it's it's going to depend on on your scheme, right? Chris: So Baltimore. Chris: Might have tiger splits, meaning the space in between each individual player on the offense might be less, and they may have more of a power scheme, meaning like a rugby style. Chris: Think about like rugby like you're just trying to push the pile, whereas a team like. Chris: Like Andy Reid's offense or Sean McVay, he went a lot more spacing. He's not as concerned about our team overpowering the other team. Chris: He's more concerned about eating guys open in wide open spaces, and so it in our particular setup I would be. Chris: About a yard. Chris: Uh, staggered over either the tackle or the tight end. Chris: OK sweetie, so the the siding is on the line of scrimmage in a straight line with everybody else. Chris: I'll get alignment and then I would be a half a step behind them and a half a step to the outside of them and that would be my alignment. Chris: But depending on what we were trying to accomplish. Chris: I could I could spread out even further. Chris: I could go 2 steps behind him and two steps outside of them, or three steps behind, and then three steps outside of them. Chris: It depends what we're trying to do. Chris: If I'm going to do like a out breaking route or something, I might want to have a little more space if I'm gonna crack back and. Chris: Put a put a block on somebody. Then I might want to be closer. So let's say everybody down blocking mean everyone's gonna block to the left. Chris: And then one person is going to like the end guys going to kick out. Chris: Well, it might be my responsibility as the wing back to pick up the uncovered guy, right? Chris: So so in that case I can't be too far away. Chris: 'cause I gotta get to him before he gets to my quarterback. Chris: Things like that. Chris: So it really varies. Chris: Now what you're asking it? Chris: It depends on the scheme it depends on on. Chris: The coach and the play you're trying to run, but in our scheme and in most case. Chris: This is to keep uniformity so we didn't tip our hand on what the play was. We tried to keep our spacing the same no matter what the play was, and in that situation I would generally be 1/2 step behind and a half step outside and I would even be angled to him. So essentially my chest would be pointing towards his shoulder. Chris: I wouldn't be. I wouldn't be facing vertical like towards the end zone. I would be. I wouldn't be facing sideways either. I'd be at a 45 degree angle so both my feet would be play. Chris: Answered and I was I could run. Chris: I could point I could push off my left or my right foot and get into either a backfield like we would run sweeps from that. Chris: And so in that case, if I was on the right side, push up my right foot and I would sweep around the outside. Chris: Or if I was going to go round the pass play, I might push off my left foot initially. Chris: And go out for a pass. Kelly: Play so back to that alignment. Football fields 53 yards wide. Kelly: If you're at one end of that line, as you said, you're the most outside guy as the wingback. Kelly: Let's say you're on the right side. Kelly: How far would you say it is for from you to the guy that is to your absolute most left or like just overall? Kelly: How tight are you guys? Kelly: Are you guys all within 10 feet? Kelly: Give each other 2030. Chris: So so so it's about initial. Chris: Line, so there's still be wide receivers outside of me in most cases, and maybe out there a little ways. Chris: They might. Chris: Be 15 to 18 yards from me. Chris: Maybe splitting the difference between me and the and the sideline, but the line in that situation would be 5 offensive lineman. Chris: Tight end and me and nobody in the backfield in that one. And in that situation we'd be no more than probably 8-8 yards apart total. Chris: Uh, generally on a scrimmage phrase you're? Chris: Just short of foot to foot, you know there's maybe a 8 inch gap between you and the guy next to you, just enough to fit your, you know, flat button your shoulders and stuff in and, and you're generally pretty tight for the most part. Chris: And then on special teams plays or other like specialty plays. Chris: Like if you if you bring in the goal line offense, things like that. Chris: You know if you're on the 1 yard line and you just want to slam it in there, or if you're trying to protect on a punt or a field goal. Chris: In that case you might tighten up even a little bit more. Chris: And sometimes you'll even like Stag. Chris: Yeah, like my right foot might be on the other side of your left foot. Chris: You know in in that situation on occasion so, but for the most part last night, about 8 yards Linda and something like that. Kelly: So let's go back to something you just mentioned because I think it's another area where you could shed some insight onto things you talked about you. Kelly: Know this 8 inch. Kelly: Gap, and in your words fit your butter and shoulders in there. Kelly: One of the terms you hear about about some running backs is all they're really good about. Kelly: Waiting for the whole or hitting the whole. Kelly: Like when these dudes are running through all this stuff. Kelly: How much space are? Kelly: We talking about. Chris: Yeah, I guess it depends how good. Chris: Your line is so. Chris: If you ran behind the like, you know 1990 Dallas Cowboys. Chris: You got a lot of space if you Randy behind the 1990 Detroit Lions. You know Barry Sanders didn't have nearly as much room as Emmitt Smith and I'll put it that way so, but generally. Kelly: Can you put some numbers behind that? Kelly: In both cases. Chris: You're you're luckyKelly:. Chris: If if you got uh, you're lucky if you got enough space but you're not your shoulder pads aren't making contact with somebody, so generally the space you have available, the holes are smaller than you are or or just as big as you are reading, you know. Chris: On either the right or left side. Chris: Uh, you're rubbing somebody and you have to push through that hole. Chris: You're not running through a gaping hole, you're you're pushing your way through a space that's kind of smaller than you are. Chris: Kind of like a rat fitting through a whole, you know, so that's the most common you know every once in awhile. Chris: Play works together. Chris: Well or or defense breaks down or something. Chris: And and you got a big yeah you heard him say you could drive a truck. Chris: We'll hold you know that happens on occasion, but that's really rare man generally, and especially, you know, you know I played through high school man, just different different caliber. Chris: You speaking the NFL. Chris: Those holes are small man, I mean the space. Chris: Is not much. Chris: In the NFL and it's it's the requirement of the running back to have powerful in the thighs that he can push through that that space. Kelly: So back to your your high school ball and all that. Kelly: So you're the wingback and you're excited because you know your number is called. Kelly: By the way, what was your number back in high school if you remember? Kelly: 39 all right so they they call it 39 you know and. Kelly: You're getting the ball. Kelly: Do you remember the first time you like varsity game you started and what it was like to get hit for your first time? Chris: I do well the by. Chris: First Varsity play was on special teams which. Chris: Is pretty common, you know. Chris: They pull you up, you put. Chris: You play JV. Chris: There's some parameters, you know what I mean like it you can. Chris: You can't be on both, right? Chris: So you can't play 8 corridors, 4 of JB and four varsity, but there's some flexibility. Chris: Usually there's a handful of guys who maybe kind of shine on the JV team. Chris: And no. Chris: You know coaches might see them as like you know, future leaders you know in a year or two and and so my first action on the varsity uh game was on kickoff. Chris: And you know you mostly just as JD pull up. Chris: You mostly just kind of hang out and stand on the sidelines and and you may see zero action for you know, three straight games potentially. Chris: At least that's how it was for me. Chris: And again, this was a competitive team, and I mean it, you know it was hard to get a spot and. Chris: So my first action was on kickoff and they, you know, just came up say hey, get it get in there, you're on kickoff, just run down and tackle somebody. Chris: And if you listen to my father tell the story, it's a foreign member of his, he the way he says it. Chris: After the game, I went up to him and and. Chris: I said I said dude, I got I got I got in there I. Chris: Was on the. Chris: Kickoff team and manner and after I got rocked. Chris: He thinks it's pretty funny, you know, but you know, as a you know, 1516 year old kid, whatever, I was, uh, you know, it's pretty exciting, man. Chris: He get you. Chris: You got on the field, you know for a varsity game and and I was I was pretty fast and so you know I was just a gunner like they put me on the outside and I I just. Chris: Rain as fast as I could to go try and get the guy with the ball and you know that that was my first action and and someone came sweeping from across the field and. Chris: Knocked me off my cleats and. Chris: I couldn't have been happier. Kelly: So you said you're pretty fast and. Kelly: Taking take take taking out your your bragging there my friend. Chris: Who I was. Kelly: Could you give our listeners a sense if you were fast in high school? Kelly: How that compares because one of the other things you always hear people say. Kelly: 'cause wow until you see the NFL game and especially from the sideline, you can't believe the speed. Kelly: Can you put it into words that you know someone who maybe never actually saw that speed in either case, could understand like what's that difference between a good high school ball player and, ah, you know? Kelly: Barry Sanders, or you know anybody of the elite running backs of of today's era, just that that speed difference? Chris: Uh, I mean, it's it's. Chris: It's significant now straight line speed wise you you know it wouldn't look like a big number, you know? Chris: It's put it this. Chris: Way you watch 100 yard dash like at the Olympics and you know you you watch it visually and you know one or two guys looks like they blew the. Chris: Other six guys away in terms of a stopwatch and you looked at the numbers, it looks like man, they're really almost identical, right? Chris: And as you move up from level to level, you know high school to college and then college, especially that that move into the pros, the the numbers on the on the stopwatch are are, you know, the gaps aren't that big there, but their reaction time, the anticipation. Chris: You know the the speed of the game. Chris: At the NFL, you're. Chris: Talking about the best of the best of the best worldwide. Chris: Of people that do this particular store, and so you see it all the time and guys. Chris: Who come out? Chris: Of college were dominant in college and then get to the NFL, and they're, they're middling. Chris: Average, you know. Chris: A lot of the reason why. Chris: I mean, there's strength reasons you know there's this. Chris: There's a number of different factors, right? Chris: The competition they played against in college, things like that, but I'd say most people would agree the biggest adjust. Chris: It's meant for people coming in, so you know, I would say the same thing. Chris: Going from high school to college. Chris: You know when you when you make that jump to a different level of competition, the biggest thing that you don't anticipate is the speed of the game. Chris: And it's not just the speed of the players which that is a factor as well. Chris: You know, linebackers run four or five. Chris: 4/4 in the NFL. Now there's 444 linebackers guys that are are £230 and they've run as fast as the fastest running backs in high school do and and. Chris: And and you know everybody across the field is like that. Chris: You know the you know not everyone like Tyreek Hill and you know, he's special, obviously. Chris: But but across the board, offensive line and defensive lineman, they're just straight faster, straight line faster. Chris: But what else, what? Chris: Sometimes isn't isn't taking into consideration. Chris: It's not just that it's it's the reaction time is faster, they anticipate stuff. Chris: They've seen all this stuff before. Chris: They've been working drills for 10 years, 15 years. Chris: You know their side to side motion is faster, they're get off, the ball is faster, you know their first step. Chris: Everything is, is is quicker and. Chris: You know, while you might be able take a really fast high school student in a in 100 yard dash and put him up against, he probably can compete with a lot of NFL guys in the 100 yard dash. Chris: You know they they probably be close, you know, but he would get destroyed on a football field when you take all the other things into consideration. Chris: Technique matters, you know, just all the. Chris: Other the micro components that go into you know perfecting your craft at the at the on the football field at the NFL level. Chris: I mean, I've never played an NFL game. Chris: Dude, you know what I mean? Chris: I, I can't speak to that. Chris: Uh, uh, I just. Chris: I just I just know from seeing it that you know 'cause I follow college ball pretty close to at least I used to man. Chris: I was pretty passionate about college football and and I I still enjoy it, so I'm watching players. Chris: You know, at Alabama, Clemson, you know some of the premier schools and I'm watching him week in and week out and and I'm seeing these last way. Chris: Clyde Edwards lair elite. Chris: A college football player had in the League college football program went to the NFL and just, you know, he's just not as dominant as he was and you see that all the time from the running back position especially, you know, I mean, really. Chris: Throughout the football field, but but especially at the running back position, guys who were dominant in college, they were just faster than everyone else and they were. Chris: Stronger than most, and then they get to the NFL and they're just a dude. Chris: You know they're not stronger or faster than anyone. Kelly: Anymore, so Speaking of stronger and faster. Kelly: You know, again, the skill positions running back wide receivers and such. Kelly: You know announcers are again full of a lot of cliches and cliches and phrases. Kelly: One of the ones you hear about is moving the pile and that guy. Kelly: You know that running back. Kelly: Can you talk about just some examples of running backs that you've really seen moves a pile and like truly, how many guys are on him and what's really going on? Chris: Yeah, and actually that's funny. Chris: Those are my favorite guys. Chris: Man, you know the Marshawn Lynch. Chris: The Marion the barbarian? Chris: You know the. Chris: Uh Ironhead Heyward back in the day. Chris: You know, the just the Wrecking Ball guys that you know who's one of the best all time is Michael Scott and we just cannot bring this guy down. Chris: You know these guys, you know they. Chris: They got one one on the back, you know, one wrapped around his neck, one hovering around. Chris: Leg and another guy coming full force at him. Chris: And somehow these guys still move forward to like it. Chris: Seems like sheer will and and those are actually my favorite of the running backs, you know, and then I'll get the glory. Chris: You know you. Chris: Generally speaking, they're not breaking off long runs and and they're not. Chris: Highlight reel guys, but for me they're they're the most fun to watch and it's just impressive. So you gotta imagine you know, defensive line one, somewhere in probably probably in just below that 300 range, right? Chris: It depends what kind of steam you're running and and and defensive ends are a little lighter. Chris: But you know? Chris: Finely tuned, 456 percent body fat training their whole life nutritionist, hyperbaric chamber. I mean these guys they aren't just £280 man. I mean they are 280 pounds of pure muscle focused solely on their job which is playing defensive line. Chris: In the NFL, when you get a running back. Chris: Carrying them and pushing. Chris: Them and there there's not a lot of guys, I mean. Chris: That that that have that style anymore the the league has opened up so much you know a a pass catching like right now. Chris: Derrick Henry is the pinnacle of that right there in dirt Henry. Chris: At at the moment is is that guy. Chris: Well, what's interesting about him though, is he's actually fast too. Chris: Deceptively fast, but you. Chris: Know he he's the. Chris: The right now in in you know 21 2020 2 timeframe. Chris: He's the the pinnacle of the bruising pile, moving, carrying bodies kind of running back most of the NFL running backs nowadays are multifaceted. Chris: Their past catching backs are out there running routes. Chris: Uhm, you know speed is a little more of a priority than than the three yards in a cloud of dust that used to be, you know, the game has evolved a little bit to be faster and more open, and some of those. Chris: Blazing a hard hitting, you know more like rugby style approaches just are because it had become more obsolete and they're just not part of the game as much anymore. Kelly: So let's transition a little bit 'cause there's a lot of different things going on in a football game and you talked about another thing I'm always curious about the running of routes, and again, you hear you hear that quarterback is going to throw. Kelly: It to a spot. Kelly: And and the player is not even there when he you know, is that really how it works. Kelly: So are these results. Kelly: Are these routes that precise that? Kelly: If the guy ran it 10 times, he would like run in his own footsteps or talk a little bit about that. Chris: Yeah I think that yeah, I think you hit it right on the head. Chris: That's exactly it. Chris: Uh, yeah. Chris: So when quarterback wide receiver dual is dialed in now it takes time, you know. Chris: I mean, just like anything else I think about like a NASCAR pit crew. Chris: You know they got practice over and. Chris: Over and over. Chris: And and they're they're working intensive a second. Chris: You know it's the difference between winning and losing, and the NFL is the same thing you. Chris: Know, and that that's why. Chris: Uhm man, it's so important to have that time, you know they only get so much time together to to throw passes and and I your spot on Jelly. Chris: That's exactly right, man, that guy. Chris: If they ran it 10 times, his footprints would be in the exact same spot 10 times. Chris: If they're if they're all the way down. Chris: And think of like Marvin Harrison. Chris: And Peyton Manning's neither one of them physically, was the greatest at their position. But the two of them together, because they spent so much time together, and they practice so much. I mean, I, I used to. Chris: Joke I, I think. Chris: Peyton Manning could drop back with his eyes closed. Chris: Marvin Harrison could run with his eyes closed and make him complete a past 40 yards down the field. Chris: They were that dialed in that that you know they just knew where each other was going to be, where the ball was going to be, and you know Devante Adams and Aaron Rodgers of you. Chris: And I are both active fans, Devante. Chris: Adams is one of the Premier Route learners in the league and Aaron Rodgers is one of the premier quarterbacks in the league. Chris: And that's why we become so unstoppable at. Chris: The goal line. Chris: And in 3rd and shorts, the other team knows exactly who's getting the ball. Chris: The other team knows exactly, even wear it. Chris: Growing, but because Aaron Rodgers can throw the football into a shoe box and Devante Adams is exactly, his hands are exactly where that shoe box needs to be. Chris: Their defense can't stop him. Chris: You know there's nothing they can do. Chris: There's just a. Chris: But I'm I'm the word I'm looking for like a specificity, you know? Chris: They're they're so precise in in the right there in the route and pass the the the ball is in the exact same spot every time and I got like Devante Adams. Chris: His hands are in the exact same spot 10 times in a row. Chris: You know with no variation, and that that's obviously they're they're. Chris: They're kind of the pinnacle, right? Chris: But that's. Chris: What everyone strives to do, but yeah, I mean. Chris: I mean, it's it's just practice and practice and practice and running it again or run it again. Chris: Like like I said. Chris: Similar to like. Chris: A NASCAR pit crew or a basketball? Chris: Player, you know? Chris: She's been photos or a corn hole guy, you know, tossing bags into a whole. Chris: You know it's just for pet or a dart player hitting hitting the triple 20 over and over and over. Chris: You know, professional dart dart player can hit that. Chris: That simple 20 you know. Chris: Two out of three, you know, four out of 6, and that's how it is on football field. Kelly: Which I have felt a dart board in that trip that I have felt the DART board in that triple 20s maybe probably. Chris: Feel they practice. Kelly: I mean, I found my measurements right, maybe a inch wide in half an inch thick. Chris: Yeah, less than it might be might be a little over an inch I I don't know, I'm not. Chris: I'm not, uh, I don't know enough about darts to give you the specifics, but someone listen. Chris: To this, you know. Chris: Might be, you know, throwing their computer going. Chris: It's obvious, but yeah, I mean I'd say it's. Chris: Probably a little. Chris: Over 1/4 inch call something like that and. Chris: Maybe three years, something like that, and then maybe an inch inch and a quarter a wide. Chris: And you know from I I and actually you know where the dart line is, but let's let's say it's 8 feet up. Chris: Yeah, and they're throwing the garden there, man over and over. Chris: I mean with without fail and on the football field like a route is similar to that man. Chris: And and like I think you did right in the head with, the footsteps are in the exact same spot. Chris: You know, over and over so. Kelly: I'm going back to something else you talked about because you used the word that most announcers don't use, and so I just want to. Kelly: Get a little bit of clarity on what the real size is, so you talked about it, you know. Kelly: And again, you said we're Packer fans, so Aaron Rodgers throwing it out to. Kelly: Well, used to be Devante Adams, and hopefully we get a replacement for him. Chris: Used to be. Kelly: But you said a shoebox you always hear the announcer say, oh, you could throw it into a tight window. Kelly: How big is it? Kelly: Really, a shoebox space? Kelly: Or is it? Kelly: You know. Kelly: Uh, how big is it? Chris: So so basically it really depends, you know. Chris: So if you run in say like a deep corner, meaning you are headed to the corner of the end zone, right? Chris: So you started on. Chris: Let's say the left hand side of the line of scrimmage. You run in 15 yards straight and then you ran a 45 degree angle to probably let's say the back pylon of the end zone, right? Chris: So you run that a 45 degree angle under. Under that circumstance the the window is pretty big, so the defenders. Chris: And so. Chris: Mode so the he doesn't know where the wide receiver is going. Chris: Only the wide receiver does right? Chris: So he's following him where the quarterback can then lead that wide receiver, and in that case he's got a little more of a window to work with because he could throw a little farther and the receiver can just run faster. Chris: Or you could take a little off it and the receiver can run slower and the receiver will line up. Chris: His footsteps with where the ball is gonna be, but a lot of times in the NFL when we. Chris: Talk about tight. Chris: Windows that is on a lot of things, like crossing patterns where you're running from one side of. Chris: The field to the other. Chris: And now there's lots of bodies. Chris: You have all the offensive lineman and defensive lineman right in front of you, and then you have middle linebackers, safeties, corners, and they're all running around the field too. Chris: And a lot of times there's guys crossing each other and you have to get it in behind this guy as he's running to the right. Chris: But also stay in front of this guy who's coming in from the left and those windows on occasion can be. Chris: I mean like the shoe box man. Chris: I mean, that's that's. Chris: That's probably about as small as it gets, right? Chris: So you have something maybe the size of a football or bigger, and that's the only place that you can hit your receiver. Chris: Other than that, if you're going to hit one of the two defenders that that are that are in the way and. Chris: Well, the other times they grow from there you know might. Chris: Be the size of a. Chris: Uh, like a semi tire. Chris: You know you might have two feet by two feet 3 feet by three feet. Chris: Something like that, you know, and the receiver is only so big so you know he could only jump so high, right? Chris: So, so there's a cap. Chris: There's a ceiling on how high. Chris: The ball can be and then you can't hit. Chris: The ground so. Chris: That so there's a floor on how low it can be. Chris: So let's say that is somewhere in the 9 foot range you know, and and to have a catchable wall, you gotta shrink it down even more, thinking like the strike zone for baseball, you know this is. Chris: This is the happy place. Chris: Of of height wise. Chris: So now that's how the receiver is going to catch it and be able to keep running. Chris: If you make. Chris: Him catch the ball at his ankle. Chris: It's a tough catch and you might not even make it. Chris: But true, you can't run now. Chris: You know you. Chris: You can't take off and run when you're bent over tying your shoes, right? Chris: So what you want to do is see them in stride at a comfortable location. Chris: Usually around chest. Chris: Right and then the receiver is free to not break stride and you can turn a small play into a big play, but yet in the NFL man those those windows can be absolutely miniscule, not much bigger than the size of a football really, and that's the accuracy they have to have on occasions. Chris: So it depends. Chris: You only grow from there, I mean. Chris: Sometimes there's a little more room, and sometimes you have the benefit of of having the faster of the players I. Chris: I think that's how. Chris: So, uh. Chris: The Kansas City Chiefs made a lot of air. Chris: Hey, there's they had the strongest arm in the league throwing it and the fastest receiver in the league running the route. Chris: And so the distance between them really didn't matter. Chris: You know, the almost could turn around and start running backwards, and Tyreek Hill could start running forwards. Chris: And the defensive lineman weren't fast enough to catch my homes and the defensive secondary wasn't fast enough to catch Tyreek. Chris: Bill, and so they just create a gap and Mahomes had a strong enough arm that he could throw it so far that it didn't matter how far he ran backwards or how far Tyree kill ran forwards. Chris: He could still complete the ball 'cause he had a strong enough on to get it there, and they made a lot of hey like basically with just that, those two dynamics a strong armed and a fast receiver. Chris: And they those windows didn't have to be very big or very small. Chris: Then those windows would just continue to get bigger and bigger the longer the play. Chris: Went on. Kelly: So let's follow up on a couple other parts of that route, running and all that. Kelly: Just because you know. Kelly: And I I'm always curious about all kinds of stuff. Kelly: You know that so. Kelly: So let's just say back to the you know, so it's past play and all these dudes are lined up on the line. Kelly: The offense. Kelly: Let's say you know they're facing the North End zone. Kelly: Right, and so most of them are lined up to some degree. Kelly: Facing that end zone. Kelly: When the wide receiver takes off and he. Kelly: Minus any angles or crossing, obviously his end destination is the North End zone still. Kelly: When he catches that ball, is he turned around facing the other way? Kelly: Ours is does he sometimes when they say catch it in stride? Kelly: Is he still facing the North End zone? Chris: Well yeah, I mean sometimes Jerry, I mean just you know you know you hear a lot of things. Chris: OK, so you've heard about high pointing a ball. Chris: In that case, if you're high pointing. Kelly: Yeah, what is that? Chris: You will have turned all the way around 180 degrees and you'll be facing your quarterback in most cases in that situation. Chris: Uh, if if if you got, uh, you know. Chris: Really nice, smooth. Chris: Now then basically I'm just running in a straight line and the quarterback lobs the ball. Chris: You know, it's it has. Chris: 2022 feet of height on it at its apex and it's kind of a rainbow looking thing. You know what I mean? Chris: Or or like a, uh? Chris: A little bit of an arc to it right? So I did say apex. It's maybe 20, you know, 2223 feet high and then it's coming down and ideally. Chris: As it's coming down, it'll fall right over the top of my shoulder. Chris: Let's say on the on the on the right hand side it'll fall right over my left shoulder into my basket. Chris: Hands that are in front of my chest and I will have never turned around. Chris: I would always have been running forward. Chris: The ball would have fell and receive us help with that you know they they vary their speed so that the ball. Chris: We'll we'll, we'll do exactly that it'll fall, right? Chris: Over there so. Chris: That prevents the defensive guys from being able to intercept it, and it gives me an opportunity if if if you tweak your body in any direction. Chris: If you have to rotate your hips, you're not going to be as fast. Chris: You're always going to be the. Chris: Fastest you can. Chris: Be when when your hips are facing forward and once that's going in front of the other. Chris: If you have to churn, you're not going to be. Chris: You're going to lose some speed doing that, and ideally then you'd just run a straight line and the ball would just fall right into your hands. Chris: Your hands would be pointing up to the sky you have. Chris: You'd be basically making a. Chris: Ask it. Chris: Like you are carrying in six lemons or something, right? Chris: And you're trying to to walk to the other side of the kitchen with six lemons in your hand. Chris: Your hands would, yeah, make a basket and the football would fall, right? Kelly: Into that basket. Kelly: So let's talk about that same ideal play. Kelly: OK, so I'm the offensive wide receiver and I'm, you know, running that straight line towards that North End zone. Kelly: The defensive Player of the Safety or that you know that's gonna 'cause I'm, I'm running way downfield. Kelly: Where is he facing with the when the play starts and what's all he? Kelly: What's his movement like? Chris: So the the cornerback let let's let's just for the for the sake of simplicity, let's just make this one on one coverage right one one guys running over one guys covered. Chris: I'm OK, so in that situation the the defensive back, the cornerback will be facing squared up with a wide wide receiver it'll be. Chris: Right in front of them and and. Kelly: So facing the South end zone. Chris: Yeah, you'll be facing the South and the straight straight looking straight ahead and kind of like a chess board. Chris: You know they'll they'll be looking right at each other and. Chris: Well, in most cases now you can do everything you can to disrupt this so he he knows that the quarterback and wide receiver have very specific time. Chris: You know at 1.8 seconds the quarterback knows this wide receiver is going to be excellent. Great yards down the field. We've run this in practice a. Chris: 1000 * I. Chris: Know how far he can get in. Chris: My three step drop or my five step drop right? Chris: So dumb. Chris: When the quarterback you know puts his right foot back and then his left foot and in his right foot, he anticipates his wide receiver being in a very specific location on this particular route, the defensive backs job is to try and disrupt that so he'll try and either jam in, make him take a wider angle outside, make him take more steps so he's not where the. Chris: Quarterback thinks he's going to be at the same time that he quarterback thinks he's going to be there, right? Chris: And but as you get Downfall Field, so generally the let's let's let's call this a 9 route OK, uh, fly pattern of go route of everybody go along. Chris: OK, so let's just say I'm just running as fast as I can and I'm just going to keep running straight towards that North End zone. Chris: That's my job as a wide receiver. Chris: There's just wanna fly fighting right or or 9 route, right? Chris: I'm just gonna go straight. Chris: In that case, eventually that wide receiver is going to fight his way through the cornerback and he's going to start running. Chris: The cornerback is not going to be able to. Chris: Hold him there forever so. Chris: As soon as. Chris: That happens that cornerback is going to backpedal. Chris: And be facing him for as long as he can until he realized that that that this this wide receiver is now going to pass me. Chris: I can't keep him in front of me any longer. Chris: He's going to be by me in a second at that point. Chris: That cornerback will turn his hips and spin around and he will also be facing in the North End. Chris: Don't and they will be running like they're running 100 yard dash today. Chris: And usually that cornerback will be in somewhat of a trail position. Chris: He'll try to be as close as he can, but he will be behind the writers. Chris: The receiver will be 1/2 step to a step in front of him and the the cornerback will be you know, hopefully right. If he's doing a good job, he's right on his **** Chris: And then, generally speaking, will be inside of him here. Chris: Use the sidelined as if you think about it. Chris: If the cornerback was outside of the wide receiver. Chris: If the cornerback was closer. Chris: To the sideline, then, at any point, the receiver could just turn left and and be wide open. Chris: Sure so so you can't do that. Chris: So the cornerback has to stay on the inside and use the sideline as as a kind of a help, a defensive helper and. Chris: And then they'll just run, and the cornerbacks liberty will be. Chris: He'll be right on the sip and the IT throws too short. Chris: Then maybe the quarterback, the cornerback, can intercept it. Chris: And making that quarterback make a perfect throw because I'm right behind this guy and you have again that small window you got this little you know tire you got to fit it in and if it's too short, I'll catch it. Chris: And if it's too far, he can't catch it and you gotta make it right in this little tiny space. Chris: That I've I've given to you. Chris: To be able to complete a pass. Kelly: So let's say that here we are right in our path play. Kelly: You know these two guys are running, and let's say the play started from the 50. Kelly: So these two guys are running and they're down to the 20. Kelly: How do they know when the balls come into work? Kelly: Now the offensive guy he knows, 'cause of the timing, but what's the how's the defensive guy? Kelly: Know that I hear them say sometimes. Kelly: Ah, you gotta, you know I don't know if it's don't turn your head or turn your. Kelly: Head but like. Kelly: Because he's just talk about how that works. Chris: Oh, he's so I played. I actually. Chris: The secondary was actually my more favorite of my positions, but I didn't get to play it all the time, but the way I was taught and the way I think you continue to be taught all throughout the upper levels is. Chris: You are simply. Chris: Following that man and you are running with that guy, if you should. Chris: Something like the hips. Chris: Kelly:, it, you know as? Chris: Soon as you start tweaking your. Chris: Body and and looking. Chris: Backwards you lose speed. Chris: And at the NFL level, you know. Chris: Those receivers are fascinating, you can't. Chris: Lose too much of it so. Chris: You know there's there's some good guys like desire Alexanders and the premier recovery guys who could. Chris: Or like Deion Sanders was probably the best all time at this and but he was special. Chris: You know he's like one of a kind, so some guys can look back and watch some other things and still run fast enough for the most part though, most of the other guys. Chris: They're just sitting with the receiver. Chris: And they quite literally. Chris: Are looking in his eyes so they're in a trail position, but that wide receiver will look will look back periodic. Chris: During his route, and if the ball is coming to him, if the ball is in the air and it's. Chris: Headed his way, he has to continue to look back right? Chris: So now I'm in front of you. Chris: Let let's say I'm on. Chris: The right hand side. Chris: Of the field. Chris: I'm looking back over my left shoulder. Chris: And if I want to catch this ball, I gotta keep looking back. Chris: So not not many guys man can take their eyes off of below you know you got your Mike trouts and and and you're you know you're you're really special you know athletes who who can. Chris: A flyball they can take their eyes off of it, run, and then look back and find it again. Chris: Most people have to keep their eyes on it the whole time if they really want to catch it. Chris: And so as I'm looking back as the wide receiver and following the ball flight, I'm judging my foot speed with where I think the ball is. Chris: Gonna end up is a little inside. Chris: You have to start fading to my last if I want to catch you do have to start fading to my right if I want to catch you have to run faster or slower like I'm trying to align my body up with this ball that's in the air right now. Chris: And while I'm doing that I'm looking back and the defensive back. Chris: I'm off your left shoulder. Chris: Or let's say you're the DD. Chris: You're off my left shoulder. Chris: I'm looking back and I can see I can see right into your helmet. Chris: I I see your face I see your eyes and I can see that you see a ball and so you know you're always going to get bigger man. Chris: I mean, I don't know baby chair right? Chris: Jerry Rice could hide it. Chris: I don't know but but if. Chris: SMS coming to you. Chris: You know you're focused on that. Chris: And I can tell that you're. Chris: Focused on. Chris: It you know you, you can tell when someone else. Chris: Is looking at something OK so. Chris: At that point you have to try and guess like OK, you know he saw the ball a half a second ago. Chris: The ball is. Chris: Not going to be in the air forever. Chris: It's gotta be. Chris: Getting pretty close and so at some point you gotta guess when it's the right time for you to turn around. Chris: And the defensive guy always has less time, so I've been looking at you. Chris: I'm running with you were at the 20 now. Chris: And since the 25 you've been staring up at something in the sky and man, I I better turn around to see what you're looking at. Chris: Pretty quick 'cause it's going to be here in no time. Chris: And then at that point ulcer in my head. Chris: Or you'll turn your head and you'll try the best you can to pick up the ball in flight and make a play on it. Chris: Knock it down or you know. Chris: Busy, it's a. Chris: Quick, maybe pick it off, but that's that's kind of the the timing and you know it's pretty split. Chris: 2nd Man, I mean you're talking, you know? Chris: Less than a second. Chris: That you have from the time that that the defensive back turns. Chris: He said he has to find the ball the terminal OK. Chris: Where is it where? Chris: Is it going? Chris: And then adjust his body to be in position to make a play on it, because this receiver might have had a second and a half to do all of that, or maybe even 2 seconds depending on how deep the bottom is right and. Chris: And the receiver has more time to to put his body into the right position. Kelly: I'm tired just thinking about it all. Chris: Yeah, it's uh. Chris: I mean, that's why. Chris: I love the sport man. Chris: I mean, you know it's. Chris: It's I'm not like all sports, you know we were talking earlier, you know. Chris: Before we start. Chris: Recording you know the basketball games on nights. Chris: Hockey games on tonight? Chris: You know, I watched the PGA last weekend and and ran into sports and I just like it. Chris: It was something I always loved growing up. Chris: I still my body is not quite as capable as it once was, but I'm I still try to be involved. Chris: I still try to compete. Chris: I transitioned into poker and ******** and darts and. Chris: And bowling and things like that and and transitioned out of, you know baseball and and the football and stuff over in my life. Chris: But you know these guys at this level you know their dedication to their craft and the intricacies of the game, especially at the NFL level. Chris: I mean, these are these athletes are incredible and you know. Chris: You don't say. Chris: It's a game. Chris: Of inches, and that's just a that's that's been in. Chris: Football forever and. Chris: It it really is again the interest. Chris: But it's a game of interest in every level. Chris: It's not just the line of scrimmage inches, it's not. Chris: It's every single level, it's the wide receiver. Chris: Defensive back inches. Chris: It's the. Chris: The center trying to get to the second level, you know he he put he he he put a brush block on on the tackle and now he's trying to get up to the linebacker and and get a seal on him. Chris: You know, so the running back and get 8 yards instead of three and all of that is inches. Chris: Man it it's it's just as small as. Chris: In my newest little. Chris: Uh, separation that determines success or failure on each individual play, and so even field goals are interest sometimes. Chris: Man you know, the sometimes they brush the upright and they go in, and sometimes they clink off their upright and and bounce out. Chris: And you have 4 inches one way or the other. Chris: Determined whether your team is going to win or lose. Kelly: Well, hey Chris. Kelly: Like I said, this is and to all of our listeners. Kelly: This is the podcast to be named later and. Kelly: Really appreciate all your time on this one Chris, and just giving a lot of insights. Kelly: It's a lot more to talk about and what goes on in a football field and what some of the stadiums are like. Kelly: And throughout the course of this, you know we can talk about other sports 'cause I enjoy them too and a lot more so thanks everyone for listening. Kelly: And TuneIn for our next episode. Chris: Hey thanks a lot,Kelly.