Stupid Football Questions

[ColleyvilleSooner]

I have been a football fan since my Dad too me to OU games beginning in 1971. However I never played organized football. These questions are directed to those who played HS and college football.

What distinguishes a college player who starts and may be a star, versus a reserve or a player who never pans out at the major college level? I assume all these players worked hard to get to that level and are dedicated to physical training. Is it practice habits, work ethic, learning ability, or mainly athleticism which separates players at the major college level? I realize it is probably a combination of a number of reasons, but what mainly separates Danny Stutsman and Kip Lewis from other LBs who are reserves? Is football intuition or a knack for being in the right place or taking the correct angle an important quality? I always suspected so.

I'm watching my kid on a Friday night so I am passing time, lol!

[WishBone]

I think you can have all the Athletic and Skilled abilities God can allow but I believe Attitude" and" Upbringing "has alot to do with Success on and off the field.Attitude set the tone to seperate the good from not so good.....IMO

[OU Chinaman]

...agree with 'Bone on attitude & upbringing, and I think coaching makes a difference too.
John Blake had a losing record in 1998 and Bob Stoops went 7-5 in '99 and undefeated in 2000 with a lot of the same players.

[Rough Rider]

I’ve always thought of football as the ultimate ‘role player’ sport. Most sports, you really need to be blessed with a certain body type or certain gift first before you can even be considered a possible competitive candidate, and then coaching, attitude, and work ethic come into play. But with football, there’s a place for just about any non-disabled body type, at least at the lower levels. Coaching, attitude, work ethic, and other immeasurables really matter here. As you work your way up through small HS to large HS and to small college to major college and certainly the pros, the coaching, attitude, work ethic, and other immeasurables aren’t enough and certain natural athletic traits and body types for the position start to matter as much or more. But the other stuff will always still matter.

[Zgeo]

Better results differentiate a starter from a backup. ie Adrian Peterson gets better results than Joe Smho

[Brisket]

I have been a football fan since my Dad too me to OU games beginning in 1971. However I never played organized football. These questions are directed to those who played HS and college football.

What distinguishes a college player who starts and may be a star, versus a reserve or a player who never pans out at the major college level? I assume all these players worked hard to get to that level and are dedicated to physical training. Is it practice habits, work ethic, learning ability, or mainly athleticism which separates players at the major college level? I realize it is probably a combination of a number of reasons, but what mainly separates Danny Stutsman and Kip Lewis from other LBs who are reserves? Is football intuition or a knack for being in the right place or taking the correct angle an important quality? I always suspected so.

I'm watching my kid on a Friday night so I am passing time, lol!

Every situation & player is unique, so there's no formula to this. All those factors you mention are part of it, but so is something else - the coach who decides who starts & who sits. Each coach is going to have their own priorities in what they look for in players, and those will likely differ by position. Most coaches are creatures of habit, though, meaning they're going to go with the "known" vs the "unknown."

You hear lots of coaches and players talk about "trust." Coaches have to trust that their players know their assignments; are going to take the right angle; make the right adjustments; etc. They build that trust in the film room & on the practice field, but mostly in games. So, most coaches start the players who have earned & built that trust over younger players who haven't - even if the younger player is stronger, faster, more athletic, etc. Zgeo brought up Peterson. Remember, he didn't immediately come in & start games. Kejuan Jones remained the starter until AD earned Gundy's trust - even though we can all acknowledge that AD was by far the more dynamic & talented RB.

[Zgeo]

As I remember Adrian had almost 2000 yards as a true freshman

[bowhuntr]

As I remember Adrian had almost 2000 yards as a true freshman

Adrian was a freak of nature.

[OU Chinaman]

...so was Billy Sims, and Greg Pruitt, and Joe Washington, and Marcus Dupree, and Joe don Looney, and David Overstreet, and Mike Gaddis, and Steve Owens, and Billy Vessels, and Horace Ivory, and Buster rhymes, and Elvis Peacock, and Stanley Wilson, and Steve Sewell, and Wayman Clark, and Fred Roberts and Buddy Leake, and Buck McPhail, and Clendon Thomas, and Tommy McDonald, and Leon Crosswhite, and Joe Wylie, and Leon Heath, and Rotnei Anderson, and Anthony Stafford, and Grant Burget, and Roy Bell, AND...

I could go on & on & on,..but OU's RB history is more glorious than any other program's IMO!

Adrian was special,...without a doubt,...but in my estimation only another in a long litany of freaks of nature that have played in the SOONERS BACKFIELD!

[bowhuntr]

Shoot, at any other program in the country David Overstreet would have been the starter and contending for the Heisman like Billy was.

[Zgeo]

As far as original question, RB probably is more of an outlier since raw talent is paramount and RB is not that complicated…….

I think coaches comfort is there but is kind of like playing not to lose which is real. Players that make mistakes lose games…Also sometimes you see player in a game that play badly then you hear that player is great in practice, there is one factor…..

[ColleyvilleSooner]

As far as original question, RB probably is more of an outlier since raw talent is paramount and RB is not that complicated…….

I think coaches comfort is there but is kind of like playing not to lose which is real. Players that make mistakes lose games…Also sometimes you see player in a game that play badly then you hear that player is great in practice, there is one factor…..

It still makes me wonder why a Jerme Calhoun and some other big name RBs out of HS never amounted to anything. RBs still have to work on their physical development, blocking and pass catching skills, running angles, how to hit the hole, assignments, work ethic, etc.

[Zgeo]

I am going from memory but i think Calhoun was the 1 5 star RB that didn’t work out as a starter,,,,the rest of the 5 star RB started….

With it being the exception rather than the rule, that very talented players dont start, i think you are looking at individual stuf that cant be generalized…..

As far as regular 3 stars that start, they really have the drive to compete….