What It Takes To Play Each Important Position In The Game of Football
By: Shivoy Nagpaul
So you wanna play football, and you wanna know what it takes to play certain positions mentally and physically? To whoever is reading this, I, Shivoy Nagpaul, will tell you. Without doing any research, this information that I am giving you is from the top of my head. It is based on what my coaches told me and what I have analysed watching high school, college, and NFL games. I know what players do and what characteristics they have physically in terms of athleticism, and what they have mentally in terms of attitude and decision making on and off the field. So, here are what the 3 most important positions in football need as a person and as a player.
Quarterback
So to start off, I am going to talk about arguably the most important position on the football field, the quarterback. The quarterback has to be the most intelligent player on the football field, because he has the ball on almost every play on the football field (except for kickoffs, punts, field goals, or in the wildcat). A quarterback’s decision making and intelligence are the number one things coaches and scouts look at to determine if he is any good. The quarterback needs to know how to throw the ball, when to throw the ball, and where to throw the ball depending on what route the receiver runs. Off the field, mentally in terms of attitude and leadership, the quarterback is basically the leader of the entire football team and needs to keep his players as well and most importantly himself in check and on point, on and off the field. Examples of not being responsible on the field is acting unsportsmanlike, and not being a leader, and off the field is doing stupid things like going to parties and drinking.
Words You May Not Know
Wildcat: A formation in football where a running back takes the snap and the quarterback is lined up as a wide receiver
Characteristics Of A Quarterback
- Has to be the most intelligent on the football field
- Has to be the leader of the entire football team, on and off the field
- Has to be a good decision maker on an off the field
- Has to know how to, when to, and where to throw the ball on every specific play
- Regarded as THE most important on the football field
Linebacker/”Mike”
A linebacker or mike is basically the quarterback of the defense. He needs to lead by example and character, just like the quarterback. However, unlike the quarterback, the linebacker has to be the one of the toughest, most physical, and the most competitive player on the gridiron. There are 3 linebackers on the football field in a regular defense, the left outside linebacker, the middle linebacker, and the right outside linebacker. The middle linebacker is usually the “mike” and his responsibility is to be the leader of the defense and call the defensive plays, as I listed earlier in this paragraph. However, the middle linebacker is not always the mike, depending on what the head coach or defensive coordinator wants to do, he can put any other position on defence as mike. Also, one of the quarterback’s responsibilities on every single play is to identify the mike. As always, as a mike, along with the qb, you have got to be a very intelligent and responsible player on and off the field.
Words You May Not Know
- Mike: A mike is the player who calls the plays and defensive sets on defense. Is not always the middle linebacker, can be any position.
- Gridiron: Another word for the playing field in football
Characteristics of a linebacker/”mike”
- Is the quarterback of the defense, needs to lead by example
- Has to be the most physical player on the gridiron
- “Mike” needs to know how to call and change plays
- Also like the quarterback, has to be very intelligent on the field and responsible off of it
Left Tackle
This position is up there with the qb is one of THE most important positions on the field. Why? Because if the left tackle does not do his job properly, then the quarterback which is the most important position on the field, is going to get killed. If you watched the movie “The Blind Side”, you know what I mean. When a right handed quarterback (which is most quarterbacks, left handed qbs are relatively rare in football) drops back to pass, his back is turned to the left side, which means he cannot see defenders coming from the left side. If the left tackle doesn’t block his man, then the defender will most likely drive his shoulder into the quarterback’s back, also most likely resulting in a fumble and the qb getting hurt. So, the left tackle has to be strong and intelligent enough to block his man and not get the quarterback killed.
Characteristics of a left tackle
- Has to have upper body strength and quick footwork in order to stay and block his man.
- Has to be intelligent enough to be able to figure out who he is blocking depending on the play that is being run.
- Is regarded as the second most important position
So in conclusion, from my experience and analyzation, I have given to you what the top positions in football need physically and mentally, and down below is a list of characteristics of just a football player regardless of position. Hopefully this essay has actually taught you something. Now go start your football career.
Characteristics of a football player (regardless of position)
- Must be athletic in some way
- Must have cardiorespiratory endurance
- Must have a good diet and eating habits
- Must be intelligent enough to do his job according to his position.
- Has to be passionate for and love the game.