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Speed Kills: The Sequel

Three years ago, I wrote Speed Kills, a manifesto of my football ideas and a celebration of a freshman football team that outscored their opponents 458-38. The title said it all. Everything we do as football coaches should be an attempt to attract speed, develop speed, and preserve speed. Think about it.

Everything we do as football coaches should be an attempt to attract speed, develop speed, and preserve speed.

I still believe in everything I stated three years ago. Flash forward to the state football playoffs, 2016. Plainfield North will play for the 7A state championship against the winners of last year’s state track meet, East St. Louis. Ask any football coach what Illinois team has the most team speed and the answer will be unanimous … East St. Louis. No one else comes close. Or do they?

I hear that East St. Louis has pretty good team speed. Wink.

I know Plainfield North’s football players very well. I coached our seniors when they were freshmen (9-0). I coached our juniors as freshmen (9-0). In addition, I coached our sophomores as freshmen (9-0). This year I was moved to offensive coordinator of the sophomores. We finished 8-1. By the way, Paul Palandech coached this year’s freshmen to an undefeated season. Our freshmen have logged five consecutive undefeated seasons, “the streak” is at 48 games. The combined record of the 2016 Plainfield North program is currently 28-3. We have talented players, hard-working coaches, and lots of speed.

In addition to my lower-level football coaching, 18 of our varsity football players had me as their Honors Chemistry teacher. In this article, I will make the case that Plainfield North is a fast team, but you wouldn’t believe how smart they are.

The third connection I have with Plainfield North’s football players is speed training, and for most of them, track & field.

When does speed training occur? As head freshmen coach, one-third of every summer football session was devoted to speed training (the rest of the time was spent teaching kids to lift weights and implementing our offense). Since 2006, Tim Kane (head football coach) and I have co-directed a speed & strength winter program open to all Plainfield North athletes. And don’t forget, I coach track. Think about it … summer speed training, then football season, followed by winter speed training and track season. Sounds like a speed is a priority at Plainfield North.

Over the past couple years, our varsity football program has evolved into a “less-is-more” approach. Practices are intense but playing fast has become the priority. In the past two months our varsity has taken several days off, literally going home after school. The mood is upbeat and music is present at the beginning of every practice. Players sometimes show off their dance moves. Tim Kane’s motto this year has been “Fast and Fresh”. This upbeat, less-is-more approach has been an evolution for Coach Kane whose DNA comes from the founding fathers of football.

For those of you who don’t know me, I teach speed by intensely coaching kids during speed drills followed by timing them in 40 yard dashes and 10 meter flys with Freelap. Kids learn to sprint by sprinting. The best secondary way to improve sprinting is by jumping (plyometrics). The weight room may be important for football players but nothing in the weight room has a direct correlation to speed.

The weight room may be important for football players but nothing in the weight room has a direct correlation to speed.

30 varsity football players have run track for me at Plainfield North. 42 of our varsity football players are multi-sport athletes. I’m so proud of our athletic program.

Doing the right thing isn’t always easy. Last year, my track team was counting on Tim Donnahue. As a sophomore, Tim Donnahue ran 52.3 in the 4×4. We expected Tim to run 50-low as a junior. However, Tim Donnahue is a three sport athlete. In addition to being a 6’2″ 200-pound defensive end, Tim Donnahue is a superb wrestler. Last year, wrestling at 195, Tim broke his leg and missed most of the track season. When I asked him if he was going to wrestle this year, he said yes, probably competing at 220. Not only do I support his decision, I have to encourage it. No matter what, I have to promote multi-sport participation. It’s the right thing to do.

Plainfield North Speed Numbers

The first number listed will be their best 40 time (hand-held, leaning start, spikes, hard surfaces, average of best two in one day).  The second number is their Freelap automated best 10m fly time. When I time in the 40, I also time the last 10 meters of that sprint to find the 10 meter fly time. The 10m fly time is a sprinter’s “max speed”. In my opinion, max speed is the #1 predictor of athletic speed and explosiveness.

Running Backs:

Plainfield North went for the 2-point conversion and the win against Fenwick. No one could catch Dillon McCarthy as he ran “36-Bounce” and outraced slower Fenwick players to the pylon.

Receivers:

Connor Peplow tied the game against Fenwick with a FG with no time on the clock. He is also a great wide receiver (50 catches, 783 yards). If he ran track, he’d run 50-51 in the 400. However, his best sport is baseball (throws 91 mph). Plainfield North under coach John Darlington placed 4th in the state last year.

Offensive/Defensive Linemen & Linebackers:

J.J. Frey winning the 100 meters despite weighing 225 last spring.

Defensive Backs:

I do not have speed numbers on our 6’3″ junior quarterback, Brady Miller. Brady is very busy as a three-sport athlete. I’ve coached some terrific freshmen quarterbacks but Brady ranks #1. This year, Brady Miller has completed 59% of his passes for 1868 yards, 20 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions. In addition to his football skills, Brady is a key player for Plainfield North’s basketball and baseball teams.

Do you see a trend here a at Plainfield North? Coaches working together and encouraging multi-sport athleticism?

Any football coach bragging about their “year-round” football program should be replaced. No research supports specialization. Coaches who hoard their athletes are not educators, they’re egomaniacs. Check out the stats just released by Tracking Football.

I will close this article with a three-year study of two very different kids.

Tyler Hoosman

Tyler Hoosman is the brother of Quintin Hoosman. Quintin ran track for me and had a terrific senior year in football rushing for a state-leading 2400 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2014. I met Tyler Hoosman in the summer of 2013 as an incoming freshman football player. Tyler was a 5’4″ 132-pound running back who ran a summer best 5.43 in the 40. Tyler was a good running back for our freshman B-team. Later in the spring, Tyler Hoosman’s best long jump was 16’8″. Last year Tyler long jumped 20’6.5″. We expect big things from him this spring.

Check out Tyler’s progression in the 40-yard dash.

 

Check out Tyler’s progression in the 10m fly.

 

Tyler’s speed numbers ranked him 119th at Plainfield North as a freshman, 25th as a sophomore, and 5th as a junior. What will Tyler Hoosman rank this winter?

Tyler Hoosman running the 200m as a Junior.

Tyler Hoosman’s times (4.34, 0.99) compare favorably with former Plainfield North star, Kapri Bibbs (4.35, 1.02) now playing with the Denver Broncos. At 5’11” 195, Tyler Hoosman has gained 1625 yards on only 230 carries. His 7.1 yards per carry would look good in the NFL where Ezekiel Elliot is averaging 4.9 ypc. Tyler has yet to sign and inexplicably has no Division-1 offers.

Kapri Bibbs gained 2646 yards and scored 38 TDs in his senior season at Plainfield North. Even more amazing, those numbers were accomplished in only nine games. Kapri also ran track. His speed numbers: FAT 10-fly = 1.02 … FAT 30m block start = 4.03 … hand-held 40 = 4.35 … 100m dash = 11.04. By the way, Kapri Bibbs was a three-sport athlete his senior year: football, bowling, and track.

Arinze Ekowa

I met Ari Ekowa in the summer of 2013. Like Tyler Hoosman, Ari had a brother who was a star athlete. J.D. Ekowa started at quarterback for Plainfield North in 2013, 2014, & 2015. Ari thought he was a fullback as a freshmen. At 5’8″ and 175 pounds, Ari moved well. We moved Ari into the line and he thrived.

Some people don’t understand the connection between linemen and speed. Every year, the fastest offensive linemen at the NFL Combine are the first picked in the NFL draft. Speed is even more important for defensive linemen.

As a freshman, Ari ran 5.08 in the 40. Two years later he was running 4.73. His 10 meter fly time improved from 1.19 to 1.11. These numbers may not turn heads but Ari is now 6’0″ and 238 pounds. When huge defensive tackles run 4.73 and 1.11, Division-1 coaches might want to take notice.

Arinze Ekowa will be one of the state’s best discus throwers this spring. As freshman, Ari threw 114’7″. As a junior he threw 162’0″. Is 180’0″ a possibility this spring?

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I am not writing this article to boast and brag about our Plainfield North athletes. I write the article as a possible blueprint for success at other schools. I hope other schools make a commitment to multi-sport athletes. I hope other schools commit to speed training as their key focus in off-season development.

For more information, read my article about PN’s winter program, Record, Rank, & Publish: 8 Weeks of Alactic Training. In addition, read Can Your Kid Sprint?. If you really want to buy-in, attend the Track Football Consortium IV, hosted by me and Chris Korfist.

As coaches we must continue do what’s best for athletes. If you work in a school that encourages specialization, maybe you should share this with your athletic director. If you work at a school where coaches are failing to do what’s right, maybe it’s time you rattle their cage.

Tony Holler
Twitter @pntrack
tony.holler@yahoo.com
630-849-8294

 

 

 

 

 

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