AFM Home | The Staff Report | May 2003

Alfred C. Rich
Black Student Programs
Office of Multicultural Affairs
University of Wyoming

Throughout a player’s career, there are areas in a players physical realm that every individual, regardless of position, must work on in order to develop themselves into the best football player that they can, such as speed and quickness, strength, flexibility (particularly hip flexibility), endurance and reaction time. Each of these areas are constantly being drilled during conditioning to develop a player’s arsenal on the field.

Although, there are two positions on the field where more of these areas are tested every play – defensive back and wide receiver. When the defensive back and the wide receiver go head to head, speed and quickness, reaction time, hip flexibility and endurance are being challenged constantly. These areas are developed more on the practice field than anywhere else.

Here are four essential drills for developing an effective and efficient defensive back.

Before the Ball is Thrown

1. Hand Drills - Work on the DB’s reaction time by forcing them to read the receivers shoulders and steps, and then shooting with the proper hand.

2. 1-on-1’s - Every opportunity to match up a DB against a receiver where it’s just them, the receiver and the arm of the quarterback, will develop their focus and reaction time, as well as hip rotation from reacting off of the receivers every move. As a defensive back, it forced me to push my speed to match my competition. This increased my abilities better than anything off the practice field.

After the Ball is Thrown

3. Ball drills in proper position - Practice being in proper position on the receiver and playing the deep ball. This probably increased my overall speed better than anything.

4. Ball drills in improper position - How many times have you seen a DB beat by the receiver and still look back for the ball? While they are looking back the ball slips right by them. Practicing reacting off the receivers hands while they are reaching for the incoming ball once I was already beat probably saved the momentum of a game from switching to our opponents favor many times.

If you already incorporate all of this in your practices and training, incorporate them more. Add more repetitions and watch the abilities of your defensive backs increase tremendously.

Al Rich played defensive back for the University of Wyoming (1997-2001). Rich earned First Team All-Conference WAC honors as a sophomore. He was a preseason All-America in 1999 and an Academic All-Conference from 1998-2000. Rich earned the Cowboy Joe Club’s Ryan E. Wilson “Want-to” Scholarship three years in a row.