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AFM Magazine


The Strength Report: Developing the Explosive Athlete - Linebackers

by: Jon Francis
Dir. of Strength and Conditioning, San Diego State University
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First and foremost our program is about producing results. Coaches can design the greatest programs on paper, but if athletes are not committed to the program then they are simply pieces of paper. Ground based and multi-joint exercises support the foundation of what we teach and coach. We use squatting, various single leg and hamstring exercises to gain strength in the hips and lower body. It is imperative that the top of the thighs be parallel during a squat – a shallow squat is not as effective as a parallel or deep squat. Due to the nature of football, power oriented and effort driven movements are essential to maximizing the potential of our athletes. Our athletes achieve power output in a myriad of avenues.

We utilize Olympic lifts and plyometrics to develop powerful, explosive, flexible hips. However, if these movements are not performed with the correct form or force production, then the desired results will not be attained. We develop power through complex training as well. For example, our athletes squat or press heavy prior to performing lower or upper body plyometric exercises, respectively. The plyometric exercises we apply include, but are not limited to, squat jumps, box jumps, depth push-ups, and clapping push-ups (‘Aztec’push-ups). As it is ever important to avoid stagnation, we challenge athletes every day of our program to yield maximum results. Consequently, if you cannot run, change direction, and be functional on the field, then nothing in the weight room matters.





We employ a sprint-based program as it relates to football. Our conditioning consists of sprints 110 yards or less. Change of direction constitutes approximately sixty-five percent of our running with implementation of position specific change of direction drills. We use these drills to simulate the game; we control the rest of each play and each quarter. We run eighteen plays per quarter, 72 plays per game, and an extra nine plays for ‘overtime’ totaling 81 plays. One conditioning session is comprised of 81 position specific plays. We execute this type of conditioning because it is critical for athletes to train using the same energy system as they would use in a game (To view San Diego State’s Linebackers Sprint Chart go to www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com). Jogging around the neighborhood will not prepare us for Saturdays.

We also have specific summer training for our position players including linebackers. It consists of a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday workout that begins with a Dynamic Warm-up. Agility drills and core development exercises are the basis of the Monday and Thursday workouts. Kettlebells/Plyometrics training as well as core development with a ground based partner are the emphasis on Tuesdays and Fridays. Additionally, each workout includes interval conditioning (Monday), position specific sprinting (Tuesday), acceleration/interval conditioning (Thursday) and partner flexibility training (Friday).

I have been in this business for about fourteen years, which includes high school level coaching, and have changed very little in the programs that we have put together. We use machines minimally. Being around great people in the business like Mike Kent (Kansas State) and Tommy Hoke (Michigan State) has helped me to establish an intricate strength and conditioning keystone. Moreover, it is experience that has given me the opportunity to become a better teacher and coach.

From a management standpoint, the rules have changed over the years. Coaches now get eight hours a week in the off season with the players. To make the most of our time with our athletes, we control the tempo of the football groups from the moment they enter the facility to the moment they leave. No one sits down and no one walks anywhere. We announce the warm-up period and the rep schedule for each athlete. It is a very structured and effort-driven environment as we control the workout and the rest and recovery times. The players’ practice time is structured so that we are maximizing the athlete’s workloads with the idea that the lifting program will carry over to the practice field. We are more productive in the amount of time we spend with the players. I would like to give credit to my assistant Wendell Richards and the many volunteers who contribute in the development of our football athletes at San Diego State University.


Jon Francis is in his fourth year as the strength and conditioning coach of the Aztec football team. He spent the previous three years as the head strength and conditioning coach at the University of Idaho. Francis’ philosophy includes ‘run first’ sprint-oriented programs that emphasize change-in-direction and position-specific training. A graduate of Appalachian State, Francis also worked as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater as well as a special education teacher and coach at Fred T. Foard High School in Hickory, NC.





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