Winning the First Five

No matter the discipline or industry, in sports, business or academics, in fact, just the way we play the game of life – the most successful do not depend on pure luck or mental prowess or physical ability. The most successful in all phases of life are those who can master the fundamentals of their game. At Louisiana College, we talk about “winning the first five.” We do not want our student-athletes to win routes solely on athleticism, because we realize that there will come a time when a player will line up against an opponent that is just as athletic and skillful. Fundamentals are the key to making the good become great.

We must remember fundamentals are disciplines that must be taught and drilled repeatedly until it becomes “a part of who they are.” By making the fundamentals “a part of who they are” and not part of their thought process, it allows athletes to be able to think about other aspects of the game (reads, play, tendencies, etc.) All fundamental changes in athletes are done with coaches who will hold their athletes accountable, even when it would be easier to wink at some of the little things. We have to treat the All-American the same as the scout team back-up. We coach the basics and instill the discipline of fundamental football; it means when we line up, we “win the first five.”

“The first five” are five keys in helping to win the first five yards. If we can win the first five yards then we have a much better chance of success on the play as a whole. We have a first five drill that we do before and after practice. Basically it’s a stance and start drill, but we place a little more emphasis on it. After practice reps are based on how many tally-marks our student coach added up throughout practice. The main reason we do it after practice is because as fatigue is concerned, it correlates well with the fourth quarter or a possible end of game situation. If we can remember “winning the first five” Sunday through Friday, then we will not have to think about it on Saturday because it has become part of who they are.

Here is how we teach the first five at Louisiana College:

The first of five: our players’ feet should be a little less than shoulder width apart, with an 80/20 weight distribution from front to back leg. Our players’ weight should be on the inside balls of their feet.

The second of five: we should use our hips and legs in a power posture. Our players’ hips should be sunk and the knees bent in an explosive, yet comfortable position. This position should look and feel natural to the player. Your front leg muscle should already be contracting and ready to explode.

The third of five: hands up and ready to fight. While this is more important vs. press coverage, we try to make it a part of who the receiver is so they do not have to think about it from snap to snap.

The fourth of five: eyes up and scanning. Pre-snap reads are important in raising the chances for a successful snap.

The fifth of five: vertical body language. Getting off the ball with the lower body means absolutely nothing if our players are lazy with their upper body, including their eyes. Their entire presence on the line should scream vertical.

As receivers, part of our players’ job is to help open up grass for the quarterback. The further we can help in spreading the defenders apart, the more grass there is for the quarterback. To do this, we must focus on “winning the first five.” If we are in a proper stance there will be no false movements (false steps, sinking of hips, etc.), The first movement will be a vertical burst up the field. We want to put immediate pressure on the defense, and anything other than a vertical burst does not automatically work towards pressuring the defense. The pressure will do one of two things - create a sense of urgency in the defense because we are playing full speed with no wasted movements or we will be in a position of success because we have combined athleticism and fundamentals to, hopefully, produce a successful product against an opponent who is equally as athletically talented. Either way, all we can do is line up and try to win each play. Splash plays every now and then are not what makes a receiver great. Rather, it’s being consistent with the little things over a period of time. We want to separate good from great. We hope that, as a receiver, if we can “win the first five”, we will have a better chance for success.