DURING MY ENTIRE coaching career, I’ve never been at a place where we had our pick of a “blue-chip” or top-rated quarterback. No matter where you coach, there are daily processes you must put your QB through to bring him to a point where he can help your team compete effectively in every game. From pee-wee football to the pros, you must have a solid QB to have a chance to win a championship.
Character, Heart
Developing a QB starts during the evaluation process. There are two “musts” that we look for when trying to find our signal-calling difference maker.
- Toughness. Toughness is an often overlooked characteristic by coaches who are searching for their QB. But it’s perhaps the most important factor when evaluating one. You want your QB to be the toughest guy on the field, both physically and mentally.
When you start talking about the greatest QBs ever, you think of Unitas, Marino, Montana, Staubach, etc. Every single one of those guys were tough and were men who could “rally the troops.” They are guys who can will their teammates to victory just by their sheer presence.
- Competitive Fire. The second factor that is of paramount importance when searching for a QB is competitive fire. You want a guy who wants to win — no matter if he’s playing cards, pick-up basketball or tiddly-winks. You want a QB who has to win and can’t accept anything else.
Physical Skills
When you start talking about the physical skills to look for in a QB, remember that there are many ways to “skin a cat.”
The following are some of the most important traits:
- Athleticism. As fast and athletic as today’s brand of football has become, athleticism is the first and most crucial physical factor when recruiting a QB. Athletic QBs — such as Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons — will continue to revolutionize the game.
You want a QB who can pull it down and go at any moment during any given play. Defensive coordinators lay awake at night when they face a guy who can beat them with both his arm and legs.
- Vision. The ability to see the entire field is an underappreciated, yet critical skill for QBs. A QB with great vision can see a vertical route out of the corner of his eye and turn an incompletion or short gain into a touchdown.
I don’t think you can coach a QB to have better vision. It’s the same thing with great runners. The superstar backs can see the next cut before it happens. In the same sense, a great QB can visualize the play, the defensive structure and be able to turn a routine snap into a spectacular, yard-gaining play.
- Quick Release. Another thing to look for in a QB is a quick release. It’s crucial to have a QB who can “get it out of there” and deliver the ball where it’s supposed to go. There are many drills that coaches can utilize to enhance a QB’s delivery.
If you have a QB with a quick release, you’ve reduced your team’s number of sacks, negative-yardage plays and have gained hard to come by “hidden” field-position yards.
Searching For A Field General
Physical and mental QB skills are easily detected during the evaluation and recruiting process. If you watch enough tape of a QB, you’ll be able to tell if he’s tough and competitive. You’ll also be able to see if he’s athletic enough to create good plays out of what could be bad plays or if he possesses a quick enough release. And you’ll see if he’s spreading the ball around and finding receivers in seams.
For coaches who aren’t in the NFL or a top 10 program in college, you might have noticed that I didn’t mention a 40-yard dash time or a strong arm. I also didn’t say anything about how you must find a QB who is 6-foot-4. Statistics aren’t that important and you certainly don’t need a recruiting guru to tell you whether or not a QB is going to be the next Joe Namath.
The best QB I’ve ever coached or seen in person was 5-foot-9 on a good day and he ran a very average 4.8 in the 40-yard dash. But boy, he sure could create plays on the football field. If anybody was open, he’d find them and get the ball there in a hurry. He made play after play and helped our team win a lot of games.
QB Coaching Points
After you find your QB, there are certain things you must teach that are of critical importance to develop him into a championship QB.
1. Tell your QB to never take a sack.
2. Never say “Don’t throw an interception” to your QB.
3. Tell him to “scramble to throw.”
4. Have your QB throw against the blitz every day.
5. Design blocking schemes that protects your QB “from the inside out.”
6. Make sure your QB knows who to throw to on blitzes.
7. Teach your QB to deceive with his eyes and actions.
8. Demand that your QB coach his wide receivers on what to do.
9. Put your QB in adverse situations in practice.
10. Force your QB to make tough throws in practice.
Other QB Development Tips
One thing that we do with our QBs that is unique is to script one scramble situation a day into our pass-offense practice or during 7-on-7 drills. By forcing our players to do this daily, they understand the importance of scrambling and the possibility it holds to gain huge chunks of yards.
Another thing that has helped tremendously over the years is the fact that my head coach does not make me coach special teams. While another coach works with that group, I get an extra 10 to 20 minutes a day with the QB to work on things like throwing off balance or looking defenders off. It allows me the time to make the QB completely aware of his progressions, “hot reads” and other assignments. This extra time helps me prepare our quarterbacks and allows him to maximize his abilities.
QB-Coach Relationship
Never underestimate the importance of having a great relationship with your QB. If your QB knows that you really care about him off the field as well as on, that will go a long way toward building the trust that’s necessary for you both to succeed.
Be 100-percent honest with each other. During the heat of a game, when you ask your QB “What did you see?” you need an honest answer. He has to know that you always have his best interests at heart, regardless the situation or circumstances.
To build a great QB-coach relationship, your QB must know:
- That you really care about him.
- There is mutual trust with one another.
- That you are always going to be honest with each other.
- That you always have his best interest at heart.
Developing a solid QB is an on-going process. You must “believe what you see” when recruiting. Then you’ve got to not only work the physical skills that are necessary, but have got to make sure your relationship with your QB remains rock solid.