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By: Loren Landow & Chris Jarmon Originally Published in: All - Pro Performance Training Provided by: Human Kinetics Running backs and fullbacks are expected to have exceptional lower-body strength and explosiveness, as well as acceleration and short-area quickness. The most important drills for this group will show those qualities, but running backs are encouraged to show what makes them unique. Christian McCaffrey memorably performed position drills with the wide receivers as well as the running backs to display his versatility. OFF-TACKLE REACTION Short-area quickness is a major KPI for running backs because they must move well and explosively within narrow spaces. The off-tackle reaction drill (figure 5.4) requires the running back to smoothly take a handoff cut, then make a quick change of direction based on a coach-issued visual stimulus. A quarterback sets up at the line of scrimmage with a football, while the running back lines up in his position stance 5 yards behind the quarterback and 3 yards over to his left. At the quarterback's snap of the football, the running back moves right and takes the handoff as if running an outside zone play. He corners around a cone to his left, then runs over a parallel series of four large trapezoidal foam agility bags. The coach stands with a heavy stand-up tackling dummy 3 yards directly past the last bag. As the running back finishes stepping over the agility bags, this coach quickly jabs the dummy toward the running back's right or left side. The player must quickly read the stimulus, then react by making a cut to change direction away from the would-be tackler. Once the player cuts, he corners around a cone 5 yards to the side of the tackling dummy.
BLAST READ The blast read drill (figure 5.5) is nearly identical to the off-tackle reaction drill in both setup and execution. However, in the blast read there are no agility bags to maneuver over after receiving the handoff and making a reactive cut to avoid a tackling dummy. The quarterback starts the play 9 yards away from the heavy blue stand-up tackling dummy and makes a handoff exchange with the running back. The running back sprints through a pair of cones set up 4 yards before the dummy, then makes a reactive cut away from where the coach directs the dummy. After making his cut, the running back sprints around a cone 4 to 5 yards wide of the dummy, then turns upfield and sprints.
FIND THE BALL Two cones are placed along the same yard line, with one on or outside each hash mark 10 to 12 yards apart (figure 5.6). The running back starts the drill at the left cone facing downfield, while the quarterback starts with the ball 10 yards behind him and directly between the hashes. At the drill's start, the running back sprints directly to his right, catching a pass from the quarterback in the middle of the field. Upon reaching the opposite cone, he will ditch the football, turn back, then catch another pass as he sprints back across. He will turn again at the first cone, ditch the second football, then sprint across to catch one last pass and turn upfield until he hears the coach's whistle.
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Running Backs & FBs Specific Combine Drills
