The one person most responsible for an effective offensive attack is the quarterback. He is an integral and important part of the offense and his ability alone will often make the difference between a good attack and a great one. The quarterback should have outstanding athletic ability, be superbly coordinated, mentally alert and physically strong. These physical qualities can be enhanced with practice and drills. There are other qualities that are inherent and although they can be fine-tuned, your quarterback will either have them or not.
Deciding on your team’s quarterback is one of the most critical decisions a coach has to make. The following are a few of the physical qualities you need to look for in the selection process.
Athletic Ability
A. Passing Ability (passes on time and accurate)
B. Running Ability (escapability – ability to extend plays)
Quick Hands and Feet
A. Must have the ability to execute all QB movements to be a complete player.
B. Be smooth and efficient – no wasted movement.
These are valuable physical qualities but there are equally important intangibles that the successful quarterbacks possess. They are part of their character. Who he is. Intangibles will be the factor that will often set your quarterbacks apart and clearly help you in establishing your quarterback depth chart.
The following are a few of the intangibles you need to look for in the selection process.
Leadership and Confidence
A. Must be consistent in all phases (drills, meetings, academics, etc.)
B. Be a coach/motivator on the field (lead by example)
C. Never, ever loses confidence in his abilities. He must believe!
Poise
A. Needs to think clearly – composure
B. Must be thick skinned!
Intelligence
A. Ability to learn the complete offense (football sense)
B. Must understand defenses (strengths/ weaknesses)
C. Make correct decisions mentally and physically
D. Study! Study! Student of the game!!
Some intangibles that a quarterback may possess are more important than others – being a strong leader might make up for a deficiency in another area. Coaches are always looking at the sum of qualities, not just one single area. For instance, no matter how amazing a quarterback’s arm strength and accuracy are, if he has no football sense – he’s probably not your guy.
A quarterback will be asked to give more of his time than any other position on the team. Normally, a team is only as good as its quarterback. Therefore, he must know more and be more polished than any other player. The following areas must be points of emphasis for the development of a successful quarterback.
Watching video: There is no way a quarterback can watch enough video of his opponent. It’s the only way to know the strengths and weaknesses of various defensive schemes/individuals. The quarterback must also watch video of the team’s practices or games to observe and correct his own faults.
Dedication: The quarterback must be dedicated. He cannot be proficient in any area unless totally dedicated and worries about only one thing – improving.
Improvement: Your quarterback needs to be focused on his improvement – not other quarterbacks, what string he’s on, or his up to date statistics. He should be concerned with improving each and every day. He will become better or become worse. He can never stay the same, for he will only let others pass him by if he does.
In reality, no single “blueprint” exists for the ideal skills and traits a quarterback should possess or how much of each characteristic he should have. However, effective quarterbacks are courageous, competitive, spontaneous, adaptive and mentally and physically tough.
“The great quarterbacks do the little things”
· They always give a great effort!
· They are coachable – they listen!
· They stay positive in all situations!
Charlie Stubbs recently retired after 35 years of coaching, 27 of which were on the college level. He is widely respected for extensive experience in and knowledge of offensive football. Stubbs began his coaching career at his alma mater, BYU, and his coaching resume includes stints at Alabama, Oregon State, Louisville, UNLV, Tulsa, Memphis, Nicholls State, Tennessee-Martin and Central Missouri. He can be reached at charliestubbs86@gmail.com.