3 Ways to Become a Faster DB This Offseason

It’s the offseason, and your mind is set on improving for the next season and becoming more productive. If you’re in high school, you’re likely thinking about how to get on the radar of college coaches or earn more offers. No matter your goals, one thing is certain—gaining more speed is a priority. Everybody wants to get faster, and here are three ways to achieve that as you prepare for the next football season.

1 – Get Stronger

Speed and strength go hand in hand.

“But Coach, sprinters are skinny.”

Sure, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t strong. You need strength to be fast. The essence of speed is generating force into the ground. Do you think that happens without strength? Skipping workouts and avoiding the weight room is a surefire way to fall short of your offseason speed goals.

Hopefully, your school has a well-developed and organized weightlifting program. If not, focusing on three key lifts can help improve your overall strength: Squats, Power Cleans, and Bench Press.

• Squats develop leg strength, which translates to sprinting power.
• Power Cleans build explosive muscle reactions needed for speed.
• Bench Press increases upper body strength, which helps you pump your arms with more force in sync with your legs.

Additionally, strengthening your calves, hip flexors, hip extensors, and hamstrings will significantly improve your sprint speed. I often refer to the hamstrings as the engine—don’t neglect them!

2 – Get More Knowledgeable

I bet you didn’t think of this one—but you should.

You could have 4.3 speed, but if you don’t know where to go or what to do on the field, you’ll never truly reach top speed.

Having a deeper understanding of your responsibilities on defense and recognizing what the offense is doing will allow you to activate your muscles more effectively. I’ve seen guys with 4.2 speed play like they run 4.6 because they’re processing information instead of reacting. They literally slow down to make sense of the play.

Don’t let all your work in the weight room and on the track go to waste because your brain can’t keep up.

• Learn all the coverages (Cover 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, cloud, sky, etc.).
• Understand common offensive route combinations and how formations are used to attack defenders.

The more you know, the faster you’ll play.

3 – Get on the Track

If your school has a track team—join it.

The most sprinting some guys do in the offseason is running away from the track team. There’s no better way to improve your speed than doing rigorous workouts and competing in sprint events. The competition alone will make you faster.

Put your ego aside and stop worrying about being slow at first. You’re not looking for a track scholarship or a spot in the Olympics (but who knows?). Your goal is simple: get faster.

If you run an 11.8 in the 100 meters at your first meet and end the season running 11.4, guess what? You just became a faster football player. Running the 200m, 400m, and even the 800m can also help, as the longer sprints build strength that translates to power when football training resumes in the summer.

If your school doesn’t have a track team, or you have a legitimate reason for not joining, make sure you’re still sprinting.

The key to getting faster is running at top speed. Most guys who train on their own end up doing conditioning work instead. They run too many reps with minimal rest, which improves endurance—not speed.

• Sprint with full recovery: A general rule is to rest 1 minute per 10 yards sprinted. So, a 60-yard sprint requires a 6-minute rest between reps.
• Keep sprint sessions low-volume: A solid workout might be 5 x 60-yard sprints with full recovery after sprint drills.
• Mix in low-intensity endurance runs: Try 12 x 100m at 65% speed with 2-minute rest between reps.

If you’re a coach overseeing speed and conditioning, implement weekly competitive days where your skill guys race each other. Competition drives results. That’s why track works so well.

In Conclusion

There are several ways to improve your speed this offseason, but the most effective methods are:
✅ Getting stronger
✅ Increasing your football knowledge
✅ Sprinting—preferably on the track team

A commitment to these areas will undoubtedly make you a faster and more explosive player next season.

If you are ready to up your knowledge so that you are the fastest DB you can be the next time you suit up then join the All Eyes DB Camp Member’s Area.  There is no better place for you to go to improve your IQ on technique, coverages, strategy and mentality.  Click here to become a better DB quickly.

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alleyesdbcamp

Owner at All Eyes DB Camp

Chad Wilson is the founder of All Eyes DB Camp and a former standout defensive back for the Miami Hurricanes. After an elite collegiate career, Wilson spent a season with the Seattle Seahawks before transitioning into coaching. A 3-time Florida state champion defensive coordinator, he has spent over 20 years developing the "All Eyes" blueprint that has produced NFL All-Pros and stars like Xavien Howard, Patrick Surtain II, Tyson Campbell, Minkah Fitzpatrick and more. His coaching system is proven at the highest levels—his own sons, Quincy and Marco Wilson, both excelled as starters in the SEC before being drafted into the NFL.

Chad is the author of "101 DB Tips"—The Ultimate DB Reference Guide. You can find more information on the manual and how to order your copy in the sidebar and footer of this page.

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