Speed Training for DBs Part II

By: Chad Wilson – All Eyes DB Camp

In part I of Speed Training for DBs I talked about the different areas of speed. According to the emails and responses that I got, many of you weren’t aware that there were different components to speed. Pretty much, many of you thought it was just ran fast and that was it. I am happy to have informed you otherwise.

I know at the end of part one I told you that we would discuss how to develop each one of those different components of speed. However, I am going to do an end around here. Before we talk about how to develop those different components of speed, let’s talk about when you would use those different components.

Before that before, let me tell you why I know so much about this. First of all growing up I was obsessed with speed. I would watch Track & Field and tape meets. I would watch them over and over studying how the different athletes ran and why they were fast. Guys like Carl Lewis, Ben Johnson, Michael Johnson and many more dominated my time as I studied them at length. In time, I would run track myself and had the opportunity to be taught by some very talented coaches at the high school and college level. Furthermore, my obsession extended into me going to the library and spending hours reading books, articles and studies on speed development. Many of those materials and videos I still have in my possession today. When my playing and competing career was over, I moved into teaching and coaching others the things I discovered through training and research. That furthered my education on this topic.

So, now what we have that out of the way, let’s dive into how the different speed components are actually used in competition when you play defensive back.

(1) Acceleration

Acceleration is the speed component you use at cornerback when you are exiting the jam with the wide receiver and you are progressing with him into his route. Going from 0 to top speed to stay on his hip and make a play on the ball calls upon your acceleration abilities. The better the acceleration, the easier it will be for you to remain on his hips (provided you have good technique of course). Your acceleration is on display as both a safety and a corner when you are coming out of your break and closing on a thrown ball. When you have to change direction or coming out of a back pedal, you are stoping yourself from going in one direction to now accelerate into another direction. This is also the same when you are tracking a ball carrier, find an opening and must accelerate to the meeting point to make a tackle. Acceleration also comes into play when you are sitting in a zone, see the ball thrown and must go from sitting to sprinting to the area the ball is being thrown to. Some guys can have tremendous acceleration but don’t really produce blazing times on a stop watch for a 40 yard dash. Some of these athletes make a ton of plays because of their acceleration and people are left to wonder how since their 40 times aren’t spectacular.

(2) Top End Speed

When a wide receiver runs you on a fade route or post route or anything deep, your top end speed is now on display. You have passed the acceleration phase and must now hit your top speed to keep pace on a ball thrown 40, 50 or 60+ yards down the field. Your top end speed is also on display when a ball carrier breaks out into the open field and you must chase him. In that scenario you will have to accelerate and hit top speed to close in on him. Some athletes can accelerate quicker than others but may not have the top speed. Other athletes will accelerate a tad slower but can do so longer and hit a faster top speed. These athletes stand a better chance of running down a runaway running back who thinks he’s going to score on a long run.

(3) Speed Endurance

Speed endurance is on display in all of the situations above plus in the return game if you catch punts or kickoffs. It is also on display late in games or on long drives when fatigue becomes a factor. Some may dispute me on this but having speed endurance allows you to maintain the same level of speed late in games that you did early in games. It allows you to maintain a good amount of the speed you had early in a drive as you get later in a drive. Some athletes pride themselves on being able to hit some great number on a stop watch one time. So it’s great that you can run a 4.42 if you are asked to run one forty yard dash. However, what if you were asked to run five or six of them? You lose your effectiveness as a player if your times are 4.42, 4.49, 4.58, 4.60, 4.65. A guy who runs 4.50, 4.50, 4.52, 4.54, 4.56 is simply going to be in better position to make plays during the course of a game. Simply put, speed endurance is your ability to hold your top speed for an extended period of time. That can be during one individualized sprint or throughout a series of sprints as a football game often requires.

So that’s a breakdown of how you use the different types of speed during the course of a game. Some athletes are better at some components than others. A small few are excellent at all of them. Whatever the case may be, it is important to be aware of each one, develop each one and make effective use of them during competition. Also, being aware of the ones you are both good and not so good at can help you act accordingly during situations in a football game. With all of that said, in Part III, I will focus on simple ways to develop these areas while you are training for your season.

Check Out Speed Training for DBs Part I

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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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