It’s playoff time in Seattle and that can only mean one thing….. beast mode!
In the third quarter Russell Wilson hands off to Marshawn Lynch and the vetera
n running back for the Seahawks shows you one if the reasons why we love him do much.
Check out out this Vine of yet another impressive Marshawn Lynch run….. Thanks for Asking!
Marshawn Lynch Tough Run vs Panthers
By: Chad Wilson – Editor – Gridiron Studs Blog
Twitter: @GridironStuds
Have you ever seen the four touchdown underdog storm into a game vs. a bigger and better opponent and take the game over? Have you seen them shock the favorite early on and jump out to an incredible lead? If you have been watching sports for any amount of time, you have certainly witnessed this situation. If you’ve seen it happen then you have undoubtedly witnessed what I am about to unfold next.
The majority of the situations I just described end in this fashion: Underdog comes out fired up and gets the early lead. Some hold it or increase it into the the mid to late stages of the game and at some point it happens. The underdog starts thinking about their history. We aren’t winners they start saying to themselves. We aren’t supposed to be in this position. There’s no way we can beat this team and enjoy this success. Right about that time, the favorite starts making their move. The momentum starts to swing, the underdog begins to fulfill the self doubt despite all of the success they have been having and they get overcome with the adversity. Game, set, match. The underdog did not believe in their future as a winner, they did not feel comfortable being in their position on top despite all of their success and so they fell into their familiar role as the loser.
Have you ever wondered why talented athletes from a clouded circumstance make unbelievably bad choices and derail their futures despite all that they have at stake? The answer may lie in the study of the failed underdog losing a big lead to the favorite. The same factors at work on the underdog team with the big lead are the same factors at work on the talented athlete from the inner city who seemingly has it all. Both of the subjects don’t believe in their future success despite the richness of their current circumstance. I mean really, how do you lose a 28 point lead in the second half? I’ll tell you how. Every year that favorite beats you and does so soundly. Many times in the past you have played teams like this and have been run off the field of play. Once before you even had a lead and gave it away to this team or a team like it. Every year we have a losing record, just like we have this year. Those factors plague the mind of the underdog and do so with more intensity as their lead grows. Why does this happen? The bigger the lead, the more you have to lose. The more you have to lose, the more you think about how you have lost in the past. This type of psychological Russian roulette is played at warp speed and gets you to the chamber with the bullet in it with the quickness. You come from losing, you are not supposed to be successful and so you drop the pass, fumble the ball, miss the tackle and fulfill the prophesy. It didn’t matter that you were successful at all of these tasks for the last two or three quarters.
How do you go breaking into cars one week before leaving to play college football? Or how is it that you commit any assortment of felonies or code of conduct infractions when it is widely known that you have the talent to become a professional athlete or at the very least obtain a college scholarship at no cost? I’ll tell you how. Most everyone in your neighborhood is experiencing some type of obvious failure. You witnessed this failure on daily basis. You may have a large portion of your family members that have fumbled the ball in life. Those that you keep company with have slipped off of the road of life more than a few times. Some of the folks in your day to day life have even had success sitting right in their hands and now they are spending their days sitting on the crate in front of Circle K food store trying to tell people about it. Losing is all around you. It seems to be what happens to people who come from where you come from. In your mind, everyone in your neighborhood, in your circle, wears the same jersey that you do. You are all on the same team and your team just doesn’t win the big game.
I have observed this phenomenon over and over during my 42 years on Earth. It saddens me every time. However, the underdog doesn’t always lose. Sometimes, the underdog gets that lead, keeps that lead and wins the game. Sometimes that inner city athlete goes to college, makes it through, earns his degree or goes pro and never has to pose for the judicial photoshoot. In both cases, there is one overriding factor always and that is belief. A true belief in your future success, in your ability to win, in your right to achieve will beat down the seeds of doubt when they try to sprout a gigantic shade tree. This is true for every team that pulls an Appalachain St. over Michigan type upset and in every athlete from an impoverished background that acquires the American dream.
You want athletes to succeed, get them to believe in their future. Do not assume that because they are highly touted that they are immune to the underdog mentality. In fact, assume quite the opposite. A kid with much to lose is often the one that is most fragile. Dig deep into any upset and you’ll find that someone got that team to believe. It could have been one player on the team, an inspirational speaker, the head coach, a psycho strength coach in tight polyester pants screaming the word believe in their ears with each rep a player took in the weight room that week. You read the biography of any athlete that overcame their circumstance and there was always someone that encouraged them and believed in them. It might be a grandma, an uncle, a coach or believe it or not their parents. How about that?
You want the best for your athletes, first believe in them. Second, get them to believe in themselves. The history of their team is that of being in the losing locker room. Show them and make them believe that there’s a place in the winner’s circle for them too. Developing their physical prowess is nice and necessary but ignore the power of belief and you will be forced to recognize the ramifications of the lack of it.
By: Chad Wilson – Editor – GridironStuds Blog
Twitter: @GridironStuds
Go West young man they say. There’s gold out there. Well I don’t know about gold but 2017 Wesley Butler has certainly found a home at Mater Dei high school after moving from South Florida this past summer.
After spending his time learning the ropes in front of talented athletes at the former Florida 3A State Champs University School in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Butler took his lessons and applied them judiciously in 2014. Butler plays that new hybrid position that many defenses crave. It’s that outside linebacker spot where a guy can either put his hand on the ground and rush the passer like a mad man or stand up and make the offense guess what he’s going to do. Clay Matthews was the poster boy for the position before moving inside this season. Florida Gators’ Dante Fowler is another strong model for that hybrid linebacker spot. Butler is the young high school version of this key defensive position. You will see him come off the edge and enter the backfield like an uninvited house guest. There are clips of him doing Terry Tate office linebacker type stuff as he takes quarterbacks and running backs to the turf with violence. Butler has a nice blend of size and speed typically found in Florida bred athletes. His development at Mater Dei has been exponential and should lead to high dividends for the Monarchs. Quarterback high school could be getting rather defensive in the near future.
Mater Dei is a perennial power in Southern California prep football and it’s because they get players like Butler to perform at a high level. One look at Butler’s film and you can see that he is playing to the max. Offenses have to account for him but even when they do, the results are the same as Butler puts a kink in the play design and turns 1st and 10 into a future punting situation. The sophomore defender is certainly going to be one to keep an eye on for the next two seasons as Mater Dei battles with the likes of Serra, John Bosco, Corona Centennial and the other heavyweights in California’s Pac-5 division. As the high tempo Southern California gridiron action is taking place in 2015, this Butler will be dressed and ready to serve.
By Chad Wilson – Editor – GridironStuds Blog
Follow Me on Twitter: @GridironStuds
There was a time when everyone was looking for the 6’5″ QB who could stand tall in the pocket, see everything and rifle the football to his playmakers. In this new era, teams have learned that if the QB can see everything then everyone can see him. A stationary target in the pocket may not be what the doctor ordered anymore so the proliferation of highly athletic QBs is in full effect. Quarterbacks that can escape the pocket and keep a play alive or gut the defense for big yards is what is in demand. 2016 Miami Monsignor Pace High School quarterback is just what the doctor ordered.
Walker is reminiscent of Russell Wilson when you watch him on film. He’s not a scrambler by trade but has the ability to pull the ball down and hurt the defense. His initial instincts are to look down field for the open receiver and even move around behind the line of scrimmage to wait for someone to break open. However, when the situation seems bleak, Walker is a great athlete that can not only go get a first down but beat the defense for a long touchdown. With the recent success of Wilson and other mobile quarterbacks, colleges have been seeking the services of dual threat quarterbacks not only for run based spread offenses but for both balanced and pass heavy offenses. When all else fails, quarterbacks like Walker provide that added dimension that drives defenses crazy.
You will observe Walker on film using his quickness to avoid the rush and buy time for the big play down field. It’s an absolute killer for defenses that must cover for extended periods of time when Walker is at the controls. Equally as dangerous are the zone read plays that Walker runs to perfection. He’s a good learner, who has been well coached to come skinny off of the read when he pulls the football. He gets North / South through the defense in a hurry and sets up the downfield blocks quite well to crank out big gains. Walker is certainly one to keep your eye on in this next recruiting cycle as a dual threat quarterback who is also athletic enough to play any skill position on the field. No doubt, Walker is a baller.
By: Chad Wilson – Editor – Gridiron Studs Blog
Twitter: @GridironStuds
If you grew up in my neighborhood, every kid had a nickname. Some matched while a hell of a lot of them didn’t. There was the 200 lb. thirteen year old that everyone called “slim” and the two time left back 5th grader who was referred to as “brain”. 2015 Flanagan HS, Florida WR Robert Foy is all about action when he takes to the field for the Falcons so when you hear his nickname “Bam” you can see that 2+2 = 4.
I do not know the origin of Foy’s nickname. I would suspect that he earned it before his days on the gridiron but at this point in time in his football career it suits him. Foy is a well put together 5’10” 190 lb. prospect. Watching him run around on the field, you are going to quickly think “Steve Smith” after the Baltimore Ravens leading pass catcher. Whether Foy is running a precision route to spin a defensive back around or he is navigating his way into traffic to make a tough catch for his team to extend a drive, Bam is a word that may come to mind. If you are a lover of the craft, you will find enjoyment in watching Foy catch the ball with his hands away from his body. It’s a trait that is foreign to many high school level receivers but one that seems to be an after-thought for this senior prospect. Foy’s low center of gravity gets him in and out of his cuts with extreme quickness. He is equally deadly inside as a slot receiver as he is on the outside vs. top cover corners. His strength shows up on film releasing off of the line of scrimmage but even more so blocking downfield for ball carriers. You’ll run back several clips displaying Foy manhandling defenders until they are firmly planted to the turf.
Wide receivers mostly come equipped with the term “diva” but not this guy. Foy is a football player who’s physical nature and ability to get the job done led to him filling in at both tight end and defensive end when the Falcons were hit with injuries. Perhaps filling in was not the correct term. Foy caught touchdown passes from the tight end position and racked up some sacks when called upon to play defensive end. There’s a strong chance he outplayed the person who was originally in those positions. Coming into his senior year, Foy did not have much fanfare. As is often the case, some high school prospects are late bloomers. Foy did not really grow into the physical specimen that he is now until this most recent off season. Colleges are starting to take notice but recruiting is tough for seniors when it gets to December. There’s little doubt however, that the school that eventually ends up landing this solid prospect will continue to learn the true meaning of the word “Bam”.
By Chad Wilson – Editor – Gridiron Studs Blog
Twitter: @GridironStuds
Football is a physical game. How many times have you heard that? Even with all of the new rules that have been implemented in recent history, football, at it’s core, is a test of manhood and power. Physical is the word that comes to mind when you pop in the tape of Timberview HS, Texas’ Daniel Ramos III.
I love to see power in the game of football and most coaches do too. So if you’re a coach or a fan of power, Ramos’ highlight video will bring you much pleasure. His quick steps will remind you of Darren Sproles but he is bringing more punch to the defense. If you want a more accurate comparison you would have to look to former Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner. Ramos will flash some subtle moves to avoid the big hit from a defender when necessary but when there’s no way out, he’s going to punish the defender that made the poor choice of trying to tackle him. You will classify many of his runs as nifty while others will be described as violent. Ramos also possesses one of the more ruthless stiff arms that I have ever witnessed at the high school level. Clip after clip will show him doling out the punishment and gobbling up yards like Pac-Man after he has eaten a power pellet.
Lovers of the running game will take a quick liking to Ramos’ style as it suits many different situations. He can break out on an opponent and turn a game around and he can also close out a game with multiple carries to run out the clock. Ramos’ strength is also on display on film as well. Numerous clips will show him dragging would be carriers who think holding onto cloth will be a solution. It’s a bus ride for some defenders and Ramos is the driver. Ramos is the kind of running back that makes defensive coordinators say “we have to rally to the ball men”. Tackling the 2015 prospect is not a job for one man, maybe not even two. College coaches should see a prospect in Ramos that can fill many different roles in an offense and give their team an edge. Ramos led Timberview in rushing this year with 1,054 yards, 14 TDs and a 7 yards per carry average. If production is what you want, Ramos can take you there.