Taelen Wilson

Professor Arnold
UWRT 1101
1, November, 2015

For my primary research, I was able to view the Gardner Webb football
players during their Thursday practice. The athletes are to be on the field at 3
oclock, in their gear and ready to start. When starting off practice the players
gather into stretch lines to warm-up following the lead of two assistant coaches.
First speeding up their cardio with simple running exercises, the men were to run
from one side of the practice field to the other (but it can vary). Next do movement
exercises such as: hip rotations to loosen legs and help gain stability, lateral lunges
to work on the gluteus, backward skips which help reduce any hamstring accidents
while also strengthening sprinting power, and backpedals works on the players
athletic stance (which is essential for linebackers and defensive backs). The warm
up process lasts for about forty minutes.
Players then go into field goal practice, splitting into offense and defense
theres two different teams of each. I personally never understood the field goal and
was not aware it was something that needed its own practice time. I had to ask the
assistant coach to explain more of what was happening. Defense will try to prevent
the offense from allowing the ball to enter the goal post (which is generally yellow
and shaped like a U that is placed at the end of each end zone). Ten or nine guys
depending will be up to cover or rush. Rushing is when the defense is applies
pressure on the offensive play. While covering is when the players are guarding to
prevent the opposing players to have a successful play. Which lasted up to thirty
minutes.

Afterwards the players go into twenty minutes of individual practices which is

usually the generic practices you see on television. Which is when the defensive
players tackle the machine to practice technique, sometime might compete one on
one with another teammate. The quarterback will using the throwing machine and
catch different passes used in different plays or with a coach to practice his
technique. Offensive skill positions such as running backs and wide receivers will
practice their catches in the same manner. Also special teams that consist of a
kicker, punter, kick returner, punt returner, coverage team, line backers, safetys,
defensive backs, wide receivers, running backs. They are used for when the ball is
being punted or kicked it is their job to tackle the ball carrier. Receiving teams is the
coverage team and their job is to make sure the returner does not go down.
Finally, the guys will spilt into teams and practice scripted plays. These
scripted plays tell the players exactly who to pass it to and how to gain yards.
During these plays much jargon was said that was confusing. The players are yelling
at each other, communicating across the field with a lot of hand signals, coaches
getting frustrated when the players are not getting it right. Gardner Webb only has
five certain plays that most of the guys seemed to become frustrated over.