bhubb
Freshmen Member
Posts: 33
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Post by bhubb on May 5, 2007 8:04:19 GMT -6
I have a kid that is 6'10 that wants to play fb next season. He is a basketball player with good hands, ok feet but not really fast. He is pretty thick for a 6'10 kid and I am not sure what to do with him. TE? DE? SE inside the 20yd line? He is a soph and still growing. Is supposed to hit 7ft by his sr year. Has anyone had a kid like this? What did you do with him? Is there a future for a kid like this in football because in his mind he wants to be a big receiver in college (i.e. Gates from S.D.) He is a hard worker in the weight room and not a premadona by any means. Has a mean streak and is physical on the basketball court. I guess it is interesting thinking about the possibilities but want your input. Thanks guys!
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Post by coachmoore42 on May 5, 2007 8:26:32 GMT -6
I would have him work at TE. The mean streak will be good for blocking or tackling, but the good hands will be wasted most of the time defensively. You could also split him out near the goalline to create match-up problems. I've had tall basketball players with good hands before and I have had success using them the same way. I don't think any of them were 6'10" though.
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Post by scoresomemore on May 5, 2007 8:31:48 GMT -6
put him at TE and run some flexed sets, move him around by alignment. get him in the flexed TE spot and let him work the middle of the field. I am thinking spacing concepts with him "posting up" all day. great problem to have, thats a huge kid!
-scores
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coachg
Sophomore Member
Posts: 119
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Post by coachg on May 5, 2007 8:40:40 GMT -6
we played against a team that had a big slow TE and he was pretty effective. So if your guy has any speed he should play TE so I agree with the guys above.
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Post by coachd5085 on May 5, 2007 8:45:17 GMT -6
Well, I would see what he could do before I tried to assign a position.
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Post by fbdoc on May 5, 2007 9:19:25 GMT -6
Don't put him at TE, move him outside and let some 5'9 corner try to cover him on a slant or fade. Can you say Harold Carmichael of the Eagles back in the 70's? Put him out wide and you'll probably draw 2 defenders out of the box which opens up everything else. As a TE, he'll have to get down in a stance which negates his height. Plus, in blocking we all know the low man wins and he is NEVER going to be the low man! Put him out wide and dare teams not to cover him.
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Post by lionhart on May 5, 2007 9:24:02 GMT -6
fbdoc..... im with you. split him out wide and force the defense to reduce the box. if they dont, throw jump-ball fades all day. one question is... how good is your qb, and can he run? if the answer is good and yes.... you will keep the dc's in your conference up all night!  |
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Post by briangilbert on May 5, 2007 14:08:49 GMT -6
I would also line him up outside if he has hands. Even if he has average speed if your QB can keep the ball high he will be impossible to cover.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2007 14:36:56 GMT -6
Do you have another TE type kid? If so, you could run some double TE stuff with him running a backside drag or post on playaction. Other than that, I too like the idea of spreading him out wide. If he's that aggressive, he should deliver some highlight reel quality crack blocks as well.
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Post by airitout616 on May 5, 2007 14:48:07 GMT -6
Purdue has a 6'9" pr 6'10" WR this year big like a TE but I think becuase of his height it would be tough to put at TE for blocking reasons a kid that tall will have a hard time getting low and grinding with some good DLman. I feel put him at a WR postion and throw fades and hitches all day. It depends on your system but a kid that tall is worth using for something. I would split him out force teams to double and triple team him it will open up your whole offense with a threat like that.
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Post by phantom on May 5, 2007 15:05:59 GMT -6
Personally, I like TE but whatever you do have a Plan B for when he starts getting those basketball letters and the AAU crowd gets in his ear.
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jet
Sophomore Member
Posts: 234
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Post by jet on May 5, 2007 15:20:26 GMT -6
Where ever you play him, make sure you teach him how to protect his knees (if that is at all possible) It should be explained to this kid that everybody is going to go at his knees because of his height. This should be explained to him and his parents so there are no misunderstandings. He is going to take a ton of shots, because he has so much to hit. Be honest with the kid because at 7 some school will offer him a basketball scholarship even if it's an NAIA because you can't teach height/size. That being said I would run him on corner routes as a wide receiver, comebacks, fades and use him as a field goal blocker.
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Post by coachd5085 on May 5, 2007 15:42:14 GMT -6
I have to echo the last couple of posts. I don't think you are going to have a kid here who will play through his sr. year. This isn't going to be a case of the mythical baseball scholarship here, or the 6'1 good H.S. basketball player thinking he is much better than he is. If this kid has any post ability at all, he is going to get a full scholly at 6'11+.
This won't be a case like Iverson being a multiy sport athlete...this is going to be a case where if this kid develops his footwork and post skills, he could make millions.
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Post by coachcb on May 5, 2007 16:48:11 GMT -6
Honestly, I would put the kid at SE/X. His lack of speed will be moe than made up by the fact that he'll be a solid foot taller than any DB covering him.
I had an 8th grader once that was 6'3'' by the time he was 14. He was slow and awkward, but he got the job done for us. We ran a lot of of fades and flags with him that year; throw the ball over his outside shoulder and let him go up and get it.
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Post by jjkuenzel on May 5, 2007 17:26:26 GMT -6
A team in our area a few years ago had a 6'10 basketball kid start at Tackle and DE. He ended up being a D2 3 year starter at Tackle on a conference championship team. If he is strong and thick enough it can be done to play in the trenches.
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Post by brophy on May 5, 2007 17:33:12 GMT -6
if he can actually move make him your split end and free safety
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Post by Yash on May 5, 2007 18:32:09 GMT -6
Like the scouts say, its all about if hes a knee bender or a waist bender. If hes a knee bender, the kid can play line, but if he doesn't play low, stick him out at WR and toss some jump balls to him. But I have to echo Phantom, those basketball coaches are going to want him off the field.
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Post by phantom on May 5, 2007 18:43:20 GMT -6
I hate to say it but sometimes they're right. A 6'10" soph may end up a seven footer. If he has decent feet and good hands he has, at least, a free college degree. A ton of cash is a real possibility.
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Post by los on May 5, 2007 19:08:28 GMT -6
I agree with wr crowd, and maybe a fs as brophy said, but like "jet" mentioned already, try to use him more down the field or in such a way that he doesnt have to run drags or routes crossing underneath the coverage, (until he gets some football experience), nobody's gonna want to hit this kid up high they'll all go for his knees. We lost a big, young(soph) te type kid (not this tall but about 6' 4"/220) for the season a couple years ago for this very reason! Nearly every pattern he ran was some type of crossing/ drag/ flat route with his back to the defenders and the smaller db's (rightfully so) cut him at the knees on every tackle. The kid was a good basketball and baseball player and loved playing football but almost didnt come back the following season.
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Post by zoneblitz on May 5, 2007 20:18:29 GMT -6
We have played with DE's as tall as 6'9. They can eliminate half the field in the passing game.
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Post by dubber on May 5, 2007 20:49:46 GMT -6
We have played with DE's as tall as 6'9. They can eliminate half the field in the passing game. Great defensive point here.......like all the other posts, teach him to defeat the cut! What type of offensive scheme do you run bhubb? |
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Post by CVBears on May 5, 2007 20:56:16 GMT -6
We have played with DE's as tall as 6'9. They can eliminate half the field in the passing game. I would hate to see a 6'10" DE trucking down after my QB. |
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Post by saintrad on May 5, 2007 23:07:34 GMT -6
if you put him a tTE use the old Iowa Hawkeye alignment of a stand-up TE.
If at DE, put him as a situational pass rusher, noting worse for a QB than seeing that come after you. His run stuffing ability will probably be limited due to the same probs a down-TE would have with leverage and all.
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Post by coachjim on May 6, 2007 6:28:01 GMT -6
I agree with coaches cb and db. I would add that you have indicated he looks forward to big plays and there are more TE's in the world that thought they would be getting the ball, but instead blocked all year and didn't get it as much as they wanted, and hate playing now, than there are grains of sand in the oceans. I don't think he will be ultimately happy there, as you describe him. I like the SE idea but it depends on your offense and if he will get the ball there, like he expects to. Put him where he will get the ball the most as a reciever, if he has talent, according to your sceme, and let him loose. I bet he shines.
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Post by saintrad on May 6, 2007 14:37:37 GMT -6
coachjim -
very insightful comments.
Might want to think thorugh the idea of changing your offense/defense just for one kid. How well does he fit into what you do already? Is he such a dominate athlete that it justifies you in changing your approach from a team to a star-player approach or visa-versa? How quickly can he bcome dominant at his postion? Does he have the discipline enough to do what is best for the team even when his BB coach comes calling?
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Post by coachd5085 on May 6, 2007 15:00:39 GMT -6
haha..I was just thinking, bhubb---all of the differeing opinions and potential ideas in this thread are probably representative of all the thoughts going through your head. I just get the feeling this is going to be whirlwind affair, because he is going to concentrate on basketball. But it is a fun little whirlwind.
Still, I maintain, IS HE ANY GOOD? The only proven thing is that he is tall, and physical in basketball.
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Post by toprowguy on May 6, 2007 16:30:28 GMT -6
Tell him to stick to B-Ball, with that type of height his future is in that sport.
Might also help you build some nice trust with the B-Ball coach and players and parents.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2007 17:17:30 GMT -6
If this kid has a strong desire to play football, who are we to tell him no? I just think a coach is setting himself up for disaster by turning away a kid who can help the team.
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Post by coachcb on May 6, 2007 18:17:43 GMT -6
When we had that kind of kid, we ran a lot of sets that would put him on an island with the CB. We ran a lot of double tight, splitback with the 6'3'' 8th grader at flanker- he was one-one with a 5' tall CB all day long. We ran lots of PA and 3 step drops with him and the TEs running fades and flags.
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Post by flycoach on May 7, 2007 1:25:42 GMT -6
You said he's thick and has a bit of a mean streak? Coaches dream! IMO WHY NOT USE HIM AT TE, SE, DE...... If the kid has any hands use him to catch passes, some bulk, run behind him, passing down, put him at DE on the same side as their best WR and have your corner give him a big cushion. We all know this kid will not be playing football for long Why "label" him a position?
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