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When Your Number is Called
This last loss was a hard one for the entire team. While it’s not the end of the world because we lost a game, I felt that we played very well as a team and got better on Sunday against a team that was a play away from going to the super bowl last year. That being said, this past game was a particularly exciting one for yours truly because I ended up playing most of it. Our starting right tackle went down in the middle of the 2nd quarter and before I knew it, I was on the field! It’s a real adrenaline rush to go from cheering on your team to jogging on the field making sure you’re lined up correctly, listening to the play in the huddle and then communicating your assignments with the other 4 offensive lineman at the line of scrimmage while the fans scream so loud that you can barely hear the person standing less than a yard away from you all within the confines of a 40 second play clock. The life of a swing tackle in the NFL is not an easy one…
Someone asked me to expound on what its like being a swing tackle in the NFL and so I will do just that. Let me start off by saying that the hardest thing to do in the NFL is be a backup, simply because you don’t get the reps. What I mean by that is during the preparation week in practice, all of the game plan reps go to the starters, because they will be the ones executing the game plan. Lets say that there are 200 or so plays ran during a week of practice, the starter would get 195 of those reps leaving the backup with only 5. Things get even more interesting when you are a swing payer because you are expected to be efficient at, not one, but 2 positions with only 5 or so reps out of 195 and be able to go into a game at any given time and not miss a beat. Now of course you are still involved in all of the game plan meetings so you know the game plan and plays that are going to be run, you just have to take “mental reps” during practice by watching the ones and going through your assignment progressions in your mind to make sure that you understand everything that is happening. Like I said before its not easy, but such is life in the NFL. While everyone aspires to be a starter in the NFL and go on to be a special player in their own right, for most guys being a backup is the beginning of that journey that will lead to their future success. I know that God has a plan for my future and I show up to work everyday thankful for the opportunity to play in the NFL and take advantage of every opportunity to improve at something so that I will be ready when my number is called.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns feel free to contact me via twitter (@bazookajoe72) or facebook (<a class="postlink" href="http://www.facebook.com/jbdale78" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">www.facebook.com/jbdale78</a>), or feel free to leave a comment below. Thanks for checking out the blog. Peace.
<a class="postlink" href="http://josephbarksdale72.com/blog/?p=242" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://josephbarksdale72.com/blog/?p=242</a>
This last loss was a hard one for the entire team. While it’s not the end of the world because we lost a game, I felt that we played very well as a team and got better on Sunday against a team that was a play away from going to the super bowl last year. That being said, this past game was a particularly exciting one for yours truly because I ended up playing most of it. Our starting right tackle went down in the middle of the 2nd quarter and before I knew it, I was on the field! It’s a real adrenaline rush to go from cheering on your team to jogging on the field making sure you’re lined up correctly, listening to the play in the huddle and then communicating your assignments with the other 4 offensive lineman at the line of scrimmage while the fans scream so loud that you can barely hear the person standing less than a yard away from you all within the confines of a 40 second play clock. The life of a swing tackle in the NFL is not an easy one…
Someone asked me to expound on what its like being a swing tackle in the NFL and so I will do just that. Let me start off by saying that the hardest thing to do in the NFL is be a backup, simply because you don’t get the reps. What I mean by that is during the preparation week in practice, all of the game plan reps go to the starters, because they will be the ones executing the game plan. Lets say that there are 200 or so plays ran during a week of practice, the starter would get 195 of those reps leaving the backup with only 5. Things get even more interesting when you are a swing payer because you are expected to be efficient at, not one, but 2 positions with only 5 or so reps out of 195 and be able to go into a game at any given time and not miss a beat. Now of course you are still involved in all of the game plan meetings so you know the game plan and plays that are going to be run, you just have to take “mental reps” during practice by watching the ones and going through your assignment progressions in your mind to make sure that you understand everything that is happening. Like I said before its not easy, but such is life in the NFL. While everyone aspires to be a starter in the NFL and go on to be a special player in their own right, for most guys being a backup is the beginning of that journey that will lead to their future success. I know that God has a plan for my future and I show up to work everyday thankful for the opportunity to play in the NFL and take advantage of every opportunity to improve at something so that I will be ready when my number is called.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns feel free to contact me via twitter (@bazookajoe72) or facebook (<a class="postlink" href="http://www.facebook.com/jbdale78" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">www.facebook.com/jbdale78</a>), or feel free to leave a comment below. Thanks for checking out the blog. Peace.
<a class="postlink" href="http://josephbarksdale72.com/blog/?p=242" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://josephbarksdale72.com/blog/?p=242</a>