Alfie Dogs

      I first noticed Tindall in the National Championship against Alabama. I was mesmerized by his physical talent, and according to my objective observation he was the most impactful/disruptive Linebacker on a stellar defense. I saw a player with balance and unparalleled conviction when he decided to attack. I remember that with 7 minutes left in the first half, with Alabama threatening on Georgias 6 yard line; In a 3rd and goal situation, Tindall was asked to spy the talented and elusive Heisman winning QB Bryce Young. The ball is snapped, Tindall maintains his line of sight by strafing left and the moment that Bryce exits the pocket he attacks the QB from 10 yards out and in a fraction of a second he engulfs the agile signal caller with devastating conviction, a conviction that could not be side stepped, or deceived.  https://youtu.be/-006vmVNdug Needless to say I was intrigued. Consider that I was well aware of how talented Georgia’s defense was, but yet I truly...

Zyon McCollum CB Sam Houston State RAS 10 (perfect score) Very few athletes score a perfect Relative Athletic Score. Although, I do not evaluate players on their athleticism, it is a good indicator when trying to project division 2 players. Zyon was nothing short of dominant at his level of competition. Exceptional man coverage, tenacious with length, elite lateral mobility, great ball skills, and fundamentally sound in press man. Scoring a perfect RAS only verified what I see as a special player regardless of athleticism. Channing Tindall LB Georgia RAS 9.67  The unsung hero of the championship bulldog defense. I would argue that he is the most talented ILB on a roster with Nakobe Dean. Elite athlete that plays with absolutely no hesitation and rare speed. He would routinely beat everyone to the edge with both his athleticism and his read reaction time. Exceptional pass rusher and an advanced violent tackler. Joshua Ezeuda OT North Carolina RAS 9.15 I love the way he moves lateral...

 When you obsessively watch football you begin to develop a clinical eye, you inevitably begin to ignore the metrics. Stats, measurables, statistics start to fade in importance. An experienced eye recognizes and takes into consideration the infinite variables that equates to a football player’s success.   For me, the first thing that I see is how the player moves on the field, his balance. I have been incredibly frustrated with the Dolphins because they have invested high picks on unbalanced players. i.e. Noah, Parker, and Austin Jackson. It perplexes me because that imbalance was on their college tape.    However, the current FA crop that Miami has invested in all have a unifying theme. They are all Balanced athletes with great body control and awareness.  Cedric Wilson - SMOOTH SMOOTH athlete and a pure hands catcher. At 6’3” 195. Rare athleticism. 3.5 yards of avg separation, better than Waddle. Chase Edmonds - Another incredibly balanced player. 5.7 yards pe...

October 19, 2003 (week 7 in Miami) I was in attendance on that sweltering Miami afternoon, the Dolphins with a ridiculously talented defense featuring Zach Thomas, Jason Taylor, Patrick Surtain, Sam Madison, The late Junior Seau, Brock Marion, and Tim Bowens, fought to a 13-13 stale mate against Tom Brady and the Patriots to take the game to overtime. It is important to understand, that at that point in history Tom Brady was still considered a system QB who won a Super Bowl benefiting from the greatness of a historic defensive mind. No one was afraid of Brady, and no one predicted what he eventually became. THE GOAT. After a defensive battle that led to a 13-13 overtime game, I was also completely underestimating Brady’s greatness. The coin is flipped and the Patriots win the toss and take the ball. Then, like an explosion, I witnessed GREATNESS! On the first offensive play of overtime, from the Patriots own 18, Brady from under center fakes a pitch to his RB, does a 360, pump fakes, f...

  College Football suffers from the worse coaching in all other amateur sports. It is not surprising because football is the one sport most influenced by tactics. When Nebraska was winning championships running the triple option, they where simply taking advantage of a systematic flaw in college football philosophy.   Triple option, like the RPO, gives the player on the field AFTER THE SNAP the choice based on a read. A simple concept that might seduce a team having success to have faith in that gameplan.  Then the Miami Hurricanes took center stage. Power I, Play action, single back,    a philosophy that understands, every millisecond counts. Every player knows what they are going to do before the ball is snapped, and WHAT HAPPENED? Suddenly “The Hurricanes play incredibly fast”!! Adding another decision while the play is unfolding is a crippling disadvantage in the game of football. Option plays are not as effective as being set up to make quick decisions. A t...

    Historically, sports is the vehicle that navigates a society away from discrimination. Jesse Owens was one of the greatest athletes in HISTORY, a black man who suffered through Jim Crow and then immortalized by the whole nation when he embarrassed the master race in Berlin. Jackie Robinson was a war hero and broke the color barrier in baseball with his effervescent talent and poise. Muhammad Ali went to prison because he was steadfast in his observation of his beliefs, and although he was punished, he also became an iconic legend revered by his countryman. The dominance of the black athlete in our nation can not be debated. That dominance in athletic competition bridged the racial divide and highlighted the importance of simply judging performance and outcome. Black Athletes in both Basketball and Football, arguably the most physically challenging in North American sports, Are by a wide margin the majority. 57.5% in the NFL, 74.2% in the NBA. For perspective, The percentag...

     I am sure you have heard the term before, “he provides a great anchor” and although it may seem like a cliché enveloped in imagery, it is a significant consideration when evaluating offensive lineman.  The term “anchor” primarily is related to pass protection. The genesis of the term “anchor” comes from the pass blocking technique to take 3 steps back from the line of scrimmage and plant your outside foot to set your line of demarcation; from that point on you must maintain your “anchor”, you have planted yourself and your goal is to stop all progress beyond that point.   However, the principle of an anchor extends far beyond the rudimentary genesis of the term in regards to football. Inhumanly large men with rare explosive movement characteristics can be considered to be locomotives. Heavy, Powerful, Stiff, and difficult to slow their momentum.  Allow me to explain. In a gap blocking scheme,  the playside offensive linemen blocks down the line of...