Scrambling Speed With Virginia Tech’s Tyrod Taylor
Andrew Luck and the Stanford Cardinal beat the pulp out of Virginia Tech in Monday night’s Orange Bowl, 40-12. The play of the night, however, belonged to Hokies quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who connected on a 12-yard touchdown pass after a second-quarter scramble that was absolutely bananas.
After snagging a bad snap in the shotgun formation, Taylor rolled left, then retreated toward the sideline in the face of pressure. The busted play came together when Taylor spun 180 degrees to break a tackle, tight roped the sideline, and then fired a strike down the sideline for six points.
Honorable mention goes to Hokies wideout David Wilson, who hauled in the pass while falling to his knees inbounds near the sideline.
If Taylor’s scrambling prowess was reminiscent of a Michael Vick hallmark play, that’s because both QBs spent their Hokie training days under the tutelage of Dr. Mike Gentry, assistant athletic director for athletic performance at Virginia Tech.
“The way a player reacts to different situations dictates how he moves,” Gentry says. “Because football requires multi-directional movements, improving a player’s quickness in every direction will undoubtedly make him better at his position.”
For improved mobility in all directions and movement patterns, use the Hurdle Hop to Sprint drill two to three times a week in the off-season.
Hurdle Hop to Sprint
- Hop over three mini hurdles set up one yard apart
- After final hop, land softly in athletic position and immediately sprint to one of seven cones
- Sprint back to middle cone
- Repeat pattern to each cone
Reps: 4-5
Coaching Points: Work for limited ground-reaction time on landing // Use proper sprint mechanics // Incorporate shuffle, backpedal and/or side sprint into drill // Advance to reactive variation of drill by numbering cones; when partner calls out number, react to audible cue
Photo: sfgate.com
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Scrambling Speed With Virginia Tech’s Tyrod Taylor
Andrew Luck and the Stanford Cardinal beat the pulp out of Virginia Tech in Monday night’s Orange Bowl, 40-12. The play of the night, however, belonged to Hokies quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who connected on a 12-yard touchdown pass after a second-quarter scramble that was absolutely bananas.
After snagging a bad snap in the shotgun formation, Taylor rolled left, then retreated toward the sideline in the face of pressure. The busted play came together when Taylor spun 180 degrees to break a tackle, tight roped the sideline, and then fired a strike down the sideline for six points.
Honorable mention goes to Hokies wideout David Wilson, who hauled in the pass while falling to his knees inbounds near the sideline.
If Taylor’s scrambling prowess was reminiscent of a Michael Vick hallmark play, that’s because both QBs spent their Hokie training days under the tutelage of Dr. Mike Gentry, assistant athletic director for athletic performance at Virginia Tech.
“The way a player reacts to different situations dictates how he moves,” Gentry says. “Because football requires multi-directional movements, improving a player’s quickness in every direction will undoubtedly make him better at his position.”
For improved mobility in all directions and movement patterns, use the Hurdle Hop to Sprint drill two to three times a week in the off-season.
Hurdle Hop to Sprint
- Hop over three mini hurdles set up one yard apart
- After final hop, land softly in athletic position and immediately sprint to one of seven cones
- Sprint back to middle cone
- Repeat pattern to each cone
Reps: 4-5
Coaching Points: Work for limited ground-reaction time on landing // Use proper sprint mechanics // Incorporate shuffle, backpedal and/or side sprint into drill // Advance to reactive variation of drill by numbering cones; when partner calls out number, react to audible cue
Photo: sfgate.com