Train Like DeAngelo Williams to Increase Your Football Speed
If you are looking to improve your football speed, the best place to start is to establish a solid base of strength and power combined with mastering fundamental movement skills. In other words, get strong and get your technique right.
If you already have a solid foundation of strength, power and technique, here are a few additional football speed drills we used in our off-season program with players such as DeAngelo Williams (Pittsburgh Steelers), Captain Munnerlyn (Minnesota Vikings), Stephon Gilmore (Buffalo Bills), Will Johnson (Pittsburgh Steelers), Arthur Moats (Buffalo Bills) to help you get even faster. These are some of our favorites, which are also shown in the video above.
RELATED: 4 Best Speed Drills for Football
Half-Kneeling Rotational Starts
Purpose: Improve multi-directional starts, reaction, and explosiveness
How-to: Face your partner on the starting line in a half-kneeling stance. Player B reacts to Player A and races through the cone 5-10 yards away.
RELATED: 5 Movements You Should Be Doing to Gain Football Speed
Coaching Points
- Start in a “tall spine” position.
- Engage your glutes.
- Drive out toward the cone rather than up toward the sky.
Rotational Drop Lunge Starts
Purpose: Improve multi-directional starts, power and explosiveness
How-to: Stand tall and perform a Rotational Drop Lunge (see video); accelerate out 5 yards.
RELATED: Get Faster With This Off-Season Football Speed Program
Coaching Points
- This is an advanced drill.
- Maintain a strong core.
- Drive out toward the cone rather than up toward the sky.
- Use a big arm drive out of the start.
Diamond Cone Drill – CBs and LBs
Purpose: Improve acceleration/deceleration/re-acceleration/multi-directional speed.
How-To: Set up cones in a diamond pattern; sprint to the top cone; backward angle run left; lateral shuffle right; turn and run left through the last cone (see video).
RELATED: Football Cone Drills for Speed
Coaching Points
- This is an advanced drill.
- Prior to performing this drill, make sure you can effectively start, stop and change direction.
- Drive your hips toward the next target cone rather than toward the sky.
- Finish strong through the cone.
Stop-Spin-Get Out
Purpose: Improve ability to spin/avoid a tackle and re-accelerate.
How-To: Make an angled run to a cone; spin; re-accelerate for 5 yards.
Coaching Points
- Stay low as you decelerate.
- Lean into the turn and snap your hips.
- Drive your feet down and back into the ground.
- Use big arm drive during re-acceleration.
Ladder Relays
Purpose: Fun way to add in competition/reaction while working on footwork.
Coaching Points
- Best used at the end of a dynamic warm-up or end of a workout.
- Shorter length ladders work best.
Click here if you want a program that will help you get faster.
[cf]skyword_tracking_tag[/cf]RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
MOST POPULAR
Train Like DeAngelo Williams to Increase Your Football Speed
If you are looking to improve your football speed, the best place to start is to establish a solid base of strength and power combined with mastering fundamental movement skills. In other words, get strong and get your technique right.
If you already have a solid foundation of strength, power and technique, here are a few additional football speed drills we used in our off-season program with players such as DeAngelo Williams (Pittsburgh Steelers), Captain Munnerlyn (Minnesota Vikings), Stephon Gilmore (Buffalo Bills), Will Johnson (Pittsburgh Steelers), Arthur Moats (Buffalo Bills) to help you get even faster. These are some of our favorites, which are also shown in the video above.
RELATED: 4 Best Speed Drills for Football
Half-Kneeling Rotational Starts
Purpose: Improve multi-directional starts, reaction, and explosiveness
How-to: Face your partner on the starting line in a half-kneeling stance. Player B reacts to Player A and races through the cone 5-10 yards away.
RELATED: 5 Movements You Should Be Doing to Gain Football Speed
Coaching Points
- Start in a “tall spine” position.
- Engage your glutes.
- Drive out toward the cone rather than up toward the sky.
Rotational Drop Lunge Starts
Purpose: Improve multi-directional starts, power and explosiveness
How-to: Stand tall and perform a Rotational Drop Lunge (see video); accelerate out 5 yards.
RELATED: Get Faster With This Off-Season Football Speed Program
Coaching Points
- This is an advanced drill.
- Maintain a strong core.
- Drive out toward the cone rather than up toward the sky.
- Use a big arm drive out of the start.
Diamond Cone Drill – CBs and LBs
Purpose: Improve acceleration/deceleration/re-acceleration/multi-directional speed.
How-To: Set up cones in a diamond pattern; sprint to the top cone; backward angle run left; lateral shuffle right; turn and run left through the last cone (see video).
RELATED: Football Cone Drills for Speed
Coaching Points
- This is an advanced drill.
- Prior to performing this drill, make sure you can effectively start, stop and change direction.
- Drive your hips toward the next target cone rather than toward the sky.
- Finish strong through the cone.
Stop-Spin-Get Out
Purpose: Improve ability to spin/avoid a tackle and re-accelerate.
How-To: Make an angled run to a cone; spin; re-accelerate for 5 yards.
Coaching Points
- Stay low as you decelerate.
- Lean into the turn and snap your hips.
- Drive your feet down and back into the ground.
- Use big arm drive during re-acceleration.
Ladder Relays
Purpose: Fun way to add in competition/reaction while working on footwork.
Coaching Points
- Best used at the end of a dynamic warm-up or end of a workout.
- Shorter length ladders work best.
Click here if you want a program that will help you get faster.
[cf]skyword_tracking_tag[/cf]