Many people will agree to say that American football players are the epitome of athletic success and dedication. Many people admire and dream of becoming like them. However, one should note that they didn’t achieve fame and glory merely in one day. But instead, their constant preparedness to work hard with perseverance has paid the price of success in their lives.
There are some specific skills and traits that are essential for success in football. If you have dreamt of becoming a professional football player, then you should continue reading this write-up. It aims to shed light on the essential skills and traits that made American football players famous.
NFL Players: 18 General Skills and Traits
Based on the great American football players, here are some necessary skills and traits that have helped many individuals to be successful in football. If this is your desire, pay close attention to these skills and traits.
1. Endurance
Endurance is the ability to continue playing until the end despite various adverse conditions such as stress, fatigue, injury, and bad weather. As the body exhausts, it becomes significantly challenging to focus and make correct decisions. Here, we are not only talking about physical endurance but also one’s mental strength.
As a football player, you should be able to endure both physical, mental, and environmental challenges. Many games are playing in freezing, snowy weather or in the rain. Temperamental weather makes playing on the gridiron even more challenging. Developing this trait will help you to achieve success in football.
2. Speed
Speed is another essential and necessary skill of great American football players. You should note that the speed in football does not necessarily mean running fast. It also refers to the speed you maintain with your feet in controlling the ball. American football designs speed workouts in such a way that the players develop quick feet. Speed and agility training, such as the X-drill, allows players to develop the flexibility that is essential for movement in different directions.
3. Agility and Coordination
One of the distinctive characteristics of football is that the players frequently move fast in small spaces. Scurrying in a small space with the feet controlling the ball calls for a significant amount of balance, agility, and coordination. For players to be agile, they should have great balance and coordination.
4. Strength and Power
Strength and power is a major contributor to agility and speed, especially for football players. It allows players to shield and defend the ball, make long passes, and strip the ball from opposing teams. Just as it is essential to know the correct technique, it is also crucial to have strength and power to ensure success.
5. Spatial Awareness
Also called Situational Awareness, it refers to the ability to be self-aware of the space that surrounds you. Football players should be aware of the position of their teammates, opponents, and the ball while keeping in mind where the line of scrimmage is and the yard line that will get them to a first down. Only then, they’ll be able to control and pass the ball successfully. Spatial awareness is an essential skill that encompasses several other skills required for achieving success in football.
6. Risk Assessment
Another complex skill of the great American football player comes with undertaking specific aggressive decisions, which can have a great impact on the overall success of the game.
For instance, a team’s decision to spend extra energy to gain control of the ball using a quarterback rush can result in low performance in defending opposing players running downfield to catch a throw from the quarterback. Bad decisions in an attempt to properly move the ball downfield can fail to score goals. As such, football players should persistently assess the risk and reward of their decisions.
7. Tactical Knowledge
Tactical knowledge allows players to anticipate the outcome that can arise from every move on the field. This comes from time spent studying plays and learning the different outcomes. Watching past games of your team and opponents can make for great training tools.
For that reason, football players with this skill are perfect at maintaining control of the ball. They not only anticipate the result of their team moves but also the actions of their opponents. As such, you should know the various tactics and strategies used in football, especially if you want to be an intelligent football player.
8. Composure and Mental Strength
It is another essential skill that can help players in many ways. Composure can help players to make intelligent decisions during pressure situations such as the last minutes of the game. Mental strength, on the other hand, helps players to accept defeat and encourages them to work hard. Also, a football player with this skill finds it easy to handle unnecessary aggression from the opponent team.
9. Passion and Love for the Game
Passion and love for the game are essential traits of great American football players. If you want to be a successful football player, then you should want to put in reasonable hours of practice. You aren’t doing this because your dad tells you to. You are in this sport because you love it. You should also spend time watching football games, which help you to analyze and reflect upon your own performance.
10. Self-Motivation
Another essential trait to achieve success in football is self-motivation. As a player, you should be ready to put in extra hours of practice, even if it requires you to get up early in the morning or follow a strict diet. But don’t fool yourself into thinking motivation will keep you going. Discipline is the art of being consistent and making progress.
11. Will to Learn
Willing to learn new things is another important trait of successful football players. Dr. Goldberg, who is a Sports Performance Consultant, describes un-coachable players as a person who does not accept that they are wrong. If you want to be successful in football, then you should have the desire to learn from your coach, which can sometimes seem to be negative feedback. Consider it constructive feedback and move on.
12. Appreciation for Others
Appreciating other players for their efforts is another essential trait of great American football players. Sports like football cannot achieve success without teamwork; as such, a player should have this trait to ensure overall success. A football team is only as good as its weakest player. Work together as a team to make the whole team better.
13. Handle Pressure
Another essential quality of the great American football players is the ability to stay calm during unfavorable moments. As a successful player, you should be able to make wise decisions when it comes to interacting on the field with your teammates.
14. Conscientiousness
Another essential trait is conscientiousness, which refers to the ability to do one’s duty and work thoroughly and well. Players, with this trait, work for the common success of the team and do not work for their personal gain.
15. Juking Skills
To “juke” means to make a sham move to mislead an opponent. This skill is crucial for players of all positions to achieve success in football. Football players, with this skill, can maneuver the ball in diverse directions at varying speeds. They can also effectively move through opponent players without losing control of the ball.
16. Ball Control
This skill refers to the player’s ability to control the ball by using different body parts. It also refers to the ability to protect the ball from the opponents effectively. Players, with this skill, will be able to pass and receive the ball with fewer difficulties.
17. Body Control
Body control can describe as the ability to maintain body balance and coordination. It mainly refers to the maintenance of the physical form and abilities, such as correct running and jumping.
18. Passing Precision
This refers to the ability on the part of the players to throw the ball to the desired destination. In other words, it means passing the ball to the teammates with control and precision. It is worth noting that a player wishing to be a quarterback cannot accomplish success in football without learning this skill.
All Things Considered
To sum up, becoming a successful football player is not an easy task for many people, even for talented players. Nevertheless, no task is too hard as long as you work hard and never give up on your dream of becoming a successful football player. The above-listed points are some skills and traits based on the great American football players. You should note that they are by no means an exhaustive list.