Why Alabama football receivers run this NFL drill under JaMarcus Shephard
Few positions in football feature the spectacular like wide receiver.
Acrobatic catches. Shifty moves. Dazzling speed. If there’s a role most apt on a regular basis to make jaws drop, it’s receiver.
There have been some catches in limited practice viewing windows of Alabama football preseason camp that have impressed and caught the eye. See Ryan Williams’ one-handed reception on the first day. But a drill that probably should be described as boring also stood out.
Let’s call it synchronized starting.
The drill: About 15 Alabama receivers stood with staggered steps like they would at the start of a play. They all lined up within a few yards of each other in rows of sorts.
At the front kneeled a coach with a football, on which each receiver locked their eyes. As soon as the ball moved, all the receivers moved too. With a quick burst off the line of scrimmage, each player sprinted for a few yards then slowed to a jog.
It’s a drill to see who’s getting great get off,” said JaMarcus Shephard, the assistant head coach/co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach.
