Do football players need to run track?

Schools I can think of that let footballers run track are USC, Texas, and Tennessee. Those are 3 pretty good programs in both sports. I would think the few months out of the weight room and doing speed work would be especially helpful to running backs, receivers, and defensive secondary.

But what do I know, I'm just a distance coach.

Schools I can think of that let footballers run track are USC, Texas, and Tennessee. Those are 3 pretty good programs in both sports. I would think the few months out of the weight room and doing speed work would be especially helpful to running backs, receivers, and defensive secondary.

But what do I know, I'm just a distance coach.

Most football coaches are track coach's and want their players to run track to keep them in shape. Or they have their bigger players throw to increase coordination and keep lifting. Football coaches that were not track coaches at my h.s. encouraged their players to go out for track. I would keep doing track. If u went to state in 3 events as a freshmen you could be all-state by the time you are a senior. You can get money for that too.

I coach at a school where quite a few of our students are the children of current or former NFL players. These guys want their kids to be in track in the spring. Their general attitude is "if my kid has a future in football, he'll get enough of that later in life." Probably a pretty healthy attitude. One of our football coaches is a former Redskins linebacker (who proudly displays his ring in his office), he's making his son do track this spring after two years of watching him get out run in the 40 by kids who do track instead of spring football.

If you're a guy with marginal football talent who dreams of just playing college ball - probably best to skip track. If you think you have a future in football, do track - save the football for later.

Look at the rosters of Texas and USC and see how many of them ran track in High School. Darn near all of them.

Next look at the events for the NFL combine, and determine which are weight room related, and how many are track related. Hint most all are track related.

Next Please remind me why most people are discounted from the NFL as prospects- could it be a slow 40 time?

Next look at the HS state champion from your state, and find out how many of them run track (probably most of them).

It really is a simple decision. Not to say the weight room is not important, but not at the expense of track.

We've had very good luck with having football players join us for the track season (especially the more athletic positions like WR, DB, RB). We've had some success with the larger players throwing, as well, but not nearly as dramatic as in the sprints. The football coach was so impressed with the speed and agility gains that his players acheived during the track season that he strongly encouraged all his speed players to come out and cut back on their spring weight and offseason training to accomodate and provide incentive. All my top 55, 100, and 200 guys are football players and several have made national qualifying marks, not to mention solid gains on the football field since joining. This is D3, so maybe not as intensive as at the scholarship level, but I can't see any drawback to getting as fast as possible prior to preparing for the football season. Seems like an easy choice.