📡 Fastest man in NCAA Football?

[Alabama17Tide]

 

[TheChief]

I don't think any of the guys that advanced to the final play football. Brown was eleventh overall and did not qualify for the final.

Christian Coleman's time of 9.82 is simply unbelievable - and I think not wind aided. Thank God he doesn't play football. They've done everything they can think of to convince him to, but he has dreams of a gold medal. He may get it now that Bolt is hanging up his spikes.

 

[TerryP]

I don't think any of the guys that advanced to the final play football.
...
Thank God he doesn't play football.

The vast majority that excel in track don't play football. Those that have (and I'm not using the word "do" because the number is so small) aren't household names.

It's nice having players that run that fast in a 40 or 100 yard sprint. That translating to football? Meh. I think the last person who really believed that was Al Davis.

 

[RTB X Bot]

 

[TUSKtimes]

Tony Brown is certainly capable of manning the Humphrey spot if all else breaks down. When he first stepped on the field you could see he had serious ball-hawking instincts. For Tony, it's been quite a ride and to finish strong hardly seems a stretch for his talent.

 

[alagator]

When he first stepped on the field you could see he had serious ball-hawking instincts.

He also has issues with playing in position often finding himself out of where he was supposed to be. That's the main reason he's not seen action more at the corner position.

 

[TUSKtimes]

He also has issues with playing in position often finding himself out of where he was supposed to be. That's the main reason he's not seen action more at the corner position.

I don't know how to have this conversation with you without expressing how disappointed I'm with the coaching technique in general. There is nothing about our approach that reflects the ability to plug and play at the position. It has felt like for a while that all our guys are squeezed into the same mold. I don't think it's about talent all the time.

 

[OldPlayer]

Brown is undisciplined in his DB techniques. He's always been able to make up for bad technique with speed. Now that he's playing against players that have speed and WR technique, he gets beat.

With his speed, why isn't he returning kicks and punts?

 

[TerryP]

It has felt like for a while that all our guys are squeezed into the same mold. I don't think it's about talent all the time.

I'll go with "squeezed into the same scheme" in a heartbeat.

A lot have high praise for Minkah but when it comes to technique you'll have some complaining about him as well. He's one (and these aren't my words here, but an assistant coaches) that "like to play the eyes of the QB and ignore the route." He's got his technique issues as well.

Typically, a guy like Brown is "hidden" as a safety due to his lack of technique. You'll see corners slide inside as well in the same circumstances. That's where we find both Fitz and Brown this summer--both with issues in their game, it's just a matter of who makes the fewest mistakes.

That said, Tony does "fit the mold" of your typical corner in the league--tall, big, fast, with a long reach. But, so did John Fulton and he found himself backing up Belue who didn't "fit the mold." A lot want that "mold" for the left corner; some think it's a necessity.

I can only say let it shake out...and while we're at it, let's not discount what move Levi Wallace may make at corner or forget Shy has been getting more and more reps at Star.

 

[TheChief]

The vast majority that excel in track don't play football. Those that have (and I'm not using the word "do" because the number is so small) aren't household names.

It's nice having players that run that fast in a 40 or 100 yard sprint. That translating to football? Meh. I think the last person who really believed that was Al Davis.

Totally agree. Leonard Scott, who "played" football at UT, was at one point outrunning future gold medalist Justin Gatlin routinely. The only "position" Scott could do was returning kickoffs. His straight-line speed was unreal though.

Worth noting too, we usually think of speedsters when we think of track. A big portion of every track team is distance folks. They're sure not playing football. Throwers? Maybe, but probably not. So that skews the numbers down even further.

It seems to me hurdlers would be the closest match. Gault comes to mind playing for the Chicago Bears. And, Tony Brown was a hurdler. Humphreys was.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Remember Bullitt Bob Hayes.....had unreal speed....Made it with the Cowboys...but in the senior bowl...he was matched up with Namath at QB....
was decent but never the super star all expected..
And back to the post.....yea...speed great....technique equally important ....and please dont grab a receiver in front of the ref in the last second of a game that gives the opponent the ball at the 1......usually will result in something bad

 

[BamaFan334]

The vast majority that excel in track don't play football. Those that have (and I'm not using the word "do" because the number is so small) aren't household names.

It's nice having players that run that fast in a 40 or 100 yard sprint. That translating to football? Meh. I think the last person who really believed that was Al Davis.

Ole Al loved his speed. Darius Hayward-Bay was one of the last examples of that.

 

[BamaFan334]

I'll go with "squeezed into the same scheme" in a heartbeat.

A lot have high praise for Minkah but when it comes to technique you'll have some complaining about him as well. He's one (and these aren't my words here, but an assistant coaches) that "like to play the eyes of the QB and ignore the route." He's got his technique issues as well.

Typically, a guy like Brown is "hidden" as a safety due to his lack of technique. You'll see corners slide inside as well in the same circumstances. That's where we find both Fitz and Brown this summer--both with issues in their game, it's just a matter of who makes the fewest mistakes.

That said, Tony does "fit the mold" of your typical corner in the league--tall, big, fast, with a long reach. But, so did John Fulton and he found himself backing up Belue who didn't "fit the mold." A lot want that "mold" for the left corner; some think it's a necessity.

I can only say let it shake out...and while we're at it, let's not discount what move Levi Wallace may make at corner or forget Shy has been getting more and more reps at Star.

I personally think Brown is more physical than anyone else in the secondary and they like that he can come up and play the run while thumping someone, but also has the speed to play deep and make up for any technical issues he has. He's not afraid to come up and smack someone in the mouth, so I feel that ability to rover all over the field is more to his benefit than allowing him to only play one facet of the game, like say an Averrett that looks and plays more like a cornerback. A smaller Cam Chancellor is who I think of when I think Tony Brown.

 

[TerryP]

He's not afraid to come up and smack someone in the mouth, so I feel that ability to rover all over the field is more to his benefit than allowing him to only play one facet of the game,

A very similar description was made when people talked about Vinnie Sunseri. But, when it came to being able to cover a quick slant across the middle he was lost more times than he had coverage.

Tony is faster. But, he'll need some top-notch closing speed to make up for mistakes ... and in that position, the reaction time is limited, at best.

At this point I'd put him in the rotation at STAR.

 

[TUSKtimes]

I'll go with "squeezed into the same scheme" in a heartbeat.

A lot have high praise for Minkah but when it comes to technique you'll have some complaining about him as well. He's one (and these aren't my words here, but an assistant coaches) that "like to play the eyes of the QB and ignore the route." He's got his technique issues as well.

Typically, a guy like Brown is "hidden" as a safety due to his lack of technique. You'll see corners slide inside as well in the same circumstances. That's where we find both Fitz and Brown this summer--both with issues in their game, it's just a matter of who makes the fewest mistakes.

That said, Tony does "fit the mold" of your typical corner in the league--tall, big, fast, with a long reach. But, so did John Fulton and he found himself backing up Belue who didn't "fit the mold." A lot want that "mold" for the left corner; some think it's a necessity.

I can only say let it shake out...and while we're at it, let's not discount what move Levi Wallace may make at corner or forget Shy has been getting more and more reps at Star.

I didn't like Humphrey's technique at all. The first DB gone in the next draft, so say the draft gurus, is Fitzpatrick. Throw a senior Brown in the mix who many feel still struggles with technique and here we go. We don't talk endlessly about LB and DL techniques, but this DB stuff seems to be here to stay.

There are so many things we get right as a football program that I'm hesitant to say anything too critical of any position, but from Cyrus to Milliner to Jackson, the technique we use has been an issue. Getting your head turned around, meeting the ball in the air, recognizing help defenses. At the same time, I don't know of any DBs who are better at coming up and stopping the run and beating blocks than our guys. Year after year, we are the best. I also think that's only because of coaching. Can't the passing struggles be just as true? The most concerning thing I heard during spring ball was again hearing Coach Saban talk about the indecision and inexperience of the reserves coming next.

 

[TerryP]

@TUSKstuff According to the scouts who've attended practices Fitz is a safety if he's playing at the next level. Now, watch him be drafted as a corner and labeled a Bama bust. :devil:

Seriously, as much as his defense relies on him reading the quarterback's eyes the NFL guys will eat his lunch.

 

[UAgrad93]

Brown is undisciplined in his DB techniques. He's always been able to make up for bad technique with speed. Now that he's playing against players that have speed and WR technique, he gets beat.

With his speed, why isn't he returning kicks and punts?

A couple of possible answers as to why Tony doesn't return kicks and punts, stone hands or inability to judge a ball in the air. Some guys just can't catch a kicked ball. When I first started coaching, we had a kid that could fly! He was timed at 4.58 in khakis and tennis shoes on the field by 3 different college coaches, 4 straight attempts!!! We tried him back there in practices and I would even throw the ball back to him. He couldn't judge the depth and it would either fall short or sail over his head. We once got in a tight game and needed a big return, we took one blocker out of the wedge and put him back there with our regular return guys. One of them caught it and then handed it to Eddie! 70 yards later we were in FG position and won the game!