Wrestling, Footballs off season program

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Wrestling, Footballs off- season program

• Let The Pros Tell You

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Wrestling has influenced the NFL in a number of
ways

• 10 Hall of Fame Football Players

• 43 Multiple Pro-Bowlers

• 3 Heisman Trophy Winners Wrestled

Look at the long list of football stars that
enjoyed success not only on the field, but the
wrestling mat as well.
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Pro Football Players with Wrestling Backgrounds

• Ray Lewis 2-time Florida High School Champion
• Stephen Neal New England Patriots Offensive
  Lineman USA World Freestyle Wrestling Champion
• Rick Williams
• Roger Craig
• Larry Csonka
• Art Baker, RB, Buffalo Bills
• Rhonde Barber, SS, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Tiki Barber, RB, New York Giants

• Walter Barnes, DL, Washington Redskins
• Harris Benton
• Brad Benson, New York Giants PA State Champ
• Greg Boone, RB, Oakland Raiders
• Jeff Bostic, C, Washington Redskins SC State
  Champ
• Tedy Bruschi, ILB, New England Patriots
• Bob Bruenig, LB, Dallas Cowboys
• Tom Cousineau, LB, Buffalo Bills

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Pro Football Players with Wrestling Backgrounds

• Tom Covert
• Roger Craig, RB, San Francisco 49ers
• Damien Covington, LB, Buffalo Bills
• Curley Culp, LB, Kansas City Chiefs NCAA Champ
• Larry Czonka, RB, Miami Dolphins
• Rob Davis, ST, Green Bay Packers
• Dan Dierdorff, OT, St. Louis Cardinals

• Donnie Edwards, OLB, San Diego Chargers
• Carl Edwards, San Diego Chargers 3x MD State
  Champ
• Rob Essink
• Jim Everett, QB, New Orleans Saints
• DeMarco Farr, St. Louis Rams
• Patrick Flannery, OL, Houston Oilers
• Ed Flanagan, C, Detroit Lions
• Terrell Fletcher, RB, San Diego Chargers

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Pro Football Players with Wrestling Backgrounds

• Bill Fralic, Atlanta Falcons
• Doug France, LT, Los Angeles Rams
• William George, Chicago Bears 2x PA State Champ
• Charlie Getty, RG, Kansas City Chiefs
• John Gilmore, TE, Chicago Bears
• Kevin Glover, Detroit Lions, MD State Runner-Up
• Leroi Glover, DE, Dallas Cowboys
• Bob Golic, DT, Cleveland Browns

• Mike Golic, DE, Philadelphia Eagles
• Darien Gordon, PR/CB, Denver Broncos
• Scottie Graham, RB, Minnesota Vikings
• Tim Green, DE, Atlanta Falcons
• Kelly Gregg, NT, Baltimore Ravens, 3x KS State
  Champ
• Morlon Greenwood, OLB, Miami Dolphins
• Archie Griffin, HB, Cincinnati Bengals

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Pro Football Players with Wrestling Backgrounds

• Nick Griesen, LB, New York Giants
• Randy Grossman, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
• John Hannah, G, New England Patriots
• John Hartunian
• Carlton Haselrig, Pittsburgh Steelers, 3x NCAA
  Champ
• Ron Heller, TE, Seattle Seahawks
• Chad Hennings, DT, Dallas Cowboys State Champ
• Jay Hilgenberg, C, Chicago Bears

• Orlando Huff, MLB, Seattle Seahawks
• Corey Hulsy, G, Oakland Raiders
• Bo Jackson, RB, Oakland Raiders
• Mario Johnson, DT, New England Patriots
• Dahanie Jones, LB, New York Giants
• Henry Jordan, DT, Green Bay Packers
• Dave Joyner, OL, Green Bay Packers

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Pro Football Players with Wrestling Backgrounds

• John Jurkovich, DT, Cleveland Browns
• Alex Karras, Detroit Lions
• Tim Krumrie, DT, Cincinnati Bengals
• Ernie Ladd, DL, Kansas City Chiefs
• Jess Lewis, LB, Houston Oilers
• Ronnie Lott, DB, San Francisco 49ers
• Kirk Lowdermilk, OL, Minnesota Vikings

• Sean Mahan, G, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Joel Mackavicka, RB, Seattle Seahawks
• Steve Martin, DT, Houston Texans
• Mickey Marvin, RG, Oakland Raiders
• Napolean McCallum, RB, Oakland Raiders
• Randle McDaniel, G, Minnesota Vikings
• Mark McDonald, SS, Arizona Cardinals

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Pro Football Players with Wrestling Backgrounds

• Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers
• Leo Nomellini, T, San Francisco 49ers
• Jonathan Ogden, OT, Baltimore Ravens
• Irv Pankey, Los Angeles Rams 2x MD State Champ
• David Patten, WR, New England Patriots
• Scott Peters, G, New York Giants
• Bob Pickens, OL, Chicago Bears
• Jim Plunkett, QB, Oakland Raiders

• Chris McIntosh, T, Seattle Seahawks
• Greg Meisner, DL, Los Angeles Rams
• Matt Millen, LB, Oakland Raiders
• James Mungro, HB, Indianapolis Colts
• Jim Nance, FB, New England Patriots
• Lorenzo Neal, FB, Tennessee Titans - NCAA All-
  American
• Jeremy Newberry, C, San Francisco 49ers

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Pro Football Players with Wrestling Backgrounds

• Cory Schlesinger, LB, Detroit Lions - NE State
  Champ
• Steve Sefter, DT, Eagles, 2x PA State Champ
  NCAA AA
• Tony Siragusa, DT, Baltimore Ravens NJ State
  Champ
• Fred Smerlas, Buffalo Bills - MA State Champ
• Bruce Smith, DE, Washington Redskins
• Brad St. Louis, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
• Matt Suhey, RB, Chicago Bears

• Dave Porter, T, Green Bay Packers
• Mike Pyle, C, Chicago Bears
• Mike Reid, Cincinnati Bengals
• Eric Rhett, RB, Cleveland Browns
• Willie Roaf, OT, New Orleans Saints
• Warren Sapp, DT Tampa Bay Buccaneers FL State
  Champ
• Mark Schlereth, OL, Redskins - Alaska State Champ

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Pro Football Players with Wrestling Backgrounds

• John Ward, OL, New York Jets
• Fred Weary, DB, St. Louis Rams
• Charles White, HB, Los Angeles Rams
• Randy White, DT, Dallas Cowboys
• Ricky Williams, RB, Miami Dolphins
• Coy Wire, LB, Buffalo Bills PA State Runner-Up
• Greg Wojochowski, St. Louis Rams

• Bill Szott, OL, Washington Redskins
• Woody Thompson, RB, Atlanta Falcons PA State
  Champ
• Kyle Turley, T, St. Louis Rams
• Ryan Turnbull, RB, Cleveland Browns
• Tommy Vardell, RB, San Francisco 49ers
• Adam Vinatieri, K, New England Patriots

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The Coaches Perspective
Lets look at what coaches have to say about
wrestling.

• I draft wrestlers because they are tough, I have
  never had a problem with a wrestler. - Joe
  Gibbs, Hall of fame Football Coach

• "I would have all of my Offensive Lineman wrestle
  if I could."- John Madden, Hall of Fame Football
  Coach

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The Coaches Perspective

• I love wrestlers, they are tough and they make
  great football players. Mike Stoops, National
  Championship Football Coach - University of
  Oklahoma.
• Wrestlers make coaching football easy, they have
  balance, coordination, and as a coaching staff we
  know theyre tough. - Tom Osborne - College Hall
  of Fame Football Coach - University of Nebraska

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University of Oklahoma Head Football Coach Bob
StoopsThoughts on wrestling and football

• Having played football at the University of Iowa
  and gotten to know legendary Iowa Coach Dan
  Gable, I have become a big fan of the sport of
  wrestling.
• In addition to enjoying the sport, I am convinced
  that wrestling as a sport is extremely beneficial
  to football and believe that high school coaches
  would benefit greatly by allowing their players
  to wrestle and by recruiting wrestlers.
• Wrestling helps develop discipline to stay in
  ones stance. Wrestlers also generally have good
  balance, understand leverage and know how to use
  their hands. This benefits them in blocking,
  defending blocks and tackling. Perhaps the
  greatest benefit of wrestling is developing
  mental and physical toughness.
• Many of the top football programs like Nebraska
  have a number of former wrestlers on their team.
  We have several and I not only allow, but have
  encouraged these to wrestle in the off-season.
• I am a football man, but have the greatest
  respect for wrestling and all those who compete
  in wrestling.

Sincerely, Bob Stoops
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Pros With Wrestling Background

• Stephan Neal - The Football Player
• 28 years old, he was signed by the Patriots as
  an undrafted free agent on July 23, 2001.
• The 6-foot-4-inch, 305-pound offensive lineman
  has played in 34 career games with 31 starts.
• Recorded the longest current consecutive starts
  streak on the Patriots offensive line.
• Stephan Neal - The Wrestler
• San Diego native
• Did not play football in college and instead was
  a championship wrestler at Cal State-Bakersfield.
  
• He compiled a 156-10 record and won two NCAA
  Division I titles.
• In 1999, Neal won the Dan Hodge Award - known as
  the Heisman Trophy of wrestling - following a
  year in which he won the U.S. Freestyle
  Championship, the Pan-American Games title and
  the World Championships.

• Ray Lewis - The Football Player
• Seven-time Pro Bowler
• 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year
• Super Bowl XXXV MVP
• Arguably the greatest LB and 1 of the best
  players in NFL history.
• Ray Lewis- The Wrestler
• Florida native
• Florida State 4A Wrestling Champion - 189 lb.
  weight class
• Credits wrestling as the training ground for his
  prolific football career.

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Hall Of Famers Who Wrestled
Jim Thorpe Chuck Noll
Ronnie Lott Larry Czonka
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Multiple Pro-Bowlers Who Wrestled
Teddy BruschiRicky Williams
Bo JacksonChad Hennings
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Crossover Skills

• Many of the positions and skills are absolutely
  transferable between both sports
• Some of those skills include but are not limited
  to footwork, hand-eye coordination, mental
  toughness, explosive movements, and balance
• Learning the ability too beat the man in front of
  you can not be ignored.

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Skills used in Wrestling transfer to other sports
Mental toughness
Quickness
Foot Hand speed
Strength Endurance
Flexibility
Agility
Spatial Awareness
Balance
Explosiveness
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Cross-over skills applied to football

• Cross-over skills are skills that transfer from
  one sport to another allowing for greater
  athletic potential.

Look at the similarities when applied to
tackling
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Crossover Skills Tackling
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Crossover Skills Body Awareness Balance
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Crossover Skills Position Stance
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Crossover Skills Eye Contact Hand fighting
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Most importantly -wrestling teaches Self
Reliance

• Self Reliance as in some other sports,
  wrestlers never have anyone to help them cover up
  their mistakes. In wrestling, its all you, all
  of the time.

• Being a 1-on-1 sport, wrestlers
• are never afraid to do what is required
• of them in school, on the field and in life.

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A Look at The Numbers

• 32 Professional Football Teams
• 65 Man Rosters
• 2080 Professional Football Players
• 185 Wrestlers in the NFL
• 11.24 of the NFL has a wrestling background

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The Link Cannot Be Dismissed

• The relationship between wrestling and football
  is real.
• There are too many legends in both sports who
  have proved it.
• Hall of fame football coaches and players espouse
  the benefits of wrestling for football players.
• Football never made a wrestler a better wrestler
  BUT Wrestling made every football player a better
  football player!!!

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Why Wrestling?

• First, some history and facts.
• Wrestling is the oldest sport known to man
  performed by a host of famous and important
  people of the ages.
• Wrestling is a basic instinct you are born with.
  Kids always want to wrestle around the yard and
  in the living room with each other.
• When competing there is no standing around or
  long breaks in the action and you never have to
  wait to have your chance as in other ball
  sports. When you compete you are in constant
  motion.
• Athletes of all shapes and sizes can be
  successful.
• Every athlete regardless of age and size can
  wrestle.

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Wrestling is one of the ONLY sports that offers
and equal playing field!!
Dave
Goliath
Vs.
Weight classes allow for any size athlete to
compete
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Myths about Wrestling
Weight Loss
Every football coachs 1 concern regarding
wrestling

• One must lose weight to participate in wrestling!
  
• WRONG-with 15 weight classes which are evenly
  spaced from 103-285lbs., there is room for all
  shapes, weights and sizes.

It is the job of the coaches to help the athletes
turn Fat into Muscle through proper nutrition and
strength training!
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Weight Training Wrestling

• Myth 2 I need to lift to get bigger for
  Football or Track field and wrestlers never
  lift and have to lose weight.
• Wrong again!-The objective of a wrestler is to
  have a body that is lean, flexible, powerful, and
  explosive. Wrestlers use plyometrics, circuit
  training, plate work, and traditional weight
  training exercises.
• Any good football coach should want to have
  players who are lean and more athletic than one
  who just has bulk with little agility.
• No one will discourage anyone from lifting extra
  outside of practice.

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Mat Drills
The main ingredient of mat drills is mental
toughness, but the second is team unity. We are
all working together. There are no stars, no
heroes, there are no great players, we are all a
team. We are all dressed alike, we are all doing
the same exact drills, we are all getting
treated alike, and then the unity comes. -
Coach Dave Van Halanger on the philosophy behind
the infamous mat drills
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Mat Drills
Coach Bowden (famous for his tenure at Florida
State University) wanted to increase his team's
discipline. So, the coach ordered his players
inside a room where a wrestling mat had been
unrolled and spread onto the floor. The players
performed various agility and movement drills,
all designed to build stamina and to test
intangibles they carried in their minds and
souls.They called them "mat drills During the
glory years -- FSU finished ranked among the top
4 every year from 1987 through 2000 -- coaches
and players credited mat drills for their success.
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Seek a Common Goal
Communication is number 1. Share your
goals. Many drills for both wrestling and
football co-exist Form a plan to work
together. Share the benefits.
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Examples of Mat Drills
These drills can benefit both wrestling and
football. Both programs can benefit. Wrestling
makes better football players. Many of the best
athletes play football Why choose between the
two?
When you can have Both!!!!
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Simple agility drills on the mat
Forward roll
Start 3 point stance
Up and sprint
Finish with a jump
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Simple agility drills on the mat
Backward roll
Start 3 point stance
Forward roll
up downs drop and spin
Up and sprint
Quick stop
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Simple agility drills on the mat
Start 3 point stance
Forward roll
Superman Dive
Land and slide
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Simple agility drills on the mat
Sailors dive w/ landing
Sailors dive
Bear crawl
Shuttle run / bear crawl
Forward roll
Stop, turn w/ spin
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Simple agility drills on the mat
Sailors dive
Sailors dive w/ landing
Start Sailors dive
Superman Dive
Stance and motion
Up and sprint
Finish with a jump
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Mat Drills

• "KING OF THE MAT"
• put a GROUP on the mat, the last one LEFT on
  the mat WINS! Only rule was that they must NOT
  stand up.
• NOTE It was "interesting" to see how 2 or 3
  would "team up" try to shove the TOUGHEST kids
  off the mat (which made them even tougher)!
• Goals, 1. To pin your opponents back to the mats
  or 2 push your opponents out of the circle.

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Mat Drills

• "HARNESS DRILL"
• Use a harness that enables two players to pull
  AGAINST each other. 2 kids start in a 3 point
  stance charged in opposite direction. It does a
  great job teaching "LEVERAGE.
• The winner was the man with forward momentum
  after 6 seconds. These were done on the wrestling
  mat, of course!
• Can you think of a better way to teach center of
  gravity?

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Mat Drills
Chest-to-Back Spin One person gets on his
hands and knees. The other person sprawls out on
top with his chest on the bottom man's back.
The top man then spins around while keeping his
weight on the bottom man. Be sure to go in both
directions. A variation includes rapid changes
in direction. Do this when the instructor gives
the command or when your opponent reaches upwith
one hand and stops your progress.
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Mat Drills

• Elbow Drag
• Lie flat on your stomach. Reach out with both
  hands and pull yourself forward. To accomplish
  this, press your elbows and upper arms into the
  mat.
• Drag your body until the hands are in line with
  the shoulders then reach out again. Do not bring
  thehands under the chest.
• Move up and down the mat. This drill builds
  strength in the deltoid, pectoral, and serratus
  muscles.

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Mat Drills

• Sumo Wrestling
• Two wrestlers start facing each other in a 3
  point stance in the small inter-circle.
• They charge each other in an attempt to push one
  another out of the circle or take the opposing
  wrestlers down.

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Shoe Lace Game

• Opposing wrestlers try to touch each others shoes
  laces.
• Once one wrestler touches the others shoe laces
  they shake hands and play again.
• The winner is first to three.
• This teaches sprawling, body awareness, and body
  awareness.

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Wrestling Big Bag Game

• This game uses large throwing dummies or punching
  bags.
• Place the bag in the middle of the wrestling
  mat. Two guys stand on the outside opposite ends
  of the circle. At the signal, both guys head for
  the bag. The goal is for them to use ANY means
  possible, (within the rules of wrestling), to get
  the bag to the opposite end of the circle from
  which they started. They will therefore need to
  wrestle the other guy WHILE dragging the bag.
• More than two may play also! Teams of four or
  six players may square off at once. It should be
  cautioned not to allow players with too much
  weight difference on the mat, as a safety
  measure.

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Stance and Motion Drill

• Sometimes referred to as phantom or shadow
  wrestling, this drill simulates having an
  imaginary opponent.
• Wrestlers get into a solid wrestling stance with
  knees bent and hands in front. Then, they shuffle
  in all directions. While in that stance and
  moving, call "shot" or "sprawl." When the coach
  calls shot, the wrestlers take a double-leg or
  high crotch shot (wrestler's preference) at the
  imaginary opponent. When the coach calls sprawl,
  the wrestlers sprawl back as though avoiding a
  shot. D
• Drill for 1 to 2 minutes as the coach calls about
  15 shots and sprawls each.
• Coaching point Emphasizes the three keys to
  this drill Get back into stance as quickly as
  possible after the movement, move the feet as
  fast as possible and remain in stance for as long
  as possible.

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Land Mine

• Place soft plastic cones all over the mat.
  Players try to move their partner so that he
  steps on a cone while trying to avoid stepping on
  cones themselves.
• Balance, footwork, mat control, control of your
  opponent his balance

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Foot Speed Circuit

• "When you are tired in a match, the reason you
  get taken down is because you are not moving your
  feet," So, work on foot speed for an extended
  period of conditioning. All the drills are
  performed over a tapeline. The wrestlers go
  through a circuit, performing each drill for 30
  to 45 seconds and resting for 45 seconds to a
  minute. Perform as many repetitions as possible
  during the allotted time. When anaerobic
  threshold increases, add 2 to 3 sets of knee-ups
  at the end of the circuit to increase difficulty.
  
• Lateral HopsHop side to side over the line with
  the feet together.
• Front to Back HopsWith feet together, hop
  forward and backward over the line.
• Foot FiresChop feet in place as fast as
  possible.
• Knee-UpsJumping as high as possible, bring the
  knees to the chest. Repeat immediately upon
  landing.
• Right Leg Lateral HopsHop using only the right
  foot.
• Right Leg Front to Back HopsHop using only the
  right foot.
• Left Leg Lateral HopsHop using only the left
  foot.
• Left Leg Front to Back HopsHop using only the
  left foot.

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Dot Drills Foot Speed
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Dot Drills Foot Speed

• 3. Left Foot
• You will end the right foot drill on Dot B. Now
  go to Dot C with your left foot.
• Now go in order Dot E D C A B
• Repeat 5 more times

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Transition from Football to Wrestling

• 1. The transition from football to wrestling
  should be a natural move for high school
  athletes.
• 2. The goal should be to make football players
  and wrestlers in general bigger in size, stronger
  in body, and stronger in mind. Wrestlings
  purpose is to build the stature of its
  competitors. It is a false statement that all
  wrestlers lose weight.
• 3. Wrestling requires total body control,
  deepening skills that can be used in a variety of
  sports. Not a group of muscles in the body is
  overlooked. When a competitor steps on to the mat
  he/she takes responsibility for the development
  and coordination of every square inch of their
  body.

From the Gridiron to the Wrestling MatBy Ted
Witulski/USA WrestlingThe Mat.comJune 4, 2004
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Skills that carry over

• The jukes and fakes meant to leave a tackler in
  the dust are very closely associated to the same
  level changes, and motion meant to take an
  opponent out of position. Speed is an asset in
  wrestling and football. A season on the mat will
  make any participant quicker and more explosive.

From the Gridiron to the Wrestling MatBy Ted
Witulski/USA WrestlingThe Mat.comJune 4, 2004
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Skills that carry over

• A running backs ability to maintain his feet and
  shed a tackle are amazingly similar to wrestlers
  ability to downblock or crossblock.
• Commonly before a football game running backs
  warm-up practicing the exact same skill only
  while holding a football and switching it from
  arm to arm.
• Fighting off a tackle is done every day in
  wrestling wrestlers just call it defending a
  takedown.

From the Gridiron to the Wrestling MatBy Ted
Witulski/USA WrestlingThe Mat.comJune 4, 2004
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Wrestling, the off- season program
Coaches should encourage prospective participants
to view wrestling as an essential key to greater
physical and mental development. The skills
transfer perfectly between the sports and most
wrestling coaches already know that wrestling
can be a positive life altering experience. Good
luck in bringing more athletes into the
wrestling community. After all, wrestling is
training for life.
From the Gridiron to the Wrestling MatBy Ted
Witulski/USA WrestlingThe Mat.comJune 4, 2004