Traveled to Cleveland St Ignatius High School yesterday to watch QB's do their thing at the Camp of Champions Elite QB/Receiver Academy. The camp is a skills camp to teach techniques and drills to help a player self-correct himself during the season.
The staff includes Joe Perella, the Director and QB coaches: Nick Restifo, QB coach at St. Ignatius - Elvis Grbac, former NFL QB -Tom Arth, new head coach at John Carroll University and former NFL QB - Russ Jacques, former college QB coach and now head coach at Strongsville. There were receiver coaches, including good friend, St Ignatius head coach, Chuck Kyle, but I really wanted to learn more about developing a quarterback.
First, as I have said before, I may have been one of the best touch-football QB's ever to come out of Upper Sandusky in the 60's. Of course, you had to count 1-1,000, 2-1000, 3-1000 before you could rush me. I love to study QB's. Because of the weather and a QB prospect playing other sports, producing top BCS QB's in Ohio is tough.
My problem yesterday was that there did not seem to be many QB prospects getting fine-tuned. Thought that there would have more QB's in camp working on skills. Liked some of the younger ones, but did not see alot older ones. With the quality of QB instructors on hand, older QB's would have benefited from some little tips. No big deal, I guess, but I just thought more quarterbacks in the Cleveland area would take advantage of the three day, 1:30-3:30 sessions.
Maybe their cost. $80 for three days, including a t-shirt. Do the math. A little over 13 dollars an hour. There are QB instructors getting 135 dollars an hour. A few years ago, I was asking in the Columbus area about getting a QB instructor to work my camp. I was told the going rate for 4 hours was between 225 to 250 dollars to do the camp. Of course, I jumped on that deal.
Right now, in the Ohio Class of 2015 quarterbacks, none to seem to "stand-out." By that I mean all need work and reps. Alot of reps. Last year's Class of 2014 QB's is going to surprise college coaches in two years. Potentially there is a freshman (2017) QB who if he keeps working and handles all of the "noise" of recruiting and all of the recruiting reporters brown sugar, could be very good. At the end of the day, "Braxton Miller" level good.
Rambling some, but I just wanted to stress the importance spending time on quarterbacking. Camps or extra instruction is really important. Do not spend the top dollar that some of these "QB guru's" demand. Do not meet with an instructor five days a week. Do not meet with a QB guru during the season to breakdown film.(This is what your coach gets paid to do). Work on technique and reps.
For me - Everything starts with footwork. When a QB is with a coach, footwork drills are huge. Arm strength is really important. But "core muscle development" is where arm strength improves. There is a high profile QB in the 2014 Class who really needs to work on core muscles to improve arm strong. A three sports guy, but he really needs to develop the core muscles.
Young quarterbacks - try to find someone who really understands quarterbacks and can get his points through to you. This can be your high school coach, a person who has played QB in college, or a person who has played and been successful at the QB position. Ben Mauk in Kenton, Ohio would be good. He does well for me. No need to spend "big money." No need to have three different guys in "your ear." But there is a need to do extra work to be good quarterback.
One final note to quarterbacks. When you make your highlight video, include as many third down conversions as you can. College coaches like to see QB's make those third down plays.
Looking for an over 60's touch football league, but afraid the arm is dead. Maybe I will move to linebacker!!
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