Most Difficult Football Position?

#26
#26
KBVol said:
Why are so many trying to overthink this? It's QB, hands down. It's why if you have a great QB you always have a chance and if you don't have a good one you can pretty much forget it.
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This is an unjustified leap in logic. You can't move directly from "it is the most valuable" or "there is the largest gap in ability between the good and bad QBs" to "it is the most difficult".
 
#30
#30
Vol8188 said:
I'm going to say TE is the hardest position in football. That's why noone has one anymore. They're hard to find. You have to be smart enough to learn the entire run game and the entire passing game. And on top of that you have to be massive. Fast like a wr. Strong like a linemen.

These are the hardest humans on the planet to find.
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there off playing basketball :)
 
#32
#32
volnashun said:
What is the toughest football position (particularly in the CBJ offensive <emphasis>)? Who touches the ball EVERY SINGLE PLAY? I believe it's the Center. I believe the player last year who had the most touches on the football even after being out with injury for 2 games was Crowder out of everyone else on the team. Can someone correct that if its wrong.

Who BLOCKS the LARGEST and STRONGEST defensive players EVERY SINGLE PLAY? The Center - against SEC Nose Tackles. And whenever that SEC Nose Tackle stunts hard right or hard left in attempt to pull the Center with him – he does so because a nightmarish middle linebacker is attempting to blitz over the middle. Who usually has to scrape off their block to pick up that middle blitz? Usually the Center. I can’t imagine how much of a nightmare it is to protect a QB during a blitz under this scenario especially whenever that linebacker has the momentum and speed of a 5 yard run already in his favor. The Center also has the shortest distance between himself and a defensive player - inches as opposed to yards.

Who has to be the first player back to the line of scrimmage after every single play – no matter where the last play ended? Who has to get set first before anyone else gets set? Who is the gas pedal of the offense that controls the tempo of the offense getting set and getting the play off? You got it, it’s the Center.

To be Center (particularly in the CBJ offensive), you obviously need to be quick, hip flexible, quick to think, very intelligent – every single play under every single condition. The center is also responsible for communicating with the rest of the offensive line at all times, under all game pressures, under all hurry up conditions, under all weather conditions, under all Crowd noise conditions – even during a 15 play drive down the field whenever all other players are sucking wind as they were in our successful offensive demonstration in South Carolina. A hurry up offense is the most difficult for all Olinemen and Dlinemen. That’s actually the point of the ‘hurry up’ strategy – to wear down the linemen and let your light weight skill guys have at it. But the Center must continue performing, breathing, thinking, communicating, getting set first, remembering.

Because many Centers height ranges are preferred to be 1-2 inches shorter than the rest of the o-line’s and might weigh 10 lbs lighter there are assumptions by a few under-educated-about-football fans that this position is weaker. That’s such an error. The prototypical center in the NFL is usually the shortest lineman and needs that physical lower leverage to go against the nose tackles and get under their pads. It also helps the QB if the Center is lower to be able to visually see down the field. That physical profile fits the position and does not mean weaker. Center's weight lifting strengths are usually very strong and among the top on the team.

Who is responsible for the beginning physics of the football and must snap ON TIME and ACCURATE every single play, even in the rain? It’s the Center. If the TIMING or ACCURACY of the snap is off even by a little bit the % Probability of Success of that individual play drops significantly – With our fast pace offense when guys go in motion and then run across the face of our QB for a hand off – if our QB is fumbling to handle a poor snap or if the timing of that snap is off then the handoff is messed up, causing the RB to lose run rhythm and confidence on the play or fumble the ball. Any off target snap will usually foul up a pass play as well because the QB has to adjust his eyes during that split second he’s trying to field the football losing focus of his receivers. The Centers in the older days, before the shotgun and pistol formations, had it a bit easier because the QBs hands were directly under his butt. However, in today’s style of football play adding that 5 yard separation between QB and Center allows for a lot of dynamics and error.

The small adjustments like getting set first (and immediately) at the Line of Scrimmage, Hurry Up Identification of the Defensive configuration and play-by-play defensive alignment calls, snap speed, snap timing, snap accuracy, blocking the largest defensive player on the other team, handling inside blitzing, occasionally pulling around the end to block, remembering your own blocking assignment, remembering the snap count cadence, making immediate in-play blocking assignment changes after the snap, and then doing it all over again every play (at high tempo during high stress times), makes this position arguably the most difficult position on the entire offensive, maybe the entire team – one that can really foul up the mechanics of an offense especially in the CBJ offense.

What do you think is the Most Difficult Football Position?
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No doubt Center is a very tough position--and one that requires agility, physicality, toughness, and intelligence.

However--a Center can get help from guards sometimes when he can't handle his blocking assignment.

Personally--I think Cornerback is THE toughest position on the field and requires the most athletic player.

A QB can be average and QB a championship team--Trent Dilfer, Jim McMahon, etc...etc....if they have a great OL and a good running back.

A center can get help with his assignments in blocking etc...etc...

However--no position is placed on an island consistently more than the CB. He must be physical, read and support the run, run like a deer---stop on a dime--change directions--and accelerate from a stop to full-speed--and find the ball with his head turned away from the QB in a split second.

He has NO HELP for more than 90% of the plays--and even when he has help over the top--he's usually in zone and must be able to read the play and come off of his player and pick up another one in an instant.

Just my 2 cents....:salute:
 
#33
#33
turambar85 said:
This is an unjustified leap in logic. You can't move directly from "it is the most valuable" or "there is the largest gap in ability between the good and bad QBs" to "it is the most difficult".
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Don't care what you deem logical. The most difficult and the most valuable position in football is quarterback. The difficulty of the position and the value of the position are directly linked. Period.
 
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#35
#35
The secret to the answer is buried inside the question, as so often happens. What, precisely, do you mean by "difficult"? Answer that, and you can answer your own question most times.

  • Most intellectually challenging? QB, followed by MLB
  • Most fast-twitch instinctive reaction? tie, QB and CB
  • Most physical? OLine & DLine ("fist fight in a phone booth")
  • And so on....

Having said that, I'll go with: reverse cowgirl.
 
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#37
#37
The way the game of football has changed the last 5 years answers the question for me and that answer is CB. You can barely touch a WR in today's game without getting a flag. You have to be real careful about the big hit over the middle because you will probably get flagged even if you don't actually hit the head/neck area. You can get flagged just by the way the hit looks and possibly ejected and suspended.

They have basically handcuffed the CB position because of safety issues and they want high scoring games. It has to be tough being a corner in today's game and the worst part is they get criticized for getting burned when most of time they're going up against better athletes and they can't be physical anymore.
 
#40
#40
fade route said:
QB and it's not even remotely close. No other position calls for more complex decision making under as much pressure as the QB
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This x 1000. If your answer isn't QB, then you need to rethink your answer.

Most mentally demanding postion by a longshot. It's not the toughest position from a physical standpoint (that's probably corner or LT), but it is still up there simply because throwing a football accurately, on time and with enough zip in pads in a live game is actually a lot harder than it looks. On the field, you are expected to be the vocal and emotional leader of the team. Off the field, you are expected to be the face of the franchise/program, and be a class act, good student, community leader, etc. Also, as Fade said, the level of mental and emotional pressure of playing QB is matched only by the Head Coach.

As for easiest position, I go D-Line on D and RB on O. D-Line has to stay gap-sound and can't lose contain, but other than that they basically have one mission: seek and destroy whoever has the ball. RB is a physically punishing position to play, but the RB is usually the RB because they are one of the best athletes on the team. So those guys are already good to begin with, and playing the position is mostly just instincts and natural ability.
 
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#41
#41
Would a good way to measure difficulty be to see which position has had the least amount of true FR starters over the past X# years? Enough data might answer it more soundly.
 
#42
#42
Vol8188 said:
I'm going to say TE is the hardest position in football. That's why noone has one anymore. They're hard to find. You have to be smart enough to learn the entire run game and the entire passing game. And on top of that you have to be massive. Fast like a wr. Strong like a linemen.

These are the hardest humans on the planet to find.
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I'd have to go with TE also. I remember reading about this position in the NFL a couple of decades ago and you have to find that particular athlete that is a cross between an OL and WR - good luck with that! They have to be able to block bigger and more powerful DL and quick and powerful LBs and, at the same time, have soft hands when they're running across the middle in "No Man's Land." QB's may have to be more cerebral but TEs have to be greater athletes. :hi:
 
#43
#43
How can so many get this so wrong?

The toughest, hardest, most demanding position on any football team is obviously the head coach.

No matter what player failed to execute it's the HC's fault.

Nothing is ever a assistant coaches fault, it's the HC fault.

Missed FG, blame the HC for not teaching the long snapper, holder and FG kicker well enough.

No matter what, it's the HC's fault.

Concessions priced too high, blame the HC.

Ticket prices too high, blame the HC.

Parking prices too high, it's the HC fault.

After all, if the team was getting enough Wins then more stuff would be sold, stadium would be packed, parking lots all full so those costs could come down, right?

Toilet stopped up, it must be the HC fault for not hiring the right people to keep everything running perfectly, LOL!

No matter what the problems are, the fault and blame always goes to the Head Coach.

Just remember, if you don't get the pay raise you expect and need, you can always put the blame on the head coach and feel better about it.

No wonder not many people really want to be a head coach, LOL!

#BrickbyBrick...VFL...GBO!!!
 
#44
#44
uhh....QB then MLB because they often are allowed to change plays and must be able to read what the other side is giving them.

Nothing else comes close.
 
#45
#45
QB to read all of the defense, and then DL that is going to get double team hit TE or get hit by a RB every play.
 
#46
#46
Freshman DT. I see posts on many boards about how a freshman DT will be a difference maker the day he steps on campus, but have never seen it happen.

For positions, I think center is the hardest OL position, QB the hardest O position.

MLB the hardest D position due to responsibilities and physical nature of the position (Who else is asked to give up 60-80 pounds to the blocker, stop him & the RB in his tracks, cover sideline to sideline, call plays, get everyone set, etc.)
 
#49
#49
volnashun said:
What is the toughest football position (particularly in the CBJ offensive <emphasis>)? Who touches the ball EVERY SINGLE PLAY? I believe it's the Center. I believe the player last year who had the most touches on the football even after being out with injury for 2 games was Crowder out of everyone else on the team. Can someone correct that if its wrong.

What do you think is the Most Difficult Football Position?
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The QB. Hands down. He also touches the ball every single play. He also has to make sure everyone is lined up correctly on offense, and he has to read the defense, and then make split second decisions while usually around 1000 lbs or so of monster are charging at him. And he has to have the stones to stand there until the last second to make a throw knowing he is going to get tattooed.

it is certainly critical to have a good center though for all of the reasons you listed.
 
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