Dominate the Super Bowl

Chapter 168 167 Catching Test

In the 2015 season, Derrick Henry swept through the NCAA with an unbelievable performance, strongly defeating McCaffrey and Watson to take home the Heisman Trophy.

After the season ended, Henry declared for the 2016 draft. Your next journey awaits at empire

From various analyses and indications, Henry, who showed absolute dominance on the college field, should have been naturally a highly sought-after player.

However, reality begged to differ.

First, Henry's large build and obvious target made him easy to catch by opponents; his high center of gravity made him prone to losing balance.

Secondly, in the NCAA, Henry could always break through with explosive power, but in the NFL, where the defensive intensity was notably higher, this move was not necessarily effective.

Lastly, based on past experience, large, strong running backs like Henry, such as Brandon Jacobs, LeGarrette Blount, Marshawn Lynch, and so on, tended to be used as one-dimensional power backs. When the ground attack strategies were recognized in the second and third gears, their strength advantages often got lost in the crowd tactics.

The so-called one-dimensional running backs mentioned here not only refer to their rushing style but also to the fact that they could run but not catch.

With this in view, Henry's weaknesses seemed more apparent than his strengths. After the nationwide championship ended, NFL scouts generally predicted his draft position to be around the fourth or fifth rounds, or even lower. Fortunately, Henry conquered the scouts with outstanding performances at the Rookie Training Camp and Alabama Crimson Tide Storm's internal training day.

In the end, in the second round at pick forty-five, the Tennessee Titans selected Henry.

However.

In March before the draft, the Tennessee Titans had already signed Pro Bowl running back DeMarco Murray as the starter, which meant Henry's rookie season would have to start from the bench.

The quarterback for the Tennessee Titans was the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, a mobile quarterback whose strength lay in running the ball on the ground, with average passing ability; coupled with the fact that both Murray and Henry had similar styles, being running backs who excelled in rushing but not in receiving, their roles on the field completely overlapped.

Thus, Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt could only use Henry when Murray was exhausted.

Throughout his rookie season, Henry merely managed 490 rushing yards and five touchdowns, a figure that was just a fifth of his Heisman season the year before.

This, is the current situation.

The entire NFL has fully entered the era of passing dominance, with traditional power fullbacks gradually being phased out, while versatile halfbacks are increasingly becoming the main type of running back.

Huh.

Kamara let out a long breath; he had no way out now.

His plan had been completely disrupted, things had spiraled out of control long ago. He wanted to swear but had no mood for it. If he still wanted to use Li Wei as a stepping stone to prove himself, if he still wanted to improve his draft position, this was his last chance, he had to seize it.

The receiving skills test wasn't about timing but about testing agility and precision.

The starting point was a cross-shaped block set on the ground, about twenty centimeters high, with the player standing in one quadrant. They then had to hop on one foot to the next quadrant, the second foot then hopping into the same quadrant, ensuring one foot, then the other each entered before finally both standing in the quadrant. They would continue in the same manner to the next quadrant.

Whether clockwise or counterclockwise, depending on the player's personal preference, they would start and end in the same quadrant, completing one full round.

Then, they would take off.

Ahead were three horizontal barriers, twenty centimeters high and arranged longitudinally, which the players needed to traverse in the same fashion before charging forward.

Then, three circular air-filled sandbags were set up in a Y-shaped pattern with each having a coach behind. The coaches would swing the sandbags to simulate a defender's block. The running back had to find the correct lane between the Y-shaped gaps to push through—

At the same time, they could not touch the sandbags and had to successfully dodge them.

Continuing straight ahead, another coach stood empty-handed; he would raise his hands, indicating left or right. It wasn't about dodging this time but about following the directions, with the player running a lateral parabola according to the instruction, ending near the sideline to be ready to catch the ball.

The one passing the ball would still be a coach.

After catching the Football, the players would continue down the sideline and into the End zone.

The whole process seemed simple, but it was actually quite complex.

It tested footwork, judgment, the ability to react on the spot, changing direction, catching, control of the center of gravity after catching, and the final sprint.

Time wasn't important, no one tested for time, but everyone could see the agility of the steps, the on-the-spot judgment, the smoothness of the breakthrough, and the secondary reactions, and so on. It was a comprehensive assessment of the running back and Wide Receiver's capabilities.

It was hard, very hard, but Kamara was ready.