Thread: Eyes, not hands, Williamson's main problem

"ItalianStallion" wrote:

How hard is it to look at the ball?

It's fairly easy.
Until you add crowd noise, the fact that you are in motion, the ball is in motion, coaches screaming at you, thinking about when to make your cut and where your route is taking you, and you have 1-3 DBs breathing down your neck.
I'll agree this type of thing is the basic of basics, but not much is really that "basic" when you take it to a pro level.

"Prophet" wrote:

"whackthepack" wrote:

Does anybody think that if Tice and his staff were still here that Troy would be getting this type of coaching? Or would Troy just end up in Tice's doghouse and be gone in 2 years.

Tice wasn't bright enough to realize that there was a problem. So, no.

From articles I read Tice had remarked on Troy being raw and having potential and yet did nothing to get the kid the coaching that was needed to really bring this raw talent to the fore. So now he is almost starting off this year as a rookie in terms of knowing the fundamentals.

I see another poster commented on how did he get so far as the NFL is he didn't have so much of the basics for a WR. Don't forget that SC was a run-oriented team - which was also a knock on the Vikes drafting TW in the first place. Consequently his receiving skills were maybe not as refined or polished as you'd expect for a rookie coming into the NFL as a first round pick - hence Tice's comments about potential.

Get him a pair of those, and I'll get a jersey with his number, but Ill put "WILD THING" on the back.

"oddmanout22287" wrote:

"ItalianStallion" wrote:

How hard is it to look at the ball?

It's fairly easy.
Until you add crowd noise, the fact that you are in motion, the ball is in motion, coaches screaming at you, thinking about when to make your cut and where your route is taking you, and you have 1-3 DBs breathing down your neck.
I'll agree this type of thing is the basic of basics, but not much is really that "basic" when you take it to a pro level.

What you are describing is a concentration problem. That is easily overcome.
However hand eye coordination is developed at an early age. If you don't have it at this stage it is hard to learn.
There have been plenty of track speed burners who have not been able to hold onto the ball in the NFL. Some make it and some don't.
The route running problem will be easily fixed through good coaching.
Lets hope it's a concentration problem.

I believe that the coaching staff will work with him until he gets it. The old adage "you can't teach speed" comes into play. Let the opposing D-coordinators underestimate his skills and watch him "school" them.
He is, after all, only in his second season. The first set of coaches obviously didn't know how to teach him the basics.

"jargomcfargo" wrote:

"oddmanout22287" wrote:

"ItalianStallion" wrote:

How hard is it to look at the ball?

It's fairly easy.
Until you add crowd noise, the fact that you are in motion, the ball is in motion, coaches screaming at you, thinking about when to make your cut and where your route is taking you, and you have 1-3 DBs breathing down your neck.
I'll agree this type of thing is the basic of basics, but not much is really that "basic" when you take it to a pro level.

What you are describing is a concentration problem. That is easily overcome.
However hand eye coordination is developed at an early age. If you don't have it at this stage it is hard to learn.
There have been plenty of track speed burners who have not been able to hold onto the ball in the NFL. Some make it and some don't.
The route running problem will be easily fixed through good coaching.
Lets hope it's a concentration problem.

Troy should play more Madden in order to develop this hand eye coordination, forget this practice stuff :smile: .

Well, he had better do something because we need him now.