The Coach's Eye: Running Back Edition

When most fans watch a running back, the first thing they notice is speed. How quickly can he hit the hole? Can he outrun the defense? Can he make a big play?

Those are certainly important qualities. But after 32 years of coaching, I can tell you there’s a lot more to evaluating a running back than what happens when the ball is in his hands.

A great running back isn’t simply someone who can run. He’s someone who understands the position, trusts his teammates, executes his assignments, and can be counted on when the game is on the line.

Let’s take a closer look at what coaches see when evaluating the prospects for the position:

Speed Is Only the Beginning

Without a doubt, you want a running back who can run. Speed is usually the first thing that catches your attention. But how that speed is used within the offense is just as important.

Not every running play is designed to be a race to the line of scrimmage. Some plays are quick-hitting, requiring the back to take the handoff and get downhill immediately. Others require patience.

Take a counter play, for example. When two offensive linemen are pulling across the formation, the running back has to allow the blocking to develop. He can’t simply take the ball and go. He needs to trust the design, allow his blockers to do their jobs, and then hit the hole with everything he’s got.

Patience doesn’t mean running slowly. It means knowing when to wait—and when to explode.

Trust the Play. Trust Your Linemen

One of the biggest mistakes I see young running backs make, particularly at the junior high and high school levels, is their tendency to abandon the play too quickly. They want to bounce everything outside.

But that’s not how successful running games are built. A running back has to trust the design of the play and trust his offensive linemen to carry out their blocks. If the play is designed to go inside, that’s where he needs to start.

Now, that doesn’t mean a running back should run blindly into a hole that isn’t there. Vision is an integral part of the position. Once he reaches the line of scrimmage, he has to read his blocks and understand what the defense is giving him. Sometimes the correct decision is to cut outside. Sometimes it’s to cut back inside.

The key is knowing the difference between making a necessary adjustment and simply abandoning the play because you don’t trust the blocking. And believe me, if the hole isn’t there, we’ll get on the offensive linemen about it.

Physicality: Avoid Contact When You Can, Deliver It When You Must

There are different styles of running backs. Some are elusive, making defenders miss in open space. Others are physical runners who lower their shoulders and run through contact.

Both styles can be effective.

I’ve always liked speedy backs, but I want them to have some physicality, too. If you can make a move and avoid contact, by all means, do it. There’s no reason to take a big hit when you don’t have to.

But what happens when there’s no cutback lane? What happens when the defense closes the opening and contact is unavoidable?

That’s when I want to see a running back lower his shoulder, finish the run, and get what he can. One thing I can’t stand is watching a running back approach contact and suddenly shy away or stop running hard. There’s a difference between avoiding contact intelligently and avoiding contact because you don’t want to get hit. A running back doesn’t have to seek out every defender. But he does have to finish.

Ball Security Is Non-Negotiable

If a running back doesn’t have ball security, he’s going to be standing over by me on the sideline.

Period.

We coached ball security from day one. It was never something we treated as optional or something to worry about later. We taught our backs to carry the football high and tight, using three points of contact:

• The hand over the point of the football in an eagle-claw position.

• The ball pressed firmly against the ribs.

• The forearm securing the football against the body.

And when contact is coming, the other hand goes over the football to protect it. That ball is your baby.

You can have all the speed, vision, and physical ability in the world, but if you can’t protect the football, you’re putting your entire team at risk.

A Running Back Has to Be Trusted Without the Football

This is where a lot of casual fans may not realize how much goes into playing the position. A running back isn’t just responsible for carrying the football. He has to be trusted in pass protection.

That means understanding blitz pickup, recognizing his responsibilities, and stepping up to protect the quarterback when necessary. If the quarterback gets in trouble, the running back may also have to slip out into the flat or find an open area as a safety valve. Those short dump-off passes can produce valuable yards.

But if a running back can’t be trusted to protect the quarterback, he’s not going to be on the field for those opportunities. And there’s another detail coaches watch closely: carrying out fakes.

Is the running back selling the fake at full speed, or is he being lazy because he knows he isn’t getting the football? A lazy fake can give the defense a clue. A running back who carries out his fake like he’s getting the ball can help create opportunities for the entire offense. Effort doesn’t stop when the football leaves your hands.

Assignment Discipline Matters

When a running back is given the ball, is he hitting the right hole? Is he trusting the play, or is he immediately looking to bounce it outside? We want him to trust the play and trust the hole.

Now, let’s be honest. Sometimes a running back will bounce a play outside and go 70 yards for a touchdown. We’ll be on the sideline high-fiving and congratulating him just like everybody else.

But when we watch film, we’re still going to point out that it wasn’t necessarily the correct decision.

Why?

Because that approach isn’t always going to work against a really good defense. If the defense is playing assignment football, freelancing and trying to bounce everything outside may not produce the same result. That’s why assignment discipline has to be coached consistently. The goal isn’t simply to make a big play. The goal is to execute the play correctly and understand why it was designed that way.

Today’s Running Back Must Be a Dual Threat

In today’s game, you definitely want a running back who can contribute as a receiver. Good hands matter. The ability to catch the football, secure it, turn upfield, and get moving in a hurry adds another dimension to the offense.

A running back who can hurt a defense both running and receiving becomes more valuable because he can stay on the field in different situations.

Versatility matters.

When the Game Is on the Line, Can You Trust Him?

When I put everything together—speed, vision, patience, physicality, ball security, blocking, receiving, and effort—what separates a good running back from a great one?

It’s all of those things. It’s his effort, his attention to detail, how he carries out his fakes, and his ability to protect the quarterback. Does he run hard? But most of all, can he be trusted at crunch time?

Let’s say it’s fourth-and-one in the fourth quarter. You’re down a touchdown or less, and you need that first down. Is that running back going to do everything he needs to do to hit the hole hard and get the yard or two? Or is he going to try to bounce the play outside, string it out, and potentially run himself out of bounds or get tackled for a loss?

Now flip the situation.

Your team has a lead. It’s third-and-three, and you’re one first down away from essentially ending the game. Can you trust that running back to take the football, hit the designed hole, and get the yards needed to move the chains? That’s what coaches are looking for.

And yes, everybody has to do their part. The offensive line has responsibilities, too. But we need that running back to execute his assignment and finish the play.

Final Thoughts: Be Great Even When Your Number Isn’t Called

If I could give a young running back one piece of advice, it would be this: Ball security—and be a great running back when you don’t have the football. Don’t just be a great running back when your number is called. Be great when you’re blocking, when you’re carrying out a fake, when you’re protecting your quarterback. Be great when you’re running a route out of the backfield or when you’re doing the little things that help your teammates succeed.

Because the best running backs aren’t simply talented athletes who can make big plays. They’re dependable football players who understand that every snap matters. And when the game is on the line, coaches need to know they can trust them.

That’s what makes a complete running back.

Coach’s Eye Takeaway
Speed may get your attention, but trust, discipline, effort, and execution are what keep you on the field.