warriorfootballer wrote:what exactly is it about wrestling that makes football players so much better? i know theres something, but i dont know what exactly.
Wrestling benefits football players in several ways. Here is a great article I shared with football players trying to recruit them for wrestling.
How Participation In Wrestling Can Benefit The Football Player
by Robert C. Loveless, Instructor of Health, Physical Education and Recreation / Wrestling Coach, Thiel College, Greenville, Pennsylvania
In this, the era of sport specialization, many young men feel that in order to excel in one individual sport; they must devote their entire training regime to that particular sport. This concept is indeed unfortunate to many athletes in the sense that skills associated with one sport may compliment the skills associated with and demanded by an entirely different sport.
No stronger correlation exists between that of football and wrestling. Far too often the football player can be found in the weight room concentrating on developing upper body strength through such exercises as curls, bench presses, etc., after the completion of the regular season. Now obviously, weight training conducted in the proper manner serves as an excellent supplement to any training program. Unfortunately, however, in many cases the athlete who is constantly "pumping iron" may be the same athlete who is neglecting such developmental areas as agility, reaction time, flexibility, balance awareness and cardiovascular endurance.
The sport of wrestling, therefore, can be of particular value to football players. Wrestling not only provides a more qualified football candidate, but it also gives him a unique kind of training he can receive nowhere else.
The following nine reasons should be considered by football candidates in regards to why they should participate in wrestling. (particularly in the high school level):
1. Wrestling helps eliminate fear of harsh body contact.
2. Wrestling maintains muscle flow and supple pliability.
3. Wrestling teaches the athlete to roll with a fall and avoid injury.
4. Wrestling will help the athlete in the development of timing.
5. Wrestling will aid in the development of coordination.
6. Wrestling will improve one's sense of balance.
7. Wrestling will provide flexibility and stretching of the muscles for bulky linemen as well as lean running backs.
8. Wrestling serves as an excellent cardiovascular endurance training program during the "off season" (this aspect is often neglected by the football players who feel that power lifting is the cure for all problems). As one great Olympic weight lifter once said, "It does me absolutely no good whatsoever if I have a million dollar body with a ten cent heart." This could be one of the reasons why every football season it is not uncommon to hear of players passing out and dying during pre-season workouts. Certainly it gives one something to think about and raises many questions in the area of cardiovascular conditioning required for football.
9. Wrestling starts the athlete thinking about moves to counter his adversary.
Now granted, wrestling is not the solution to all conditioning and training problems, but it comes pretty close. Certainly it is an alternative which should be considered by the high school football player who is too short for or has no desire to play basketball and is seeking a way to add to his weight training program in a way that will in turn assist him in the development of skills associated with football. Success in wrestling is dependent primarily upon strength, agility and endurance, in addition to knowledge of the correct techniques. If a person is strong and agile, it is likely that he can develop into an excellent wrestler. In addition to the physical benefits one will experience through wrestling are the “side effects" that also develop within wrestlers. Such characteristics as self- discipline, nutrition awareness and self confidence. This is valuable training that is found in wrestling perhaps more than any other sport. So, football players, after you play your last game of the season, when you’re on your way to the weight room, don't pass by the wrestling room too quickly, as you may also be passing by a great opportunity to develop valuable skills used in football.
Ray Lewis the middle linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens was a state champ at 189 pounds in high school in Florida. He has publicly stated that wrestling was what gave him the skills to become a top flight player in the NFL.
Stephen Neal former 2-time NCAA champ, world freestyle champ, is now with the New England Patriots. There is a good chance that if he's healthy he'll be the starting guard this year for the defending Super Bowl champs, and this is without playing any football in college.
Brock Lesnar recently signed with the Minnesota Vikings and is trying to make the 53-man roster without any college football background
Now especially for the bigger wrestlers it is a great way for them to learn "hand fighting". Wrestlers are always fighting for inside position on their opponent, similar to a line play in football. It also teaches leverage when opponent is trying to move you in the opposite direction.
