63 Days Coach Scottie Graham

[ANGCatFan]

Graham is our new Running Backs Coach and this will be his first year as an on the field coach at any level. He was an All-American in football, lacrosse, and wrestling in high school and was a running back at THE Ohio State from 1988-1991. At OSU he ran for 1,768 yards and 19 TDs and was the team captain as a Senior. He played 6 seasons in the NFL rushing for 1,267 yards and never fumbled the ball in his NFL career.

After his playing career, Graham spent 16 years working for the NFLPA (players association) beginning as a regional director and ending as the Director of Player Engagement. For the past 6 years, Graham has been working at a former teacher's college in Tempe, AZ, as the Associate AD for Student-Athlete Development and Welfare.

It was a an unusual path after his NFL career to becoming a running backs coach, but Graham knows football and has a unique insight into pro contracts, bargaining agreements, and post career life and expectations. That could be a big asset with the current changes allowing players to make endorsement deals. He may be Coach Fisch's most out of the box hire especially for a running back group that has had a new coach every year for the past five years.

[EastCoastCat]

I like the never fumbled in his NFL career part. Since we won’t be able to out talent most of the teams on our schedule winning the turnover battle will be super important.

[Chicat]

I don’t know how you teach someone not to fumble. Sounds like trying to teach someone not to stub their toe.

[EastCoastCat]

I don’t know how you teach someone not to fumble. Sounds like trying to teach someone not to stub their toe.

Tiki Barber says hello.

[Chicat]

I don’t know how you teach someone not to fumble. Sounds like trying to teach someone not to stub their toe.

Tiki Barber says hello.

So the answer is steroids? Go on, I’m listening….

[UAEebs86]

I don’t know how you teach someone not to fumble. Sounds like trying to teach someone not to stub their toe.

Tiki Barber says hello.

So the answer is steroids? Go on, I’m listening….

Deflating the ball helps. Ask Belichick and Brady.

[EastCoastCat]

I don’t know how you teach someone not to fumble. Sounds like trying to teach someone not to stub their toe.

Tiki Barber says hello.

So the answer is steroids? Go on, I’m listening….

Are you sure you are? I thought having to watch the recent Yankee performance might have affected your game.

My point is while it's impossible to say a team will never fumble like Scottie Graham, there are few techniques that can be taught (e.g. how you hold/tuck the ball) to help avoid those sloppy fumbles.