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Which would you prefer - speed or skill?

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I want my recruit to have

  • Total voters
    74
  • Poll closed .
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Golferdow01 said:
Speed, we can teach you the skills
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I used to agree, but with Butch Reynold on the staff, I am reluctant to say you can't teach speed. Height seems to be the one quality that you can't teach. You can always make a kid stronger and faster, but you can necessarily make him taller (unless you use that archaic torture rack method that Japanese people use). I think height, instinct and leadership are inherent qualities that are important...most everything else can be acquired.
 
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speed, hands down. Larry Grant is the perfect example IMO. His skill/technique is lacking according to many on this site, but he is a speed freak, and if he can be coached up the coaching staff will have an incredible LBer.
 
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I'm torn, but at the college level (even in the best of the best like the big ten) I think I want skill a litte more than speed if I can only pick one.

If I recall correctly, Chris Gamble didn't run blazing fast times at the combine or even the OSU work out, but on the field he played with an instinct (skill), especially on the def. side of the ball that made him look so much better than everyone else out there sometimes.

I know that's just one example, and the debates over straight line speed vs. "football" speed, or "quickness"/explosiveness can make my head spin (maybe Gamble has the quickness vs. straight line speed, who kows?). So for now I'll lean toward skill slightly...probaby change my mine in a few minutes.
 
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wadc45 said:
I used to agree, but with Butch Reynold on the staff, I am reluctant to say you can't teach speed. Height seems to be the one quality that you can't teach. You can always make a kid stronger and faster, but you can necessarily make him taller (unless you use that archaic torture rack method that Japanese people use). I think height, instinct and leadership are inherent qualities that are important...most everything else can be acquired.
Click to expand...

You have a point, but I think learning speed can stem from other emotions you listed such as leadership, instinct, and determination. In most cases I will take speed over skill, but there are those rare exceptions.
 
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Skill. You can improve anyone's speed. I'll take someone with exceptional vision and instincts over a pure speed burner any day. There are a ton of sprinters out there who will never be able to catch a ball consistently even if they practiced every day for 10 years. Hell, look at the best RBs of all-time: Jim Brown; Walter Payton; Emmitt Smith; Barry Sanders. Neither of them were anywhere near being speed burners, but rather had special physical skills (power, agility, vision) which made them the best. Jerry Rice is universally acknowledged as the greatest receiver of all-time, and yet he wasn't the fastest around. How about Santonio Holmes? Ginn eats his lunch in pure speed but we all know who's the better receiver...
 
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Nearly half the team is made up of linemen -- clearly, skill is more important than speed at that position.

Secondly, for any other position, skill plays a bigger role than physical attributes (like speed). See Steve Largent (sp?), Mike Doss, etc.

Lastly, "speed" can be taught, same as "skill" can be taught.
 
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jon_heder_napoleon_dynamite_interview_top.jpg
 
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Theres been many track speed guys try to make it at WR in the NfL most fail. Give me a Fred Beletnikoff(.SP) or Largent they were open all the time. Safeties don't need world class speed either, Mike Doss and John Lynch will always be on the field making plays. And I can't forget one of my favorite Buckeyes the maniac, Doug Plank.
 
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