Roy CO HSKR
Five-Star Recruit
Roger Craig: Some thoughts on learning the WCO for college ball.
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From the Omaha World-Herald:
One year Roger Craig was taking option pitches at Nebraska. The next he was running the West Coast offense with Joe Montana.
"I had to grow up overnight," said Craig, who started his rookie year, 1983, with the San Francisco 49ers.
Twenty-two years and a few Super Bowl rings later, Craig doesn't hesitate when stating which system he would run if operating a college football program.
"Look at all the teams that won championships in the professional ranks - West Coast offense," Craig said. "Look at USC - West Coast offense. It works, trust me."
Craig, an NU back from 1980 to 1982, wasn't surprised by a slow start, even in year two. "It's like studying for a test. You can't fake it," Craig said. "You just can't go on your natural ability."
A running back, for example, must know when to block a pass rusher, when he's the quarterback's first receiving option because of a blitzing linebacker, when to stop his crossing route in the middle of a zone. All those decisions happen after the snap. Learning doesn't come easy.
If a receiver is designed to run a 10-yard in route, Craig said, "it means 10 yards. Not eight yards. Not 11. It means 10 yards, because it's got to be sequenced with the quarterback's steps."
The smart guys, Craig said, are the success stories. The ones who study and dissect each detail....
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From the Omaha World-Herald:
One year Roger Craig was taking option pitches at Nebraska. The next he was running the West Coast offense with Joe Montana.
"I had to grow up overnight," said Craig, who started his rookie year, 1983, with the San Francisco 49ers.
Twenty-two years and a few Super Bowl rings later, Craig doesn't hesitate when stating which system he would run if operating a college football program.
"Look at all the teams that won championships in the professional ranks - West Coast offense," Craig said. "Look at USC - West Coast offense. It works, trust me."
Craig, an NU back from 1980 to 1982, wasn't surprised by a slow start, even in year two. "It's like studying for a test. You can't fake it," Craig said. "You just can't go on your natural ability."
A running back, for example, must know when to block a pass rusher, when he's the quarterback's first receiving option because of a blitzing linebacker, when to stop his crossing route in the middle of a zone. All those decisions happen after the snap. Learning doesn't come easy.
If a receiver is designed to run a 10-yard in route, Craig said, "it means 10 yards. Not eight yards. Not 11. It means 10 yards, because it's got to be sequenced with the quarterback's steps."
The smart guys, Craig said, are the success stories. The ones who study and dissect each detail....