What are the duties of a running back when he's not running the football? Running backs have to pick up blitzes as well as run the football too. Ask football fans across the country which offensive position...
Ask football fans across the country which offensive position gets the most glory, and the running back position should garner its fair share of votes. One of the more glamorous positions in the eyes of many, the running back position also comes with its fair share of moments that don't include racing down the sideline for the game-wining touchdown.
Stanley Conner is the offensive coordinator and running backs coach for Alabama A&M. Before joining the Bulldog staff, Conner was a four-year letterman at Jackson St. University where he helped the Tigers earn four Southwestern Athletic Conference titles. Following graduation, Conner played with the New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League and the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League before settling down into his coaching role. As the running backs coach at A&M, Conner said that he understands the multitude of responsibilities that fall on a running back.
"First we go back to the blitz packages," he said. "He has to recognize the front changes and the blitzes because he is definitely in charge of the blitz packages."
The first responsibility that Conner said belongs to the running back is making sure that all the blitz packages are covered. On most offensive plays, a running back is going to have one of three basic options. His first option will be to run the football; the next would be to catch the football, and the last being to protect the quarterback. When Conner talks about recognizing the blitz packages, he's referring to option three, and that's protecting the quarterback.
Just as the offensive line will be before the snap of the football, the running back must be aware of all possible blitzes that the defense will send him.
Once the running back notices that a team may blitz a defender, the running back steps up when the football has been snapped to work as a second line of defense to the offensive lineman.
Most times, Conner said that the running back will get one of the toughest duties to perform when he's asked to block on a blitz.
"He is the guy that picks up the linebacker if and when he decides to rush," Conner said.
In addition to blocking on a blitz, the running back will also give aid to any offensive lineman who might be having trouble blocking a defender.
"Running backs will also help the offensive lineman on the speed rusher by doing something we call chipping," Conner said. "Chipping is when a running back brushes a defensive lineman before he goes into his route. He's not responsible for blocking this guy, but he wants to chip him just enough to slow him down for the offensive lineman to block him."
One detail that running backs should remember when blocking is to keep their blocks up high.
"He has to remember that it's illegal to block low, so the chip block is something that has to be done up top," Conner said. "It's not a cut block, it's just simply knocking him off course so the quarterback will have time to throw the football down the field."
"There used to be a thing that you could high-low a guy inside the tackle boxes, but they've eliminated that all together," he added. "They've been trying to make a safe environment for the kids, so that just got rid of that completely."
