NFL teams often utilize plenty of old-school yet innovative methods to improve in all facets of the game.
New Cowboys tight ends coach Mike Pope, for example, has his own unique method that he’s been using in an attempt to improve his players’ concentration. A ball is thrown in the direction of the shirtless males, and just before it arrives, he steps in and hurls ice water toward the players to hinder them from catching the pass.
Have a look at what Pope calls the “Chippendale’s drill.”
Pope spoke about it on Wednesday (via Fort Worth Star-Telegram):
“I’ve got one that I did [Tuesday], where at the end of practice, I have somebody fire a ball at them. I collect all the ice water out of the Gatorade bins, and they take their shirts off, and just as the ball gets to them, I hit them in the lower part of their back with that ice water and see if they concentrate and catch that ball, because, I mean, it’s cold.”
And on Wednesday, he introduced a different method—putting sacks over his tight ends’ heads, according to Blogging the Boys. Pope threw passes at them while they ran with see-through bags over their heads to reduce visibility.
This methodology makes sense. During games, tight ends need to play physical and sometimes get off jams at the line while maintaining concentration and blocking out distractions (crowd noise, referees, coaches).
Pope’s methods might seem foreign at first glance. But if his unique drills yield positive results, the team will certainly continue to endorse them in the future.