Football positions: Cornerback

General description:

A cornerback (CB) is a defensive back (DB) who lines up on the outside edge of the defensive formation. The cornerback usually stands face-to-face with the offensive wide receiver directly across the line of scrimmage. A CB is also known conversationally as a “corner” in football parlance, and the defensive backfield is often referred to as the “secondary”. It has been said that coaches look for soccer players who are the best athletes on the team and then put them in the corner. Next to wide receivers, cornerbacks are the fastest players on the field and typically possess absurd athleticism. As agile and graceful as ballet dancers, their talents allow them to be paired one-on-one with swift receivers in space. In short, defenses rely heavily on corners to use their speed, reflexes, and instincts as the first line of defense against an offense’s passing attack.

Cornerbacks can play effectively at many different heights and weights. Retired legend Darrell Green of the Washington Redskins played corner at Hall of Fame level during the ’80s despite being only about 5’9″. He excelled at the position due to having the heart of a lion. and the speed of a gazelle, as he was a former track star and one of the fastest players in NFL history.On the other end of the spectrum, today’s Miami Dolphins employ a guy at cornerback named Sean Smith, who looks more like a basketball forward than a corner, Smith towers over other DBs and at 6’3″, 214 lbs comes toe-to-toe with lanky receivers. Based on the huge disparity in heights, it doesn’t seem to matter if a CB is tall or short; if they can keep receivers at bay, they’ll hit the field.

Defensive coordinators use corners in a variety of ways when unleashing their complex and detailed game plans, so a CB must have many tools at his disposal. In a zone defense, the cornerback must be alert and ready to pounce on any ball or receiver that enters his territory. The zone can be short, medium or deep depending on the game call. In a man-to-man scheme, the corner is charged with mirroring every move the receiver makes and avoiding a catch using any legal means necessary. When the corner is on a hit-and-run defense, you have to be physical enough with the receiver to hold him down the line and disrupt his route. The rules of football dictate that a cornerback can hand-fight and wrestle a wide receiver up to 5 yards down the line, and then must allow a free throw.

To excel at the position, a cornerback must have a special combination of physical tools and mental abilities. In addition to having straight-line speed, a corner must be able to quickly accelerate to top speed and get close to a ball that is spiraling towards them. A top-tier CB will also have what football fans call “loose hips,” as they have to twist and twist their hips in an instant, and quickly point their legs in the direction they need to run. Also, most elite CBs have outstanding vertical jump, which they need to go up and catch any errant passes sailing their way. As for the mental aspect of playing in the corner, a CB must have unparalleled confidence combined with the guts of a thief. CBs will often find themselves on an “island,” lined up along a 6’4″, the muscular track star moonlighting as a wide receiver in his spare time. No matter, as an elite corner he’ll go toe-to-toe with any receiver, and do whatever it takes to make sure he and the ball never meet. And if they get beaten on a deep pass play, a corner will have a short memory. Instead of repeating a bad play, the corner with true arrogance he will challenge the QB to throw in his direction again, and promise the opposite result if he does.

The elites of the past:

The NFL has seen a bevy of memorable football players line up and excel at cornerback in its storied history. For example, Dick “Night Train” Lane was a star cornerback for the Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, and Detroit Lions. His 14 selections as a rookie remain the NFL single-season record. And he got his nickname, “Night Train” for being the rare corner who delivered crushing blows as often as he caught spikes. The Deion Sanders Hall of Fame corner was such an elite corner that it was known by two nicknames: “Neon” Deion and “Prime Time.” Deion played for the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys during his prime, with the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens marking his career. This world-class slash ball-hawk athlete brought flamboyance to the corner position that had never been seen before or since. One of the fastest cornerbacks in NFL history, Deion loved to do three things: provoke quarterbacks, return punts/interceptions for touchdowns, and look good doing it.

Although he wasn’t as fast as Deion and didn’t have a cool nickname like “Night Train,” Rod Woodson of Pittsburgh Steelers fame is probably the number one cornerback of all time. Unlike Sanders, who infamously missed a lot of tackles, Woodson had no such aversion; in fact, he enjoyed putting receivers and ball carriers on the turf. Woodson was also a superior coverage cornerback who could block any receiver he came across and collected a good number of interceptions. When his defensive unit helped force a punt, guess who was back there for the return? Woodson was. He showed his brilliance in all aspects by finishing his career with a total of 17 total returns for touchdowns, including interceptions. Simply put, Woodson was the most complete corner to ever step foot on a football field.

Current Elites and Show Me the Money:

Today’s cornerbacks are paid a king’s ransom to collect picks, frustrate receivers, and shut down entire sides of the field. Some corners at the lower end of the scale get $310,000 a season, but the league average is $1.2 million. The elite corners, however, command big salaries. Take Heisman Trophy winner, perennial Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion Charles Woodson of the Green Bay Packers as an example. Woodson’s current contract has him set to receive $55 million through the 2014 season, a fitting sum for the most complete corner of the game today. On a typical Sunday, he teases and plays so many mind games with QBs that they retreat to their psychiatrist’s couch after confronting him. The Philadelphia Eagles currently pay Raider CB Nnamdi Asomugha a staggering $12 million annually to lock up receivers and throw away the key. He teams up in the Eagle secondary with CB stud Dominique-Rodgers Cromartie and Asante Samuel to make life miserable for QBs and wide receivers across the league. As it does?

Asomugha uses his 6’2″ height and extraordinary athleticism to cover and harass receivers all over the field. And don’t forget all the flankers and split ends who get stranded on Revis Island and never come back. That’s the way in which NFL guys describe the Sticky, grim coverage managed by Darrelle Revis of the New York Jets. Universally recognized as the best backup cornerback in the current game, Revis is a walking contradiction. He’s so good that he hardly ever gets intercepted. Why? Because quarterbacks rarely have the guts to challenge him in man coverage, that’s why. Week after week, he makes elite, Pro-Bowl-caliber wide receivers utterly irrelevant and received a 7-year, $55 million contract for his troubles.Other elite corners include Champ Bailey of the Denver Broncos, Antoine Winfield of the Minnesota Vikings and Ronde Barber of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Training:

Pass receivers in football today are outstanding athletes, both big and incredibly fast. To keep up with these monsters, a young cornerback has to train his entire body with relentless intensity. On the football field, track-related drills like wind sprints, suicides, and bungee parachute harness sprints can encourage the burning wheels a curveball needs to keep up with the elite WR stepper. . Also running hills and stadium steps will create quads and calves that are as strong as steel and as hard as granite. Cone and ladder rope drills also help develop super agility and excellent footwork. In the weight room, today’s corners train as linebackers. They spend hour after hour tackling Olympic lifts like the bench, deadlift, and squat. To create hands as strong as steel, corners do five-finger push-ups and use towels to grip dumbbells and barbells. The towels serve to thicken the bar, and force the forearms to work overtime. By following these kinds of hard-hitting training regimens, a young corner will one day become the next elite draft at the position.