When I played college football, it amazed me at how many of my teammates had no clue how to optimize their sprint times. Their technique is poor, their starts are awful, and they think they are ok!

And their high school coaches are "know-it-alls"! While I was a player, several teammates approached me to help them improve their 40-yard dash (one was a legitimate draft pick). The situation was a quick fix for speed.

I had no time for a training program so I had to look at their technique. I have found with most football players untrained in sprint technique, they make four common mistakes.

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Antwaan Randle El runs for additional yardage after making a reception against the Arizona Cardinals on October 21st

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Portis flys through the air to grab one of his two touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals on October 21st.

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London Fletcher returns a touchdown 25 yards to score a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals on October 21st.

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London Fletcher returns a touchdown 25 yards to score a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals in October 21st.

Trying to exhibit for display all my philosophies of what it takes to win at the sport of football has proved a daunting task indeed. Although I prefer a multidimensional power offense capable of the quick strike and an overly physical, overly aggressive, dominating style of defense, these styles may not suit a particular group of athletes. It is the meshing of what a coach wants and what he or she has to work with that is the formula for success. Coaches that can at least temporarily adjust to the talent available, or the talent faced, are always going to be the more successful coaches. Such adaptation has been a benchmark of great coaches like Dean Smith, Bobby Knight, and Eddie Robinson, to name but a few. Here I will break down my basic philosophies for the offense, defense, and special teams.

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Jason Campbell draws back for a long pass in the Redskins victory over the Eagles on the 17th of September.

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Washington Redskins' Rocky McIntosh grabs Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb for a sack in the second half of their football game Monday, Sept. 17, 2007 in Philadelphia.