Originally posted by MRCat95:
Originally posted by adayNU:
I'd guess that only 20-30% of the variability of injuries can be attributed to the strength and conditioning regiment. At the end of the day, its still mostly luck if a player stays healthy or gets hurt. Even the best regiment cant keep a knee that goes completely the wrong direction form tearing an ACL (etc.)
That being said, you should obviously strive to be as well prepared to prevent injury as possible and I'm sure whatever the 'Cats are doing could be improved.
Perhaps that's about right in terms of soft tissue or some freak injuries, but there's the other 70-80% of injuries that could be (at least somewhat) related to being unable to remain upright in a strong functional football-playing position. Routinely finding yourself knocked off balance (or off your feet) by stronger players or ending up at the bottom of piles (rather than the top of piles) due to a lack of brute physical strength and power more often puts you in compromising positions. The more often you are in compromising positions, the more probable it is that you'll get injured.
There's a reason physically weaker players (like QBs) avoid contact and stronger players (like running backs) do not. Running backs are generally stronger than QBs and able to absorb (and dish out) hits with lesser risk of injury.
Linebackers and safeties playing behind more physically dominant front four DTs and DEs are also less frequently coming face-to-face with 300+ pound offensive guards and tackles down field. (Here's a hint. When a 310 pound man collides with a 230 or 190 pound man, the 310 pounder is more likely to escape unscathed.)
Nails often bend in awkward and in unpredictable ways when hit. Hammers do not.
Our offensive line and interior defensive lines have not been particularly physical the past two seasons. Our linebackers (since Nwabusi who had some lead in his ass when he hit people) are athletic and can run, but they haven't been overly physical either.
I fear that certain training methods designed to improve flexibility, overall conditioning, improve laterall (somewhat nonfunctional strength) may have the unintended consequence of converting players from hammers into (more pliable) nails leading to an opposite than intended effect.
I have no empirical evidence of this, but I have plenty of personal anecdotal experience from playing defensive tackle at both a (weak) 230 and a (powerful) 295 pounds (and several stages in-between). The powerful (and less flexible) 295 pound version of me was far less injury prone than the (weaker yet more flexible) 230 pound version. The weaker version was more likely on the ground, under piles or being bent to the will of an opposing player. The 295 pound version was more likely bending his opponent (including 300+ pound offensive linemen) in awkward positions to suit my will and the guys playing on the 2nd line (LBs) and even 3rd line (safeties) were taking on fewer collisions with offensive lineman and/or downhill sprinting running backs.
I still think the best way to avoid classic football injuries is to be under control and upright. Being able to stay under control and upright is highly linked to your brute physical strength as well as the brute physical strength of your teammates around you IMO. Physically powerful teams do not have 35 (out of 85) scholarship players unable to play in the last game of the season due to injury.
