How to Be a Good Football Receiver

So your wondering how to be a good football receiver? Well this article will show you how to maximize your potential by focusing on the little things. Anybody can simply run around, but only a true wide receiver knows how to fool the defense.

1. The very first thing you can do to become a good football receiver begins before the play. When you line up at the line of scrimmage, it is very important to keep your head straight. Your going to want to make eye contact with the man straight ahead of you, whether he's covering you or not. Any looking to the sides might hint the direction of the route you are running. A defensive back is trained to look for tendencies before the play. Making eye contact can be sort of a head game. It will make the defensive back think you are trying to intimidate him, and when he realizes what you are doing, he will make eye contact back to show you he's not scared. You have just completed your job because now he is looking into your eyes instead of your body looking for a hint of where your route is going.
2. The very next thing you want to do to become a better wide receiver is be physical. In the NFL there is the five-yard bump rule which basically gives the defensive back the right to hold you from running your route until you have run five yards. A dominating defensive back has the potential to shut a wide receiver out of the game. So if you see him coming to "bump" you behind the line of scrimmage you want to bump him back. Do not let him physically dominate you. As long as you let go after five yards you will not get called for a penalty.
3. Route running. You always want to have your shoulders pointed straight ahead of you. And you always want to run sharp turns. If you're running straight ten yards and running right, you don't want your shoulder to lean right. By leaning towards your route you're telling your defensive back where you are running, which makes him more effective. This is pure deception. If you are successful in hiding your routes, you will feel your defensive backs giving you more of a cushion which gives your quarterback a bigger target to fit the ball into. Many wide receivers in the NFL run with their hand straight instead of in a fist. They believe it helps them run faster. There is no scientific proof to this but you might want to at least try it out.
4. Keep your eyes on the ball. By taking your eyes off the ball, you just greatly increased your chances of dropping the ball. Good football receivers don't drop balls. Make sure you see the ball all the way into your hands. Worry about running with it after you actually have it. After you do catch it, you want to tuck it between your forearm and body and grip it firmly. A fumble can be devastating and can ruin the trust your quarterback has in you.

So now you know what the pro's do. Hopefully this helps you to maximize your potential and become a better receiver.