What Is A Wide Receiver In Football?
What Is Wide Receiver In Football?
Football wide receivers are offensive players who are responsible for receiving the quarterback’s passes and sometimes carrying the ball. Beyond the offensive line, the wide receivers are lined up on the line of scrimmage. They attempt to get open for a cross by breaking downfield through clear lanes.
You can see more Positions in American Football
Responsibilities
There are two main duties for WR position in football on teams. Running down the field to find openings after receiving a forward ball from the quarterback is the first responsibility. Given that they are qualified receivers, the quarterback may throw to this position player. You should be aware that, aside from the center, not every member of the offense qualifies as a receiver.
A wide receiver’s second responsibility is to defend on running plays. For instance, the wide receiver on that side of the field will need to block the cornerback during an outside running play. The wide receiver can still keep a guy behind for a split second or two. That may be all the running back requires to go by that defender on the move even though they are not as big and powerful as other offensive line members.
Important Wide Receiver Skills
This position requires a lot of skills, such as Agility, Body Control, Speed, Soft Hands, Focus and Concentration, Field Awareness, Hand-eye Coordination, and Strength.
Agility
The wide receiver in football must move as rapidly and accurately as possible to locate openings in the defenses of their opponents, so agility is a crucial trait to possess. On the field, wide receivers are frequently among the players with the greatest agility.
Body Control
Wide receivers need to be incredibly in control of their bodies since making a catch requires them to move quickly and jump high. The top wide receivers possess exceptional body control after receiving passes, which helps them maintain their position on the field.
Speed
The ability to release swiftly off the line of scrimmage will allow wide receivers to outrun their defenders and free up space for passes. The likelihood that a receiver will get ahead of a defender increases with speed.
Soft Hands
The capacity to catch the ball with padded fingers and joints and slightly bent elbows are referred to as having soft hands. This enables the receiver to catch the ball without having to worry about it flying away.
Focus and Concentration
Wide receivers need to be able to focus and concentrate while under strain in order to catch challenging passes. A receiver must be able to ignore the noise and make plays because football stadiums often have some of the wildest crowds in sports.
Field Awareness
Wide receivers must always be in the correct right time and place, therefore having good field awareness is essential. A receiver with strong field consciousness is always aware of both his own and his teammates’ locations on the field, as well as those of his rivals.
Hand-eye Coordination
Wide receivers need to have good hand-eye coordination because they have to carefully prepare their routes and then adapt on the fly in order to make catches. Making catches in challenging and unusual circumstances requires good hand-eye coordination.
Strength
In this sport, strength is crucial for every position, but it’s more crucial for wide receivers who must fend off defenders and endure tackles after getting the ball.
YOU MAY BE INTERESTED:
- What is A Defensive End in Football?
- Split End Football and Must-known Information
Famous Wide Receivers in football
Throughout the history of football, there have been numerous powerful wide receivers. Among these well-known athletes are:
Calvin Johnson
- Full name: Calvin Johnson Jr.
- Date of birth: September 29, 1985
- Age: 37
- Nationality: American
- Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Calvin Johnson Jr. was a professional wide receiver in American football who spent nine seasons with the Detroit Lions in the National Football League.
He was taken by the Lions in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft while playing college football for Georgia Tech, where he twice earned first-team All-American awards. He is recognized as among the best wide receivers of all time and goes by the moniker “Megatron” after the Transformers character who shares the same name.
Lance Alworth
- Full name: Lance Dwight “Bambi” Alworth
- Date of birth: August 3, 1940
- Age: 82
- Nationality: American
- Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Former wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, American Football League, and NFL, Lance Alworth is an American who played football professionally.
He played for 11 campaigns, from 1962 to 1972, and is frequently recognized as one of the finest wide receivers of all time. In 1978, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The AFL dominated his playing career, making him the first player ever inducted who played primarily there.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the primary duty of a wide receiver in football is to initiate the passing game for a squad and to score yards immediately after the snap. Which part are you the most interested in? Comment down below! And don’t forget to keep stay tuned to our American football terms page if you want to discover more interesting information like this or about this sport.
