10 Directives for the Triple Option Quarterback

Dr. Cella wrote these 10 directives in 2012, and they are best reinforced with your quarterbacks early in the process, as they inevitably determine your future success as a Flexbone Triple Option offense.

1. Ignore Outsiders’ Opinions

The media, your family, your friends, your relatives, and the fans fail to understand that we are actually maximizing our offense’s ability by having you make two defensive linemen invisible for us.  They might complain about how you need to throw the ball more or how the offense puts you at risk to get hit, or how the offense puts you at risk for a college scholarship.  IT DOESN’T MATTER.  Good players get compensated for good work.

2. Obese Quarterbacks Usually Are Not Good at Replacing the Read

Despite the myths from the anti-option coach who claim that only 4.5 or faster high school quarterbacks can run the triple, we do need you to run past their defensive linemen.  If you’re 6-0, 200 with 20 percent body fat, you’re not our Flexbone quarterback.

3. Comprehend the Totality of the Offense

The amount of errors you, the Flexbone quarterback make, inevitably determine the success of our football program.  Create significant, mindful urgency regarding the footwork, angles, and ball security of your assignment.  This transpires through learned behavior, which occurs in a shorter period of time when you continue to execute the job faster and more accurate through each recurrence of each drill.

4. Johnny Knoxville Can’t Check to and from the Triple

There is certainly nothing wrong with having fun, but if you are aroused by being the funniest guy on the team, you’re not our Flexbone quarterback.  Can we count on you to check to midline if we get a 3 technique, or are you more focused on getting everybody to laugh at you?

Whose option route is off by a few inches?  Who processes information slower than the other 10 players?  Is there a player that isn’t mentally tough enough, but he’s the best we have?  Timing is everything.

If you give yourself an on-site vacation day, we all fail.  We cannot afford our Flexbone quarterback to go at 50 percent during Week 5 of a Tuesday practice. Control the offense every day.  Read #1 every day.  Consider that once game one occurs, you will have to make plays in situations that the coaching staff hasn’t covered—they’re not the Holy Trinity and they don’t have the amount of practice time Bill Belichick has to prepare his six, seven, and eight-figure players.  In addition, consider that the more spontaneous you are, the more mistakes you will make.   Be the same yesterday, today, tomorrow, and four weeks from now.

7. Accurate Responses to #1 and #2 are Good Plays

If #1 can tackle your B-back, #2 doesn’t tackle you, and you keep the ball, it’s a good play.  If #1 can tackle your B-back, #2 attempts to batter you, and you pitch the ball, it’s a good play.  If #1 can’t tackle the dive and you give the ball to the B-back, it’s a good play.  Now, it’s up to the other 10 to do their job.  Remember, you just helped them by accurately eliminating two defenders from making the tackle.  You’ve created a 10-on-9 matchup in our favor and somebody has to beat a block to make the tackle.  Trust your teammates.

8. Learn how to Direct the Game

Understand that the clock is a determining factor in what we do.  Demonstrate mindfulness of the clock at all times.  In addition, know your personnel, especially when skill players are rotating.  Prepare for situations involving checks (Triple to Midline, Midline to Triple), Motions (Rocket, Midline Lead), Ball Security, Throwing Targets, and Play-fake Progression (Triple Pass, Counter Option).

9. The Mission is to Score on Every Possession

We score and we all live better lives.  Perfect ball security, accurate assignments, and urgent, fastidious techniques per assignment determine this–trust the 10 other people to do this—focus on yours.

10. You’re Clint Eastwood–not Richard Simmons

There are times when situations are chaotic.  You are unmoved by these developments.  Once again, you’re the Flexbone quarterback.  If you’re a mess, then we’re all a mess.  Be the machine.