Leason 3 - Head on a Swivel

Its my freshmen year of college and I'm standing on the side lines of my first college football game. Its the first quarter and we are struggling to move the ball. Much to the teams surprise our coach calls the same play we just ran again, only to be followed up again with the same play again.

This was not the first time I've watched a fourth down push, but it would be one that would change the way I would watch the world around me.  You see this down we would run the same play again (now the forth time in a row), but this time with a twist. Our wide receiver would not run the usual diversion route, but instead he would be come the primary blocker for the play. Not only would he be the key blocker for the play his block would become an inspiring motivator for the team.

After watching him smack and lift the unsuspecting outside line backer 4 ft into the air and remove his helmet,  our running back waltzed through the first major hole of the game.  The hole so large and our opponents so shocked by the block, a semi could have dove through the hole cleard by our reciever.

It would be the last time that line backer would step up to fill the hole created by that play for the rest of the game. Its because of this it made it much easier to run a simpler version of this 'bread and butter' play through out the rest of the game. Giving us an huge advantage.

Advantage like this are hard create on a football field let alone in the business world.  Often times business professionals don't have a standard set of rules, or plays to pick and chose from. Instead they have to make quick decision on the information at hand and they are not given the luxury of recalling information that  has been chiseled into their brain by watching hours of film. The mark of a truly good professional is the ability to keep ones "Head on a Swivel".

The crack back block is a powerful offensive weapon on the football field because it is quick to execute, powerful and almost always surprise ones opponent, often resulting in devastation. Its only defense it to be aware of it and to know when to look for it, and to anticipate it. The is not only applies to skilled line backers but to professionals as well.

The ability to anticipate, prepare or avoid devastation like a crack back block is often what keeps a professional separated from his or her peers. These preparations often keep them from being caught with there paints down in the event of a "fire drill" or final push for completion of tasking.  Good professional are prepared for these events often days or weeks in advance and they either avoid them entirely or tackle them head on.