The Triple Option Playbook, Part I, Evaluating QB's

You can go online and find a copy of Georgia Southern's playbook in PDF form. I did. I thought I would post a few interesting tidbits.

First, it opens up right away talking about the the Quarterback. Make no mistake, the QB is EVERYTHING in the triple option attack. Without the right QB to bring the system to life, it is going to be very limited. Here are the opening paragraphs of the playbook:

Three questions can be asked about a quarterback prospect to determine if the prospect is an option QB. when the 3 questions are answered "yes" then more than likely the prospect can be an option QB. He may not be a Colorado or an Air Force style QB, but he can run the option effectively to win football games.

The first question is, regardless of athletic ability, does the prospect have the willingness to get off the ground after a "big hit", call the same play and run it aggressively? If the answer is "yes" he has the mental and physical toughness to be an option QB. Mental and physical toughness is the QB's ability to remain poised, confident, determined, and courageous regardless of what happens on the field, or off the field. Mental and physical toughness, not sheer athletic ability is the key ingredient in a winning QB. A QB who has average ability and endowed with mental and physical toughness is more likley to win than a QB with excellent athletic ability and marginal toughness.

The second question, does the QB have enough athletic ability (speed, quickness, balance) to run for a first down on 3rd and 7 when the defense forces the QB to carry the ball on an option play? If the answer is "yes" the QB can be an effective option QB.

The third question, does the prospect have the willingness to be an option QB? For the answer to be "yes" the QB prospect must be willing to execute option plays, not just tolerate running the option.


What I found most interesting about this is that it spoke more about the intangibles. It was more about toughness and attitude than ability. This should be both exciting and slightly concerning in regards to next season. It is as obvious as the nose on your face that Josh Nesbitt could be the face of our triple option offense next season. He posseses tremendous running skills and tremendous athletic ability. However, will he have the right attitude? Will he be able bring the offense to life? Is he a good decision-maker? We just don't know.

The number one skill you need at quarterback is decision-making. Number two is accuracy. Almost every coach says it. Chan Gailey said it all the time. I absolutely believe it 100%.

In Part II of "The Triple Option Playbook", I'm going to share with you what it says about QB's and the role of decision-making.