Developing Linemen: A Collaboreth Effort

[Reginald Rutledge]

One thing that I have learned in my 48 years of living is to know that I don't have all the answers. I don't always have to win. It's not that important to me. What is important is knowing how to use my knowledge to do the best I can and collaborate with guys with like thoughts to make something better.

One of the great things about all the late night chat sessions and customizing sessions with coaches is that you learn things or create things that is of beneficial to not only him, but you too. No stealing of ideas to see later online as someone else's inventions but a mutual piece of work that has been agreed upon to be used.

I always talk about the athlete defined as the player plus the base. I truly believe you can not have one without the other. That's just my opinion. Last weekend, my good friend and I, Jim Davis did a little brainstorming. We took a little of his potion for creating bases and a little of my potion for creating linemen and concocted something special.

Since I believe in the "Fred Sanford" principles of junk, I took the shell of my FF.COM rookie bases (never released) and did some "tinkering" to create another method of line play.

It was beautiful. When Michael Robertson can only speak negatively of it in a joking manner, you know he wants it. When guys want to study your team and you play them and they have no clue on how to stop the line play, it's just a matter of time.

Jim and I did countless test showing how these athletic linemen could become very dominate in the game. All the principles of leverage were shown as linemen would get under the chin of the defensive player or onto the shoulder pads and minimize their strength, often times pushing them back for some distance. It was just another one of those nice scientific studies done after hours between two friends who brought something to the table.

Reg

[Coach K-LO]

that's great, can we see/obtain one or two of these athletes for our teams???

Great story RR

Uncle Reggie,

This is one of those posts that keeps pulling back into the fold. It's how Smitty and I forged our bond of friendship. This is the spirit of fellowship that bloms long after tournaments and conventions. This is the essence of what we do. No wonder the Hulk stop tweeking bases, he's in the lab!!!
Good point on the figure and his base. To me a players base is his contract. I will not replace a players base until it's hopeless or in vital need for an up grade. I gotta be honest! I jsut like to watch these guys run. Dang they look good. I like working late nights in the lab, but things have gotten so hectic for the immortal that I had to open up the War Room!!!
"GOOD JOB FELLAS"

[Reginald Rutledge]

the Hulk!

Jim Davis and I were the mad scientist and Kevin "Boody" Boddie was the tester. I have millions of unused base shells that I would never put out on the market but knew, someday my "Fred Sanford" junk mentality would come in handy. I had created one prior to Jim coming to Texas and I frankensteined his prongs onto a shell.

I had no one of comparing, although we do some things with corners using this method. See Ravenmaniac. Anyhow, Bruce Banner, I mean JEasy used one of his strongest men up against this all-white figure. On metal, the player was quick off the ball and jumped JEasy's player under the chin. It was so funny because Jim and I began to test this. I will not lie here. The prongs that I had was from a Jim Davis base from months ago. But having been creative in frankensteing bases for many years to make great athletes, I took the best of Jim and the best of what I do and created the athletic linemen we have.

As we ran test, JEasy got hyped up and started turning GREEN! JEasy stayed at the lab for about 3 hours with him making prongs and I making the base and the figures. By nights end, we had came up with a massive offensive line under 4.0 ready to make some serious noise. The Hulk had gotten so hyped up that we had to use a tranquilizer to calm his nerves and turn him back to Jim Davis.

But yeah, it was a lot of fun collaborating.