The Quarterback is without a doubt the most important man on the team. He is the playing coach who runs the offense. Therefore, the selection of him becomes one of the most important decisions that the coach must make.

When selecting a quarterback, these considerations are ranked in order of importance. Perhaps this ranking can cause astonishment to many. However, if possible, we select quarterbacks with the following qualifications:

1. The quarterback must be respected

The first consideration should be that the quarterback is respected by his teammates. The quarterback does not need to be “popular” or liked by his team, but it is essential that he have his respect for the offense to be successful. If a quarterback has the respect of his teammates, his judgment probably won’t be questioned in a tough situation. Each individual will give their absolute maximum effort instead of “second guessing” in a crucial goal-line drive. In this regard, the team will develop a feeling of trust and confidence in the quarterback to get the job done. Respect and trust drive the ball together.

2. Playability

When selecting a quarterback, the skill requirement is almost a carbon copy of respect; you can’t have one without the other. Yes, it is possible, but not likely. At one point, we made the mistake of selecting a signal caller who was proficient on offense, but weak on defense. As a result, the team did not fully respect this quarterback, so they did not do everything possible for him.

For the quarterback to earn absolute respect, he must be quite proficient in other phases of team play. It would be ridiculous for a one-wing quarterback to try to lead his teammates on offense if he couldn’t block himself. However, he could be a good defensive man. The quarterback should be able to more than defend on both offense and defense. If he doesn’t have self-confidence, he can’t expect his teammates to respect his judgment. This has been a major area where T-formation quarterbacks could improve. The best way to be a leader is through performance.

3. Football sense

The third quality we look for when drafting quarterbacks is “football sense.” This is not necessarily found in the player who leads his teammates at the school position. The “A” student often lacks “football sense,” especially during the stress and pressure of a crucial situation. Normally, the quarterback is academically ranked in the top third of his class and possibly in the top ten percent of the team.

It is mandatory for the quarterback to know the strengths and weaknesses of his teammates, not only the backfield men, but also the linemen. Some players are better in difficult situations than others; They are more reliable when there is pressure. By way of illustration, some kickers are prepared when kicking from their own end zones; certain centers are less excitable when throwing the ball into their own end zone than others.

4.Leadership

Actually, leadership may be the wrong term for this fourth qualification in quarterback selection. Perhaps a better definition would be “personality”. The quarterback must have personality to lead his teammates while maintaining harmony. Usually, a personality that is ready to “sacrifice everything for the benefit of the team” is the one that will bring the desired type of harmony and leadership.

An ideal type of disposition is one that is cheerful. After all, football is a game and by having a cheerful leader, the other men tend to be alert and happy. You must be above discouragement at all times. If he gets discouraged, all this is lost. Of course, there will be times when he feels this way, but he must not reveal his feelings to the players around him.

5.Voice

We have the feeling that there is a quality here that has not been delved into enough.

For illustration, suppose we have two men fighting for the position of best quarterback. Their names are Black and White. Black has leadership, confidence, football sense and a good voice. White has intelligence and all the qualities that go with an alert mind. However, he is somewhat lacking in the other qualities, especially his voice. Which would you select?

The coach must choose Black because the team will follow him. White can select the right play every time, but due to a deficiency in other qualities and a bad voice, they may not believe he is correct. As a result, they will not do everything for him. His personality will not guide you.

In reality, Black may have a lot less to offer mentally, but with his personality, confidence, and voice, he’ll make a better overall. He will lead the team and his voice will help give the team the necessary precision. His voice will be like an order to the team. He will be clear, agile and forceful. He will make tactical mistakes, but his team will do its best on every play and will overcome these mistakes to some extent. White may not make any tactical errors, yet his team will lack the necessary drive in attack. He may not even score against a strong defense.

The best axiom any quarterback should remember regarding voice is… the wrong call called correctly has a better chance of success than the right call called incorrectly. Certainly, the quarterback’s voice can unconsciously stimulate a team to greater efforts. A good voice is a must.

6. Crocodile skin

A quarterback must have alligator skin to comment for fans, alumni and press. A field general should expect to receive a high percentage of unfair feedback from unqualified sources. He must not let this affect his thinking or worry him at any time. He will make mistakes, but he must try to take advantage of them and not make the same mistake twice. He should not worry or meditate on past mistakes, but look forward to the next contest with optimism. Always preach to the quarterback that mistakes are a thing of the past. If a quarterback learns to get tough, he can take considerable flak and still do a good job running the team.

7. Fair Representative

The last quality and one of the most important is that of loyalty to the coach. The quarterback is responsible solely to the head coach. He is a personal representative of his coach on the field. The quarterback must be clearly informed of this so that there is no question.