NFL Tight End

NFL TIGHT ENDBy: Joe Chandler

WHAT IS A TIGHT END? An NFL tight end is a player on offense who

either blocks or goes out for passes. In the future a tight end will depend on advancements in injury prevention and treatment, allowing them to play longer and be more productive.

WHAT DOES A TIGHT END DO?

The average size of an NFL tight end is 6 feet 3 inches and 240 pounds. Tight ends are strong players who need to be big and tough enough to block, but also fast and enough to go out for passes. One offensive formation can have from 0 to 3 tight ends in at one time.

WHAT TOOLS DOES A TIGHT END USE?

A tight end has to be able to keep 300 pound men from his quarter back. They use weights to stay strong. They use shoulder pads, helmets, and knee and thigh pads to stay safe after a big hit. Many also wear joint braces to prevent old injuries from reoccurring.

WHERE DOES A TIGHT END WORK?

The NFL has 32 teams all in different cities. Most are big cities, but some, like the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots play in smaller towns. They play in their stadium and other stadiums. They also work in weight rooms, training facilities, and in classrooms watching tape.

WHO DO TIGHT ENDS WORK WITH?

Tight ends work with their coaches, trainers, team staff, and other players.

HOW DO TIGHT ENDS IMPACT OTHER PEOPLE?

Tight end affect the lives of many people. The people they work with have to do their jobs depending on some things tight ends do. They also affect the lives of millions of people who watch football.

WHAT SCHOOLING DOES A TIGHT END NEED?

There is no rule saying how smart someone has to be to get into the NFL. However there is a test called the Wonderlic test that tests intelligence. Teams look at this as a part of their decision to draft or sign you. You need to be smart to learn all the plays.

WHAT TRAINING DOES A TIGHT END NEED?

Tight ends and all NFL players have played in college. Many tight ends have been elite basketball players in the past. They need to do a lot of dills and exercises to stay in peak physical condition. The combine is held every year to see which college graduates are the best athletes of their class.

WHAT INJURIES DO TIGHT ENDS GET?

Most NFL players leave the league having had an injury. Many players have to get surgeries after their football days. The most common injuries for a tight end are feet and leg injuries because they have to be big guys who jump high and often for passes, putting a lot of stress on their legs.

HOW CAN INJURIES BE IMPROVED?

In the future there will be joint braces and pads that will help players with injury problems. They can also prevent injuries from happening to begin with.

MEDICAL ADVANCEMENTS In the past, the medical world wasn’t

what it is today. In the future medical advancements will allow players with certain injuries to get treatment and get back out on the field quickly.

HELMETS In the past players either wore leather

helmets or no helmet at all. Today some players that used these or even the early plastic helmets have brain damage. Modern helmets are much safer. In the future there will be helmets that stop concussions and brain damage. “We not only changed the padding structure, but the tech developments of the helmet and also the way it looks.” (Thad Ide).

SHOULDER PADS Shoulder pads used to also be leather.

When they became plastic, they made players overheat easily. Today they breath much better and are safer. In the future they will be lighter, breath even better, and absorb shock better. “Shoulder pads consist of a hard plastic shell with foam padding underneath.” (Marshall Brian)

CLEATS AND TURF

Players used to play on grass with regular shoes. This caused a lot of slipping, especially in wet conditions. Today fake grass and cleats are used to stop a player from slipping. In the future the grass will change to stop players from sliding. The cleats may have longer spikes to grip the grass. “Cleats are studs or protrusions on the sole of a shoe, or an external attachment to a shoe, that provides additional traction on a soft or slippery surface.” (Wikipedia)

RULES Rules have always and will always affect

the game. When pass interference penalties were put in place, it made a tight ends job easier and made the NFL a more passing leauge. In the future more rules will be put in place that affect a tight end. “The NFL frequently makes rule changes because of exploits on the field by a single coach, owner, player or referee.” (Wikipedia)

PAY Tight end is a growing position, with

many breakout stars appearing in the last 5 to 10 years. Today the highest paid tight end is Antonio Gates with a 36.2 million dollar contract. That will only go up. “The new collective bargaining agreement formulated in 2011 has a salary cap of $120 million and a floor of $108 million.” (Wikipedia)

GENERAL In the future the role of a tight end on a

football team may change, but they will still be called tight ends. The training will become even more, they will have to be faster and stronger.

GLOSSARY Pass interference- when a corner back

affects a receivers ability to catch a catchable ball

Corner back- player on defense that covers receivers to stop them from catching a ball

Turf – fake grass used in stadiums Combine- event held for new class of

players to show off their physical abilities

BIBLIOGRAPHY "Health Issues in American Football."

Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_issues_in_American_football#Statistics Football injury information.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY "History of Football." Home Page: Alameda High

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HowStuffWorks "Entertainment" Web. 12 Dec. 2011. http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/fb-equip8.htm What shoulder pads do.

"Salary Cap." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salary_cap#Salary_cap_in_the_NFL Information on NFL pay.

"Tight End." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tight_end What a tight end is.

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