Fanbogs - College Football Weblogs

March 28, 2007

UTEP goes first-person shooter at QB

Mike Price must have spent a lot of nights playing Unreal Tournament 2004 during the off-season.

What else could explain him duct taping a video camera to his quarterback's helmets a la PC in the Apple ads during spring drills?

Actually, there's a method to Price's madness. UTEP is breaking down the practice film from the QB cam to measure the decision-making of each of the quarterbacks and to monitor their progress.

After three workouts, UTEP coach Mike Price is quite enamored with the program's new toy, the helmet cam worn by a selected quarterback each day. "I love it," he said. "Isn't it just amazing? You look from the stands and say, 'That guy was wide open. What's wrong with that idiot?' You look at it through (the helmet cam) and you understand.

"And the other quarterbacks are learning from it."

No word yet on if Price is considering plugging a PS2 remote into each QB's shoulder pads.

The more I think about it, the better this idea sounds. I know that one of the broadcast stations (NBC? FOX?) had a similar contraption on Arena League? XFL? quarterbacks a few years back. It was sickening to watch at game speed, but I have to think that it would be an outstanding tool in developing the QBs.

Posted by Kevin Donahue

 

Comments:

  1. So Cal Athlete said:

    posted on March 28, 2007 5:20 PM — 204.62.68.23 — link — abuse?



    Kinda like the Fantasy Camp thing, I woulda thought teams/schools were doing something like this already.
    ... its a provacative idea; might add a valuable perspective.

  2. Defensive Minded Nebraskan said:

    posted on March 29, 2007 12:34 AM — 75.88.70.92 — link — abuse?



    i have thought of this same concept... but from a Safety point of view and coaches watch realtime from a laptop critiquing as they go, it would help a lets say... not soo focused player learn what to watch from different offensive sets and motions.. great implementation on the QB helmet. I wish they would strap some of these up to Husker safeties and see how much instinct they have vs. talent/speed and match them up with the traits of the corners... and base the LB's from there... that in turn deciding the base formation, a beautiful concept really.

  3. Defensive Minded Nebraskan said:

    posted on March 29, 2007 12:35 AM — 75.88.70.92 — link — abuse?



    C'mon with the football already... X's and O's are haunting me.

  4. Tom Blogical said:

    posted on March 29, 2007 8:32 AM — 24.95.77.153 — link — abuse?



    If other coaches like it, it will be commonplace quickly.

  5. goodolnuma5 said:

    posted on April 3, 2007 8:30 PM — 65.24.217.137 — link — abuse?



    I say strap a laser beam to the helmet, put a like one of those Tomahawk cameras at the point of the football, then have a lucky fan (me) use like one of those wii joysticks and guide the ball. SWEEEEEEEET!