Playing wide receiver has a unique set of challenges
A high-powered passing game doesn’t just happen in college football.
It takes the combination of physical exertion and mental training, plus coordination between the quarterback and receivers to make things go.
Cleveland County native Josh Briscoe has lived that for three seasons with the Tennessee Volunteers and it showed up big in SEC school’s 21-17 win over Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. He and quarterback Erik Ainge — son of former Boston Celtics’ star Danny Ainge — hooked up seven times in the game last week but it wasn’t by accident.
“It does take a lot of time,” said Briscoe, a Burns High graduate. “Working with Erik, we put in probably 10 extra hours a week outside of practice, usually watching film and doing one-on-one stuff. We both have to adjust to what we see.”
When Briscoe left high school and joined the Vols, he knew there was a lot of offensive football to learn. What he didn’t realize is everything going on across the line with the defensive unit.
“I really had no clue what I was getting into,” he said. “I didn’t know there was that many things that teams could do on defense, all the coverages and combination coverages.
“Every coach or group of coaches has their way of doing things. You have to be a student of the game and accept change. If you handle it that way, you can be successful.”
To play wide receiver, a player must not only run meticulous routes, but be able to shed the defenders playing “bump-and-run” and get to the spot where the quarterback is going to throw the football.
“Going to Donald McCluney’s martial arts school (in the Shelby area) when I was kid really helped,” said Briscoe. “You learned a lot of body movements that help you deal with press coverage and when you’re blocking.”
When Briscoe and his fellow receivers come to the line, they have certain things they’re looking for.
“The biggest thing is down and distance (to go),” Briscoe said. “Our coaches have worked with us and have let us know what (coverage) the other team is going to be in in just about any situation.
“As a slot receiver, I’m reading what I see from the defense. So is the quarterback. I have to signal what my intentions are, and you can do that with a hand signal the way you align and swivel your hips. Erik Ainge and I had worked a lot together so we could do that.”
When it clicks, the results can be spectacular. On a first down play in the second quarter against Wisconsin, Briscoe lined up on the right side. He and the quarterback both saw the same thing.
“We knew coming in, they (the Badgers) would play a two-safety zone on first down where they were worried more about what was happening on the outside. I just ran down the middle and it was just like we expected.”
The result was a touchdown completion that actually looked easier than it was.
“All I could think was ‘please don’t let me drop it!’ We’ve all seen that happen. But I caught it,” he said.
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