Rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr.'s pre-practice routine is a practical nod to an Olympic sport
The more passes rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. catches, the better the Arizona Cardinals will be. Let's do Obvious Statements for $1000, Ken.And if catching rugby balls before practice will help with that, why not experiment? Harrison explained to Bob McManaman of The Arizona Republic Tuesday that catching rugby balls before practice ends up making […]
The more passes rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. catches, the better the Arizona Cardinals will be. Let's do Obvious Statements for $1000, Ken.
And if catching rugby balls before practice will help with that, why not experiment?
Harrison explained to Bob McManaman of The Arizona Republic Tuesday that catching rugby balls before practice ends up making catching footballs a lot easier during practice.
"Trying to catch a bigger object opens up your hands a little bit more," Harrison said. "And [once] you get the football, it feels kind of small so that's the thought process behind that."
A standard rugby ball actually has the same length of 11" like a standard American football, but there are several differences between the two. The most notable is how a football has ends that come to a point while the ends of rugby balls are notably flatter.
Catching it straight on like a receiver would a football would require hands to be more spaced out at the catch point, which tracks with Harrison's explanation.
There is a balance, of course, to be found. Putting too much space between your hands is a recipe for dropping a football just like if there wasn't enough space to begin with.
Finding the sweet spot is crucial, and it sounds like Harrison is tuning his hands to create more space.
There are obviously very few weaknesses in Harrison's game, but he did see an increase in drops every year he was at Ohio State. He had just one as a freshman, three as a sophomore, and six in his final season as a junior.
Any added work to ensure this trend doesn't continue in Arizona is commendable. It's why quarterback Kyler Murray has the upmost confidence in his potential impact.
The timing of this is also interesting with the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games still in progress. Rugby had the spotlight early in the games with the U.S. Women's Team taking home their first-ever medal led by Ilona Maher. Now one of the top rookies in the NFL is implementing the sport with his training.
While fans still aren't able to wear an official Cardinals jersey with Harrison's name on the back, they can be assured he's going the extra mile to prepare for his rookie season.
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