Alabama football using blinding shades to train before playoff game

Alabama football is taking further measures to help their wide receivers train visual focus ahead of the Crimson Tide’s College Football Playoff matchup against Oklahoma.

This week, ESPN’s Holly Rowe spent some time on the practice fields with Alabama athletic trainer Jeff Allen, and she discovered that Strobe goggles from Senaptec are being used by Alabama’s wide receivers.

 

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“The theory behind it is you obstruct the visual field to really make them focus more on the mechanics of the catch,” Allen said. “So the glasses will flash and obstruct their visual field, and really what we’re trying to get them to do is to watch the ball all the way in and watch it all the way in to their arm versus what you see a lot of receivers do where they think they’re going to make the catch and they take their eye off the ball and turn away and drop it.”

When looking at the sports description of the product on the company’s website, it says “The Strobe is ideal for entry level to sports vision training, youth athletic training and group training sessions. Add the Strobes into your skill development work to increase the difficulty, complexity, and intensity. On game-day, your performance in stressful situations is perceptively easier and more efficient.

“Senaptec Strobe Training challenges your brain in a unique way no other tool can, by enabling you to train the mind and body together. By removing critical visual information, the brain is forced to process visual input more efficiently. This heightened visual capability enhances coordination, anticipation and decision-making resulting in faster reaction times, better ability to focus, and overall improved balance.”

Dropping the ball has been issue for some of Alabama’s receivers this season and especially was a problem in the SEC Championship game.

Alabama’s pass catchers have been criticized for dropping passes throughout the season, and that noise only amplified after the 28-7 loss to Georgia. The Crimson Tide finished with multiple drops, and there were a few other instances where Alabama players did not haul in catchable balls in the end zone with defenders in the area like the incomplete pass to Ryan Williams in the end zone in the fourth quarter.

Williams is the main Alabama player that’s come under fire for dropping passes. His 13.6% drop-per-target rate is the highest by any Alabama player since at least 2016, while his 16 drops since last season are the third-most in FBS.

Alabama threw for 326 yards in the Crimson Tide’s loss to Oklahoma back in November, but the offense looked inferior against Georgia in the SEC Championship game.

The Crimson Tide’s passing attack will be a major deciding factor in the rematch with Oklahoma, and a two-week break should be enough time to get players healthy and fix things in the down field passing game.

Alabama plays at Oklahoma tomorrow at 7 p.m. CT on ABC.