Marching helps football player

[Book]

UAB lineman developed good footwork as tuba player in marching band





The first thing UAB head football coach Neil Callaway noticed about Matt McCants was his feet.
Football coaches are funny like that. But then McCants is 6-foot-7 and 295 pounds.
While watching film of McCants in a high school football game, Callaway, a former offensive line coach, couldn't get over how athletic the big man was. And those feet ... boy, could he move those feet.
"The best thing about him is his feet," said Callaway. "They are outstanding for a big guy. If you've got great feet, you've got a leg up on everybody."
So how did McCants get this leg up? Extra work? Experience? God-given talent?
No, no and no.
It came from playing in the band.
"It's kind of funny to say but I feel the band, it kind of helped me with my footwork," said McCants. "We had to do all our chopping feet, running and all that stuff."
And now McCants, a true freshman, has worked his way into the starting lineup during his first college football fall camp. He's slated to start at left tackle on UAB's first offensive snap of 2007 Saturday at 11 a.m. against Michigan State at Spartan Stadium.
Looks like he prepared for the occasion by playing the tuba in the Williamson-Mobile High School marching band.


Read more