Mendy's running style

[sd steel]

Re: Mendy's running style

This year, I don't think there is any way Parker's output would have been the same as Mendenhall's was against SD and Detroit.

Parker has had his opportunities and he is averaging 3.1 a carry and Mendenhall is over 5 yrds. Mendenhall looks much better this year than Parker. It isn't attributable solely to the defenses he has run against or the OL blocking well only when he is running,

And all this stuff about how he runs high! I don't see that at all. He is only 5' 11" if that, so how can he be running so high. If he were over 6", I think that might make a bit more sense.

????? Running high has nothing to do with your height, it's about bending at your waist and running with your shoulders down.

I think it may have something to do with your height. A 5' 8" running back would never be accused of running high. But even with that I don't see anything unusually "high" about how Mendenhall runs. I think the announcer said that during the telecast and other people heard and are regurgitating that remark. I just disagree.

No, believe me I have played football and running back for many years, and I coach football, and it has nothing to do with height. It means a running back is not squaring up his shoulders and bending at his waist when he runs. Basically we call it "protecting your numbers", so you don't receive a blow to your upper legs stomach and chest area. You are also better able to protect the ball when you run. I don't think Mendenhall is running as high as he did last year, and where everyone started critiquing Mendenhall last year was when he took a hit in preseason about 7 yards down field and he was running upright. Every back has their own style, but most coaches want players to run lower to the ground to protect themselves and to deliver a blow instead of taking one, and to protect the football.