What It Takes to Be a High-Performing Running Back

Welcome back to training.
Coach Lee here—today we’re going to talk about the attributes a player needs to be a high-performing running back at any level of football.

I’ve been fortunate to spend over a decade playing the running back position, including time at University of Idaho and Laney College under John Beam. Today, I bring that experience into my work as a varsity high school running backs coach.

Football is always evolving. Schemes change. Offensive systems adapt. Defenses become more complex.

But there are certain fundamentals required to be an effective running back that are timeless.

Today I want to break down what it truly means to play the position well. Whether you’re a coach, a parent, or an athlete, these principles apply to running backs at every level of the game.

One of the great things about the running back position is that success does not depend on one specific body type.

You might see a back who is 6’2”, 230 pounds, capable of punishing defenses with power.
Or a back who is 5’8”, 180 pounds, relying on quickness, vision, and burst.

Both players can be effective depending on the system and how they use their strengths.

What matters more than size are the core qualities that every successful running back must develop.

First and foremost, a running back must be a protector of the football.

Ball security is the highest priority for any running back. A player can do everything right on a play, but if the ball ends up on the ground, the offense has failed.

The good news is that ball security does not require rare talent. It comes down to two things:

• Proper ball-carrying technique

• The right mindset

A disciplined running back carries the ball high and tight, keeping it secured against the body and protected from defenders who are trying to punch it loose.

Every time a back touches the football, they must treat it like the most valuable thing on the field—because it is.

A good running back must be able to adapt to the situation in front of him.

Some plays demand violent, downhill running where the back lowers his pads and finishes runs through contact.

Other situations require elusiveness, where a back must make defenders miss in space and accelerate toward the end zone.

Whether running with power, speed, or agility, great running backs have the ability to shift gears.

They know when to:

• Accelerate through a crease

• Decelerate to let blocks develop

• Re-accelerate once they reach open field

Because of this, acceleration and deceleration should be major focuses in a running back’s training program.

The ability to change speeds efficiently often separates average backs from great ones.

In modern football, a running back cannot only be a ball carrier. They must also contribute to the offense through the passing game.

That means being able to:

• Run clean, accurate routes

• Catch the ball consistently

• Win pass-protection battles

Catching the football is a skill that is developed through repetition. The only way to improve is to have the ball thrown to running backs over and over again in practice.

I can’t stress this enough: the skill is built through repetition.

Pass protection is often the area where young running backs struggle the most.

From my experience coaching the position, running backs improve dramatically when they begin to understand the details of the game.

Running backs take their play to another level when they understand:

• Their offensive line’s blocking assignments

• The defensive fronts they are facing

• Which defender they are responsible for in protection

Technique and leverage matter—but only if the running back knows who he is blocking and why.

As coaches, we cannot hold players accountable for assignments that have not been properly taught.

Once a player understands the how and the why behind their responsibilities, they can be fully held accountable for executing the play.

And that’s when real development starts to happen.

The running back position is about much more than speed or highlight-reel runs.

It requires:

• Discipline with the football

• The ability to run with both power and finesse

• Skill in the passing game

• And a deep understanding of offensive responsibilities

Players who commit to mastering these fundamentals will always have value in the game—no matter how football continues to evolve.

That’s the work for today.

—Coach Lee