Football Positions: Cornerback Overview: A cornerback (CB) is a defensive back (DB) that lines up on the outermost edge of the defensive formation.
The cornerback usually stands face-to-face with the offensive wide receiver directly across the line of scrimmage.
A CB is also known conversationally as a "corner" in football-speak, and the defensive backfield is often referred to as the "secondary.
" It's been said that coaches look for football players who are the team's best all-around athletes, and then play them at corner.
Next to wide receivers, cornerbacks are the fastest players on the field, and typically possess absurd athleticism.
As agile and graceful as ballet dancers, their talents allow them to be matched up one-on-one with fleet-footed receivers in space.
In short, defenses rely heavily on corners to use their blazing speed, reflexes, and instincts as the first line of defense against an offense's aerial assault.
Cornerbacks can play effectively at a lot of different heights and weights.
Retired legend Darrell Green of the Washington Redskins played corner at a Hall of Fame level during the 80's despite only being around 5'9".
He excelled at the position due to having the heart of a lion and the speed of a gazelle, as he was both a former track star and one of the fastest players in NFL history.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Miami Dolphins of today employ a guy at cornerback named Sean Smith who looks more like a basketball forward than a corner.
Smith towers over other DB's and at 6'3", 214 lb stands eye-to-eye with lanky receivers.
Based on the huge disparity in heights, it doesn't seem to matter if a CB is tall or small; if they can keep receivers in check, they will make their way onto the playing field.
Defensive coordinators use corners in a variety of ways when they unleash their detailed and complex game plans, so a CB has to have many tools at their disposal.
In a zone defense, the corner must be alert and ready to pounce on any ball or receiver that enters their territory.
The zone could be short, intermediate, or deep depending on the play call.
In a man-to-man scheme, the corner is charged with mirroring every move the receiver makes and preventing a catch by using any legal means necessary.
When the corner is in a bump and run defense, he has to be physical enough with the receiver to hold him up at the line and disrupt his route.
Football rules dictate that a cornerback can hand fight and wrestle with a wide receiver up to 5 yards off the line, and then must allow a free release.
To stand out at the position, a cornerback has to have a special blend of physical tools and mental abilities.
In addition to having straight line speed, a corner must be able to accelerate to top speed quickly and close on a ball that is spiraling towards them.
A top-flight CB will also boast what football types call "loose hips," as they have to swivel and twist their hips in an instant, and swiftly point their legs in the direction they need to run.
In addition, most elite CB's have an outstanding vertical leap, which they need to go up and snatch any errant pass that sails in their direction.
As far as the mental aspect of playing corner, a CB has to have unparalleled confidence combined with the guts of a burglar.
CB's will often find themselves on an "island," lined up across some 6'4," muscled up track star moonlighting as a wideout in his spare time.
No matter, as an elite corner will stand toe-to-toe with any receiver, and do whatever it takes to make sure he and the football never meet.
And if they get beat on a deep pass play, a corner will have a short memory.
Instead of rehashing a bad play, the corner with true swagger will dare the QB to throw in his direction again, and promises the opposite result if he does.
The Elites of the past: The NFL has seen a bevy of memorable football players line up and excel at the cornerback position in its storied history.
For instance, Dick "Night Train" Lane was a star corner for The Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, and Detroit Lions.
His 14 picks as rookie still stand as NFL single season record.
And he got his moniker, "Night Train" by being the rare corner who delivered bone-crushing hits as often as he caught picks.
Hall of Fame corner Deion Sanders was such an elite corner that he was known by two nicknames - "Neon" Deion and "Prime Time.
" Deion played for the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys during his prime, with the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens bookending his career.
This world-class athlete slash ball-hawk brought flamboyance to the corner position that had never been seen before or since.
One of the fastest cornerbacks in NFL history, Deion loved doing three things: baiting quarterbacks, returning punts/interceptions for touchdowns, and looking good while doing it.
Although he wasn't as fast as Deion and didn't have a cool nickname like "Night Train," Rod Woodson of Pittsburgh Steelers fame is probably the number #1 cornerback of all-time.
Unlike Sanders, who infamously whiffed on many tackles, Woodson had no such aversion; in fact, he relished putting receivers and ball carriers on the turf.
Woodson was also a superior cover corner who could lock down any receiver he crossed paths with, and collected his fair share of interceptions.
When his defensive unit helped force a punt, guess who was back there for the return? Woodson was.
He showcased his all-around brilliance by finishing his career with a total of 17 total returns for touchdowns, including interceptions.
Simply put, Woodson was the most complete corner to ever step on a football field.
Current Elites and Show me the money: Cornerbacks of today get paid a king's ransom to collect picks, frustrate receivers, and lock down entire sides of the field.
Some corners at the low end of the scale receive $310,000 a season, but the league average is $1.
2 million.
Elite corners, however, command huge salaries.
Take Heisman Trophy winner, perennial Pro Bowler, and Super Bowl Champion Charles Woodson of the Green Bay Packers for example.
Woodson's current contract has him set to receive $55 million through the 2014 season, a fitting sum for the most complete corner in the game today.
On a typical Sunday, he baits and plays so many mind games with QB's that they retreat to their shrink's couch after facing him.
The Philadelphia Eagles currently pay former Raider CB Nnamdi Asomugha a staggering $12 million annually to lock up receivers and throw away the key.
He teams up in the Eagle's secondary with stud CB's Dominique-Rodgers Cromartie and Asante Samuel to make life miserable for QB's and wideouts throughout the league.
How does he do it? Asomugha uses his 6'2" frame and remarkable athleticism to blanket and harass receivers all over the field.
And don't forget all the flankers and split ends that get stranded on Revis Island and never come back.
That's the way NFL types describe the sticky, shadowy coverage administered by Darrelle Revis of the New York Jets.
Universally recognized as the best cover cornerback in the game today, Revis is a walking contradiction; he's so good that he hardly ever gets interceptions.
Why? Because quarterbacks rarely have the guts to challenge him in man coverage, that's why.
Week after week, he renders elite, Pro-Bowl caliber wide receivers absolutely irrelevant and received a 7 year, $55 million contract for his trouble.
Other elite corners include Champ Bailey of the Denver Broncos, Antoine Winfield of the Minnesota Vikings, and Ronde Barber of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Training: The pass catchers in the game of football today are outstanding athletes, both big and incredibly fast.
To match up with these freaks, a young cornerback has to train their body completely and with an unrelenting intensity.
On the football field, track-related exercises like wind sprints, suicides, and bungee-parachute harness sprints can foster the blazing wheels a corner needs to stay with elite WR's stride for stride.
Also running hills and stadium steps will create quads and calves that are as strong as steel and as hard as granite.
Ladder-rope and cone drills also assist in developing super agility and excellent footwork.
In the weight room, corners today train like linebackers.
They devote hour upon hour tackling Olympic lifts, like the bench, deadlifts and the squat.
To create hands as strong as steel, corners do five-finger pushups and use towels to grip dumbbells and barbells.
The towels serve to thicken the bar, and force the forearms to work overtime.
By following these types of hard-hitting workout regimens, a young corner will one day grow into the next elite eraser at the position.
The cornerback usually stands face-to-face with the offensive wide receiver directly across the line of scrimmage.
A CB is also known conversationally as a "corner" in football-speak, and the defensive backfield is often referred to as the "secondary.
" It's been said that coaches look for football players who are the team's best all-around athletes, and then play them at corner.
Next to wide receivers, cornerbacks are the fastest players on the field, and typically possess absurd athleticism.
As agile and graceful as ballet dancers, their talents allow them to be matched up one-on-one with fleet-footed receivers in space.
In short, defenses rely heavily on corners to use their blazing speed, reflexes, and instincts as the first line of defense against an offense's aerial assault.
Cornerbacks can play effectively at a lot of different heights and weights.
Retired legend Darrell Green of the Washington Redskins played corner at a Hall of Fame level during the 80's despite only being around 5'9".
He excelled at the position due to having the heart of a lion and the speed of a gazelle, as he was both a former track star and one of the fastest players in NFL history.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Miami Dolphins of today employ a guy at cornerback named Sean Smith who looks more like a basketball forward than a corner.
Smith towers over other DB's and at 6'3", 214 lb stands eye-to-eye with lanky receivers.
Based on the huge disparity in heights, it doesn't seem to matter if a CB is tall or small; if they can keep receivers in check, they will make their way onto the playing field.
Defensive coordinators use corners in a variety of ways when they unleash their detailed and complex game plans, so a CB has to have many tools at their disposal.
In a zone defense, the corner must be alert and ready to pounce on any ball or receiver that enters their territory.
The zone could be short, intermediate, or deep depending on the play call.
In a man-to-man scheme, the corner is charged with mirroring every move the receiver makes and preventing a catch by using any legal means necessary.
When the corner is in a bump and run defense, he has to be physical enough with the receiver to hold him up at the line and disrupt his route.
Football rules dictate that a cornerback can hand fight and wrestle with a wide receiver up to 5 yards off the line, and then must allow a free release.
To stand out at the position, a cornerback has to have a special blend of physical tools and mental abilities.
In addition to having straight line speed, a corner must be able to accelerate to top speed quickly and close on a ball that is spiraling towards them.
A top-flight CB will also boast what football types call "loose hips," as they have to swivel and twist their hips in an instant, and swiftly point their legs in the direction they need to run.
In addition, most elite CB's have an outstanding vertical leap, which they need to go up and snatch any errant pass that sails in their direction.
As far as the mental aspect of playing corner, a CB has to have unparalleled confidence combined with the guts of a burglar.
CB's will often find themselves on an "island," lined up across some 6'4," muscled up track star moonlighting as a wideout in his spare time.
No matter, as an elite corner will stand toe-to-toe with any receiver, and do whatever it takes to make sure he and the football never meet.
And if they get beat on a deep pass play, a corner will have a short memory.
Instead of rehashing a bad play, the corner with true swagger will dare the QB to throw in his direction again, and promises the opposite result if he does.
The Elites of the past: The NFL has seen a bevy of memorable football players line up and excel at the cornerback position in its storied history.
For instance, Dick "Night Train" Lane was a star corner for The Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, and Detroit Lions.
His 14 picks as rookie still stand as NFL single season record.
And he got his moniker, "Night Train" by being the rare corner who delivered bone-crushing hits as often as he caught picks.
Hall of Fame corner Deion Sanders was such an elite corner that he was known by two nicknames - "Neon" Deion and "Prime Time.
" Deion played for the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys during his prime, with the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens bookending his career.
This world-class athlete slash ball-hawk brought flamboyance to the corner position that had never been seen before or since.
One of the fastest cornerbacks in NFL history, Deion loved doing three things: baiting quarterbacks, returning punts/interceptions for touchdowns, and looking good while doing it.
Although he wasn't as fast as Deion and didn't have a cool nickname like "Night Train," Rod Woodson of Pittsburgh Steelers fame is probably the number #1 cornerback of all-time.
Unlike Sanders, who infamously whiffed on many tackles, Woodson had no such aversion; in fact, he relished putting receivers and ball carriers on the turf.
Woodson was also a superior cover corner who could lock down any receiver he crossed paths with, and collected his fair share of interceptions.
When his defensive unit helped force a punt, guess who was back there for the return? Woodson was.
He showcased his all-around brilliance by finishing his career with a total of 17 total returns for touchdowns, including interceptions.
Simply put, Woodson was the most complete corner to ever step on a football field.
Current Elites and Show me the money: Cornerbacks of today get paid a king's ransom to collect picks, frustrate receivers, and lock down entire sides of the field.
Some corners at the low end of the scale receive $310,000 a season, but the league average is $1.
2 million.
Elite corners, however, command huge salaries.
Take Heisman Trophy winner, perennial Pro Bowler, and Super Bowl Champion Charles Woodson of the Green Bay Packers for example.
Woodson's current contract has him set to receive $55 million through the 2014 season, a fitting sum for the most complete corner in the game today.
On a typical Sunday, he baits and plays so many mind games with QB's that they retreat to their shrink's couch after facing him.
The Philadelphia Eagles currently pay former Raider CB Nnamdi Asomugha a staggering $12 million annually to lock up receivers and throw away the key.
He teams up in the Eagle's secondary with stud CB's Dominique-Rodgers Cromartie and Asante Samuel to make life miserable for QB's and wideouts throughout the league.
How does he do it? Asomugha uses his 6'2" frame and remarkable athleticism to blanket and harass receivers all over the field.
And don't forget all the flankers and split ends that get stranded on Revis Island and never come back.
That's the way NFL types describe the sticky, shadowy coverage administered by Darrelle Revis of the New York Jets.
Universally recognized as the best cover cornerback in the game today, Revis is a walking contradiction; he's so good that he hardly ever gets interceptions.
Why? Because quarterbacks rarely have the guts to challenge him in man coverage, that's why.
Week after week, he renders elite, Pro-Bowl caliber wide receivers absolutely irrelevant and received a 7 year, $55 million contract for his trouble.
Other elite corners include Champ Bailey of the Denver Broncos, Antoine Winfield of the Minnesota Vikings, and Ronde Barber of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Training: The pass catchers in the game of football today are outstanding athletes, both big and incredibly fast.
To match up with these freaks, a young cornerback has to train their body completely and with an unrelenting intensity.
On the football field, track-related exercises like wind sprints, suicides, and bungee-parachute harness sprints can foster the blazing wheels a corner needs to stay with elite WR's stride for stride.
Also running hills and stadium steps will create quads and calves that are as strong as steel and as hard as granite.
Ladder-rope and cone drills also assist in developing super agility and excellent footwork.
In the weight room, corners today train like linebackers.
They devote hour upon hour tackling Olympic lifts, like the bench, deadlifts and the squat.
To create hands as strong as steel, corners do five-finger pushups and use towels to grip dumbbells and barbells.
The towels serve to thicken the bar, and force the forearms to work overtime.
By following these types of hard-hitting workout regimens, a young corner will one day grow into the next elite eraser at the position.
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