In Their View: Catching the Ball in Traffic
Taking the Punishment and Reaping the Reward
"If the ball is near him, he's going to catch it," Coach Vaughn Lewis said of Ben Barber.
(By John McDonnell -- The Washington Post)
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Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Edison wide receiver Ben Barber made catch after catch across the middle of the field last year in the first half of Virginia AAA Division 5 championship, and he got the sense from the Phoebus defenders laying licks on him that they were not accustomed to opponents hanging on to the ball after being popped.
But that is what separates Barber from most of his peers -- his ability to catch and hold on to the ball when he knows a pounding is likely.
"The thing that he does better than any receiver I've ever coached is that if the ball is near him, he's going to catch it," Edison Coach Vaughn Lewis said. "It's not a matter of if he gets it or if he has to jump in the air and come down on concrete to catch it. He has the ability to concentrate on the ball and catch it no matter what his surroundings are. If it's tipped, he can readjust his hands.
"There are a lot of receivers with great leaping ability and great hands -- until the contact starts."
The 6-foot, 202-pound Barber, who finished with 54 catches for 1,034 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, has scholarship offers from Maryland, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Perhaps more than his 4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash or running crisp routes, he prides himself on not being afflicted with what is commonly known as "alligator arms," the football malady that keeps receivers from stretching out for passes, fearful that a defender will make contact.
"Catching the ball over the middle for me is sort of like a mind thing," said Barber, who also returns punts. "I'm always aware of everybody who's around me, especially the strong safety and free safety, because they can come in and lay one on you. If you want to make a difference in the game, you have to hold on to the ball."
Barber jokes that the reason he can withstand the punishment is because he has older brothers, cousins and uncles who picked on him for years. But the Eagles also have drills designed to jam receivers at the line, distract them from making catches and jar loose the ball after they make a grab.
"If you're going to get there and touch the ball, you might as well catch it," Lewis said. "You're going to get hit just as hard if you drop it or catch it, so you might as well be a hero and catch it."
