Chances are you have recently watched a game in person or on television and have wondered why football players appear to be wearing fanny packs.
Or maybe you have a youngster playing football or you play football yourself and are looking for any competitive advantage you can gain from the different gear that is available.
The gear that is available to players has come a long way and there are some great options out there for football players of all ages. At sportswarrior365, we believe that a player should be comfortable and confident in the gear they are wearing in order to perform at their highest level possible.
Football can be a great game, as there are many life lessons to learn from the difficulty of football and sticking with it. It also takes a ton of teamwork and commitment to getting better. One must train hard and work hard to reach their full potential.
Why Do Football Players Wear Fanny Packs?
As the weather gets cold and rainy towards the end of most football seasons, it is essentially that quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs are able to keep their hands warm and dry to perform at their highest level possible. The last thing a team needs is a turnover because the player could not get a quality grip on the ball due to cold or wet hands. The fanny pack is a great option and has become a standard piece of equipment for most players who handle the ball at some point.
The top two reasons are easy to understand and see the advantage:
- Warm Hands
- Dry Hands
What Positions Should Wear the Fanny Packs
The most important positions and where you will see most players wearing the fanny packs is at the quarterback position. However, any player that handles the ball should consider wearing one.
The goal isn’t to have a certain look, but rather to make sure you can perform at your highest potential on every down of every game. Being warm and dry is vital to the overall success of the player.
If you think about a quarterback, he is handling the ball 60-70 times per game just on the center exchange or in the shotgun. Then once the ball is properly handled, he must be able to make a throw downfield.
Having your hands even be the slightest bit cold, could prevent the quarterback from being accurate. In the NFL game, the throwing windows are extremely small and the timing and accuracy must be spot on.
The wide receivers are trying to catch a ball throw at a high speed rate to them. Even one drop in a game can significantly alter a game. Trying to catch a ball thrown with high velocity can be tough when your hands are cold and can actually hurt if your hands are really cold.
A running back, who might have 20 touches in a game, must be able to properly secure the ball and to be able to catch the ball out of the backfield. If a running back fumbles or is dropping passes, they are letting their team down and could find themselves on the side line if ball security becomes an issue.
Defensive backs might not get many opportunities for an interception, but must be able to make the play when they have the chance. Having cold or wet hands complete makes this more difficult.
Maintaining hands that are ready to perform at any point of the game is essential. Being ready and prepared is a players job. The football game can take up to 3 hours, which is a long time to be outside on a wet, cold day.
Taking good care of your hands, which are such a valuable asset in the game, becomes essential to the overall performance. Also, hands often can get banged up during the course of a game from tackling, cold hands hurt that much worse when get jammed or banged up.
We would recommend any player that wants warm and dry hands should consider the fanny packs. Even the offensive and defensive linemen need their hands to perform at their highest level.
The hands must be warm and dry to be able to make the moves and the blocks that are essential to protecting the quarterback or getting to the quarter on the defensive side of the ball.
For players that have grown up in the warmer climates in America, they might face their first game deep in the NFL or college season where the weather is below 30 degrees, snowy or a cold rain. Players should use the gear that helps them perform at a high level.
Another option that the fanny packs provide is the opportunity to put hand warmers within the fanny pack and keep the hands warm when on the sidelines.
Teams must be prepared to handle the elements and provide the necessary equipment and extra gear to help players perform at their highest potential level. Too much time is spent in the offseason and the week leading up to a game to lose because the players and coaches aren’t prepared for the elements.
The game is played outside and there are always weather elements to deal with.
Here are two fanny packs that we would recommend:
Potential Negative of the Fanny Pack
It provides the opposition one more thing that they would potentially grab. Football players are looking for any advantage they can gain and it is one more thing hanging out there that might be grabbed.
Hopefully, the officials would see this in the interior line, but you can’t count on that. We don’t believe the negatives come anywhere close to out weighing the positives that exist.
Other Helpful Gear – Wide Receiver Gloves
Many quarterbacks in the NFL have turned to wearing wide receiver gloves in the really cold or wet weather to provide a better grip on the ball. Wide receivers have been using gloves for years and now some quarterbacks are more comfortable with the gloves as well.
These gloves are pretty amazing and have helped the one handed catch become more common because of the ease that they gloves provide with catching a pass thrown their way.
These gloves are amazing:
Youth Options:
Here is a brief list of quaters (past and present) that have worn the gloves at the QB position:
- Joe Montana
- Peyton Manning
- Teddy Bridgewater
- Ben Rothlisberger
- Kurt Warner
This is a personal preference as some quarterbacks have decided that they didn’t like the feel. Ultimately, the quarterback must be comfortable with them.
As far as wide receivers, just about every wide receiver from youth leagues to NFL wear the gloves. They provide a major advantage in just about all weather conditions.
Having multiple pairs might be a great option to use in the wet conditions. Being able to rotate several pairs during a game could mean the difference between winning and losing.
Here is a great resource that we have provided on why football players wear gloves?
Some of the major benefits of these wide receiver gloves include:
- Amazing Grip
- Warm and Dry Hands
- Protects Your Hands
Other Helpful Gear – Protective Padded Shorts/Compression Shorts
The options for gear and protective wear have come a long way in the past 20 years. It is quite impressive the options that are out there for athletes. The gear is worth the investment as the protection and comfort levels have truly reached excellent levels.
Check Price on Amazon Below:
Take Action
Now that you know about all of the benefits of fanny packs, gloves and protective padded shorts it is time to take action. Whether you are a player or a parent of a player get the advantage over your opponent who might not have this gear.
The industry has come a long way in providing some awesome options for players of all ages. Have the right gear that might mean the difference in a game.
The last thing you want is to lose a game because your hands are cold or wet or there was a dropped pass or fumble due to not having a quality grip on the ball. The weather can change drastically throughout a game and over the course of a season.
Being prepared for every possible situation is your job as a player. Take action and make sure you are ready for all of the potential elements.
Football is a great game, but only if you are ready for it. Make sure you are training throughout the year and are prepared for all conditions. Maximizing your knowledge of the game, your strength training and your preparation for whatever the elements may throw at you.
Your number of games can be limited in football and being at 100% or as close as possible to 100% starts with the proper training, care for your body, and the right gear.
Are you ready to take your game to the next level? Have fun with the game, work hard and make sure you have the right mindset. Football can be a blast and many life lessons are learned. Enjoy the journey!
