Absolutely not. FF is not dictating how the NFL plays the game nor does it have anything to do with performance. I would attribute the arrival of players that are bigger, better and faster to a greater emphasis being placed upon nutrition, physical education and sports specialization at a much earlier age. For example, let's look at the highschool football region of central and south Texas...Austin and San Antonio.Around the time little Joe arrives in grade school and shows any ability to punt, pass and kick he will be directed towards a specific youth football program. Said youth program will run a scaled down version of the local high school's offense and defense. Said youth football program is not run by fathers donating their time. The youth program is ran and overseen by retired or active middle school, high school and or college coaches. About the time that little Joe reaches middle school he is filtered to the right school. That school will run a full version of the high school's offense and defense. Little Joe will already be locked into 1-3 positions. Unless an unexpected growth spurt hits little Joe he is already pegged for his playing position(s) in high school. By this time skill position players are normally identified. The future Friday night QB knows who he is. Same for the ends and backs. Controlled physical education begins and, depending on where you are, weight lifting may or may not be introduced. No longer so little Joe reaches high school. Coaches have known him or about him since he was 7-8. He already knows each playbook. He'll start freshman ball; might start JV and will dress varisty, if he is lucky. He will now be introduced to proper nutrition and start working with strength training. That training and guidance will last for the next 4 years. 15, 20, 25, 30 years ago this was not necessarily the case. Football always has been a serious business in this part of the world but it was never so methodical. It is a business. Even at the high school level it is a BIG business. I am pretty sure a few guys here can chime in on Southlake Carroll, which is located in the MetroPlex, or Westlake, which is in Austin. In San Antonio we have Judson and Smithson Valley. I am not saying I agree with this process but this is how it works. This is why guys are starting to rip through records. Not FF. They are primed and focused at a much earlier age and specialization enters the picture before junior high school. And it continues once a player enters the league. Players don't work in the offseason anymore. They workout. For example, L. Alworth worked as a model in the offseasons. Roger Staubach sold insurance. Those guys did not train and play 365. They had to earn a living January-July. Now, that is not the case. Players take care of their bodies. That is their job.People playing the game; the game and preparing for the game have evolved tremendously since the merger.
