For St. Pius X Catholic (Atlanta) running back/safety Nick Glass it never fails -- at some point during the course of the game he’s going to have to produce what he refers to as “a game-changer.”
Whether it's the run that wakes up the offense or the hit that hypes up the defense, it's the game-changers that sway the momentum.
“It’s something skill players have to do a few times a game,” said Glass, a junior who is committed to Georgia. “It’s necessary and it’s something that our teammates have come to expect from us. You’ve just got to have that go-to move out there.”
We caught up with a handful of players across the country and had them dish on what fail-proof moves they resort to when it’s time to make something happen on the field.
Tyren Jones
Walton (Marietta, Ga.), 2013, RB
Committed to: Alabama
Go-to move: “The Spinner”
“Mine is pretty simple. I use the defender’s momentum against them. When they come to tackle me they brace for the impact at some point and at the exact moment I spin really fast and they miss. That pretty much always works for me.”
Reuben Foster
Auburn (Auburn, Ala.), 2013, LB
Committed to: Auburn
Go-to move: “The Terminator”
“This move is simple and it takes guts. It’s like a downhill sprint directly at someone and it ends in a straight-up blow. That’s it. Nothing fancy, but the speed and the contact always shock ‘em. I’ve met guys who matched me on the first 'Terminator' hit, but they don’t know that I’m coming back. Eventually, one of us is gonna give up. … It’s not gonna be me.”
MORE: Foster reveals the secrets to his success
Greg Taboada
Marist (Atlanta), 2013, TE, Uncommitted
Go-to move: “The Olé”
“Well, I’ve got a little Spanish influence in me so when I get the chance, and I have the ball in the open field, I do my little ole’ move and they fly right by me. I don’t always get to do juke-moves, but that’s one that I like to use a lot. The defenders end up like the bulls that miss the bullfighters.”
Mason Hines
Rocky Mount (Rocky Mount, N.C.), 2013, RB, Uncommitted
Go-to move: “The Hines Special”
“Well, I am really good at reading the defender’s movements and, almost always, I know what they’re gonna do. When the defender over-commits, I cut back, and when he doesn’t commit, I give him a stiff-arm. Either way it pretty much always works for me.”
Nick Glass
St. Pius X Catholic (Atlanta), 2014, RB/S
Committed to: Georgia
Go-to move: “The Chris Brown”
“Basically, I cut in and cut back out and then hit them with the stiff-arm if need be. Usually, I don’t even need the stiff-arm because they’re done with the cuts. I call it the 'Chris Brown' because when I cut I have them dancing just like he dances.”
Jason Jordan is a High School Sports reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at jcjordan@usatoday.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @JayJayUSATODAY
