3 ways to challenge Xavien Howard from a coaching standpoint

The Miami Dolphins are in a really good spot right now. Everything, at the moment, is very copasetic. Their best player, Xavien Howard, seems to be in a really good spot too. He’s an incredible talent who lets his play do the talking for him. But he can be better and I think I have some ways to challenge him to get more out of him.

Even though I’m a recently retired high school coach, and two-time freshmen league champion no big deal, that doesn’t mean that I don’t still long for the days of interacting with the players. Figuring out the best ways to motivate the guys to get the best out of them, that’s what I enjoyed possibly the most besides hoisting up trophies.

Am I a certified shrink? Hardly. But my two freshmen titles (did I mention that already?) say that I know how to put people in good positions to succeed. (Getting the ball to the bigger, faster players as often as possible).

Figuring out the proper way to challenge my players was the key. Do you put your arm around them when they make a mistake or do you get in their grill and tell them that they can be replaced? It’s quite the dance out on the gridiron and it’s the job of the head coach to figure out how to handle each player.

Xavien Howard, who is all world, when it comes to playing the cornerback position is no different. Sure he would have made my freshmen team but he’s looking to stay at the top of the cornerback mountain in the NFL.

Even with all the pro-bowls and all the money he has made in his six years in the league, there are still a few strategies/approaches that can be used to challenge/motivate him so that we see an even better Xavien Howard or at the very least the same all-pro level player that we are accustomed to. If you sense a common theme here with all these major psychological strategies, give yourself a big pat on the back Barry Horowitz style.