Philadelphia Eagles Need Quarterback Guru George Whitfield Jr.

Dec 21, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians talks with general manager Steve Keim (right) and television personality

(left) prior to the game against the Seattle Seahawks at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Bruce Arians Believes In The Quarterback Guru

It was during a blemish in the career of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger that the spotlight began to shine for Whitfield.   In 2010, the Steelers quarterback began serving a four game suspension and was prohibited from practicing with either teammates or coaches.  But thanks to his agent, who had learned of Whitfield through another client Hunter Cantwell, they flew in the man who was merely a few years older, and was being asked to train a two-time Super bowl champion quarterback.   But Whitfield has something few have in the NFL business – creativity.  He had learned of a study that confirmed 52 percent of quarterback drops ended up in having to make adjustments to the throwing motion due to pressure.

"It’s like someone told me exactly where aliens were.  We were going to start devoting half of our training to evading chaos. It can’t always be five-step drop, give me a bullet right there.  We’ve got to learn to throw on the run. We’ve got to increase the quality of life for these guys. Even when my shutters are banging I’m good because I have been through all this training.” – George Whitfield as interviewed by Tom Reed for Northeast Ohio Media Group on 6 March 2014"

His efforts did not go unnoticed by then offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.

"“George does a good job. Any time you have a guy who believes as passionately as he does about his craft than he’s a good teacher. That’s all we are: teachers. He’s teaching guys good techniques and as long as they’re working hard at their craft then God bless he’s doing a good job with his business. In that month Ben really shortened up his stroke. They worked on a couple things fundamentally that we had talked about and wanted him to do . . . and they did a great job.” – Arizona head coach Bruce Arians"

The list of Whitfield clients looks like a “who’s who” of NFL quarterbacks: Eagles great Donovan McNabb, Andrew Luck, Ben Roesthlisberger, Johnny Manziel, Cam Newton. But he doesn’t focus on NFL caliber and draft talent exclusively. He has coached from the third grade up to NFL pro levels. He uses props, gadgets and unconventional drills to stress quarterbacks – from blind folds to bean bags to brooms to garden tools. He has carved a niche into the football industry where the difference between a quarterback with sound fundamentals and one with questionable mechanics can be a mid-sized fortune.