Impellia is featured in USA Today
Charlie Batch, MSOL
Best of the Batch Foundation, Entrepreneur, Professional Speaker, Actor, President, Sports Analyst, Former NFL Player
This looks like the dawn of an analytics revolution in the NFL.
Sure, they've had a place on pro football landscape's for years, even if the Cleveland Browns proved that Moneyball looks much better on paper ... or in baseball. Yet with technology evolving and the league poised to take another step with the release of in-game tracking of every player to all 32 teams this year, there will be more data than ever to analyze.
It’s like singularity is coming to a stadium near you.
“Any information is very good,” declared Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome — the, uh, Wizard of Oz — during the NFL scouting combine.
“We’re learning ways to be able to properly utilize the technology that we get, the analytics that we get. There are some myths out there, and there is some wisdom. Hopefully, the analytics can tell us what the myths are and what the wisdom is.”
If not from the radio frequency identification (RFID) sensors sewn into shoulder pads, which fuels those “Next Gen Stats” and the league’s partnership with Zebra Technologies, then maybe the game-changing intel comes from Catapult’s GPS devices and accelerometers. Football, far from the way Vince Lombardi knew it, has advanced to the point where Xs and Os are complemented by biomechanics, blood analysis and wristband monitors pumping numbers galore. There’s even a sleeve that can be worn to monitor the stress on a quarterback’s arm.
Still, with increasing amounts of data comes the challenge of applying it. That’s where Charlie Batch, the former Steelers and Lions quarterback, is angling to have impact.
Batch, co-founder of a medical tech company, Impellia, has developed a software platform designed to translate data from myriad sources (including its own research) to simplify the analysis. Add that to the reams of information NFL teams have traditionally used, and there’s a serious need to efficiently manage the data — finding an analytics sweet spot.
“That’s the concern you hear throughout the league,” Batch said. “(GMs saying), 'We’ve got it, but we don’t understand it and know what to do with it.' "
During the combine, Batch and his partners presented their product (which is used by teams at the University of Michigan) to the training staffs of all 32 teams and conducted follow-up meetings with eight of them.
“Everybody’s looking to do something with it,” Batch said. “It was like, ‘If you can do that, yes, that’s something we’re interested in.' "
Naturally, some teams (like the Philadelphia Eagles) are further along in incorporating analytics, while others need prodding just to keep pace. Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden, returning to the sideline after a 10-year hiatus, ignited buzz during the combine when he colorfully suggested taking the game back to 1998 — when he began his first stint as Raiders coach — rather relying on technology.
"It’s one thing to have the data — or DAY-tuh," Gruden said, "it’s another thing to know how to read the damn thing.”
Gruden may have expressed the sentiments of old-school coaches, scouts and GMs, looking to avoid paralysis by analysis when trying to get a grip on applying new-school information.
“He’s been out of the game for a while,” Batch said. “One of the things he’ll discover is that there’s a new wave of players that have used these technologies in college, and they’re expecting to use that in the NFL.”
Running back Demario Richard came to appreciate the Catapult program at Arizona State, where he and fellow back Kalen Ballage competed to post the fastest miles-per-hour timings in addition to comparing how many steps they took in practice.
“Me and Kalen, we used to run probably 5,000, 6,000 yards in practice,” Richard said. “And we were splitting carries, so it was pretty crazy.
"But we paid attention to it.”
Sun Devils running backs coach Matt Simon would manage practice reps based on data that indicated fatigue levels. That is one application that could seemingly reduce the risk for some injuries.
“The Catapult helped us a lot with the workload situation,” Richard said. “So coach Simon would be, ‘Your workload is real high today. So Kalen you might have to take over a little bit more.’ "
Batch, who retired after the 2012 season, chuckled when asked whether he would have extended his career with the current technology.
“I don’t know,” he said. Batch, who began his career in 1998, underwent six surgeries despite usually being in a backup role.
“We’re not saying that this will prevent injuries,” he said. “We understand that football is a game where there is a 100% chance of getting injuries. It’s just having an understanding of what the data means. What does it mean to me?
“The players want to know. They are always wanting to get better.”
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Follow NFL columnist Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell
Great stuff Charlie !
Philanthropist/Community Volunteer
6 年Congrats
Very Nice Charlie and Impellia!!