Running backs, by the very nature of their position, get hit on pretty much every non-scoring play they touch the ball. Warrick Dunn, though, believes there's a way for running backs to protect themselves regardless, and that it's imperative for Atlanta Falcons star Devonta Freeman to learn how to do so.
“A lot of times, these guys always want to prove that they're tough or that they can get the tough yard, but sometimes you have to live for another down,” Dunn, a former Pro Bowler and now a part owner of the Falcons, told ESPN's Vaugh McClure. “My advice to Devonta was, ‘You have to learn how to protect yourself at the same time. You're picking up tough yards, but you have to be smart and strategic about it.'
“To be a better runner, it's not always about, ‘Let me run over guys,' he continued. “It's ‘How can I avoid the big hit so I can have longevity in this league?' And I just try to encourage him to become a better overall runner.”
Dunn knows a thing or two about NFL longevity. He played 12 seasons in the NFL, spending six with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and six with the Falcons, registering at least 162 touches in every year of his career and being named to three Pro Bowls. The 44-year-old has since become one of the most philanthropic former professional athletes in all of sports, even founding an organization that strives to make it easier for everyone in the sports world to get involved in charity.
Freeman, by the way, is taking Dunn's advice to heart.
“Yeah, I agree with him 100 percent,” he said. “I've talked to a lot of people about it.”
A five-year pro and two-time Pro Bowler, Freeman played just two games last season as a result undergoing surgery for a groin injury.
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