A CONTROVERSIAL NFL play created by Galashiels resident Richie Gray has split the country.
Gray, a former Scottish rugby player, spent part of the summer working with Philadelphia Eagles coaches to perfect the ‘brotherly shove’ technique.
The legal play is called when a team needs a yard or fewer to achieve a first down or to plunge into the end zone for a touchdown.
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The quarterback stands beneath the center, who snaps the ball to him.
Multiple players are positioned behind the quarterback, pushing and shoving him for the few yards required.
The move has pushed the Philadelphia Eagles achieve the best record in American football this season, with 10 victories and two losses.
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And the play has become so popular that some experts believe the league should outlaw it.
Gray told BBC Radio Scotland, “I got a call from Ted Rath [Philadelphia Eagles vice president of player performance] in the summer asking me to primarily work with the defensive group, discussing tackle technique and things like that.”
“All of a sudden, Jeff Stoutland, an NFL legend and offensive line coach, called me.”
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“He said when you get here, we’d like you to come in for a day and look at this play with us.” ‘I want you to come in, we’ll rip it to pieces, look at it, and you tell me how you’d break it or make it better,’ he added.
“We spent a morning with all the offence coaches, which is literally about 30 guys, going over this play millimetre by millimetre, broke it down and built it back up.”
Roger Goodell, the league’s commissioner, is said to be mulling a vote among franchises on whether to prohibit the play for the 2024 season.
Gray, on the other hand, believes that the technique should be permitted to continue.
“Anyone can do this,” he remarked, referring to Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. It’s not unlawful; the Eagles just do it better than everyone else.
“Two or three weeks ago, against Washington, they set up for the sneak and then ran another play off it, so it became a phenomenal decoy.” It’s a brainteaser for defensive coordinators.”
Any decision on the future of the brotherly shove would be made during the league’s offseason.
By then, Philadelphia fans could be enjoying a second Super Bowl victory for their club, thanks to the man from Galashiels.
“I’m incredibly lucky, and I’m surrounded by some brilliant people,” Gray remarked. The important is that I enjoy what I do. You must be enthusiastic about what you do.”
