Byline: Jim Benton
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
AIR FORCE ACADEMY -- Television and radio analysts often talk about the quick reactions and decisions of Air Force quarterback Chance Harridge.
Instincts and athletic ability have something to do with Harridge's abilities, but some of his elusive moves have been enhanced by training - vision training.
Air Force has used vision training for the past decade. Athletes in 19 varsity sports participate in six-week off-season sport-specific programs that employ 10 to 12 exercises for 15 to 20 minutes a day.
``The thing that vision training helped me out with the most is running in the hole,'' Harridge said. ``Without actually turning your head you're seeing things, and you don't really know you see it, and then it opens up the broad peripheral.
``That's really helped me out a bunch because it's allowed me to see the entire field instead of just focusing on one thing. That's the head start, the split-second that everybody talks about in football, that makes all the difference.''
In one vision training drill, athletes jump on small trampolines while reading letters on eye charts without moving their heads. Music usually is played and other distractions are added to force them to concentrate.
Other stations test the synergy of the Falcons' visual and manual dexterity on boards dotted with flashing lights.
``The concept is so simple, working the muscle in your eyes just like any other muscle in your body,'' sports vision coach Al Wile said. ``It's a weight-training program for the eyes. We don't help you see better, we make you use your eyes to their maximum capability.''
As in weight training, the eyes are sore as any muscle for the first few days.
``You get headaches from it when you start because your eyes aren't used to that type of training,'' Harridge said.
Wile, Lt. Col. Mike Zupan and coach Jeanine Geurin have designed the training to develop faster processing of information from the eyes to the brain.
``So for a linebacker, what this is doing is allowing him to peripherally take in that different side,'' Wile said. ``Every time you turn your head, it's a half-second. If you turn your eye, it's two-tenths of a second. If you don't turn your head, you take it all in, you are not losing any time at all. That's what we try to do, build them up peripherally.
``We have another station where we have an eye chart 4 inches in front of their nose and another 20 feet away. They read the first letter on the one under their nose and then the one 20 feet away. Back and forth, near and far.
``It's like a receiver looking down field at defensive backs, concentrating, and he turns and the ball is in his face. We see that all the time, the receiver getting his hands up to the ball.''
Dynamic visual acuity is what the vision training is about.
``The analogy I like to use is how does a great back know there is an opening on the left side?'' Wile said. ``He doesn't look over there. His eyes see the linebackers shifted to the right, his eyes are taking all that information and getting it to the brain. He's not even thinking about it. The three linebackers are shifted to the right side, then there has to be an opening on the left-hand side. He goes for it.
``They talk about Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles quarterback) and his vision. They had a special on him on Monday Night Football where he is using these strobe specs, these glasses with strobe lights built in. We've been using those for six years. Our quarterbacks go out and throw the ball with these glasses that go on your head with lights blinking.''
Vision training isn't limited to athletes. Last year three cadets who had failed their pilot qualification tests because of inadequate vision qualified after taking vision training.
``It helps us,'' halfback Don Clark said. ``Maybe its not a prominent as lifting weighs where you can really see the huge benefits in the body, but it's your eyes and coach always says you play with your eyes out there. It's just one more thing we can do to give us an edge.''
INFOBOX
San Diego State at Air Force
* The game: 10 a.m. MST Saturday, Falcon Stadium (52,480 capacity).
* The records: Air Force is 8-3, 4-2 in the Mountain West Conference. San Diego State is 3-8, 3-3.
* The series: Air Force leads 15-5.
* TV/radio: ESPN2. KKFN-AM (950) in Denver and KVOR-AM (740) in Colorado Springs.
* Who's favored: No line.
* Air Force injuries
Out: FB Dan Shaffer (right knee surgery), TE John Schwartz (broken right leg), DB Wes Crawley (broken collarbone), DB Adrian Wright (finger).
Probable: LB Marchello Graddy (shoulder), WR Anthony Park (right knee), TE Adam Strecker (right knee), NG Nick Taylor (left ankle), LB Trevor Hightower (left ankle)
Questionable: LB Matt McCraney (right knee).
* San Diego State injuries
Out: QB Adam Hall (concussion).
Questionable: S Josh Dean (toe).
Probable: RB Michael Franklin (ankle)
Five key questions
1....Will Air Force's offense, with the top rushing attack in the NCAA, be able to control the ball and keep San Diego State's offense on the sidelines?
2 ....How many passes will San Diego State receivers J.R. Tolver and Kassim Osgood catch?
3 ....How will the Aztecs offense perform with Lon Sheriff at quarterback instead of Adam Hall?
4 ....Will Air Force quarterback Chance Harridge set a single-season record for rushing touchdowns with another score?
5 ....Can the Falcons keep the late-season momentum going by winning their third consecutive game?
Air Force lineups
* Offense Pos. ....No. ....Name ....Yr.....
QB ....11....Chance Harridge ....Jr.
LHB ....9 ....Leotis Palmer....Sr.
RHB....24 ....Tom Heier....Sr.
FB ....40....Steve Massie ....Jr.
WR ....80 ....Ricky Amezaga ....Sr.
TE ....86 ....Adam Strecker ....Jr.
LT ....77 ....Brett Waller ....Jr.
LG ....63 ....Brett Huyser ....Jr.
C ....68 ....Wayne Southam ....Sr.
RG ....75....Jesse Underbakke....Jr.
RT ....61 ....Blane Neufeld ....Jr.
* Defense
LE ....42....Monte Coleman ....Jr.
NG ....95....Nicholas Taylor ....Jr.
RE ....91 ....Eric Thompson ....Sr.
ILB ....44....Trevor Hightower....Jr.
ILB ....51 ....Anthony Schlegel....So.
ILB ....48....John Rudzinski....So.
RF ....47 ....Mark Marsh....So.
LF ....21....Joel Buelow ....Sr.
LC ....1 ....Paul Mayo ....Sr.
RC ....22 ....Jeff Overstreet....Jr.
FS ....29 ....Larry Duncan....Jr.
* Special teams
P ....16 ....John Welsh....Sr.
PK ....97 ....Joey Ashcroft ....Jr.....
San Diego State lineups
* Offense Pos. ....No. ....Name ....Yr.....
QB....13 ....Lon Sheriff....Sr.
RB....4 ....Fred Collins ....Fr.
SE ....1 ....Kassim Osgood ....Sr.
FL ....16....J.R. Tolver ....Sr.
SLT ....2 ....Ronnie Davenport ....Sr.
TE ....81....Raleigh Fletcher ....Jr.
LT ....79....Brendan Darby ....Jr.
LG ....72....Jasper Harvey ....Fr.
C ....60....Johnathan Ingra ....Sr.
RG ....78....Gerald Sykes ....Jr.
RT ....73....Damien Holman ....Jr.
* Defense
DE ....50 ....Amon Arnold....Sr.
DT ....96 ....Jared Ritter ....Sr.
DT....99 ....Brook Miller....Jr.
DE ....94....Akbar Gbaja-Biamila ....Sr.
LB ....45....Stephen Larsen ....So.
LB ....34....Kirk Morrison....So.
LB ....48....Matt McCoy ....Fr.
CB ....26....Jeff Shoate....Jr.
CB ....3....Ricky Sharpe ....Sr.
FS ....5....Marviel Underwood....So.
SS ....42 ....Josh Dean ....So.
* Special teams
P ....27....Brian Simnjanovski....Sr.
PK ....17 ....Tommy Kirovski....Sr.....
CAPTION(S):
Photo
Air Force quarterback Chance Harridge credits the academy's vision training program for helping him find holes in opposing defenses. ``That's the head start, the split-second that everybody talks about in football, that makes all the difference,'' Harridge said. SAM MORRIS / ASSOCIATED PRESS
