Few positions in football feature the spectacular like wide receiver.

Acrobatic catches. Shifty moves. Dazzling speed. If there’s a role most apt on a regular basis to make jaws drop, it’s receiver.

There have been some catches in limited practice viewing windows of Alabama football preseason camp that have impressed and caught the eye. See Ryan Williams’ one-handed reception on the first day. But a drill that probably should be described as boring also stood out.

Let’s call it synchronized starting.

The drill: About 15 Alabama receivers stood with staggered steps like they would at the start of a play. They all lined up within a few yards of each other in rows of sorts.

At the front kneeled a coach with a football, on which each receiver locked their eyes. As soon as the ball moved, all the receivers moved too. With a quick burst off the line of scrimmage, each player sprinted for a few yards then slowed to a jog.

“It’s a drill to see who’s getting great get off,” said JaMarcus Shephard, the assistant head coach/co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach.

Shephard didn’t invent the drill. He said it’s an NFL drill he’s been doing for years. Receiver Kendrick Law added that Alabama receivers did a drill similar to it before, too. So it’s not necessarily groundbreaking. But increased media practice viewings in 2024 have provided an opportunity for reporters to see the drill. So, AL.com looked to learn more about it and why it’s such a crucial drill for receivers, as uneventful as it seems.

“It’s just a natural stance and start,” Law said. “Trying to get your feet acclimated to the ground and running and getting in the heat. It’s something that we do small. It saves our energy, but we’re getting in great work at the same time.”

The main goal is to avoid false steps. No wasted movement. They’re trying to get off the ball as fast as possible, the second the ball moves.

It’s part of what Shephard described as a progression teaching model. Through it, he wants to develop receivers who put stress on defenses.

“It starts with their stance,” Shephard said. “So you’ll see as I go through this, it starts with their stance. Releases, stems, breaks, departure from the breaks and finally catching the football. There’s a progression to teaching them how to play the position, and it starts with their stance.”

Consider it a foundational drill. One that teaches and harps on fundamentals.

“When they’re tired, when things are not going well, they tend to rely on those things,” Shephard said, “rather than relying on just being able to make an acrobatic play.”

The synchronized starting drill isn’t the most glamorous. It’s not earth-shattering. But it has value. Good fundamentals don’t make highlight reels, but they’re the bedrock of winning football.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.