Great athelete or hard worker?

[The Boz]

I've coached highschool football for around 7 years and I'll play a kid who works hard every day over a really good athelete who goes half speed at practice and dogs it. I know when the games on the line and were behind the kid who busts his butt every day will bust his butt to do whatever he has to do to help the team. The great athelete who dogs it in conditioning and goes half speed in team o or d will not give his all when the games on the line and It looks like a big "L" . If he goes half speed during sprints, He'll go half speed when there's 2 minutes to go and your down 13. The way you practice is the way you play!
How many of you has known a great athelete, but he never gave his all at practice and sure enough when the game was on the line, he let you down.
Retrospect, How many of you knew a teammate that was not a great athelete but worked hard every day and made a good football player?

[THE DADDY]

The boz i see where your coming from i have been around high school football around 8 years, and it kills me to see a great athlete and wont go full speed.

:Hammer3:

[Smokey]

I have seen both sides of this. We have had excellent athletes who didn't care about the team. We also had players who went all out all-year, in the weight room and on the field. The whole team respects players like that.

[BruteForce01]

THe Sf raiders had alot of players on both sides of that...And we had alot that were good and worked hard...i think that is why we didnt do as good as we could of...mike jones worked hard some times...the whole line tried to work hard...i dont think upper classman work as hard as lower classman because the lower classman have sumthin to prove

[PantherPride68]

Coach J told his players at the first of the year that the best "player " will play and not the best athlete. He then went on to explain the difference. Thats when I knew we had the right guy.

[BC75]

i know a few people on both sides of that

[corndog23]

Give me a tough nosed, hard worker anyday over a naturally born, take-it-easy athlete.

[t-cat07]

you can make atheletes you can't make hard workers

[chadjohnson85]

you all would play a great athelete over a hard worker...i sure would

[corndog23]

you all would play a great athelete over a hard worker...i sure would

No way

[Superman]

I used to think a hard worker..but I'll take the naturally talented athlete. Paintsville had a linebacker that was a hardworker a few years ago. Worked harder then anyone on the team...but i'd say he was probably the worst linebacker to ever play for paintsville. If it wasn't for a "deal" that was made..he never would have touched the field

[Ice man]

I think the players that work hard all the time" are the ones who play to win". The others are just there so they can say there on the team.

[MCHS#79]

IMO ill take thehard worker any day because i believe hard work will always beat natural talent unless they have both.

[I was the greatest]

hard worker any day