The Quarterback Whisperer Explains How Mac Jones is 'Getting Better Every Stinking Day'
Maddie Meyer. Getty Images.If you are not familiar with the work of Tom House, how dare you? You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Educate yourself or to the decent thing and be gone out of our sight. Or better yet, allow me to familiarize you with him and what he does:
FindingMastery.net - Dr. Tom House [is] a former Major League Baseball pitcher turned world-renowned expert in the biomechanics of throwing.
Often referred to as the “father of modern pitching mechanics” and a “quarterback whisperer”, Tom has coached some of the world’s most elite throwers like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Nolan Ryan, Andrew Luck, Dak Prescott… and the list goes on.
Tom is one of the preeminent pioneers who brought science into the art of coaching – after eight years as a big league pitcher and eight more as a big league pitching coach, he earned a doctorate in sports psychology, and has gone on to write or co-write 22 books on throwing mechanics.
Oh, I'm sorry. Did I say "Tom House"? I meant to say Doctor Tom House. He didn't spend eight years in Throwing Mechanics Medical School just to be called "Mister," thankyouverymuch. Ordinarily, I agree with Adam Carolla's take that no one should go by that title unless, when there's an emergency on a airplane and the flight crew says, "Is there a doctor on board?" their hand goes up. But if that in-flight emergency involves a passenger's arm angle or the navigator starting to get the yips in his Thursday Night Golf League, this professional is earning that honorific.
Anyway, in addition to the quarterbacks listed above, the good doctor has also lent his 22 books-worth of expert opinions to Mac Jones. And here's what he had to say to Do Your Pod guest Phil Perry:
"The sky's the limit with this young man. When you talk about 'The Window of Trainability," [Note: Apparently somebody was talking about that window?], this is a young man who is still at the beginning of his skill acquisition window [Note: Presumably the same window? I don't speak fluent QB Whisperer], which is age 19, 20, until age 34 or 35.
"What I see with these elite guys, they try to get a little bit better every day. Not 20 percent better -- like one percent or two percent. That's what you see when you work with and hang out with Mac.
"You're looking at a young man that is trying to get better at something every stinking day. The net result will be that, what was a question mark about how well he'd throw down the line, it's getting better every day. Because he's working at it. The net result is he's a better quarterback than he was a year ago, and he should get better every year until 35, 36."
I'll drop that last part about whether or not Jones can be the guy he's naturally compared to, because it's not germane to the discussion. The more relevant point is that the World's Foremost Authority on Quarterback skills has whispered to my quarterback and decided his limit is, in fact, the sky. Which is as high as limits get measured. He sees Jones as standing there by the open windows of Trainability and Skill Acquisition, ready to feel the cool, metaphorical breeze of improvement every day. Getting better every stinking day for the next decade-plus. Working at it. And being better right now than he was going into Week 1 of last season, when he was already pretty damned good.
And this time, you don't even have to take my word for it. This is Tom House saying it. An expert. Practically a PhD in Throwology.
And unlike all those slappies on the sports networks who question Jones' arm strength or think his limit isn't the sky, but a low ceiling, when it comes to quarterbacking, he's a learned doctor.
That's my Quarterback Whisperer. That's my quarterback.
