ATH Football Position: What Athlete Means and How to Train

What ATH means on a recruiting profile

Recruiting services treat athlete as its own position group. 247Sports kept ATH as a separate designation when it streamlined its position projections in 2021. Its staff wrote that the athlete designation would ideally focus more on players with two-way snaps: prospects who can play either side of the ball at the next level and are being recruited that way, rather than players who could be a receiver or running back, or a linebacker or safety, on one side.

In practice an ATH profile describes the range of jobs you could grow into. One 247Sports rankings note said a 2024 athlete who had played tight end, receiver, quarterback and defensive edge in high school could wind up at tight end or the edge in the long run. For you, the label means your college position is still open, so your training has to keep more than one door open too.

The 440 ATH plan: speed and strength in balance

440's strength emphasis for an ATH is balanced power and strength. The main lifts are the back squat (5 x 5 at 75 to 85% of your max), the power clean (5 x 3 at 70 to 80%), the bench press (4 x 6) and the Nordic hamstring curl (3 x 5, lowering slowly). Lateral bounds, single-leg RDLs and Pallof presses are the accessories.

The speed work covers all three qualities a multi-position player leans on: acceleration with 10 yard starts, top speed with flying 10s and change of direction with the 5-10-5 pro agility shuttle. 440 uses 4.6 seconds as the ATH pro reference for the 40. For comparison, NFL.com's combine averages since 2003 are 4.59 for running backs, 4.52 for receivers and 4.53 for defensive backs, so 440's ATH reference sits just behind those three averages.

Skills from both sides of the ball

The ATH skill block mixes one offensive drill, one defensive drill and one that matters wherever you play. The route tree on air, two reps of each route, teaches the stems and breaks that wide receiver training builds on. The backpedal and break, 3 sets of 5 each side, trains the pedal and plant that corners and safeties use; the full version is on the defensive back training page.

Ball security reps, 3 sets of 5 each side, keep the ball high and tight once it is in your hands, as a ball carrier, a returner or a defender after a pick. If your future looks like the backfield, running back training goes deeper on carrying the ball through traffic.

When a coach moves you to a position

The ATH plan is built for the time before your position is settled. Once a coach puts you at receiver, corner, safety or running back, switch your 440 plan to that position. In the app, open Settings, choose Edit profile & plan, pick the new position and step through to Build my plan. That rebuilds the plan around that position's drills, lifts, 40 benchmark and protein target, and your program start date stays the same.

Not sure where you will land? Keep the ATH plan and read the hubs for the positions you are being recruited at, starting from the position library. Then switch as soon as the decision is made, because a position plan trains the details an ATH plan can only touch.

Athlete drill menu

Position training references. The generated daily plan varies with equipment, phase, schedule and readiness. Each drill links to cues, common mistakes and a demo.

Athlete workout: main lift references

Accessories: Lateral bounds, Single-leg RDL, Pallof press.

These are baseline offseason prescriptions for experienced lifters. Teens should train with qualified supervision, begin with light technique work and progress only when form is consistent. Daily loads vary with level, phase and readiness. High-school and recreational plans cap percentage loads at 85% of estimated 1RM.

Protein target

440 sets athletes at 0.9 g of protein per pound of body weight per day.

• 160 lb144 g
• 180 lb162 g
• 200 lb180 g
• 220 lb198 g

Athlete training FAQ