Arizona Cardinals using virtual reality in training camp

Football coaches constantly preach to players the need to take “mental reps,” which means keeping their brains engaged when they aren’t involved in practice.

It’s not easy to do, which is why coaches obsess about it. No one likes to stand and watch, and the mind tends to wander like a right fielder’s in T-ball.

New virtual reality technology from STRIVR Labs could change all that. The Cardinals are one of five NFL teams (Jets, Vikings, Cowboys and 49ers) using the technology this year, and they are giving it rave reviews.

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“I’ve been waiting for this for 20 years,” coach Bruce Arians said. “I’ve always said if somebody could make this machine where you could actually play the game in a closet, you’ll make millions of dollars. And this kid’s going to make millions of dollars.”

The kid is Derek Belch, a 29-year-old former kicker for Stanford who developed the system as his master’s thesis. He and his partners tested it with Stanford’s football team last year, worked out some bugs, and started pitching it to NFL and college teams.

By the end of the season, Belch believes eight to 10 NFL teams will be using his technology. And when word spreads of its capabilities, “this thing will absolutely explode,” he said.

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The NFL has talked to STRIVR about using the system to train officials. And it’s not far-fetched to think teams could bring virtual reality technology to the scouting combine each February to use in evaluating quarterbacks.

This is the first time teams have dabbled with virtual reality. Quarterback Chandler Harnish, cut by the Cardinals last week, was with the Colts two years ago when they had a system.

But that was more like a video game, he said.

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This system features real people running real plays with real sound.

It looks remarkably simple.

A camera that captures panoramic video is mounted on a tripod, which is placed near the quarterback in 7-on-7 passing drills, or near the punt protector, or near a safety.

It takes a day to process the video – the company is working on the lag time – but what players can view is astounding.

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Quarterback Carson Palmer can look left and see receiver Michael Floyd split wide. He can look right and see receiver Larry Fitzgerald in the slot, or behind him to catch a glimpse of running back Kerwynn Williams.

“You see the full 360 degree spectrum,” backup quarterback Drew Stanton said. “You can look back there and see Coach (Tom) Moore picking his nose.”

Back in the quarterback meeting room, Palmer can scan the whole field to see if he threw to the right spot. He can watch the safeties rotate, or see where a blitz might be coming from.

“It’s a cool tool,” Palmer said. “And it’s not just for quarterbacks. It’s good for centers who can kind of scan the field and see if they have to re-direct anything in the run game or the pass game. It’s good for running backs to see safety rotation.”

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It will help receivers, too, said Palmer, because they will be able to see a play from the quarterback’s perspective.

“Sometimes it will come up (with a receiver) and I’ll say, ‘You can’t do that to me, you can’t go in and come back out.’

“And he’ll say, ‘I’m just trying to get open.’ ”

With STRIVR, Palmer can hand the goggles to the receiver and say, “Well, this is what it looks like to me. Stand right here and watch and tell me where you would throw this.’ ”

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The Cardinals have a handful of goggles at training camp, and a STRIVR employee, Colin Clancy, is spending preseason with the team.

During the season, the team will have a system set up in the quarterbacks room and in their indoor practice facility. Quarterbacks also will have the ability to take one home, which Palmer plans to do during the season.

The company is still exploring other ways to use the system, including making it available for fans to see the game through the eyes of a player.

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At present, the system figures to benefit backup quarterbacks the most.

During the season, the No. 2 quarterback receives only a few snaps in practice. The third quarterback, if the team has one, might not get any one. But with virtual reality, Stanton and Logan Thomas, the Cardinals’ No. 3 quarterback, can view much of the practice from Palmer’s perspective. The play call appears on the screen, and headphones deliver the actual sound.

A mental “rep” becomes virtually a regular “rep.”

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“It’s exciting to be a part of this process because I think it’s the next step in quarterback play evolving,” Stanton said. “It really is helpful for a younger guy to learn.”

The Cardinals and STRIVR declined to say how much the system costs, but Belch said the teams using it this year are receiving great value in return.

“What a team is paying now is not inexpensive but it’s undervalued,” Belch said. “Quite frankly, this thing is worth five times what teams are paying. We just have to prove it."

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