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{{Short description|Offensive position in American football}}
{{distinguish|Half back (disambiguation){{!}}Half back}}
An '''H-back''' is an offensive position in [[American football]]. The H-back lines up similarly to a [[tight end]], but is "set back" from the [[line of scrimmage]], and is thus counted as one of the four "backs" in the offensive formation. The H-back, while similar in name, should not be confused with "[[Halfback (American football)|halfback]]" or "running back", which are used to denote a separate, primary ball-carrying [[offensive backfield|backfield]] position. The position was made notable in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) by the [[Washington Redskins]] under head coach [[Joe Gibbs]], who ran a two tight end system. The position was named F-back when used later in [[Norv Turner]]'s offensive system. The position is similar to that of a [[slotback]] (S-back/or A-back)

==Name==
The name H-back can be confusing, because the H-back rarely carries the ball as halfbacks do; instead, the H-back plays a position similar to a tight end or fullback. The name stems from the playbook notation in use at the time the position was developed. Under the system used by Joe Gibbs &ndash; and indeed, by many teams then as now &ndash; the standard set of eligible ball carriers consisted of three receivers and three backs. The three receivers, the split end, tight end, and flanker, were labeled "X", "Y", and "Z" on play diagrams. The three backs, quarterback, halfback, and fullback, were labeled "Q", "H", and "F". Gibbs' innovation was to move one of the backs up near the line of scrimmage, to act as an extra blocker. At the time the system was developed, the best running back on the Redskins' roster was [[John Riggins]], a fullback. Since Riggins and quarterback [[Joe Theismann]] were vital to the team at the time, the lesser used halfback was removed and replaced with an extra blocker. The standard notation was retained; however, this new blocker was still assigned the "H" symbol on play diagrams, hence the name "H-back" for the position. Like a flanker, the H-back was set back from the line of scrimmage, and the role was often played by an athletic tight end. The H-back often has to be versatile; as a backfield member, they can be lined up to act as a lead blocker on running plays. However, the H-back also fills the roles of a traditional tight end, catching passes over the middle and pass blocking when needed.

==Washington Redskins==
In the 1980s–2000s [[Washington Football Team|Washington Redskins]] offensive system, the H-back is asked to block, pass protect, and run receiving routes from multiple sets. This compares to the standard tight end which was used primarily as an extra blocker on Washington offensive line. The H-back can line up in the backfield, on the line, or is put into motion. Because of the complexity of the position, a thorough knowledge of the offense is desirable in an H-back. The position, indeed the entire two tight end offense, was created by Gibbs as a direct response to [[Lawrence Taylor]], the [[New York Giants]]' dominant [[linebacker]].<ref name="L.T.">{{cite web | url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/news/1999/08/06/pageone_lawrencetaylor/index.html | title=Taylor made: 'L.T.' has a date with Canton, destiny | date=August 12, 1999 | author=Nick Charles | publisher=cnnsi.com | access-date=March 18, 2007 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225053451/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/news/1999/08/06/pageone_lawrencetaylor/index.html | archive-date=December 25, 2007 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=4062 The Polian Corner] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061022114800/http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=4062 |date=October 22, 2006 }}, colts.com, September 20, 2006, accessed March 18, 2007.</ref> As Gibbs stated, "We had to try in some way have a special game plan just for Lawrence Taylor. Now you didn't do that very often in this league but I think he's one person that we learned the lesson the hard way. We lost ball games."<ref name="L.T."/>

==Other uses==
Offensive formations that utilize the H-back are not commonly used in professional football today. The most recent examples of a professional football team employing the H-back are the [[Cleveland Browns]] from 2001 to 2004 under head coach [[Butch Davis]], and the [[Chicago Bears]] in 2010 under offensive coordinator [[Mike Martz]], where [[Brandon Manumaleuna]] was featured in the role. The [[Cincinnati Bengals]], under coach [[Marvin Lewis]], have used [[Ryan Hewitt]], and at times [[Jake Fisher]], as H-backs since 2014. [[Aaron Hernandez]] formerly of the [[New England Patriots]], while a nominal tight end, was often featured as an H-back/wide receiver when [[Rob Gronkowski]] was also in the game. [[Chris Cooley (American football)|Chris Cooley]] also flourished in his role as an H-back in the offense run by the Washington Redskins during Joe Gibbs' second tenure with the team (2004–2007).

Teams at high school and collegiate levels sometimes utilize H-back formations, but usually only if they have exceptional talent and depth at the tight end and fullback positions. For example, [[BYU Cougars football|Brigham Young University]] is traditionally strong at the tight end position, and the Cougars frequently use H-back formations to put their most talented players on the field at one time. During their record-breaking 1996 season, BYU used H-back formations almost every down to allow ample playing time for both [[Chad Lewis]] and [[Itula Mili]].

[[Gus Malzahn]] is recognized for effectively utilizing the H-back in his offenses; players like [[Jay Prosch]] and [[Peyton Hillis]] have gone onto success in  the NFL. Malzahn achieved the most success utilizing the H-back during his time coaching football for the [[Auburn Tigers football|Auburn]], winning a [[2011 BCS National Championship Game|2011 BCS National Championship]] and an appearance in the [[2014 BCS National Championship Game]].

The Wisconsin Badgers have used the H-back position to great effect with [[Owen Daniels]], [[Travis Beckum]], [[Garrett Graham]], and [[Lance Kendricks]], all of whom have played in the NFL. The 2011 [[Houston Texans]] played two of these former Wisconsin Badger H-backs, [[Owen Daniels]] and [[Garrett Graham]], as tight ends and converted their former tight end [[James Casey (American football)|James Casey]] (Rice University) to an H-back.

Additionally, the Oregon Ducks have been experimenting with dual H-back sets as recently as the 2011 [[BCS National Championship Game|BCS Championship game]]. [[Charles Clay (American football)|Charles Clay]] is a current example of an H-back. Former quarterback [[Braxton Miller]] of [[Ohio State]] has also been featured in the position recently, running jet sweeps and passing routes out of high-versatility formations.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/09/AR2006080902108.html Playing Saunder's Name Game]
*[http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2006/10/20/ramblings/strategy-minicamps/4412/ Football Outsiders' discussion of H-back in 2006-07 NFL Offenses]

{{American football players}}

[[Category:American football positions]]