Future Football Pros Share Performance Secrets In 'Eastbay Edge' Video Series

WAUSAU, Wis., May 15, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- Eastbay, a leading athletic gear provider, launched an online video series today to give promising football players an edge when choosing equipment for the upcoming season. The "Eastbay Edge" offers the most compelling insights from interviews with 90 pro combine participants. On the Eastbay Edge site, visitors can select their position – from QB and wide receiver to linemen and kickers – to hear what future pros said was most important when selecting cleats, gloves and pads.

"When I was a young football player coming up, there just weren't as many equipment choices," said former University of Wisconsin-Madison standout and NFL fullback, Cecil Martin, who conducted the interviews at the combine. "Young student athletes have so many options today. It can be overwhelming. Eastbay has a longstanding goal to help student athletes perform at their highest level. They're giving young players and their parents the power of information and top quality choices in their selection of the right cleats, gloves and pads, to fit their style of play."

By The Numbers

The Eastbay Edge video series contains unbiased, insider tips on football gear from 42 players interviewed at the 2012 combine.  Eastbay conducted 90 interviews in all and ran the numbers.

• Style matters to future pros: 75 percent of all players interviewed said style improves performance on the field.
• Style matters most to LBs, DBs, WRs: All 20 defensive backs and all 11 linebackers interviewed emphasized that style is very important when selecting gear. Ten of 12 wide receivers agreed.
• Performance matters most to QBs, TEs, OL: Four of five quarterbacks, two of three tight ends and 11 of 19 offensive linemen emphasized that performance is very important when selecting gear.
• Glove needs vary by position: 69 percent of offensive and defensive linemen interviewed prefer padded gloves while 90 percent of ball carriers and receivers (RB, TE, WR) want sticky gloves.
• Snug cleats needed at skill positions: Nearly half of running backs and receivers (47 percent) said the right cleat fit is important to prevent slipping. Several pro running backs said they buy cleats half a size small.   
• Pad needs split between trenches and open field: Overall, heavy-hitting linemen and linebackers said pad fit and protection is most important; defensive backs and receivers require light pads with a snug fit.  
• Today's pros were Eastbay shoppers: 92 percent of all players bought from Eastbay as young athletes. And 82 percent of those who did purchased athletic shoes the first time they bought from Eastbay.

"We know that style matters to today's young athletes but safety matters to everyone," said David Lokes, Chief Marketing Officer at Eastbay. "At Eastbay, our first goal is to make sure every product we offer meets the right safety and performance requirements. From there, athletes can count on our selection of sizes, colors and fits to meet their individual needs."  

For more information, visit http://www.eastbay.com/TheEdgeFootball to learn insider secrets from future pros about selecting the right cleats, gloves and pads for football season.

About Eastbay

Eastbay continuously strives to meet the performance needs of young athletes as a leading world supplier of athletic shoes, clothing and sports equipment. Eastbay.com features the widest selection of top athletic brands such as adidas, ASICS, Reebok, Jordan, New Balance, Saucony, Under Armor and Nike. Eastbay is owned by Foot Locker, Inc.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Javier Macias, GolinHarris
[email protected]
312-729-4387

SOURCE Eastbay