Back squats are a key exercise for building lower-body strength and power. The exercise helps improve hip flexibility and strengthens the core, quads, calves, hamstrings, and glutes.
Squatting to parallel or to below parallel in every lift is very important for the stretch reflex, mobility, and explosiveness in football players. The added strength to those areas helps decrease the likelihood of suffering injuries and helps with the ability to produce power by increasing lower body strength and flexibility.
These strength gains also help increase power and frequency of leg drive which improves an athlete’s speed and ability to run through contact whether they are a running back breaking a tackle, or linebacker making one. Though bilateral squats may be a key exercise we cannot forget about also building general strength in a unilateral (single leg) position.