11 Keys to a Championship Defense RB-Specic Training

VOLUME 20
APRIL 2014

4
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y Steve Mooshagian - Head Coach - Ventura College
W
e expect our wide receivers to
not only run detailed and precise
routes, but be efective blockers.
Our wide receiver philosophy consists of:
1. Giving maximumefort.
2. Knowing your assignments.
3. The desire and willingness to block
efectively and efciently.
4. The desire to catch every ball thrown to
you.
5. The willingness to improve your skills.
Wide Receiver Blocking Mechanics
We have blocking rules for our wide
receivers. When a WR is required to block the
force player, we designate himasMDM or the
Most Dangerous Man. The MDM is defned as
the secondary defender aligned closest to the
line of scrimmage. The base split for an outside
WR assigned to block this player is eight yards
from the end line of scrimmage.
The basic rules for the WR in this situation
include:
- Drlve on the MDM at the llne of scrlmmage
and block him if he remains the closest
secondary defender to the LOS at the snap of
the ball.
- |f the MDM changes at the snap of the ball,
the WR adjusts his course and blocks the
defender that becomes the MDM.
- |f the secondary players on the wP's slde
of the ball are aligned at the same plane and
distance from the LOS, the WR should drive
of vertically and then adjust to the defender
who becomes the MDM.
- There ls a ve yard exceptlon rule. |f the
alignment is similar to the one listed above,
but the defenders are fve yards or closer to
the LOS when the ball is snapped, then the
safety automatlcally becomes the MDM. |n
this case, the WR needs to take a fat angle of
departure to the anticipated point of attack.
- There ls also a backslde 'cut-on rule.' when
a WR is on the back side of a run play, he will
be requlred to 'cut-on' one of the back slde
WI0 B0IVB BL00RIH6 0BILL8
Forced Read Drill (Diagram 2) The WR
pushes of vertically in this drill and reads the
force player. He then pursues the corner or
safety and blocks him.
Other drills you can use are the Backside Cut-
of Drill, the Mirror Drill and the Capture the
Leverage Drill (Diagram 3a-3c).
secondary support players. This is the time to
make sure the WR takes a normal split as he
would do for the majority of pass routes but,
on occasion, mix it up. This is especially true if
you have a required split to use on a particular
route. The angle of departure should be at the
butt of the closest defender to the WR that is
on the LOS usually an outside linebacker or
defensive end.
- ou usually wlll be blocklng the mlddle to
near safety working back to the back side
corner. The WR must keep his eyes on the
defender, not looking back at the ball carrier
and play snap to whistle.
Wide Receiver Blocking Drills
There are a number of drills that can be
practiced to improve the blocking techniques
of your wide receivers:
Four Cone Stalk Drill (Diagram 1) - |n thls
drill, the DB backpedals to a cone, then attacks
theWR. TheWRpushes upthe felduntil the DB
breaks and then the WR adjusts for the block.
Diagram 1: Four Cone Stalk Drill
Diagram 2: Force Read Drill
Diagram 3A: Backside Cut-Of Drill
Diagram 3B: Mirror Drill
Diagram 3C: Capture the Leverage Drill
About the Author: Steve Mooshagian is currently the
Head Coach at Ventura College. He has over 30 years
of coaching experience on the high school, college,
and NFL level. Mooshagian has been the head coach
at both Fresno City College and Sacramento State and
was an assistant coach with theCincinnati Bengals. He
played wide receiver for Jim Sweeney at Fresno State
and his father, Ray, was a head high school coach in
southern California for 31 years.
/-:
'//-;-
Strength & Conditioning Special Teams Program Management Offense Defense Strength & Conditioning Special Teams Program Management Offense Defense
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I
ndividual success in football is determined by technique and
physical skill. Two of the components of physical skill are linear
speed and change-of-direction (COD) speed. The degree to
which a player possesses speed is partly dependent on the amount
of strength, especially lower body strength, and fexibility that he has.
Strength and speed combine to create explosive force, which may be
even more important to football than speed itself. These components
arent very useful without the proper mechanics that are required to
carry them over from the drills or exercises to the game itself.
NFL coaches and scouts during the late 1960s and early 1970s
began to see that the teamwith the most speed usually won the game.
The trickle-down efect brought that understanding of a need for
speed down to every level of the sport. Like all other college football
him how to run faster, so we spend a lot of our drill time teaching
proper mechanics to get the results that we are looking for. Keep in
mind that our focus when training our athletes is to develop football
players, not just in achieving a great test score. We start our work to
develop speed in our players just like we start the efort to develop
other physical skills, and that is with testing. As a linear speed test, we
time the 40-yard dash for all positions except the ofensive line. With
them, we time the 20-yard dash. This is done on grass, because we play
on grass, and timed by hand. We use the pro shuttle, or 5-10-5, as a COD
speed test for all positions. We test all of the players that are new to our
program in January each year to get baseline data to give us an idea of
where we are starting with each player. We test the entire team again
before we start spring training to evaluate their individual progress.
programs, we recruit for speed and we train for speed.
At one point, coaches felt that a sprinter from the track team that
had recorded good times in his events could be taught to carry or catch
a football and have success as a football player. We now realize that
football speed is mostly about acceleration and track sprinters dont
get to full speed until 30-40 meters down the track. Football players
need to be at full speed at about 10 yards down the feld. A track
sprinter can maintain maximum speed for 50 or more meters while
a football player doesnt have to because of the change-of-direction
involved in the game. This is why you see so much emphasis placed on
10-yard sprint times when training acceleration to football players.
Within our speed development program, we understand that
telling an athlete to run faster doesnt do much good without showing
THENEED
FORSPEED
Base of Strength
Speed and power production is dependent on force production.
An athletes ability to create greater force when applying his foot to
the ground is going to result in faster speed times and higher jumps.
We use a basic periodization model to develop a base of strength and
power in the weight room. The exercises that we use include back
squats and front squats for strength, power cleans and hang cleans
for power, and glute/ham raises and reverse hypers for development
of the posterior chain. We use RDLs, clean pulls, and various other
assistive lifts as part of our teaching progression for our hang clean
and power clean.
When we get further along in our progression we will have our
athletes jerk, split jerk, snatch squat, and hang snatch. We put a lot
of emphasis on being consistent in using an armpit to shoulder-
width foot position with our squats, cleans, jumps, and stances in
our movement drills to try to gain carryover fromthe weight roomto
the feld and then to the game. We also consistently talk about force
application to the ground as part of our coaching points to the players.
Lunges, lateral lunges, box step-ups, lateral box step-ups, crossover
step-ups, and Bulgarian split squats are supplemental exercises that
we use. Box jumps and other plyometric moves are incorporated into
both our lifting sessions and our speed workouts.
Each workout usually consists of about two Olympic moves, two
strength moves, and two supplemental moves with recovery time
between sets appropriate to the phase within our periodization
cycle. This strength program is accomplished over a four-day split
with two of those days being primarily upper body exercises with
explosive exercises that include the bench press or incline bench, and
supplemental upper body exercises. The other two days focus on the
lower body. There are both weighted and un-weighted abdominal/
core exercises in our workout every day. We use a similar set-up in the
weight roomfor the summer programas we do for the spring.
Our in-season strength program consists of total body workouts
two days per week for our travel team and three days per week for
our scout team. The only changes that we have in season from the
exercises that we use in the summer is that we dont power clean very
often in season, we take out most of the plyos, and we dont take the
bar overhead during the season. Our workout volume is not as great in
season for our players but we try to push our scouts a little bit harder.

Linear Speed and Conditioning
for Football
Inthe spring, we train speed/movement twodays per week while in
the summer we train movement four days per week. Most of our speed
development work is done in the spring and we dont do anaerobic
conditioning in the spring. In the summer, most of the speed training
gives way to anaerobic conditioning by the middle of June. We dont
believe that it is possible to efectively train for speed while training for
anaerobic conditioning because we need more recovery time when
training for speed than is allowable when were training for anaerobic
conditioning. At the pace that the game is played today, were always
working on movement mechanics regardless of the time of year. We
say that to be fast, you have to train fast and to train fast you need a
lot of recovery time. Football coaches are sometimes uncomfortable
when watching speed workouts because of the pace of the workout.
They like the full speed drills but hate the long recovery time.
When working on linear speed, we progress into acceleration up
to the 10-yard distance, putting great emphasis on force application
into the ground on each step. We then work on the transition to the
maximum speed phaseandfnally focus on themaximumspeed phase.
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Having change-of-direction speed
is critical for skill position players.
By Reese Bridgman
Assistant Athletic Director for Strength and Conditioning
Norfolk State University
The Need for Speed continued on back cover
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I
m sure that, for the majority of coaches, the answer to the above
question is yes. This is the answer I receive most often but close
examinationof specifcprograms appears toindicateotherwise. Most
strength training programs do not focus on developing better athletes;
they focus on handling more weight in specifc strength exercises.
For example, it is not uncommon to fnd many strength training
rooms that have posters on the walls indicating how much weight
each athlete is lifting in the diferent exercises. If all the athletes are
not listed, then only the top scorers are listed for each exercise. These
charts are also used as motivational tools to push the athletes to lift
even more weight in the most important exercises.
Because how much weight you lift is looked at as an indicator of
athletic success, most coaches use programs inwhichmaximumweights
are used. This includes bodybuilding, powerlifting and Olympic lifting.
In bodybuilding, the athlete uses a weight training programto develop
both mass and strength. The players use single joint and multi-joint
exercises in a repetition range of 6 to 15 for three or more sets.
In powerlifting, the objective is usually to lift more weight to gain
greater strength in three movements - bench press, squat, and dead
lift. The increase in mass is most often a secondary consequence. In
Olympic lifting, the object is to use various Olympic lifting exercises
to develop not only strength but explosive power. To do Olympic lifts,
it is necessary to have additional equipment such as lifting platforms,
bumper plates and Olympic barbells. The athletes also need more time
to learn howto do the exercises, especially the snatch.
Are these programs best suited to develop better athletes or, more
specifcally, better football players? Will they improve the players
ability to perform on the feld? Will the athlete be better prepared to
execute the skills required of his position? Does the increased strength,
mass or explosive power developed in any of these programs transfer
directly to the athletes ability to perform on the feld? Most coaches
will answer yes to these questions but without any substantiation.
Close examination shows that there is very little correlation between
the gains achieved in the weight room and performance on the feld.
By Dr. Michael Yessis
President Sports Training, Inc.
Will your strength program transfer power
to the football eld?
Training as a bodybuilder, powerlifter or Olympic lifter is not
training like an athlete, or more specifcally a football player. A football
players requirements difer considerably from the gains experienced
in bodybuilding, powerlifting or Olympic lifting. Even the way certain
exercises are executedis not specifc tothe needs of most football players.
For example, execution of the squat is diferent in each of these
diferent sports. In bodybuilding, the athlete typically assumes a
stance in which the feet are shoulder width or wider. In powerlifting,
the sumo style squat is most often used in which the legs are spread
apart much wider than shoulder width. In Olympic lifting, the feet are
usually placed wider than shoulder width.
For a football player who must run, cut and jump, such as a wide
receiver or safety, the feet should be placed directly under the hips in
order to get maximum beneft from the squat. The reason for this is
that in running and jumping, the feet are directly under the hips. In
running, the feet are under the hips so that the forces generated in
the push-of are directed into the hips in a straight line in the same
direction as the run. In jumping, the feet must be directly under the
hips in order for all the forces to go directly upward. Even linemen,
when coming of the line have their feet under their hips when driving
forward. In cutting actions, the feet can be found directly under the
hips or out to the side. But rather than doing a wide stance squat, it is
more benefcial to execute exercises such as hip abduction with the
hips in motion, as for example, in the side lunge which more closely
duplicates the cutting action.
With Olympic lifts, there is no question that the athlete may become
more explosive. But there is no proof in theory or in practice - that this
explosive power will transfer to the execution of other skills. Transfer is
very specifc when it comes to execution of skills and is not specifc to
execution of most football skills. This has been well substantiated in
theory and practice.
Because transfer occurs as a general factor, it does not apply to
the execution of a specifc skill. It is quite often the opposite. Only
Strength Training continued on page 31
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o much of the game is based on speed and

agility that everyone is trying to match
player against player. But the proper tech-
nique of playing the angles and keeping
the ball on the appropriate shoulder is critical.
The importance of correct pursuit angles will
lead to better tackling skills and mechanics. This
is very important when we talk to our players
prior to introducing these pursuit drills. We will
introduce and do all of these drills in fall camp
and again in the spring.
As a season continues, our groupperiods tend
to decrease, which is why we make it a priority to
use at least two drills per week beginning on the
day after a game and then another on the frst
full practice of the week. I will explain fve difer-
ent pursuit drills and how we incorporate them
on a consistent basis.
and fve additional cones or bags.
In diagram2, our Four Lane Pursuit Drill, four
lines of defensive players will be lined up on the
30-yard line, two on the numbers and two on the
hash marks. We usually have the skill players on
the numbers and the DL /MLB on the hashmarks.
BC will at the 5-yard line.
On the command, the defenders will sprint
down toward the BC. When the coach gives the
BC the signal to go, he can make as many moves
as possible to get free. The defenders will not
tackle but will thud up to the runner as the other
defenders converge to the BC, looking to strip
the ball and not allowing a cut back. This drill
teaches proper leverage on the ball carrier. We
do ask the BC to sometimes reverse his feld and
run up the sidelines. Only equipment needed for
this drill are three footballs.
We try and teach these drills right away so the
players know where to go when we move to the
drill. The diagrams show the type of equipment
that is used. Equipment canbe variedbetweenus-
ing cones for bags or vice versa. I have found that
using proper equipment and having the drills set
up gives the athletes a better perception of what
the drill should look like. The drills dont just play a
roleas a conditioningperiodandwecombinea lot
of our fundamentals from our tackling and take-
away circuits into the pursuit drills. It is imperative
tohave all of the coaches involvedandmake these
group periods high-energy periods. Keeping the
players focused and in tune to what the drill is
about is extremely important. We want to be as ef-
fcient as possible with the time we have.
In diagram1, our Group Run Pursuit Drill, we
get the players into their positions using bags or
cones. We use three diferent groups instead of
having all 11 lined up. The purpose of this drill
is to get the players into their positions and, on
their movement, they sprint and fnd the land-
marks which are explained to them prior to the
start. We emphasize the importance of getting
to the correct cone because our base defense
must be fundamentally sound at all times.
We like that each group can be fying around
without the distraction of the other groups. This
eliminates them wondering if they are in the
right position because of the other players over-
lapping the same landmark. As soon as a group
is running toward the cones, the next group is
already in their positions waiting to go. It is im-
portant to have two coaches out in the feld en-
couraging them to sprint and get to the correct
landmark. Equipment needed includes 12 cones
tttf| |ftf|I t|||
Diagram 1: Group Run Pursuit
Diagram 2: Four Lane Pursuit Drill
Teaching the proper
pursuit angles should
lead to improved
tackling.
By Rob Eggerling
Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator
Saint Anselm College
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1. Stride Length - Perfect foot contact maxi-
mizes stride length, which is defned as the dis-
tance traveled with each step. Increasing stride
length allows an athlete to cover more ground in
the direction they need to move with each step
- whether moving forward, sideways, or back-
ward. Maximizing efective stride length is done
by increasing power output (how much and how
fast force is applied to the ground) and optimiz-
ing the direction force is applied. If an athlete
moves better and produces more power, he will
improve stride length.
2. Stride Frequency This key element is im-
proved when the amount of perfect foot con-
tact an athlete makes in a given amount of time
increases. Stride frequency is a function of how
quickly an athlete applies force during contact
with the ground and howquickly and skillfully he
moves his leg through the air to prepare to make
the next perfect foot contact. Improving power
output and mechanics during contact with the
ground and during the recovery phase (repo-
sitioning the limbs in the air) will increase stride
frequency. Athletes need powerful lower abdomi-
nals and muscles surrounding the hips to execute
good recovery mechanics. Recovery phase me-
chanics are vital in order to get in a good position
to make a perfect foot contact. The faster you run,
the less time you spend on the ground.
By Jordan Dowd Athletic Republic Training Centers
5 FUNDAMENTALS
OF SPEED TRAINING
3. Power Output Improving your power out-
put during all phases of sprinting will increase
your speed. Incline running on a treadmill is a
great method to improve power output since
the treadmill doesnt slow down when the ath-
lete gets tired or makes a mistake in his mechan-
ics. Using a combination of a strategically-placed
mirror, instant replay video to monitor technique
and a skilled trainer standing right next to the
athlete provides a great environment for im-
proving running mechanics and power. Strength
and power training targeting key muscle groups
for speed development like the hips, trunk, legs
and upper body are essential for improving
raw power and dynamic stability. Controlled,
weighted jumps combined with eccentric over-
load training provide a proven way to maximize
raw power output. Ground-based agility, ladder,
cone and plyometric drills that focus on improv-
ing the fundamentals of accelerating, decelerat-
ing, cutting, jumping and landing are all vital for
transferring improvements in power and condi-
tioning to the playing feld.
4. Symmetry - An athlete is only as fast or
powerful as his weakest leg. Symmetry is the bal-
ance in the power developed during contact and
recovery between the right and left leg. Training
to ensure each leg is equally stable and powerful
frst involves a reliable assessment of the power
output and dynamic stability between legs. If
power output difers above a certain percent-
age, the weaker leg is targeted in training. Typi-
cal methods for improvement include single leg
lifts, jumps, and agility drills performed at a wide
range of loads, velocities and directions.
5. Stamina- This is an athletes ability to sustain
power throughout competition. Sprinters only
need to produce power for a few seconds, but
most athletes must maximize speed and power,
recover, and then do it over and over again. This
demands a level of conditioning that will allow
an athlete to maintain formand technique while
fatigued. A year-round training plan that incorpo-
rates an athletes in-season, post-season and pre-
season development is required to build speed
and stamina while reducing the risk of injury.
Every athlete has the capacity to improve
their frst step, create separation from a defend-
er, close a gap on an opponent, make a quicker
cut, increase their endurance and improve their
top end speed, said Swanson. It requires a com-
mitment to performance training and improving
in each of the fve fundamentals to perfect the
skill of speed.
For more information regarding Athletic Republic
training visit http://www.AthleticRepublic.com.
Speed is a defning attribute of athleticism. No longer considered a genetic gift, speed is a skill that ultimately depends on how
efectively an athlete puts force into the ground, said Steve Swanson, Chief Science and Technology Ofcer at Athletic Republic.
While summer is a great time to develop speed skills, especially for fall sports, the bottom line is the fundamentals of speed can
be trained year-round, added Swanson. Speed can be improved by training fve fundamental components: stride length, stride
frequency, power output, symmetry, and stamina.
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O
ur basic philosophy in our running
game is to give the defense two or three
diferent formations and vary our block-
ing schemes with a mixture of gap, zone, and
man with multiple personnel groups. This has
enabled us to become a very balanced ofensive
team which has given us great success in the run
and passing game. This past season, the Split-
Flow and ISO scheme resulted in a 6-yard aver-
age per carry. What was initially a complement
to our power game became a main staple in our
ofensive gameplan, resulting in the Split-Flow
and ISO accounting for approximately 30% of
our running game. We run the Split-Flow and ISO
against any even or odd front defense that has
six defenders in the box. If theres a larger num-
ber in the box, we generally throw the ball. We
are primarily in a 20-personnel grouping when
running Split-Flow or ISO which is consistent
with our two-back power game.
First, our blocking rules for the ofensive line
in the Split-Flow are the same as our inside zone
rules. So, for the ofensive line, there is nothing to
re-teach. The B-back, who is our FB, is blocking in
man technique. The RB runs the same path as he
does with inside zone.
PST and B-back are responsible for the playside
stack (DE and SB); the PSG and center are respon-
sible for the inside stack (Nose and MB); and the
BSGandBSTareresponsiblefor thebacksidestack
(DE andWB). The play will either hit the frontside B
gap or backside A gap as a cutback (Diagram3).
Coaching Point - The RB will read the centers
block with a good opportunity for a cutback. Note:
against a 3-4 defense (7 man box), in which we are
out numbered, we will throwthe ball.
The ISO is a great change up that makes this
scheme both potent and versatile. Efective
downhill blocking is needed from the B-back.
Now with all the pieces set, we are able to use
this scheme in a variety of ways short yardage,
in the red zone and at the goal line. The Split-
Flow and ISO coupled with our two-back run-
ning game allows us to dictate our will on the
defense by keeping them guessing.
ISO Rules
1. We run our ISO against an even front defense
and it doesnt matter if the defense shows a 2i/3
You can
confuse any defense
by implementing
this scheme.
Blocking Rules
Uncovered OL - step to your playside gap look-
ing to help while pushing up the line of scrim-
mage with good vertical steps. Key is the near
knee of the frst DL to your playside gap.
Covered OL - step to your playside gap, fipper
the DL with good vertical steps.
B-back- blocks the end man on the line of scrim-
mage, attacking his inside armpit. The B-back
is aligned between the guard and tackle, a half
yard away from their heels. We can motion him
and even set him outside of the tackle as a wing.
RB - follows the same rules as inside zone. His
initial path is the frontside A gap. He adjusts
slightly against an odd front with his read now
being the centers buttock. However, his path is
the same. He aligns fve yards from the LOS with
his inside foot directly behind the outside foot
of the guard.

Split-Flow Rules
1. When we face a team that gives us a tradition-
al even front with six in the box with the 3 tech
to our B-back, this play will hit 90% of the time
to the playside A gap. We have two combination
blocks with the inside DL up to the Mike and Will
linebackers (Diagram 1).
Coaching Point be sure there is a good vertical
push, not allowing any penetration and win the
two on one contest at the line of scrimmage.
2. If we get a teamthat plays 2i to our B-back, the
play will hit to the playside B gap. The playside
tackle will take the appropriate steps to the Mike
and the B-back will attack the inside shoulder of
the DE (Diagram2).
Coaching Point - if theDEsqueezes ofthePSTbutt,
the B-back will have to log the DE, pinning him on
the line of scrimmage in order to allow the running
back to bounce outside.
3. When we face an odd front team that gives a
stack (33) look, the numbers match up well. The
You can
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By L. D. Green Sr.
Ofensive Line Coach - Trinity University (TX)
Diagram 1.
Diagram 2.
Diagram 3.
Diagram 4.
tech. With our ISO, we will motion our B-back
from time to time giving the illusion of either
two-back power or Split-Flow. The PST and
guard man-block while the other three ofen-
sive linemen are blocking with their inside zone
rules. The B-back ISO blocks the playside LB, the
RB makes initial Split-Flow steps and then reads
the B-backs block (Diagram 4).
Coaching Point When the B-back is put in mo-
tion, he must be patient for the guards block. He
quickly reads his hip so he can take the proper
crease while keeping his eyes on the assigned LB.
We have also prepared our B-back to stop his mo-
tion with a STOP call in the event the DL stems
from a 3 techto a 2i. In that case, he becomes a true
downhill ISO block directly to the playside LB.
Split-Flow and ISO continued on page 11
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T
he of-season is a critical time
to develop your quarterbacks,
running backs and wide receivers.
The fundamentals that can be
mastered during this time are paramount. It is
the little things that can be worked on such
as proper stance, how to explode out of your
stance and what to do with your eyes before
the snap of the ball.
I spend a lot of time in the of-season
developing the footwork of my athletes,
and I run a variety of drills that will enhance
footwork. Quick, nimble feet will make
attacking defenders wrap up air and help your
running backs maximize the amount of yards
per rushing attempt.
As coaches, were all looking for that one
player that can make our lives easier during
a season. That one player that makes people
miss, explodes efortlessly through the line of
scrimmage, accelerates like a lightning bolt,
and has a strong will to excel. Here are some
little things I teach during the of-season.

EYES
When my running backs break the huddle,
I tell them not to look at the intended hole.
I do this because I know the defense is
watching the running backs eyes as he leaves
the huddle. The defense is looking for any
clues as to where the ball may be going.
Eventually, my running back will peek at
the hole he is getting ready to explode into. To
counter this, I tell my running backs once they
get into their stance, to roll their eyes to the
left, then to the right, and back to the middle.
I believe by doing this every time they get into
their stance, the defense cannot get a radar lock
as to what side of the feld the play is going to.
####l## ###
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backs. They are teaching their players to strike
the elbow of their back with the heel of their
palm. Upon striking the elbow, they then
thrust their arm up causing the elbow to lose
a major contact point with the body. Once the
elbowhas been unlocked, the defensive player
uses his free hand to strike the ball loose.
This technique is very efective if practiced
on a regular basis. It is incredible how fast a
defensive player can unlock a ball from a back
once this technique is engrained in muscle
memory. Tocounter this, youmust educateyour
backs on this technique. This will help them
understand the importance of ball security.
You must go over pressure points with
your backs. I instruct my backs to separate
their index and forefnger so each fnger is on
each side of the nose of the ball. I then have
them place the ball against their forearm,
bicep, ribs, and lock down the opposite point
of the ball with their elbow. The ball must be
high and tight. They must remember to use all
pressure points.
WHAT TO LOOKFOR WHEN
RUNNING
Some running backs see daylight easily.
Their eyes and their mind have been trained
or enhanced to anticipate a hole opening up
before anyone else sees it. Vision is a God-
given gift for some while for others it has to
be conditioned.
I have had players that could run like the
wind and have the power to break tackles but
they lacked the basic understanding on how
to read blocks. Do not take it for granted that
your running backs understand anticipation.
It is very disappointing when you see
that a player has natural talent but cannot
process information while running. To
improve upon this, show your athlete on flm
what anticipation is. Show him flm of great
running backs and how they set up defenders
and waited for their ofensive linemen to do
their job. Show him how the blocking scheme
works against diferent fronts.
Tape your running back going live against
your scout team. Watching himself and
the ofensive line on flm will accelerate his
learning curve. Repetition will condition his
mind, body and eyes to process information
and use the power of anticipation to enhance
the natural gifts he has.
Other things to look for are: does your
running back stop his feet when a defender
makes contact with him? Does your running
back run straight up, making him a large
target that is easy to hit? Has your running
back been trained to run with high knees? Has
he been taught how to run with a ball at full
speed? Does your running back know how to
transition the ball from one arm to the other
while running a full speed?
The little things add up quickly to be
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Paying attention to the little
things can help maximize
the production of your
running backs.
should be bent slightly.
I teach my tailbacks to curl their toes while
they are in their two-point stance. Lets say a
sweep to the right is called and the tailback is
getting the ball. My tailback will curl up his left
toes for this play. I do this for a few reasons:
(1) it prevents false stepping, (2) while in the
standing position, it gives the tailback extra
power to accelerate out of his stance, (3) It
gives the tailback a psychological advantage
knowing he is coming out of his stance
faster than the opposing defense, or at least
he thinks he is, (4) and all the little things
lead your running back to have superior
confdence in his talent.
PRESSURE POINTS
Defensive coaches are using various
techniques to pry the ball away fromofensive
STANCE - WHAT TO LOOKFOR
It all starts with the stance. Some running
backs are stif in their stance while others will
fow to their stance and settle into the perfect
two-point stance. I fnd that a back that is stif
is muscle tense and becomes a statue. These
backs have limited ability to explode out of
their stance. These players can be a challenge
but through repetition and working on the
little thingsthey will soften up their stifness.
I like my running backs with their feet
shoulder-widthapart andtoes pointedstraight
ahead. I like a slight bend in their knees and
their backs straight. Their hands can be palms
down on their thigh boards or cupped just
above the knee. The thumbs are pointed
inward toward the medial aspect of the body
and the remaining four fngers are pointed
toward the lateral part of the body. The arms
big things if you ignore the basics. The basics
build unwavering confdence in your players.
BLOCKING
Finding a complete running back is not
easy. The one fundamental obstacle that
separates a good back from a great back
is blocking. Can your RB pick up a blitzing
linebacker? Did you show your running back
howto use his body correctly to stopa blitzing
linebacker? There are a lot of running backs
that rack up big time yardage but the ability
to block shows scouts and coaches a mental
toughness and a willingness to do whatever it
takes for the good of the team.
When youre instructing your running
backs to block, make sure you go over every
scenario. Drill them on best and worst case
scenarios. Teach them what they can do with
their body to minimize injury and defeat a
defender.

BEST CASE
The ball is snapped and the quarterback
is dropping back going through his key or
progressions. Your running back recognizes
a blitz from the outside linebacker. As your
running back begins to engage the defender,
his feet should chew grass. Havehim useshort,
choppy steps to help him come to balance,
with knees bent, hands holstered, ready to
strike. As your back strikes with the palms of
his hands into the chest of the defender, he
rolls his hips up to unleash power that has
been harnessed while coming to balance.
WORST CASE
Your running back has realized he is out of
position to protect his quarterback. His butt is
pointing parallel with the line of scrimmage
and is not tracking your quarterback. He did
not chew grass and come to balance and the
power of the hips cant be used.
In this case, I instruct my backs to do the
following: if the blitzing linebacker is coming
from the right, use their left hand as a power
hand and stick it into the defenders hip, push
with that hand and try to keep the blitzer
going upfeld and away from the quarterback.
If the blitzer decides to change his course of
direction, I instruct the RBto use his right hand
and strike the defender in the chest with the
heel of the palm as soon as he recognizes a
change in direction. This technique is efective
if practiced repeatedly.

About the Author: Doug Heslip is a Team USA
Assistant Coach and a former head coach at
Gwinn High School (MI). He has 15 years of
coaching experience and is the founder of the
Hitch It and Rip It football camps. Heslip also
serves as a member of the Congressional Youth
By Doug Heslip Assistant Coach, Team USA
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By Curt Block
J
ohn McKissick, the head coach at Summerville High School (SC)
and J. T. Curtis, the head coach of Curtis Christian High School in
River Ridge, Louisiana are still going strong at the ages of 86 and
66, respectively. They are the two winningest coaches in the history of
high school football.
Curtis, the son of John Curtis who founded Curtis Christian High
School, assumed head coaching duties at the school 43 years ago.
Since then, his Patriots have won an incredible 90.2% of their games
and that includes his frst season when they went 0-10 and managed
only two touchdowns.
The list of accomplishments is staggering.
- an overall record of 520-54-6.
- 25 state champlonshlps ln 32 trlps to the tltle game.
- l6 consecutlve appearances ln the state champlonshlp game,
winning 13 times.
- l9 undefeated regular seasons.
- l3 perfect seasons, lncludlng 20l2.
Success starts with your administration, Curtis said. You must have
an administration that understands the importance of extracurricular
activities. Second, you must have a staf that is committed to not just
coaching but are committed to the kids. If theyre looking for fnancial
reward for the time thats put in, theyre really in the wrong business. The
bottomline is if youre goingtocoach, youre goingtoput ina lot of time.
As your staf develops, the time needed becomes less because of the
expectations of each other and the knowledge you have of each other.
THE BEST
OF THE BEST
J.T. Curtis and John McKissick, the two winningest
football coaches in history, have combined for 1,121 victories
A third key is that you are consistent in what you teach. I dont think
you can go with the defensive favor of the year or the ofensive favor
of the year. You need to zero in on what you want to be ofensively and
defensively and continue the repetitions year after year after year.
"we've been a spllt back, veer team slnce l975. we can do other
things but basically were an option based team. We teach the same
techniques and same ofensive schemes that weve been doing for the
last 30 years.
Obviously, it works. Curtis boasted an explosive punch in 2012 that
produced a touchdown every 5.8 plays. "Defenslvely, we base out of a
5-man front. we make ad[ustments on that to changes to onenses that
have progressed through the years. The Patriots defense is equally ef-
fective. They allowed only fve touchdowns in all of 2012. We have a
nickel package that goes with that and a dive package that is part of
what we do, Curtis continued. But when you come to see us in the
sprlng we're golng to llne up ln a 5-man front and learn how to play out
of that. Those things go a long way providing the consistency that the
kids need to learn and be successful on the feld and the answers that
you need in pressure situations as the game unfolds.
Year in, year out Curtis remains a commanding force. The player
roster is in a continual state of turnover. Assistant coaches consider op-
tions of whether to move on. Head Coach Curtis remains the constant.
You always try to improve,Curtis explained. You want people who
have an understanding of new techniques or new ideas or thoughts
that tweak what youre doing and might help you do better. But the
basics of the game never change. How you teach sometimes can be
improved. Its the same way with young athletes. The same things they
needed 40 years ago are the same things they need today. And thats
to have discipline in their life and to be loved and cared for and be part
of a team thats working in a positive direction. They know the team is
frst and were working for a common goal.
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By J.D. Shaw
Ofensive Coordinator
Bridgewater College
A few adjustments in a
quarterbacks technique
can improve his short
passing game.
The Drop
8
hen teaching the 3-step passing game, scheme is important,
but I always look frst at how fast are we getting the ball
of. The set and drop by the quarterback is critical. After
years of teaching a straight drop 3-step, I worked a camp
at the University of Virginia and found something I liked better and
that made more sense. Ive always taught my quarterbacks to have
their push foot slightly further back in their stance to gain a little extra
depth on the set. But I never looked at the angle at which they drop.
Making a great throw in the quick game means getting the ball offast.
This means getting the throwing shoulder aimed to the target as fast
as possible. It also means getting the quarterbacks hips in line to the
target as well.
Presnap, our QBs select the side they are reading and throwing.
So on the snap we have the drop at an angle slightly away from the
throw. Instead of pushing straight back, we push to the A gap away
from the side were reading. With eyes on the read, by the time you hit
the third step, the QB should have his shoulder aimed to the target as
opposed to dropping straight back, then having to open the hips to
make the throw. This slight angle drop gets everything in line to the
target and can be done on throws to the left or the right. I fnd that
for right handed QBs throwing left or left handed QBs throwing right,
this technique is especially productive in getting the ball out fast and
accurately (Diagram 1).
Wehaveanextensive3-steppassinggameout of avarietyof diferent
looks. This one is one of our most successful. Our QBs like it because its
fexible. It allows for answers toalot of diferent defenses andcoverages.
We never have to check out of this play. That confdence helps our QBs
be deliberate and accurate delivering the football on time.
The Scheme
One of the more successful schemes is run out of a 3 X 1 Set. On
this play, we have our X running a 4 to 6 yard speed out. If he gets
press man coverage, he has the option to convert it to a fade. His split
should be inside the numbers.
Our Y runs a 5-yard Stick route. He is coached to attack for outside
leverage of the frst defender outside of him. At 5 yards, hell sit and
work the window vs. zone. Our nickel the second receiver on the trips
side runs a 3-yard speed out. His split should be less than halfway
between the Z and the Y.
The Z runs a fade and must outside release and maintain leverage
on the bottomof the numbers. We call that a fade hole. We want to
leave a window for an outside fade throw (Diagram 2).
Diagram 1: The Drop
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y 1ames Housdan - Head Football Coach,
and Mark Looney, Assistant Coach and Special Teams Coordinator
Parkers Chapel High School (AR)
A special teams play thats disguised can confuse
your opponent. This is especially true on the punt return.
I
n our program, we implement a strategy where our players have
simple rules to follow that allow us to be successful in the kicking
gamewith minimal mistakes. Our special teams areno diferent than
our ofense or defense. We expect our players to use proper alignment,
assignment, execution, and efort. We work on special teams every day.
We believe that if we cover the kicking game every day, we can get
maximumefort and execution.
Like most programs, we use word association to relate to schemes
and plays. In our punt return game, our theme is the Wild West. We call
our base scheme on punt return Jesse James.This is a safe punt return.
We have our front nine players line up and hold em up (block) man
to man. Then we have our two return players downfeld. There should
not be any opponent running free downfeld. We have two outside
linebackers on the edge to make sure there are no fakes. We have the
return man that does not receive the ball block for the other return man.
This scheme is easy to teach and allows the players to be aggressive and
not get confused on the blocking scheme. We have had big returns in
the punt game and have scored touchdowns fromthis simple scheme.
Diagram1-A shows our safe punt return against a punt formation
with no split receivers or gunners. We align our corners over the end
player on the line of scrimmage or the number one receiver. Our
outside linebackers are responsible for a possible fake andcontainafter
the punt. The defensive interior and Mike linebacker are responsible
for blocking the ofensive line. In Diagram 1-B, when the opponent
has gunners, we move our corners out over them. Their rule is to block
and force the gunners as wide as possible. We still have our outside
linebackers containing and securing the edge in case of a fake. The
defensive tackles and Mike linebacker continue their rules in holding
up the ofensive linemen.
In Diagram 2A is our punt block set up. We go fromholding up the
opponent to applying B-gap pressure. We call our punt blockOutlaw.
We are trying to improve our feld position by either getting a blocked
punt or forcing a bad punt. In Diagram 2B, we have our corners on the
split receivers, forcing them out wide just like in Jesse James. We still
have our outside linebackers protecting the outside edge for a fake
frst, and then they can apply pressure on the punter. The defensive
ends are trying to force the ofensive tackles out. We bring our SS down
over the right defensive end.
Onthesnap, thedefensivetacklewill frethroughtheA-gap, allowing
the SS to shoot through the B-gap. The opposite DT will fre through the
B-gap, allowing the MLB to shoot through the A-gap. With the diferent
angles of attack at the line of scrimmage, we can cause confusion on gap
protection and put maximumpressure on the punter.
Diagram 2B shows Outlaw without split receivers or gunners.
The blocking scheme is the same as with the split receivers. We put the
corners over the end guys and block just like they would in JesseJames.
We put maximum pressure with the same B-gap attacking scheme that
was described in Diagram2-A. We can change our gappressure weekly
depending on what we detect might be the opponents weakness in
protection during flm study.
Diagram 1A.
Diagram 1B.
Diagram 2A.
Diagram 2B.
In Diagrams 3A and 3B, we can apply pressure from our Jesse
James look. This scheme allows us to look like we are setting up our
safe punt return. We can catch the opponent by surprise by bringing
an extra man of the edge to apply extra pressure. We can do this from
either side by bringing a corner of the edge. We bring either the SS or
FS down to cover the split receiver depending on which corner we are
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By J.D. Shaw
Ofensive Coordinator
A few adjustments in a
quarterbacks technique
can improve his short
passing game.
y Steve Mooshagian - Head Coach - Ventura College
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Forced Read Drill (Diagram 2) The WR
pushes of vertically in this drill and reads the
fo ff rce player. He then pursues the corner or
safe ff ty and blocks him.
/- // :
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WW
Strength & Conditioning Special Te TT ams Program Management Offense Defense Strength & Conditioning Special Te TT ams Program Management Offense Defense
I
ndividual success in fo ff otball is determined by technique and
physical skill. Tw TT o of the components of physical skill are linear
speed and change-of- ff direction (COD) speed. The degree to
which a player possesses speed is partly dependent on the amount
of strength, especially lower body strength, and fexibility that he has.
Strength and speed combine to create explosive fo ff rce, which may be
even more important to fo ff otball than speed itself. ff These components
arent very useful without the proper mechanics that are required to
carry them over from the drills or exercises to the game itself. ff
NFL coaches and scouts during the late 1960s and early 1970s
began to see that the teamwith the most speed usually won the game.
The trickle-down efe ff ct brought that understanding of a need fo ff r
speed down to every level of the sport. Like all other college fo ff otball
programs, we recruit fo ff r speed and we train fo ff r speed.
At one point, coaches fe ff lt that a sprinter from the track team t
hadrecordedgoodtimes in his events couldbe taught to carry or ca
a fo ff otball and have success as a fo ff otball player. We now realize t
fo ff otball speed is mostly about acceleration and track sprinters d
get to full speed until 30-40 meters down the track. Football play
need to be at full speed at about 10 yards down the feld. A t
sprinter can maintain maximum speed fo ff r 50 or more meters w
a fo ff otball player doesnt have to because of the change-of- ff direc
involved in the game. This is why you see so much emphasis placed
10-yard sprint times when training acceleration to fo ff otball players.
Within our speed development program, we understand t
telling an athlete to run fa ff ster doesnt do much good without show
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Having change-of-direction speed n
is critical for skill position players.
By Reese Bridgman
Assistant Athletic Director for Strength and Conditioning
Norfolk State University
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ing the direction force is applied. If an athlete
moves better and produces more power, he will
improve stride length.
222. 2. Stride Frequency This key element is im- y
proved when the amount of perfect foot con-
tact an athlete makes in a given amount of time
increases. Stride frequency is a function of how
quickly an athlete applies force during contact
with the ground and howquickly and skillfully he
moves his leg through the air to prepare to make
the next perfect foot contact. Improving power
output and mechanics during contact with the
ground and during the recovery phase (repo-
sitioning the limbs in the air) will increase stride
frequency. Athletes need powerful lower abdomi-
nals and muscles surrounding the hips to execute
good recovery mechanics. Recovery phase me-
chanics are vital in order to get in a good position
to make a perfect foot contact. The faster you run,
the less time you spend on the ground.
g g
athlete provides a great environment for im-
proving running mechanics and power. Strength
and power training targeting key muscle groups
for speed development like the hips, trunk, legs
and upper body are essential for improving
raw power and dynamic stability. Controlled,
weighted jumps combined with eccentric over-
load training provide a proven way to maximize
raw power output. Ground-based agility, ladder,
cone and plyometric drills that focus on improv-
ing the fundamentals of accelerating, decelerat-
ing, cutting, jumping and landing are all vital for
transferring improvements in power and condi-
tioning to the playing feld.
4. Symmetry - An athlete is only as fast or
powerful as his weakest leg. Symmetry is the bal-
ance in the power developed during contact and
recovery between the right and left leg. Training
to ensure each leg is equally stable and powerful
frst involves a reliable assessment of the power
p g p p y
need to produce power for a few seconds, but
most athletes must maximize speed and power,
recover, and then do it over and over again. This
demands a level of conditioning that will allow
an athlete to maintain formand technique while
fatigued. A year-round training plan that incorpo-
rates an athletes in-season, post-season and pre-
season development is required to build speed
and stamina while reducing the risk of injury.
Every athlete has the capacity to improve
their frst step, create separation from a defend-
er, close a gap on an opponent, make a quicker
cut, increase their endurance and improve their
top end speed, said Swanson. It requires a com-
mitment to performance training and improving
in each of the fve fundamentals to perfect the
skill of speed.
For more information regarding Athletic Republic
training visit http://www.AthleticRepublic.com.
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ponsible for the playside
G and center are respon-
(Nose and MB); and the
blefor thebacksidestack
l either hit the frontside B
a cutback (Diagram3).
RB will read the centers
tunity for a cutback. Note:
man box), in which we are
rowthe ball.
ange up that makes this
and versatile. Efective
eeded from the B-back.
set, we are able to use
of ways short yardage,
the goal line. The Split-
with our two-back run-
o dictate our will on the
mguessing.
Rules es
st an even front defense
the defense shows a 2i/3
Diagram 1.
Diagram 2.
Diagram 3.
Diagram 4.
tech. With our ISO, we will motion our B-back
from time to time giving the illusion of either
two-back power or Split-Flow. The PST and
guard man-block while the other three ofen-
sive linemen are blocking with their inside zone
rules. The B-back ISO blocks the playside LB, the
RB makes initial Split-Flow steps and then reads
the B-backs block (Diagram 4) k .
Coaching Point When the B-back is put in mo-
tion, he must be patient for the guards block. He
quickly reads his hip so he can take the proper
crease while keeping his eyes on the assigned LB.
We have also prepared our B-back to stop his mo-
tion with a STOP call in the event the DL stems
from a 3 techto a 2i. In that case, he becomes a true
downhill ISO block directly to the playside LB.
Split-Flow and ISOcontinued on page 11
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running backs and how they set up defenders
and waited for their ofensive linemen to do
their job. Show him how the blocking scheme
works against diferent fronts.
Tape your running back going live against
your scout team. Watching himself and
the ofensive line on flm will accelerate his
learning curve. Repetition will condition his
mind, body and eyes to process information
and use the power of anticipation to enhance
the natural gifts he has.
Other things to look for are: does your
running back stop his feet when a defender
makes contact with him? Does your running
back run straight up, making him a large
target that is easy to hit? Has your running
back been trained to run with high knees? Has
he been taught how to run with a ball at full
speed? Does your running back know how to
transition the ball from one arm to the other
while running a full speed?
The little things add up quickly to be
to curl their toes while
oint stance. Lets say a
lled and the tailback is
back will curl up his left
this for a few reasons:
pping, (2) while in the
ves the tailback extra
ut of his stance, (3) It
ychological advantage
g out of his stance
ng defense, or at least
d all the little things
ack to have superior
.
E POINTS
are using various
all away fromofensive
and is not tracking your quarterback. He did
not chew grass and come to balance and the
power of the hips cant be used.
In this case, I instruct my backs to do the
following: if the blitzing linebacker is coming
from the right, use their left hand as a power
hand and stick it into the defenders hip, push
with that hand and try to keep the blitzer
going upfeld and away from the quarterback.
If the blitzer decides to change his course of
direction, I instruct the RBto use his right hand
and strike the defender in the chest with the
heel of the palm as soon as he recognizes a
change in direction. This technique is efective
if practiced repeatedly.
About the Author: Doug Heslip is a Team USA
Assistant Coach and a former head coach at
Gwinn High School (MI). He has 15 years of
coaching experience and is the founder of the
Hitch It and Rip It football camps. Heslip also
serves as a member of the Congressional Youth
By Curt Block
THE BEST THE BEST
OOF THE BESTTTTTTTTTTTT
J.T. Curtis and John McKissick, the two winningest
ffootball coaches in history, have combined for 1,121 victto oorrriie eeeesss
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implement a strategy where our players have
ow that allow us to be successful in the kicking
mistakes. Our special teams arenodiferent than
We expect our players to use proper alignment,
and efort. We work on special teams every day.
cover the kicking game every day, we can get
xecution.
, we use word association to relate to schemes
eturn game, our theme is the Wild West. We call
nt return Jesse James.This is a safe punt return.
players line up and hold em up (block) man
our two return players downfeld. There should
running free downfeld. We have two outside
e to make sure there are no fakes. We have the
ot receive the ball block for the other return man.
each and allows the players to be aggressive and
e blocking scheme. We have had big returns in
e scored touchdowns fromthis simple scheme.
s our safe punt return against a punt formation
or gunners. We align our corners over the end
scrimmage or the number one receiver. Our
responsible for a possible fake andcontainafter
e interior and Mike linebacker are responsible
ive line. In Diagram 1-B, when the opponent
our corners out over them. Their rule is to block
as wide as possible. We still have our outside
and securing the edge in case of a fake. The
Mike linebacker continue their rules in holding
en.
In Diagram2A is our punt block set up. We go fromholding up the
opponent to applying B-gap pressure. We call our punt blockOutlaw.
We are trying to improve our feld position by either getting a blocked
punt or forcing a bad punt. In Diagram 2B, we have our corners on the
split receivers, forcing them out wide just like in Jesse James. We still
have our outside linebackers protecting the outside edge for a fake
frst, and then they can apply pressure on the punter. The defensive
ends are trying to force the ofensive tackles out. We bring our SS down
over the right defensive end.
Onthesnap, thedefensivetacklewill frethroughtheA-gap, allowing
the SS to shoot through the B-gap. The opposite DT will fre through the
B-gap, allowing the MLB to shoot through the A-gap. With the diferent
angles of attack at the line of scrimmage, we can cause confusion on gap
protection and put maximumpressure on the punter.
Diagram 2B shows Outlaw without split receivers or gunners.
The blocking scheme is the same as with the split receivers. We put the
corners over the end guys and block just like they would in JesseJames.
We put maximum pressure with the same B-gap attacking scheme that
was describedin Diagram2-A. We can change our gappressure weekly
depending on what we detect might be the opponents weakness in
protection during flm study.
Diagram2A.
Diagram 2B.
In Diagrams 3A and 3B, we can apply pressure from our Jesse
James look. This scheme allows us to look like we are setting up our
safe punt return. We can catch the opponent by surprise by bringing
an extra man of the edge to apply extra pressure. We can do this from
either side by bringing a corner of the edge. We bring either the SS or
FS down to cover the split receiver depending on which corner we are
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l
he increasingly popular air raid ofense
presents a predominantly short passing
game, an attack that creates matchup
problems in space, an often disguised
running attack, and often lights out numbers.
The high-powered, pass-frst air raid play,
exhibited by such schools as Texas Tech and
Washington State, has generated a buzz across
the football landscape. Gridiron Strategies
solicited opinions on howbest to cope with this
up-tempo style of play from Joe Klanderman,
Defensive Coordinator at Minnesota State-
Mankato; JoeDettwiler, HeadCoachatWisconsin-
LaCrosse; and Joe Daniel, Defensive Coordinator
at Prince George HighSchool inVirginia.
GS: What is your strategy against a four-
vertical/air raid ofense?
Klanderman: Youmust have some multiplicity.
Youhavetogivediferent looks. I liketopressure
the line of scrimmage. I dont necessarily mean
blitzing. I mean pressuring diferent points of
the ofense, whether its pressing receivers or
getting into some great cover downs against
receivers or stressing diferent areas of the
protection.
Dettwiler: It varies with on the strength of the
quarterback. You have to be able to disrupt the
timing of the passing game. You have to force
them to do what they dont want to do. Think
out of the box. Give them a run look where
they have to try and run it and then basically
cover down as many receivers as you can.
Daniel: To defend the four vertical package,
we want to stay away from cover three. First,
we want to identify the most dangerous
athletes, the ones theyre trying to get the
ball to. When we identify them well have a
matchup of our best on their best.
Well also do a lot of work on pursuit and
open feld tackling. Well mix up man and zone
play calling. Because it relies on quick passing,
well use a lot of disguise since the quarterback
will be depending on a lot of pre-snap reads.
Bring pressure with blitzes and stunts up front.
We want to keep their ofensive line of guard.
Just like were looking for their best athlete, we
will be looking for their weakest lineman and
put pressure on himtoo.
What do you feel is the best cover package
against this ofense?
Klanderman: Thats where I really think you
have to be multiple. You have to do a good job
with pre-snap looks. You need a good balance
between a couple of diferent things. You cant
sit in one thing and expect to have a whole
bunch of success because the air raid ofense is
so adaptable and adjustments are easily made
that you have to keep mixing it up. You also
have to do a goodjobwithyour pre-snaplooks
so they dont knowwhat youre in. We want our
pre-snap looks to appear the same all the time.
We have a couple of looks that we like to give
but we try to showquarters all the time.
Daniel: That comes down to what your
team does best. Because of the threat of four
verticals, Id stay away from cover 3. A cover 2
or a cover 4 gives you good coverage against
the four verticals or man coverage. If youre
going to man coverage and we go to a cover
1, well probably bring fve rushers quite a
bit. If we go to a cover zero well bring six or
#III##l## l#I #l# ##l# #III#I
Having the right front and coverage is critical to
defending the four-verticals package.
By Curt Block
even seven with players on a blitz peel if their
player responsibility releases into a pass.
Dettwiler: With the onset of the new NCAA
rules, I like a four-deep coverage. It covers the
verticals and keeps your players in the game. If
you have a high hole player, like a deep middle
thirdguy, weusedtolookat it asanintimidation
factor where we would strike the receivers in
a four vertical package where we would give
up the feld vertical and hit the receivers. The
thought process was that eventually they
would start dropping the ball. But now if you
try to do that, your guys are going to start
getting thrown out of the game. Looking at it
now, I think a quarters-type coverage is going
to work best with the ability to play man-free
coverage as a change-up.
What is the best front to apply pressure to
the quarterback?
Daniel: I dont have a best front. I dont think
there is a best front you can run. Theyre
all basically the same. When you get into a
spread type ofense, a 4-3 or a 4-2-5 are the
same. Were going to put our players out there
in the front that fts them the best, that makes
them the most comfortable. We know if our
kids are confdent theyre going to play faster
and thats the key.
Klanderman: We like to do a lot of stuf out of
2-3 techniques. It simplifes protections a little
bit and enables you to exploit some things in
protection. Sometimes when youre in a 2-3
you can fnd out what youre going to get and
then develop some blitz packages or maybe
some D-line games upfront.
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GETTING STARTED
Pursuit Fundamentals
It is important to understand that pursuit
is not simply running hard, but also the under-
standing of angles to the football and team
defense. When we begin to teach pursuit, we
beginwithteachingangles to our players. More
specifcally, we talk about the idea that when
youpursue the football, youmusttake anangle
so that the ball cannot cut across your face.
We start this learning process with a few
simple one-man and two-man pursuit drills.
These drills do not require pads and can be
used by the players at any time of year wheth-
er it is spring practice or the of-season.
One-man pursuit drills are run simply to
teach the angle at which to pursue a ball car-
rier. Coaches can take time to watch and teach
each player how to press the ball carrier and
take the air out between himself and the ball
carrier while working at an inside/out angle
that essentially funnels the ball carrier to the
force player or sideline.
Once these drills have been run at full
speed with a tag of tempo and the players
understand the angle of pursuit, you can ad-
just the tempo to start teaching good tackling
technique as well. Essentially, you are teach-
ing an open feld tackle at full speed.
One important priority is the footwork of
the tackler. The tackler should be long strid-
ing to the ball carrier whiletaking the air out
as he closes in. As the tackler gets closer to the
ball carrier on his inside/out angle, his steps
should remain narrow, but start to shorten. We
tell our players to step on the toes of the ball
carrier. We do not want them breaking down
with wide feet, but rather running through
the ball carrier (Diagrams 1 and 2).
-(-ss'r- 1s'
Diagram 1: One-Man Pursuit Drill Pursuit of WR from inside leverage position
Notes:
1. O and Dare 10 yards apart on the hash, Ofaces downfeld while Dfaces O.
2. O runs varying pass routes (slant, hitch, curl, etc.).
3. Dpresses at O to take air out and bends on banana route to pursue and keep inside leverage.
4. We are assuming there is contain help.
5. We do not want to concede yards nor give up a cutback lane.
Diagram 2: One-Man Pursuit Drill Pursuit of RB Out of the backfeld
Notes:
1. O and Dare 15 yards apart on the hash. Ofaces sideline while Dfaces O.
2. O sprints down line to sideline and works to run up sideline.
3. Dpresses O to take air out and bends on Banana Route to pursue and keep inside leverage.
4. We are assuming there is contain help.
5. We do not want to concede yards nor give up a cutback lane.
Long time UW-La Crosse Defensive Coordinator Roland Christensen preached the 3 Ps for many years to his defensive players:
pride, poise, and pursuit. We still hold these three things in very high regard. Playing defense at UW-La Crosse is a privilege
and the ability and attitude to pursue relentlessly is a requirement to play defense.
y 1oeI DettwiIer - Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
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By Ryan Majors
Ofensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach
William Jewell College
Mf|I||||f|I Itttf|t
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Multiplicity Through Simplicity- this short
phrase is a pillar of our ofensive philosophy. Mul-
tiplicity means we want every player to under-
stand that we can run our ofense out of as many
looks as we can. Simplicity means we defne roles
and alignments ahead of time for our positions to
ft into those looks, and then teach our QBs how
they all tie together. We are able to utilize the
spread, no-huddle components of our ofense
while staying in 21 personnel (2 RB, 2WR, 1TE).
The frst component of our ofense that gives
us the ability to become multiple in 21 personnel
is our formation/alignment structure. We have
hard calls for ffteen formations that are the sum
of the pieces we can put together in any person-
nel grouping. The quarterbacks in our system
learn that each formation/alignment combina-
tion is like a math equation. Through our meet-
ings and homework, they learn how to see the
solution. This system has reduced mistakes in
alignment by all of our skill players. Our quarter-
backs have also developed a better understand-
Diagram 1. Right
ing of feld awareness, defensive alignments, and
matchup advantages.
We designate nine spots on the feld for align-
ments that we tag using position-specifc word-
ing. For all motions, we have the same spots
numbered 1 through 9, which are universal for
all positions. Using this method, we are able to
get into a variety of looks out of our base pro for-
mation (Diagram 1). Displayed in Diagram 2
and 3 are the tags we use to the right of the feld
for the tailback and fullback, as well as the cor-
responding motion labels. Starting in our base
formation, right, we can get to a TE trips look by
naming the formation Right Firor by motioning
Right-T8. Furthermore, we can get to an empty
backfeld by naming the formation, Right Fir-T2.
The second component to being multiple is
our Two-Play Check system. We send our ofense
to the LOS with a 2-Play Check around 60%of the
time. We teach our QBs what we are looking for
in each check so that on Saturday they can run
the show.
Diagram 2.
Diagram 3.
t|t; Mt|||;|t |t II |ttttttt|
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INSIDE
VOL. 20 NO. 4 APRIL, 2014
6. Letter from AFM Social Studies
7. Speed Report: Specifcity Training:
The Key Factor for Optimizing Football Speed
By Dale Baskett, Football Speed Specialist
10. Strength Report: Running Back-Specifc
Training: From the Weightroom to the Field
By Shawn Myszka, Athletic Performance Director,
Explosive Edge Athletics
12. Safety First: The Coachs Role
on the Athletic Health Care Team
By Melinda Flegel
14. Drills Report: Cougar Defensive Line Drills (Part I)
By Tremaine Jackson, Defensive Coordinator,
University of Sioux Falls
18. AFM Subscribers Ask: with Joe Willis (Part II)
Head Coach, Cedar Park High School (TX)
22. The Business of Coaching: Joe Moglia is a prime
example of how success in business and coaching
go hand-in-hand.
By Dallas Jackson
28. U-Turn: How Southern Virginia University
Went From 3-8 to 8-2
By DeLane Fitzgerald, Head Coach
Southern Virginia University
34. Quick Step: The Fine Points of the 3-Step
Passing Game
By Christian Ozolins, Ofensive Coordinator
Bufalo State College
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There are no ofce hours
for champions.
- Paul Dietzel
47.
34.
37. The 35 Defensive Package: Schemes (Part I)
The 35 defensive package can adjust to multiple
formations and motion without having to change personnel.
By Matt Welch, Defensive Coordinator, Friends University
44. Punting Priorities: Rowan Universitys Special Teams
Philosophy and Punt Team Techniques
By Jay Accorsi, Head Coach, Rowan University
47. Defensive Blueprint: Lehighs 11 Keys
to a Championship Defense
By Gerald Wilcher, Co-Defensive Coordinator
Lehigh University
48. Web Exclusives: Articles only available
at AmericanFootballMonthly.com
50. Managing Your Program: Self Evaluation with Film
By Keith Grabowski, Ofensive Coordinator
Baldwin Wallace University
8 Ways to kick start your ZONE READ Takeaway Drills
VOLUME 20
MARCH 2014

4
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Special Teams Techniques and Drills Abilene Christian University
Adapting the Up Tempo Spread Ofense to Todays Wing-T
Quarterback Drills: Changing a Negative to a Positive
Teaching the Defensive Line to Spill in a Gap Control Defense
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LETTER
FROM AFM
W
hen the subject of social media came up at a recent NFL HSPD Leadership Program session
for top high school student-athletes, NFL Player Engagement representatives had a unique
way of presenting the perils of posting on social media sites. One by one, they asked athletes
to stand up and read actual tweets they had sent out, which the NFL had previously collected and
projected on a big screen.
The results of the exercise werent pretty. Many tweets included foul language and derogatory
comments about coaches, teachers or students. Others mentioned drinking or drug use. While
it might have been embarrassing for the participants, the lesson was learned your character is
revealed by what you post on social media. Since tweets and Facebook postings are available for
the world to see, anything that refects poorly on a young athlete can easily be viewed by a recruiter,
coach or future employer as a red fag.
Like it or loathe it, social media is here to stay. Especially among youth, its become part of daily
life. The NFL has taken an active role in helping high school athletes understand how to and how not
to use their social media accounts by incorporating a presentation into the hundreds of events each
year where they interact with young athletes. AFM believes that coaches should follow their lead. By
using your position of authority, you can help your athletes understand that, as the police might say,
Anything you say can and will be used against you.
On the NFLs HSPD web site, in the Character Development section, theres a very helpful Social
Media Toolbox, prepared by Player Engagement, that contains a comprehensive list of dos and
donts for students who use Facebook, Twitter or any of the other social media services that seem
to be introduced daily (http://www.nfhspd.com/hs-player-development/character-development/).
There are many great tips, including one that sums up the overall message Dont post or tweet
anything that you wouldnt want your mother to read.
The Social Media Toolbox can be duplicated and distributed to your athletes or used as a guide
for a team discussion. Either way, its important for all young athletes to understand that they need
to think before they post, and you can help.

S
peaking of social media, at AFM we are transitioning to a new, more active profle in the world of
social media. Our main objective with our Twitter feed, twitter.com/FootballMonthly, Facebook
page, facebook.com/AmericanFootballMonthly, and recently-introduced Instagram page is to
share football knowledge with the coaching community. For us, that means introducing our followers
to articles and coaches blog postings that are only available through AFM and also keeping you up-
to-date on happenings in the world of football that we think might be of interest.
Well do our best to keep our content relevant, informative and entertaining. Even though some
of us here go back to the days of manual typewriters and rotary phones, were having fun with
social media and are open to suggestions about how we can get better. By all means, if you have
something that youd like to share with other coaches, youre welcome to post comments on our
Facebook page or tweet us directly. We thank our current followers and invite all coaches to become
part of the AFM social community.

John Gallup
Editor & Publisher
A i F tb llM thl

SOCIAL STUDIES
7 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
I
ootball speed training is too often confused
between what should be correctly conceived
versus what is incorrectly believed. This is rel-
evant to you if you have a desire to make changes
that will beneft the quality of each players speed
capability. Change that will maximize results
drastically. The majority of football coaches use
training applications that are not processing their
athletes football speed by the rule of specifcity.
That is, specifc applications that ofer pure value
and are not diluted with variations of diferent
training methods that will counter maximal speed
gain. The simple fact is that time doesnt allow for
you to cram things into speed development and
process quality results. You must have the correct
theory in place in order to optimize the training.
Finding whats specifcally relevant and whats
wasteful for quality production is the secret.

Are you Getting Speed Specifcs
from the Weightroom?

Lets begin with the weightroom as the best
place to start for discussing speed improvement.
Its important to not lose sight of the fact that lift-
ing has a vast pool of application choices. However,
you must be on target where speed is involved
when you train in the weightroom. Time in the
weightroom and running fast can be an oxymoron
in several ways. Training in the weightroom serves
many objectives. Speed can be the lesser of gained
value in the equation if the emphasis is primarily fo-
cused on fber growth, weight gain, increasing pure
strength and becoming more explosive.
Somewhere along the trail of multiple training
programs available, speed training garners the least
focused attention. The terms explosion and explo-
sive are the most overused words today in athletic
performance training. Its the closest term on the list
of training in the weightroom that has some conno-
tation toward being a value to speed. The problem,
however, is that explosionas a term suggests a syn-
ergized one-time impact of concussion.

Speed and Explosion Training

The problem with the single-motion explo-
sion theory with speed is that most speed-related
movements require multiple steps from point A
to point B, which requires a continuation of forces
applied. One time explosion doesnt lend transi-
tion to this activity. Running from A to B requires
several limb rotation cycles to reach the destina-
tion rapidly.
Running fast is a series of cyclic rotations that
must apply force each step taken. Many steps are
required with force continuously being applied
so the athlete can accelerate body mass to point
B. This cannot be duplicated in the weightroom.
The closest methods are speed resistance or
ground speed plyometrics.
Its difcult to apply the methods called ex-
plosion to each stride taken. Power and force
application is the key, not explosion. When
teaching players where impact is utilized, use
the word burst when running is involved. It
doesnt infer that the forces for dynamic ballistic
movement are a single explosion visualization.

Power and Force are the Backbone
for Specifc Speed

Weightlifting can be combined with speed
training. The best way is scheduling heavy days
in the weightroom and speed training on difer-
ent days. Secondary focus is to train for speed
two days a week and not 3 or 4. Recovery, not
hard work, helps produce improvement.
In the weightroom, you want power and
force, not slow strength. If you have a periodiza-
tion phase for power training, it should be closer
to in-season when you enter it into your practice
plan. You want your players coming to camp fast
and moving at their best.
The speed of muscle contraction cant be du-
plicated in a weightroom, nor can mechanical
running application, which is one of the most
misunderstood applications in America. This is
where strength coaches sometimes lose sight
of the diference between strength and power
when running fast is required.
Running is pure power, force, leverage and
impulse application. Force moves objects and
force applied to an object moves the object. The
greater the force the faster and farther the object
can travel. Body mass has a certain weight. When
force is applied to the ground, it gives back to the
body mass and moves it. The greater the force
applied, the farther and faster the object (body
mass) will move.
However, while applying force, we must realize
in the end that power is the agent of force that is
applied in a fast manner. Strength is applied that
has no required measurement for time or how
fast the object being forced upon must move to
point B. Power is the ability to apply force to an
object and creates fast movement of the object
to point B. Power, speaking from a standpoint
of speed and movement, is the most important
aspect to speed. Remember, the weight of your
mass is moved by fast strength (power) which is
applied to the ground each step. Therefore, your
training plan must include training forces faster
with measured resistances. High recovery should
be a 1-6 ratio with 3 reps per drill. That is, high
intensity movement with zero resistance.
Coach Baskett began his career as a football speed coach in
1979. During the last 35 years hes consulted and trained hun-
dreds of coaches and thousands of athletes nationwide. In the
last year he has worked directly with high schools in California,
Texas, Minnesota, Kansas, and Pennsylvania. Over the last few
years he has also consulted with Texas Tech, Ohio State, USC,
University of Washington, and the University of Mount Union.
You can reach him directly for more information or if you have
specifc questions on your training program. Coach Baskett is
at dbspeedt@hotmail.com and 858-568-3751.
By Dale Baskett, Football Speed Specialist
SPEED R
E
P
O
R
T
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The NFL PREP 100 Series presented by Under Armour and the National
Guard gives elite high school student-athletes meaningful
lessons in football and in life.

he NFL gives back to the high school com-

munity at large through its High School Play-
er Development program presented by the
National Guard. Free football skills and char-
acter development camps are conducted nation-
wide along with the HSPD Leadership Program
and the National 7-on-7 Tournament together
giving thousands of high school athletes quality
football experiences and leadership lessons.
For truly gifted athletes, those who are likely
to advance to play in college or perhaps even
professionally, the NFL delivers a truly unique
program. Elite players are invited to participate
in one of eight NFL PREP 100 Series one-day
events held in NFL cities. Presented by Under
Armour and the National Guard, the NFL PREP
100 Series is part of the NFL Player Engagement
division, which ofers guidance, education and
support for NFL players to optimize personal
help them become the Total Athlete of Tomor-
row, they participate in character development
sessions led by NFL Ambassadors and also a lead-
ership development session conducted by repre-
sentatives of the National Guard.
In short, the NFL PREP 100 Series gives top
high school athletes an NFL-level experience
led by NFL players and other representatives in
NFL settings. The NFL PREP 100 Series strives
to maximize the athletic talent and enhance the
personal development of high school student-
athletes, said Rob Morrissey, Director of NFL
Player Engagement. We are committed to edu-
cating, empowering, and PREP-ing student-ath-
letes to be the best in athletics and life.
One hundred players are selected for each
NFL PREP 100 Series event based on their athletic
ability and through recommendations from local
high school football coaches. Athletes who ben-
8 www.nplayerengagement.com
Special Advertising Feature
and professional growth before, during, and
beyond their NFL experience.
The PREP 100 Series engages student-athletes
in unique classroom sessions and focused, on-
feld training. PREP 100 players participate in posi-
tion-specifc technique and fundamental drills in-
structed by former NFL players. Student-athletes
also are educated on key nutrition information by
Gatorade and NCAA eligibility requirements. To

former players serve as presenters and panelists,
delivering messages on character development,
professionalism, and other life skills through
an interactive, customized approach. All of the
coaches who instruct the on feld portion of the
program are former NFL players as well.
It is the NFLs expectation that the Prep 100
Special Advertising Feature
eft most from the program have a thirst to get bet-
ter both on and of the feld. From the football drills
and skills instruction to learning about leadership
and character development, student-athletes are
given a solid foundation to become future leaders
in football and in their community.
According to Morrissey, the NFL PREP 100 Series
is only part of the NFLs commitment to helping
high school student athletes grow and succeed.
NFL Player Engagement has been in the high
school and college student-athlete development
space for over four years, he explained. During
our research, we found that there is a high school
student dropout epidemic in most of the 32 NFL
franchise cities. Naturally, this impacts the pipeline
to the NFL. We want to begin delivering our mes-
sage about achieving academic excellence, goal-
setting, accessing resources, social media dos and
donts, etc. at an earlier age.
For participating athletes, a highlight of their
day at the NFL PREP 100 events is the opportunity
to meet, spend time with, and get personalized
instruction from former NFL players, who are uti-
lized throughout program. On the classroom side,
Former NFL QB Rich Bartel
instructs Prep 100 athletes.
Series continue and grow in upcoming years. I
envision the NFL PREP 100 Series expanding to in-
volve high school football coaches as well as work-
ing with more former NFL players who are active in
high school football, according to Morrissey.
The NFL PREP 100 Series presented by Under
Armour and the National Guard, along with the

other prep programs ofered by NFL

Player Engagement and HSPD are clear
indications of the NFL commitment to
high school student-athletes giving
them the tools and the positive life les-
sons that will serve them well beyond
their football playing years.

t every NFL PREP 100 Series event, representa-

tives of the National Guard present a program
based on leadership development to all par-
ticipating student-athletes. It gives players a chance
to learn leadership skills and hear directly from an
individual who is in a leadership position. It also
provides the National Guard with an opportunity
to educate athletes who may not pursue careers in
football about the benefts of military service.
At a recent PREP100 Series event in Baltimore,
Major Michael Krause of the Maryland Army Nation-
al Guard spearheaded the leadership development
session and provided additional insight about the
benefts of the program.
Lessons from LEADERS
What aspect your presentation do you feel
impacted the participants the most?
For some kids who dont know where they will
end up or what they want to do, I think we provided
a viable alternative to paying for college and choices
about possible career directions. I talked to at least
two students who said they defnitely want to join
the military in some capacity as they progress.
Each athlete is allowed to bring one parent to ac-
company himto the PREP 100 event. What are the
benefts of being able to address the participants
parents?
Its a great, non-threatening way to reach kids,
since the primary objective of the day is football and
leadership. What many kids and parents dont real-
ize is how closely our values the NFL and the Na-
tional Guard - are aligned. Our army values - Loyalty,
Duty, Respect, Selfess Service, Honor, Integrity and
Personal Courage -are the same values that the NFL
would like to instill in their players, and that every
parent would like their kids to grow up and live by.
Whether they serve in the military or not, its about
creating great citizens.
Being a former athlete, what aspects of this pro-
gramwould have been valuable to you?
I think the exposure tosomethingbigger. Avisionof
what its like to be a professional athlete just gets these
kids dreaming. In todays society, its hard to dreambig.
Sometimes, we just get comfortable in the situations
we face every day and fail to realize what else we could
be striving for. I hope this program encourages kids to
think big, but to also understand the reality that theyre
not all going to be pro football players, and that there
are other ways they can achieve success.
What did you enjoy most about the experience?
Speaking with the pro athletes and with the par-
ents. I enjoy relating my personal story to parents,
and howthe military has helped me become the well-
rounded ofcer, leader, and man that Id like to con-
sider myself. Also, how the military pretty much paid
for both my bachelors degree and masters degree
with no student loan debt to worry about. Also, how
the military has helped me travel the world and get
experiences far beyond what my little home town of
Wayne, New Jersey wouldve provided me. On a per-
sonal note, its great tomeet former NFL players as well
because, of course, were all just kids at heart!
9 www.nplay aa erengagement.com
10 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
www.samsonequipment.com
800-472-6766
STRENGTH
R
E
P
O
R
T
T
he idea of sport-specifc training has gained
great popularity over the years. Inevitably,
every coach wants to ensure that he/she
is attaining maximal transfer with the strength
training programming that is being practiced
among the athletes in the weightroom. There
is some truth to this thought and approach.
First, the all-too-familiar SAID Principle (Specifc-
Adaptations-to-Imposed-Demands), has been
proven time and time again in both research
and training. This principle states that training
is most efective when resistance exercises pre-
scribed are similar to the target activity. Also,
every training method will elicit a diferent (and
specifc) adaptation response in the body. Essen-
tially, we must train the way that we want to play.
If we want to enhance the on-feld move-
ment performance ability of our highest level of
athletes, we must get more detailed than simply
chasing a greater squat or clean one-rep max in-
crease. Because of this, many of the worlds most
famous sports scientists in history understood and
proved that we must also go beyond many of the
traditional training schools of thought if we were
to enhance athletes performance as they moved
up in levels of mastery. This is where the concept
of Special Strength Training (SST) was introduced.
Though SST can have its limitations, if incor-
porated correctly (both with the most optimal
means/methods as well at the right time of the
year for the right athlete), SST can serve the ath-
not be viewed as conditioning and optimal rest
periods should be given at all times. It is also rec-
ommended that each phase be incorporated for
relatively short durations in the overall view of
the training cycle.

SAMPLE COMPLEX FOR
RB-SPECIFIC ACCELERATION

EXERCISE 1:
Isometric Lunge Hold (Local)
Prescription: Perform 1-2 sets of 4-6 seconds
each leg.
Execution: This is one of my favorite applications
used for developing co-activation between both
the agonists and the antagonist muscle groups
at hand. I have found great increases in rate of
force development in 1st and 2nd steps attribut-
able to the way strength is being expressed in
this exercise.

EXERCISE 2:
Single-Leg Squat with Band Overspeed
Eccentric (Local)
Prescription: Perform 1 set of 6 to 10 reps (3-5
reps on each leg) in a single response fashion
(brief period of time between reps to reset and
focus on the task).
lete as the ultimate level of physical preparation.
SST has actually been incorporated for decades in
athletes in other countries but this has occurred
mostly in Olympic sports. SST has only been used
on a limited basis by a few trainers in the football
world and can open up Pandoras Box as it per-
tains to the degree of training transfer.

OBJECTIVES IN TRAINING
Because of the unique nature of the RBs train-
ing objectives, our approach must directly re-
fect our acknowledgement of these aims. The
following complexes, designed in a Conjugate
Sequence System fashion, are designed for the
enhancement of the specifc strength qualities
needed for the execution of a specifc movement
task (this is the entire point of SST methodology).
This increase (of these physical qualities) will also
transfer to the improvement in other movement
tasks as well, but the majority of their impact will
be found in the movement tasks outlined below.
Because of the complex nature (multiple exer-
cises performed in sequential fashion) and the
possible potentiation efect (where the nervous
system could acutely enhance the contractile
properties of the muscle resulting in greater
movement speeds), these kinds of complexes
are highly intense in nature. Thus, both optimal
power output and aspects of motor learning are
to be stressed. Because of this, the work should
By Shawn Myszka
Athletic Performance Director Explosive Edge Athletics
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11 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
Execution: Many progressing athletes spend
a great deal of time increasing their squat
strength but it is usually performed in a bilat-
eral fashion (2-leg) which will limit the carryover
to unilaterally-dominant movement patterns
(such as acceleration or other linear speed move-
ment actions). After attaining sufcient bilateral
strength, I strongly advise prioritizing unilateral
strength in the form of a single-leg squat or lunge
pattern. Either one of these will work here as long
as the explosive speed-strength qualities of the
exercise are emphasized.

EXERCISE 3:
1-Leg Horizontal Jump (Local)
Prescription: Perform 1 set of 2-4 reps with each
leg with 6 to 10 seconds between reps.
Execution: Developing horizontal ground reac-
tion forces (found in acceleration) are much dif-
ferent than vertical ground reaction forces. Not
only is the direction of force application consider-
ably diferent but so are the muscle synergies uti-
lized. Jump for maximum efort of of the work-
ing leg and then landing on both legs in a parallel
stance fashion for greater control and stability.

EXERCISE 4:
10-yard Acceleration Start (Global)
Prescription: Perform 2 repetitions with a 10%
load (as a percentage of ones bodyweight) or 2
falling starts followed by 2 repetitions with 0%
load. Separate each with single-explosive efort
with maximum rest to ensure that the next one
is completed with maximum intensity.
Execution: During this exercise task, the coach/
athlete should work on specifc technical move-
ment considerations. Due to specifc RB move-
ment task considerations, I will typically have
the athlete begin the drill with a 2-3 step read
period before they hit maximum acceleration in
as few steps as possible.

Rest 4 to 6 minutes and repeat the cycle through
2-4 times.

SAMPLE COMPLEX FOR RB-SPECIFIC
CHANGE OF DIRECTION
(LATERAL W/POWER CUT)

EXERCISE 1:
Lateral Wall Push with Explosive Isometric
(Local)
Prescription: 1-2 sets of 6-10 reps on each side
with sufcient rest between sides.
Execution: This exercise will allow the coach and
athlete to fne-tune the action of performing a
power cut without the wear and tear that often
comes along with performing a large quantity
of reps in an all-out execution of the global task
(i.e., the actual full drill).
Strength Report continued on page 41
A
s a coach, you are likely to be involved in
each portion of the athletic health care
relay prevention, recognition and frst
aid care, assessment and treatment, and reha-
bilitation.
Your roles are defned by
Certain rules of the legal system and rules of
your school administration,
Expectations of parents, and
Interactions with other athletic health care
team members.
LEGAL DEFINITIONS OF YOUR ROLE
Basically, the legal system supports the theory
that a coachs primary role is to minimize the risk
of injury to the athletes under the coachs super-
vision. This encompasses a variety of duties.
1. Properly plan the activity.
Teach the skills of the sport in the correct
progression.
Consider each athletes developmental level
and current physical condition. Evaluate your
athletes physical capacity and skill level with
preseason ftness tests, and develop practice
plans accordingly.
Keep written records of ftness test results
and practice plans. Dont deviate from your
plans without good cause.
2. Provide proper instruction.
Make sure that athletes are in proper condi-
tion to participate.
Teach athletes the rules and the correct
skills and strategies of the sport. For example,
in football teach athletes that tackling with
the head (spearing) is illegal and also a po-
tentially dangerous technique.
Teach athletes the sport skills and condi-
tioning exercises in a progression so that the
athletes are adequately prepared to handle
more difcult skills or exercises.
Keep up-to-date on better and safer ways of
performing the techniques used in the sport.
Provide competent and responsible assis-
tants. If you have coaching assistants, make
sure that they are knowledgeable in the
skills and strategies of the sport and act in a
mature and responsible manner.
3. Warn of inherent risks.
Provide parents and athletes with both
oral and written statements of the inherent
health risks of their particular sport.
Also warn athletes about potentially harm-
ful conditions, such as playing conditions,
dangerous or faulty equipment, and the like.
4. Provide a safe physical environment.
Monitor current environmental conditions
(i.e., windchill, temperature, humidity, and
severe weather warnings).
Periodically inspect the playing areas, the
locker room, the weight room, and the dug-
out for hazards.
Remove all hazards.
Prevent improper or unsupervised use of
facilities.
5. Provide adequate and proper equipment.
Make sure athletes are using equipment
Safety continued on page 41
By Melinda Flegel
SAFETY FIRST
that provides the maximum amount of pro-
tection against injury.
Inspect equipment regularly.
Teach athletes how to ft, use, and inspect
their equipment.
6. Match your athletes appropriately.
Match the athletes according to size, physi-
cal maturity, skill level, and experience.
Do not pit physically immature or novice
athletes against those who are in top condi-
tion and are highly skilled.
7. Evaluate athletes for injury or incapacity.
Require all athletes to submit to preseason
physicals and screenings to detect potential
health problems.
Withhold an athlete from practice and com-
petition if the athlete is unable to compete
without pain or loss of function (e.g., inability
to walk, run, jump, throw, and so on without
restriction).
8. Supervise the activity closely.
Do not allow athletes to practice difcult or
potentially dangerous skills without proper
supervision.
Forbid horseplay, such as wrestling
around.
Do not allow athletes to use sports facilities
without supervision.
9. Provide appropriate emergency assistance.
Learn sport frst aid and cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR). (Take a course through
the American Red Cross, American Heart As-
sociation, or the National Safety Council.)
enzszH!zo ev
12 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
www. xzHi !i. ccm
THE COACHS ROLE ON
THE ATHLETIC HEALTH
CARE TEAM
DRILLS R
E
P
O
R
T
By Tremaine Jackson
Defensive Coordinator University of Sioux Falls
COUGAR
DEFENSIVE LINE
DRILLS
14 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
Diagram 1: Agility Bags
W
e believe that constant drill work for our defensive line makes them better play-
ers. We have a variety of drills for our D-line that feature four diferent agility bag
drills including two in a hole, a lateral run drill, and a cut drill. There are also four
diferent cage drills that we practice on a regular basis get ofs, fast feet, the lateral shufe,
and the L-step. In part II next month, we will include drills such as post mount sleds, pop up
bags, and tite up bags.
# 1. AGILITY BAGS
Objective of Drill:
Develop quick feet
Work on lateral movement
Work on the cut block
15 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
Frequency: One to two times per week
Relationship to the game:
Foot quickness
Ability to stay of the ground
Description:
Lay fve agile bags on the ground about 2 feet
apart. Place a cone 2 yards from the last bag on
each side. Players align on the cone.
Players run through the bags, placing one foot
between each bag. When the player gets to the
last bag, he should accelerate through the cone.
When the player gets to the third bag, the next
player in line should begin the drill.

# 2. AGILITY BAGS TWO IN A HOLE

Objective of Drill:
Develop quick feet
Work on lateral movement
Work on the cut block
Frequency: One to two times a week
Relationship to the game:
Foot quickness
Ability to stay of the ground
Description:
Lay fve agile bags on the ground about 2 feet
apart. Place a cone 2 yards from the last bag on
each side. Players align on the cone.
Diagram 2: Agility Bags - Two in a Hole
Diagram 3: Agility Bags - Lateral Run
# 3. AGILE BAGS LATERAL RUN

Objective of Drill:
Develop quick hands
Develop explosion from the hips
Work on pad level
Work on escaping blocks
Frequency: One to two times a week

Relationship to game:
Ability to play the run
Ability to get of blocks
Ability to neutralize blocks
Keep pads low
Description:
Lay fve agile bags on the ground about 2
feet apart. Place a cone 2 yards from the last bag
on each side. Players align on the cone.
Players turn and face the coach reaching with
their inside foot stepping over the bag. Players
should keep their eyes forward. When the player
gets to the last bag, he should whip his outside
arm around turn and sprint through the cone.
When the player gets to the third bag, the next
player in line should begin the drill.
Players run through the bags placing both feet
between each bag. When the player gets to the
last bag he should accelerate through the cone.
When the player gets to the third bag, the next
player in line should begin the drill.

16 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
#4. AGILITY BAGS CUT DRILL

Objective of Drill:
Develop quick feet
Work on lateral movement
Work on the cut block
Frequency: One to two times a week

Relationship to game:
Foot quickness
Ability to stay of the ground
Description:
Lay fve agile bags on the ground about 2
feet apart. Place a cone 2 yards from the last bag
on each side. Players align on the cone.
Players turn and face the coach reaching with
inside foot stepping over the bag. The coach will
roll the ball at the player. The player should use
both hands to stop the ball in front of him before
the ball reaches his legs. When he gets to the last
bag he should whip his outside arm around turn
and sprint through the cone.
When the player gets to the third bag, the next
player in line should begin the drill.
# 5. CAGE DRILL GET OFFS

Objective of Drill:
Learn to play with low pads
Keeping a Z in knees
Improve ball get of
Frequency: Every day

Relationship to game:
Pad level
Every down

Description:
Set the height of the cage at 4 ft. 6 inches.
Form two lines.
Coach will be in the middle of two lines with
the ball on a stick.
Give a set command as the two players in the
front of the line get in a three-point stance. On
the snap of the ball, the players begin the drill.
Players must shoot hands out of their stance
and fnish through the cone.
#6. CAGE DRILL FAST FEET

Objective of Drill:
Learn to play with low pads
Develop fexibility in ankles, hips, and knees
Improve movement
Frequency: Twice a week

Diagram 6: Cage Drill - Fast Feet
Diagram 7: Cage Drill - Lateral Shufe
Diagram 5: Cage Drill - Get Ofs
Diagram 4: Agility Bags - Cut Drill
17 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
Relationship to game:
Pad level
Improve slant and angle techniques
Improve change of direction while staying low
Description:
Set the height of the cage at 4 ft. 6 inches.
Form two lines.
Give a ready command. The two players in
the front of the line get in a football position. On
the second command feet players move their
feet. Last command is Go and the players begin
the drill.
Coaching Point The player wants to get into
a hitting position before working his feet as fast
as he can without gaining a lot of ground. This
is not a race to get as many steps in as possible
before you reach the end of the cage. Once the
player gets to the end of the cage, he should ac-
celerate through the cone.
# 7. CAGE DRILL LATERAL SHUFFLE

Objective of Drill:
Learn to play with low pads
Develop fexibility in ankles, hips, and knees
Improve movement techniques
Frequency:
Twice a week

Relationship to game:
Pad level
Improve slant and angle techniques
Improve change of direction while staying low
Description:
Set the height of the cage at 4 ft. 6 inches.
Form one line.
Give a ready command. The player in the front
of the line gets in a football position. On the sec-
ond command, feet players move their feet. Last
command is Go as the players begin the drill.
Lateral Shufe The player will push of his out-
Improve slant and angle techniques
Improve change of direction while staying low
Description:
Set the height of the cage at 4 ft. 6 inches.
Form two lines.
Set two cans on the inside legs of the cage.
The players should be in a three-point stance
outside the cage.
Of-set steps The players should drive of their
outside foot and step laterally with their inside
foot. Their second step should go forward so that
it is even with the can. They should dip and rip
their outside arm across the can and then accel-
erate through the cone.
About the Author: Tremaine Jackson was recently
promoted to defensive coordinator at the University
of Sioux Falls. Last season, his frst at USF, he coached
the defensive line. Jackson came from Evangel Univer-
sity where he was both the D-line coach and defensive
coordinator. He also coached at Texas Southern Uni-
versity, Texas A&MKingsville and Trinity Valley Com-
munity College. Jackson played for two years on the
ofensive line at Texas Southern.
Diagram 8: Cage Drill - L-Step
side foot to change directions. He will shufe to
the end of the bag and plant of his outside foot to
change directions again. When he gets to the end
of the cage, he will burst through the cone.
# 8. CAGE DRILL LSTEP

Objective of Drill:l
Learn to play with low pads
Develop fexibility in ankles, hips, and knees
Improve movement techniques
Frequency: Twice a week

Relationship to game:
Pad level
18 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
What is your thought process as far as setting
the front and linebackers to the back or away
from the back when the ofense is in the shot-
gun? Stephen Harward, Assistant Coach, North
Harford High School, Pylesville, Maryland.
When planning vs. a one-back ofense, there
are a couple of things I want to know before we
shade the front to or away from the RB. 1) Do
they bounce the back? If they have the poten-
tial to check and bounce, then I am going to lean
toward slant calls vs. shades. Those slants can be
executed of of heads or head-up alignments
and can be very disruptive to inside zone. 2) As
far as which way I want slants or shades work-
ing depends on the RB and the QB and who we
deem the greatest threat. If the QB is the greater
threat, I recommend kicking the front toward the
RB, which tends to funnel the ball inside.
I think you must explain and rep your plan so
that everyone in the run support understands
where the ball will end up with that call. Obvi-
ously, if the RB is the greatest threat, we would
tend to kick or slant the front away from him to
funnel the ball to the backft LBs. Keep in mind
that as a base front we would play 4i techs vs. an
open one-back sets in the gun.
I think there is merit to moving or shading the
front, but for us that would fall into the category
of a stunt. I dont know of any OL coaches that
are fred up about running inside zone to Bear
fronts, and outside zone is difcult without at-
tachments. Either way you look at it, the ofense
is looking for a bubble to run at the defense.
Make them guess where that open gap may be.

With the proliferation of the zone read option
out of 2 x 2 and 3 x 1 alignments, what stunts,
dogs and edge pressures do you use to take
J
oe Willis is the head coach of Cedar Park
High School (TX), a 2012 State Champion.
A defensive specialist, Coach Willis uses
multiple looks in his 3-4 defense to slow down
an up-tempo ofense. Cedar Park uses a com-
bination of slants, stunts and blitzes to defend
the no-huddle. He answers your questions.
AFM
WITH JOE WILLIS PART II HEAD COACH CEDAR PARK HIGH SCHOOL (TX)
away the quarterback and still be sound in the
back-end? Do you use a cover 4 concept with
these schemes? Jef Schaum, Head Coach, War-
ner College.
To build on our 3 x 1 plan with a blitz game,
I will add to it by saying we call stunts based on
two factors. First is the idea that we will move
fronts and coverages based on the width of the
feld. About 70% of the game is played on a hash
in our league and only a few coaches really know
how to utilize boundary deployments. That be-
ing said, we are going to have a small menu of
calls that marry up front and coverage and add
LB pressure with secondary overlap. My favorite
two calls over the years are our Raider and Whip.
Raider brings the feld outside linebacker
into high-shoulder pressure, slants the front to
the boundary and rotates the feld safety down
with boundary safety disguise and 3 to 1 or 2 to
2 control. The Whip stunt brings the boundary
outside linebacker with a feld slant and cover 6
over the top.
Every component of these two calls is built
into one word. All 11 know where we are weak
and all 11 know where we are strong. The play-
SUBSCRIBERS
ASK
ers that will be stressed understand the threats
when the call comes. The other beneft of these
type of ofensive called defensive calls are that
you can build in the ultimate QB accountability
for both the run threat he presents as well as the
disruption of the pocket he likes to throw from.
While we would use these as primary QB con-
trol calls on the hash, our YoYo call would be an
example of an inside linebacker movement and
blitz from the middle of the feld. Like the Raider
and Whip calls, it is a zone concept with the two
inside linebackers working up or down into an
edge pressure based on variables such as the
RBs position in deployment. It is a stunt that we
typically pair with cover 2, but we use quarters as
a base rule vs. 2 x 2 sets with a rule regarding the
width of #1 and separation of #2.
Aside from these three examples, I also like to
zero things out and bomb a mobile QB with both
an inside and outside linebacker from the same
side and a full line slant away. One LB is execut-
ing a pinch or low shoulder and the other is on
the high shoulder of the QB. This allows you to
account for both in the read game. We typically
loop the nose back through on a retrace action
in this stunt. I will say that zero is always the best
19 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
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way to maximize pressure through the front, but
how sound you are in the backend is relevant to
your matchups.
In the zone blitz package, my only advice
would be to put the stress of the coverage on
your best player. If that is your FS, 3 over 3 or any
middle of the feld coverage can work. If your in-
side linebacker can handle the Tampa drop, then
you can edge pressure and still double over the
boundary. I also tend to think that sound cov-
erage is a product of time and not necessarily
dependent on covering all zones as long as you
cover the deep ones.

We are a small school of 180 students. We have
8-9 kids that go both ways and we rarely have
an athlete over 180 pounds. Can you give a
breakdown of what you are looking for in a
kid when you assign them each position? Rick
Dahlstrom, Head Coach, Aviano High School,
Aviano Air Base, Italy
First of all, it is awesome that you are allow-
ing those young men to experience the game
while their parents are serving! I understand that
you play in a seven team league and I bet that is
greatly rewarding.
When we look at where we want certain body
types, it really boils down to three categories,
and sometimes even at our level we have like-
body types playing at all 11 positions. Your best
athletes in terms of skill must be your stand-up
players. We want our best cover guy to play the
boundary corner, our best safety to play the
boundary/box safety. Moving down to the front,
our best overall LB will be our Mike (feld ISLB).
He must be a guy that can carry a vertical route
and be fast enough to play the spill on feld run.
We want our smallest LB to play our Raider (feld
OSLB) and our most physical inside linebacker
to play our Buck (boundary ISLB.) Our Whip is a
hybrid type of player who could be a down guy,
but also needs to be able to drop and defend the
boundary fats. Our DEs can be try hard guys
for the most part, but we want our 2-gap down
player to play the nose.
There are years that we play all three guys in
all three spots. I believe your best secondary cov-
er guys go to the boundary and your best cover
LBs go the feld for the most part, but if you are
going to mix in man coverage, some of the sec-
ondary profle could change.
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Four state champion coaches rely on the Tempest FX sideline
communications system from CoachComm.
A
ll high school coaches know that
its critical to have clear, reliable
communications during a game.
The ability to share information
between coaches in the press box and those on
the sideline has, for years, determined much of a
teams in-game strategy. An interrupted signal or
unclear reception can spell disaster.
But the best coaches, those that win state
championships, also realize that they need to
have the most reliable and technologically-
advanced sideline communications available
if they want to have an edge in pressure-flled
state playof games, which are often held at the
largest stadiums in their state. So, more often
than not, they turn to the system that has the
same technology used by 97% of Division I col-
legiate programs the Tempest FX system from
CoachComm.
Tempest FX delivers high-performance, pow-
erful communications for coaches who want to
be champions. Reliability and clarity of headset
conversations are two of the most important fac-
tors that defne the best systems, and Tempest
FX rates high in each. The system also scores
big in fexibility, with up to four communica-
tions channels available enough for even the
largest coaching staf. State champion coaches
have found that, for an afordable investment,
they can get the peace of mind that comes from
having the best, most proven headset system
Tempest FX from the leader in coaches com-
munications CoachComm.
To learn more about how Tempest FX provides
winning coaches with trusted, reliable commu-
nications, we recently spoke to head coaches
of four prominent 2013 state champion teams.
Tony Sanchez led national powerhouse Bishop
Gorman in Las Vegas to their ffth consecutive
Nevada Division 1 state championship. Mark
Freeman coached the Spanish Fort Toros to
their 3rd Alabama 5A state championship in four
years. Last season, Ed Croson led Chaminade in
West Hills, California to their frst-ever CIF Divi-
sion II championship and Gabe Infante coached
St Josephs Prep in Philadelphia to their frst-ever
Pennsylvania AAAA state championship.
Last season, you coached your team to a state
championship. Can you sum up what the ex-
perience meant to you and the school commu-
nity?

Sanchez: This past season I was extremely proud
of the way in which we competed week in and
week out. We started of the year with some ad-
versity and our boys showed some real guts over
a 15-game football season and were playing
their best football at the end. There are so many
people involved in our success at Bishop Gor-
man and I know each and every one was proud
of the accomplishment.

Freeman: Winning the state championship was
a huge blessing to our players, coaches and com-
munity.

Croson: This was defnitely a milestone for us.
We have been close in years past, but to get over
the top gave us a tremendous sense of accom-
plishment. It was a unifying event for our school
and a culmination of a huge commitment by a lot
of people.

Infante: It was the culmination of many years
of hard work and sacrifce. The outpouring of
support and gratitude from our alumni, former
players and the entire Prep community was over-
whelming.

How long have you been using the CoachComm
Tempest FX sideline communication system?

Sanchez: Weve been using CoachComm head-
sets for fve years but this past season was our
frst using the Tempest FX sideline system.

Freeman: We have been using CoachComm for
several years. We hear of teams going into cer-
tain stadiums and communication is terrible. We
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21 www.coachcomm.com Special Advertising Feature
Croson: Outstanding. Weve played in some big
venues and the high quality of the Tempest FX
system is consistent regardless of where we play.
Infante: The championship game, at Hershey
Park, was televised state-wide and there were
numerous agencies broadcasting the game so I
was a little concerned there might be some in-
terference with our system, but our Tempest FX
system performed fawlessly.
How many coaches on the sideline and in the
box use the system during a game? Do you
use diferent channels for diferent groups of
coaches?
recently upgraded to the Tempest FX system and
it is unbelievable.

Croson: Weve had the Tempest FX system for
two years. We had another CoachComm system
before we upgraded.

Infante: Last year was our frst year with the
Tempest FX, and I could not have been happier
with our choice.

How would you compare the system with other
systems youve used in the past?

Sanchez: The Tempest FX sideline system is by far
the best Ive used over the past 16 years. Our com-
1.800.749.2761 WWW.COACHCOMM.COM
Croson: For me, the most important feature of
the Tempest FX system is its reliability. Second
would be its outstanding clarity.
Infante: Obviously, reliability was a key concern
for us. We cant aford to have our communica-
tion system fail in the middle of one of our con-
tests. However, I think what attracted me most
was the systems versatility. We can confgure the
system to meet our unique needs.
How would you rate CoachComm in terms of
customer service and support?

Sanchez: Over the past fve plus years, I can say
that CoachComm has always had impeccable
Tempest FX ofers
the best coverage and
richest sound quality
of any system.
munication was really improved with this new
system which is a key to success on game day.

Freeman: The clarity on game night is second
to none. Our frst time to use the system was on
a nationally televised ESPN game in front of the
largest home crowd we have ever had. Our sta-
dium does not separate the bleachers and feld
because we dont have a track at this site. The
noise level would have afected us greatly if we
had not been using the Tempest FX system.

Croson: The Tempest FX system is much clearer
and much more dependable. We are happy with
the performance.
Infante: In one word, superior. The system gives
us unprecedented capabilities. It facilitated com-
munication on game day in ways I could not
have imagined.
How did your system perform in the playofs
and state championship last season?

Sanchez: Throughout the playofs our sideline
system was fawless. When we played at Sam
Boyd Stadium our headsets worked just as they
had all season long with crystal clear commu-
nication between our staf.

Freeman: The diferent channel options allow
almost any set up you desire. We have won the
State Championship at Bryant Denny Stadium,
home to the University of Alabama, as well as
Jordan Hare, home of the Auburn Tigers. The
Tempest FX system worked perfectly on both oc-
casions.

Sanchez: We have eight coaches on the side-
lines and three up in the box. We use two difer-
ent channels, ofense and defense, that we can
switch in and out of.

Freeman: We have four upstairs pieces and six
down on the feld.

Croson: Three up and four down. We use separate
channels for ofense, defense and special teams.
Infante: We have eight coaches total on the sys-
tem during a game. We confgure our system so
we have four coaches upstairs, and four down-
stairs including myself. We use three separate
channels dedicated to ofense, defense and spe-
cial teams. The fourth channel we keep open so I
can talk privately to any one of my coordinators.
What are the most important features of your
Tempest FX system?

Sanchez: The most important features of the sys-
tem are clarity, reliability, and set up. The clarity is
by far the best Ive used over the years.
customer service and support in dealing with us.
With the purchase of our new system they really
went all out in making sure we had a complete
knowledge of use and application of our system
before the season began.

Freeman: The CoachComm stafs in sales and
service are extremely helpful and knowledge-
able.

Croson: Excellent service. At one point I had a
problem with unintentionally hitting the wrong
button. Billy came out right away and kid-
proofed it for me. Weve had no problems since.

Infante: First class. They are like extended mem-
bers of our coaching staf. I feel like they are vest-
ed in our performance and success and thus are
willing to do whatever it takes to help us get the
job done.
COMMUNICATORS

Freeman: The set up is very
easy and has never been an
issue. I would highly rec-
ommend trying the Tem-
pest system.

www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com 22
JOE MOGLIA is a prime example of how success
I
f you pay attention to the great coaching
stories in college football, then you already
know about Joe Moglia.
You may recognize him as the former CEO
of fnancial services company TD Ameritrade,
where he oversaw the frms meteoric growth
during his seven years at the helm. Or, you may
know him as the current head coach at Coastal
Carolina, where, in his frst season in 2012, he led
the Chanticleers to eight wins en route to being
named the Big South Coach of the Year. He fol-
lowed that up with a 12-3 campaign last season
which ended in the third round of the FCS play-
ofs with a loss to eventual national champion,
North Dakota State.
Either way, Moglia is the classic illustration of
how the principles of coaching can help busi-
nessmen succeed and how the strategies of busi-
ness leadership can be employed in coaching.
His rise to become both a captain of indus-
try and a successful football coach are woven
together. It is the combination that has made
him successful in both felds because he entered
business with a competitive mindset from his
prior coaching experience and then returned to
the coaching profession with the understanding
of how to run a football program like a CEO.
You know, Ive coached for 21 years so this isnt
new to me, Moglia said. It was 16 the frst time,
then I spent 20-something years in business and
now I have been back in coaching for fve. When I
went into the business world having coached for
THE BUSINESS
16 years, I always said I was more efective in busi-
ness because of my time as a coach.
Conversely, according to Moglia, the leader-
ship qualities he developed in the board room
have served him well in the locker room. Hav-
ing spent 20 years in the business world, most of
which was at a pretty senior level, I think I am a
better head coach - not necessarily a better posi-
tion coach or coordinator but a head coach be-
cause of my experience in the business world. It
all overlaps.
Hes guided by a simple principle. Every im-
portant decision a real leader makes has some-
thing to do with people. The ability to evaluate,
communicate with, or position appropriately, all
of those decisions regarding personnel are the
23 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
in business and coaching go hand-in-hand. By Dallas Jackson
same decisions you make in the business world
as well the world of coaching.
Moglias passion for coaching began in 1968
when he was an assistant coach at Fordham Prep
in New York. He eventually worked his way up
to the college ranks as defensive coordinator at
Lafayette and Dartmouth. But, without a head
coaching position on the horizon and struggling
to support his family, he took a job with Mer-
rill Lynch following the 1983 season. Applying
many principles of coaching to his new career,
he became a superstar at Merrill during his 17
years there, eventually being directly responsi-
ble for some of the most important components
of their business.
Moglia left Merrill in 2001 to become CEO of
Ameritrade, which later became TD Ameritrade
after they acquired TD Waterhouse. Under his
direction, the company soared. Client assets and
market cap grew over tenfold during his tenure.
Despite his success, he longed to return to his
true passion coaching. He resigned in 2008 to
pursue other interests and stated that what re-
ally interested him was the possibility of landing a
head coaching position with a college program.
There were skeptics. Some doubted whether
he could readapt to football after so many years
away from the game. Others wondered how
devoted he could be to the grind, since he was
fnancially set for life. But, after time as an un-
paid assistant at the University of Nebraska and
a head coaching position in the short-lived UFL
OF COACHING
pro league, he was fnally given the opportunity,
at Coastal Carolina, to fulfll his lifelong dream.

BAM
Moglias fundamental principles as a head
coach were largely based on his experience as a
CEO and rooted in an expectation that everyone
involved in his program Be A Man, or BAM, for
short. BAM is a combination of three simple ideas
that he emphasizes to players as well as staf.
You stand on your own two feet, you accept
responsibility for yourself, and you recognize
that you have to live with the consequences of
your actions, period, Moglia said.
Most people, when they make mistakes
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24 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
W
hen I approached Joe Moglia in 2011 about writing a book on his life and his attempt to
become a college football head coach, he immediately agreed to participate and then took it
all a huge step further: He gave me complete, unfettered access, to him, to his friends, to his
foes. That sort of access in this heavily pr-conscious world of today is nearly unheard of.
In the summer of that year I began reporting what would eventually become 4th And Goal:
One Mans Quest to Recapture His Dream (Grand Central). My frst step: Move to Omaha for three
months. Omaha was Moglias hometown (it is the headquarters of TD Ameritrade, where he is
still the chairman). But it was also to home to the Omaha Nighthawks, one of the four teams in
the now-defunct United Football League. Moglia had been named the head coach of the team,
which was flled with professional players who were either looking for their frst shot in the NFL,
or were attempting to get back to the big show.
The Nighthawks were not Moglias frst choice for a coaching gig. He believed that his strengths
would play best in the college game. But after years of looking for a head job in the college ranks
with no success, the Nighthawks were all he had. The team ofered him a chance to beef up his
coaching resume and perhaps prove to some college athletic director out there that he was really
a coach and not just some ultra-successful businessman who was looking for some lighthearted
diversion in retirement.
The season was a trying one to say the least. The UFL was in fnancial trouble from the get-go.
The owners of the league leaned on Moglia and his business acumen to help keep the league
afoat, an additional distraction for a man who hadnt actually coached in an ofcial capacity for
nearly three decades. But Moglia plugged on.
And I was there every step of the way. I traveled with the team to games. I stood next to Joe on
the sidelines during the games. I attended nearly every practice. I sat in on team meetings, coaches
conferences, one-on-one meetings that Moglia had with various members of his staf and even
some very tense phone calls that Moglia had with owners of the league. I had free range.
The big question for Moglia going in was whether his Be A Man philosophy would reach these
professional players, some of whom had been in the NFL for years and had reached a point of
learned cynicism. Moglia practiced what he preached. He had every player and coach (and even
me) stand up and tell the entire team about himself. He held classes outside of practice called Life
After Football, which delved into issues like money management and procuring mortgages. And
though the season was a trying one (the league literally lived week-to-week before eventually shut-
ting down early), the players, slowly but surely, wholeheartedly bought into the BAM concept. By
the end of the season, it was clear that Moglia had the chops when it came to Xs and Os, but also
ofered something else, something perhaps unusual in the coaching ranks: A belief system that
centered on individual responsibility, which made for a tighter and better football team.
After the Nighthawks season, Moglia went back to his search for a college head coaching
job. He still wanted that above all. I followed him for the next few months. He eventually got an
opportunity at Coastal Carolina, an FCS program. And though there was much initial skepticism
when he was hired there, his frst two seasons (two Big South championships, one Big South
Coach of the Year award, two FCS playof appearances and an overall record of 20-8) have put any
of those questions about Moglia as a coach, and BAM as a concept, to bed, perhaps for good.

- Monte Burke
coaches or business people tend to want to
cover their asses. While they may say Oh, thats
my bad, they dont believe it. Really they think
Oh, that guy isnt coachable or That guy isnt
good enough or That guy isnt paying atten-
tion, but in all of those cases your responsibility
as a coach is to put your player in a position to be
successful, he said. It is true in football and in
the business world. People around you coach-
ing staf, players, executives, business staf it
doesnt matter. They all need to know that they
are expected to stand on their own two feet, ac-
cept responsibility for their actions, and recog-
nize they have to live with those consequences.
Application of the BAM philosophy at Coastal
Carolina has helped achieve more victories but it
has also, in a telling statistic, drastically reduced
penalties.

CONTROLLING WHAT
YOU CAN

The Chanticleers are currently on an 18-3 run
which Moglia credits to foresight, diligence and
an understanding of what he can and cannot
control. None of this is an accident and none of it
has happened easily, he said. It took tremendous
thought, tremendous diligence in hiring the staf,
tremendous time and attention to detail where
we were increasing the probability that we are
going to be efective and successful. Increasing
the probability of success has taken tremendous
work but we knew that from day one.
I never talk about winning, said Moglia. I
talk about increasing the probability of success.
You dont have very much control over injuries,
you dont have control over who youre playing
and how good they are, you have no control over
the weather, no control over whether you are
home or away, nor how many people are in the
stands. None of those things are in your capacity
to change, so what you have to do is focus on what
you have control over so that on a particular day
you are really profcient in terms of your execution.
On gameday you want to be sound, well
prepared, have a quality gameplan, and execute
each play correctly, Moglia said. There is still no
guarantee that you are going to win but you are
increasing the probability that you are maximiz-
ing your own potential and giving yourself the
best chance to be successful. That normally will
allow you to win the games you are supposed to
win and allow you the opportunity to win some
of the game you are not supposed to win.
MASTER PLAN

Moglias master coaching plan is largely based
on six basic principles he adopted from his ca-
reer in business.

Mission Statement - Having a mission state-
ment shapes the focus of your organization as
well as your football team.
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25 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
Communication - Efective communication
across all levels ensures that everyone is working
toward the goals in your mission statement.
Dealing with Problems - Problem identifca-
tion and problem solving skills are paramount
for those in a position to lead.
Core Competencies - Acknowledging your
core competencies allows you to focus on what
you are good at to create a competitive advan-
tage and leverage your success probability.
Time Management - Efciently managing
your time spent coaching will make you better
at your job.
Rewards Having a clear reward system en-
sures that coaches and players are self-motivat-
ed and staying true to the BAM philosophy.

MISSION STATEMENT

Moglia said that a mission statement should
be aspirational and not self-serving. The mission
statement at Coastal Carolina is to put a team on
the feld that all of Coastal Carolina is proud of.
Too often, mission statements are about your-
self youre going to win a championship, youre
going to be the best but I think mission state-
ments need to be about others, he said. Our mis-
sion statement here isnt that we want to win a
national championship, it is about making every-
one involved with this university proud. Of course,
winning is a large part of that. But what it means
to our players and coaches is that you never, ever,
ever, ever, take a snap of. You are always giving
it your best because we represent this university
and every time we take the feld we want every-
one associated with this university to know we
gave it our best on every play.

COMMUNICATION

Moglias believes that communication is an
ongoing process. It begins in recruiting players
and staf and extends to weekly game prepara-
tions. He said that fnding out how each person
learns is the key to proper teaching techniques.
At Coastal Carolina, they do simple tests on the
players and coaches to determine if they are
kinesthetic, visual, or audible learners and try to
adapt their styles accordingly.
This is a concept that, he believes, too many
coaches fail to grasp. Most people and coach-
es are especially guilty of this - when their play-
ers dont understand something, or the player
wasnt good enough to handle an opponent,
they blame it on the player, he said. The reality
is that its the leaders responsibility to make sure
his people understand what they are saying. It is
true in the business world. Its true in the world of
football and it is your responsibility to make sure
they understand.
I do this mostly in the coaching world and it
probably would have helped me had I done this
in the world of business because I believe there
is a real parallel. For example, if a kid knows he
is a kinesthetic learner he may say to me, Coach
I dont quite understand but instead of telling
me again can you show me that helps everyone.
Something I used in the business world was to
say Explain why we have a problem and what do
you think the solution is and if you cant explain
that to me succinctly and crisply, in a way that I
can really understand same thing in football -
then one of two things are possible and maybe
both. First, you dont really understand it as well
as you should or second, you might understand
it but you cant explain it to the people that re-
port to you.
It is true of a football coach and its true of a
business person, he said. With those things, I
learn immediately how much a coach or busi-
ness person knows. My ability to ask a simple
question and their ability to explain it and solve it
in a way that I can understand is extremely impor-
tant and if they cant do that it is a major red fag.

DEALING WITH PROBLEMS

In football if there is a problem and you do
nothing to correct it then it will compound, expo-
nentially, costing you opportunities for success.
You have to understand why you have a prob-
lem, Moglia said. For example, a cornerback has
to be able to make a simple play on a receiver
but hes not able to make that play. Maybe the re-
ceiver is simply better than the corner but you al-

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lowed the corner to be exposed in the open feld
against a player that is better than he is, so thats
not the players fault because you are expecting
to do something he is not capable of, so that is a
bad coaching decision. If he can make a play and
comes up and misses a tackle, well thats OK. That
is poor fundamentals or just not making the play
but it can be fxed.
The bottom line is if you dont understand
why you have a problem then you cant fx it.
So many times coaches will tell players, Oh, you
gotta fx this; you gotta fx that or Do a better job.
That to me is poor leadership. You need to under-
stand the problem and solve it, otherwise you
blame other people. You have to be able to han-
dle yourself under stress. The best leaders are the
ones that can handle themselves appropriately
when things are not going well. Youll know if you
have the right coach, leader, executive, employee,
or player by seeing how they handle themselves
under stress.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Moglia said that once a coach can understand
the limitations of his players and identify what
the team cant do, he has the ability to recognize
what personnel can do, if not excel at. You can
start with the playbook, he said. Its ofense, de-
fense, special teams, sure, but you need to un-
derstand the strengths and weaknesses of your
players. What are they capable of; what are they
good at and what are their core competencies.
I think a lot of coaches will say that they try
to adapt the system to the players. But most of
the time, they just dont or wont. How do you
a sound, well-thought-out gameplan that he can
deliver to his players and have them execute it.
You need to be able to see them execute it in
practice, evaluate it with flm and make correc-
tions right away and move on so you arent com-
pounding errors. We think we have a competi-
tive advantage since our coaches are sharper on
gameday because they are rested, have gotten a
good nights sleep, and know they are prepared.
Moglia added that efciency deals directly
with productivity and that with set hours comes
better coaching as his assistants are spending
time on what will help increase the probability of
success.

REWARDS

Moglias upward business mobility from train-
ee to CEO is evidence that, if you work hard and
accomplish something special, you get noticed.
In business, you are rewarded with better pay,
more opportunities, and a chance to climb the
corporate ladder.
In football, upward mobility is a chance to
move up the depth chart to earn a role as a start-
er, gain post-season accolades, and potentially
advance to the next level. For a coach, it is similar
as the move from position coach to coordinator,
to head coach, to higher levels of football.
Joe Moglia has applied nearly 45 years of
life and professional experience into fulflling
a lifelong dream of becoming a head coach. At
Coastal Carolina, hes proven that success in the
executive suite can be transferred to the football
feld. He does not plan on leaving football with-
out a coaching legacy as strong as his business
portfolio. To achieve that, he relies on BAM.
Everybody here is on the same page, he said.
You are not going last here otherwise. We are
not going to recruit you, you are not going to
last on the team, youre not going to get hired,
and you are not going to stay on the staf here
if you dont understand that this all begins with
BAM. Be a Man, stand on your own two feet, ac-
cept responsibility for yourself, and were going
to live with the consequences of our actions so
you have to begin with that.
Having said that, everyone has their own set
of responsibilities, but they ft into the overall
philosophy of the program. I want my coaches
to push the envelope to achieve our goals, but
I dont want them to cheat. I dont want them to
be afraid to make a mistake, but they need to un-
derstand when they do make a mistake, why. In
the business world, we had three priorities: our
clients, our shareholders, and our employees.
Moving that to football, it is about our players,
our coaches, and our fans and the institution. Re-
alize that you always have to please the fans and
the institution and work toward that end.
truly adapt your ofense, defense, and kicking
game to the strengths of your players? You have
to adapt and adjust categorically. You have to do
the same thing each week with the game plan.
Determine your core strengths and decide how
to leverage those into a system or a game plan
that attacks the oppositions weakness to in-
crease our probability of success.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Moglia allocates time throughout the day for
all aspects of coaching. During the season, the
staf works from one in the afternoon on Friday
until 10 PM on Sunday. They are in at 8 AM on
Monday and leave at 10 PM but every other day
ends when practice ends. It runs counter to the
schedule that most other programs observe.
Most coaches think that everything is im-
portant and every detail matters and you need
to be perfect on every little detail. The truth is,
every detail doesnt matter, Moglia said. Certain
things matter far more than others. I know there
is a mindset out there that coaches will take pride
in working incredibly long hours, but the truth is
that if you are working too many long hours you
are sleep deprived. Physiologically, you are not
as sharp as you think you are. Its science.
A coach may think that he is where he needs
to be because he running on adrenaline go-
ing into gameday, but the fact is that he is not
as sharp as he thinks he is and probably not as
sharp as he needs to be and that isnt the best
thing, said Moglia. There has to be incredible fo-
cus on the things that really matter. Each coach
has his set responsibilities, as well as putting out

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29 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
O
n February 9th 2009, I agreed to become the head football coach at
Southern Virginia University. At the time, the SVU football program
faced several obstacles both on and of the feld. They included a
low team grade point average, discipline problems, and recruitment and
retention problems. In addition, they had embraced a mediocre mentality
from a losing record.
When I accepted the head coaching job, SVU had only had one winning
season in school history and had averaged just two wins per season over the
history of the program. We had to recruit better players and coach better, but
most of all we had to build a winning mentality within our football program.
Five seasons later, our team fnished frst in the United States Collegiate
Athletic Association and we had the best record in the nation of NCAA Divi-
sion D-III independent teams at 8-2. We accomplished our goal of creating
a winning mentality and changing our win/loss record.
What were the key steps in this turnaround?
I frst hired assistant football coaches that understood the importance of
being role models and providing a positive example to our players. It is not
enough that my staf understands the intricacies and nuances of football,
but we embrace the dual concept of growing a strong football program
and teaching young men to be successful and assets to society. As a staf,
we made a commitment to correct the of-the-feld problems within our
football program before tackling any on-the-feld issues.
How Southern Virginia University
went from 3-8 to 8-2.
By DeLane Fitzgerald
Head Coach Southern Virginia University
U-TURN
Attacking the Low Team GPA
As head football coach, I needed to clearly communicate goals to our
players and staf so that they could be embraced. We wanted our players to
collectively raise their team GPA. We knew that they would have to attend
class, study, and be successful in their course work to accomplish this goal.
I explained our displeasure with the team GPA of 2.39 and instituted man-
datory rules that would help improve the overall average. First, we had
to ensure the players attended class. Therefore, our football staf issued a
statement that all SVU football players must attend class or they will no
longer be members of the football program.
Next, we had to encourage the players, especially the at-risk players, to
study. So, we implemented a study hall from Monday Thursday from 7:00
pm to 9:00 pm. The study hall was mandatory for all incoming players and
any returning players with a GPA of 2.75 or lower. Then, we had to provide
a means for our student- athletes to do well in their class work. So we part-
nered with the university study services to provide tutoring for any player
that requested or needed it.
Each semester, we stress to our student-athletes the key tools to help
them succeed in the classroom. We encourage them to focus, read, know
their professors, have 100% attendance, and hand in their assignments on
time. By making our of-the-feld issue of a low GPA a priority, our coaching
30 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
staf helped several athletes raise not only their GPA but also their aware-
ness and aspirations in the classroom. Our goal was a 3.0 and currently, we
have a team GPA of 2.96.

Attacking Team Discipline Problems
As a head coach, it is important to follow your words with actions and
to stand behind the guidelines your staf has set for players. We set ground
rules that we wanted to be followed on the feld, in the classroom, and in
the community.
The following fve rules hang in every meeting room within the SVU
football program:
1. Be on time.
2. Give 100%.
3. No excuses.
4. Team before me.
5. Handle yourself in an adult and gentlemanly manner at all times.
One of the keys to curtailing our past discipline problems was handling
discipline issues on an individual basis. Each player is an individual and we
wanted to speak with each athlete and explain how his behavior has been
hurting the team collectively. As a disciplinarian, I tend to be much harder
on a freshmen or sophomore for a minor discipline issue than I am on a ju-
nior or senior, especially if its the upper classmans frst issue. The reasoning
behind this is I dont want our players to be comfortable with disobeying
the rules. Instead, I want to discourage them from behaving adversely to
the team and university policies.
Our football team has gone from having major disci-
pline problems every semester to only having minor
discipline problems. Frequently, there are semesters
where the SVU football program has no discipline
problems.
Attacking the Recruiting
& Retention Problem
When I became head coach, there were 24 players
on the roster from the previous administration. As a
staf, we indentifed the problems of why there were
such low numbers on the team. Not only was there
a recruiting issue of getting good players to become
part of our team, but there was a retention problem of
keeping players on the team. Therefore, we designed
three key actions that would address our recruiting
and retention concerns, and, if implemented correctly,
would correct and resolve the problems.
Recruiting
1. High school and homes. Spend more time in the
high schools and homes of our recruiting areas. We
negotiated with the SVU administration to commit to
a substantial recruiting budget which allowed our staf
to spend more time recruiting our target areas.
2. Recruiting visits. Increase the number of recruits
visiting campus. We currently hold eight recruiting
weekends each year and have multiple recruits visit-
ing campus each week during the of-season.
3. Recruiting communication. Spend more time con-
tacting recruits via phone and email. Each coach on
our staf commits to ofce hours during the week in
which they sit in our ofces and make several uninter-
rupted recruiting calls during the evening.
Retention
1. Recruit the prototypical players. Recruit players that ft our university
and football program. Our staf only recruits players that ft academically,
socially, and work ethic-wise with our university and our coaching staf.
Highlight football graduate accomplishments. Emphasize our graduates
past accomplishments through graduation. Make this a topic of interest in
the frst conversation we have with recruits.
2. Exemplify compassion with trust and care. We want to show our players
that we care about their well being. Be sure that each player in the program
knows that the head coach and position coaches care about them outside
of football. Show a sincere interest in their education, family, and life.
3. Occasionally, players leave because of fnancial, family, or academic
problems. But the vast majority of our players are now coming to Southern
Virginia University and staying through graduation.
Attacking the Won/Loss Problem
Creating a Competitive/Mental Edge
At the end of every spring practice and a couple of times per week dur-
ing the season, our team does a competition drill. During spring football
our staf will split the team into eight groups and have them compete
31 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
against each other in tug of war, truck push, tire wrestling, or an advanced
relay race. During the fall season the competition drills are game situations,
such as the 2-minute drill, 4-minute drill, goal line drills, and other funda-
mental drills.
While these types of drills encourage competition, they also encourage
team building and camaraderie. The team building that comes from these
competitions is productive and inspiring. For example, players from difer-
ent positions that dont always interact become friends. Furthermore, they
encourage players to compete each day and promote mental and physical
toughness. The player who wins or fnishes close to the top during each
competition drill almost always plays well on Saturdays.
Finishing Equals Winning
I do not tolerate players that do not fnish. Not only in football, but in life,
fnishing is the most important thing we do. Our staf continually speaks
to our players about fnishing. During one of our practices you will hear
our coaches say Finish over twenty fve times, and then you will hear the
coaches tell the players exactly what they want them to fnish. At least once
a week in a meeting or after practice I talk to our players about fnishing.
The message is always the same: fnish the play you are running, fnish the
quarter, fnish the game, fnish your education, fnish raising your children,
fnish your job, and fnish your marriage. People who fnish are winners.
Aim for the Top
Get your coaches to focus all their of-season attention on whoever your
best opponent is. Clearly explain to them that their job is to out-recruit,
out-coach, and out-work that program each day. Then get your players to
focus, in the of-season, on becoming a better football team than your best
opponent. Get them to wake-up every morning with a focus to out-lift, out-
run, out-work, and out-execute that football program on that day. Do not
be afraid to speak about your desire to overtake the opponent in staf and
team meetings. Talking about what your program is going to do in order to
become a better football program than your opponent is critical.
If you can sell your vision and if you are doing the correct things each
day during the of-season, then you gradually become a better football
program than the best one on your schedule. When your program raises to
this level, not only are you better than the previous best team, but you are
also better than everyone else on your schedule.
Program Guidelines
Expectations. I gave our players clear explanations of what was expected
of them in the classroom, community, and on the playing feld. We have a
standard of performance on and of the feld: obtain a team GPA of 3.0, vol-
unteer in the community at least once a month, and win a game per week.
Promote the team. I eliminated the whiners and kept the winners. Sur-
round yourself with great people, both coaches and players. Get rid of
anyone that may be a lockerroom cancer. No individual in the program is
bigger than the program.
Family. Promote a team/family atmosphere through loyalty and open
communication.
Placement. Make sure your coaches and players understand their roles.
Preparation. Give your coaches and players opportunities to prepare for
their role. Confdence through preparation. During the of-season, our staf
takes multiple professional development trips with other college stafs. It
gives all of our coaches an opportunity to learn what other college pro-
grams are doing well. During practices we will put our players in special-
ized game situations each week in order to prepare them for situations that
they may face in the game on Saturday.
Management. Provide leadership through planning, example, guidance,
and honesty. Make sure your players are always headed in the correct di-
rection.
Conditioning. Correct conditioning will win a team at least two games
per year. Make your players make an individual commitment to the condi-
tioning program.
Motivation. Every week is diferent and every year is diferent. Constantly
motivate your coaches and players.
About the Author: DeLane Fitzgerald recently accepted the head coaching
position at Frostburg State University. He had been the head coach at South-
ern Virginia University since 2009. He also coached at Bethel College and his
alma mater, James Madison University.
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The Fine Points of the 3-Step Passing Game
By Christian Ozolins
Ofensive Coordinator Bufalo State College
W
e have been successful with the 3-step passing game over the last
few seasons. Here are the reasons why we use it, the quarterbacks
steps and reads, the importance of ball placement and wide receiver
routes. Four actual plays within the 3-step game are also included our 90
pass, 91 switch, 92 double, and 95Y stick.

Reasons to use the 3-step passing game:

Better utilize our skilled athletes - speed in space.
Take advantage of loose zone or man coverage.
Take pressure of the ofensive line.
High percentage passes.
Great use of all personnel with many varied formations.

QB Steps & Reads

Pre-Snap: Softest, shortest pick a side do not try to throw to both
sides of the formation.
Pivot on your left foot, drive by reaching at 6:00 with right foot and
pushing hard of left foot. Gain as much ground as possible in this se-
quence.
Keep right shoulder down, settle on your next two steps and drop the
right shoulder.
Third step should be shorter. As the right foot hits the ground your right
knee should remain bent, the ball of your foot should dig into the ground
with the arch of the back foot aiming at your target. Toe in to throw left,
toe out to throw right.
As your third step plants, snap shoulders to the target, drive of the back
foot taking a short step and deliver the ball.

Ball Placement

Long passes: Throw on rhythm with high trajectory so WR can run
under it. Always throw away from the defender, keeping the ball to the
WRs outside shoulder.
Out: Release the ball as the WR starts his break with a sharp trajectory.
Throw the ball from the WRs numbers to his knees.
In: Throw the ball into an open seam as the WR starts his break. Ball
should be thrown from numbers to helmet and never through a defender.

Routes

WR should have his inside foot up and his hand ups.
Based of steps, not yardage, is best for proper timing.
Will convert some routes based of coverage.

Protections

We utilize a seven man protection scheme where the center makes a
Rip/Liz call and the backs go in the opposite direction (Diagram 1).

We also have a max protection against both A and B gap pressures
(Diagram 2).
Diagram 1: 7 man protection center makes Rip/Liz call, backs go opposite
Diagram 2: MAX vs. A/B Gap Pressures
36 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com

Pass Plays
Our 90 play shows the routes of the X, Y, and Z receivers (Diagram 3).

Our 91 Switch shows the routes of the tailback as well as the X, Y, and Z
receivers (Diagram 4).

Our 92 Double is essentially a 3 X 1 set with the tailback lined-up
between the Y and Z receivers (Diagram 5).

Our Stick shows the pattern of the X, Y, and Z receivers as well as the
fullback running to the fat (Diagram 6).

About the Author: Christian Ozolins joined the Bufalo State staf in 2003
and was promoted to both assistant head coach and ofensive coordinator
before the 2013 season. He also serves as ofensive backs coach, recruiting co-
ordinator and academic coordinator. Ozolins has also coached at Maryville,
Methodist College, Alfred University and Hamilton College. He played at
Cumberland University (TN) where he earned his Bachelors Degree and later
completed his Masters Degree at Alfred.
Diagram 3: 90
Diagram 4: 91 Switch
Diagram 5: 92 Double
Diagram 2: 95 Y Stick
Linebacker Play: Knowing Your Assignment Pre-Snap January, 2011
Linebacker Play: Reading Windows to Stop the Run March, 2010
The Tools to be a Linebacker February, 2007
WANT MORE?
Articles on this subject are on
AmericanFootballMonthly.com
Coach Ozolins answers your questions on Facebook - just go
to http://www.facebook.com/AmericanFootballMonthly/
37 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
The 35 defensive package can adjust to multiple formations
and motion without having to change personnel.
By Matt Welch Defensive Coordinator Friends University
W
e have had defensive success with our 3-5
or 35 package that takes advantage of our
players speed. Included is our base align-
ment, terminology, our numbering system and
how we line up vs. twins formations, the spread,
and combinations of cover 2 and cover 3. In each
situation, we have multiple disguises and blitz
packages.

OVERVIEW
The 35 defensive concept is built around foot
speed plain and simple.
It| |||t|| |tfIt||.
If your team has the speed to run it, there are
a number of benefts. Among them:
- It enables you to adapt and adjust to multiple
formations, sets and motion without being
forced to change personnel.
- It allows you to use smaller-type linebackers and
athletes in the secondary who can run to the ball.
- You are less dictated to by the ofense,
enabling you to run your normal schemes and
blitzes against anything the ofense tries.

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TERMINOLOGY
Although football terminology is well known
among coaches, diferent phrases and words
have come to mean diferent things to diferent
people. For ease of understanding, there are a
few terms that need to be clarifed.
Nose the defensive lineman who is aligned
opposite the center in a 0 technique. The
nose should be one of your best linemen who
is capable of controlling the center or a double
team by the guard.
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38 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
Diagram 1 Base Alignment
Defensive End the defensive lineman who
aligns in a 5 technique (outside shoulder of the
ofensive tackle). These players should be very
athletic and be able to play with their hands.
Mike LB the middle linebacker who stacks be-
hind the nose 4-5 yards deep. This player should
be one of your more aggressive players; he does
not have to have great speed but should be able
to read blocking schemes.
Sam LB the strongside linebacker who aligns
to either the tight end or 2-3 receiver side with
his inside leg splitting the defensive end (in a 5
technique) about 4-5 yards deep.
Will LB the weakside linebacker who aligns
away from the tight end of the 2-3 receiver side
with his inside leg splitting the defensive end (in
a 5 technique) about 4-5 yards deep.
Strong Safety (SS) the safety to the strong side
(tight end or 2-3 receiver side of the formation)
will align at linebacker depth 4-5 yards deep and
as wide as an 8-technique. This player could also
be a linebacker-type athlete.
Xtra Safety (XS or X-Man) the safety to the
weak side (away from tight end or 2-3 receiver
side) and lined up similar to the strong safety
4-5 yards deep and as wide as an 8-technique.
Corners (CB) both corners are defensive backs
that cover the #1 receiver on both sides of the
ball. Note: we never switch sides with our cor-
ners, nor do they ever align on the same side.
Free Safety (FS) this safety is aligned in the
middle of the feld 10-12 yards deep. He is the QB
of the defense and must know all the defensive
alignments and what their responsibility is on
every call made. The FS will make adjustments as
needed and put the defense in position to have
the most success.

Diagram 1 includes our base alignment in the
3-5 while diagram 2 has the specifc gap respon-
sibilities. Diagram 3 has the alignment number-
ing system and diagram 4 includes the receivers
numbering system. Diagram 5 has the receiv-
ers numbering system vs. twins and diagram 6
includes receiver numbering vs. the spread for-
mation. Diagram 7 has the 35 alignment vs. an
open twins formation and diagram 8 includes
the 35 alignment vs. the spread.

Diagram 9 includes our secondary coverage vs.
a pro formation. We will utilize a common three-
deep theory in this coverage with the free safety
and corners having the deep one-third zones.
Both safeties will cover the fats with the Will and
Sam LBs covering the seams. The Mike LB will
take away the hook areas in the middle. Exclud-
ing the three-deep players, the other safeties
Diagram 2 Gap Responsibilities
Diagram 3 Alignment Numbering
Diagram 4 Receivers Numbering
Diagram 5 Numbering vs. Twins
45 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
Diagram 6 Numbering vs. the Spread
Diagram 7 35 Alignment Vs. Twins Open
Diagram 8 35 Alignment vs. the Spread
Diagram 9 Secondary Coverage vs. A Pro Formation
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Diagram 10 - Secondary Coverage vs. Twins Open Formation
Diagram 11 - Charlie Secondary Coverage vs. Pro Formation
Diagram 12 Charlie Secondary Coverage vs. Twins Open Formation
and LBs will have drop zones about 8-10 yards
deep. The critical aspect of the zone is to teach
players to communicate with each other as they
see the ofensive players clearing their zone and
going into a teammates area.

Diagram 10 illustrates secondary coverage vs. a
twins open formation. The coverage is the same
as against the pro formation look. Our basic set-
up is three over the top CBs in the deep third on
the sides and the FS in the deep third over the
middle. The fve underneath defenders have the
same zone responsibilities.

Diagram 11 shows our secondary coverage vs.
a pro formation. Our Charlie call has been suc-
cessful vs. the run. What Charlie stands for is cor-
ner on the strong side. This coverage is aligned
to look like cover 3, but at the snap of the ball it
fows into a cover 2 look. The CB on the strong
side stays at home and plays the fat. The FS
slides over to the strong side and has deep half
responsibility. The CB to the weak side now has
the deep half responsibility opposite the free
safety. The SS will help the Sam LB play the seam
area and take away the inside route by the #1
WR. The Will LB will play seam on the weak side
while the Mike handles the hook area and XS
takes the backside fat.

The last diagram diagram 12 shows another
Charlie call. This time its our secondary coverage
vs. a twins open formation. The Charlie call is the
same. The formation starts with a 3-deep zone
look and rolls into cover 2. The key is to teach the
players to always remember that Charlie means
the strongside CB is staying home in the fat and
the FS is taking the deep half so the SS can help
with the seam area. Everything else is the same.

In part two in next months AFM, I will include
our robber coverage and our cover 3 and cover 4
secondary coverage as well as our specifc blitz
packages.

Disrupting the Spread with the 3-5 Defense June, 2012
The Hows andWhys of the 3-5 Defense July, 2010
Georgia Military Colleges Devastating 3-5 Defense April, 2009
WANT MORE?
Articles on this subject are on
AmericanFootballMonthly.com
Coach Welch answers your questions on
Facebook - just go to to http://www.facebook.
com/AmericanFootballMonthly/
About the Author: Now in his 12th season coaching at Friends University and 29th overall, Matt Welch
serves as the teams defensive coordinator. At Friends, he has been a part of 10 championship seasons. Welch
began his coaching career in 1985 at Southwestern College.
41 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
It is important to forcefully push vertically and
horizontally to change the explosive character-
istics of the neuromuscular system in a biome-
chanically-applicable fashion. At the bottom of
each rep, hold for a brief isometric period (2-3
seconds) before exploding to the completion of
the rep (and into full extension at the knee and
the hip). Using the stability ball will allow the ath-
lete the ability to push laterally into the wall and
still maintain his balance.

EXERCISE 2:
Side to Side Squat (Local)
Prescription: Perform 1 set of 6 to 10 reps (3-5 in
each direction) with light resistance.
Strength Report continued from page 11 Execution: Traditional squatting methods typi-
cally have less carryover to a lateral change of
direction movement actions than it does to
other movements. This becomes more true as
an athlete progresses. This type of squat can
be used to strengthen the muscles in a frontal
plane to a much greater degree. The execution
of the movement is much more important than
the load utilized. In fact, the load should be
kept relatively light so an athlete can be force-
ful throughout the entire extension phase of the
exercise and can attain the necessary positions
that will correspond to those found when the
athlete performs a power cut laterally.

EXERCISE 3:
Russian Plyo Bound (Local)
Take action when needed. The law assumes that you, as a coach, are re-
sponsible for providing frst aid care for any injury or illness sufered by an
athlete under your supervision. So, if no medical personnel are present
when an injury occurs, you are responsible for providing emergency care.
Use only the skills that you are qualifed to administer and provide the
specifc standard of care that you are trained to provide through sport
frst aid, CPR, and other sports medicine courses.
If athlete is a minor, obtain a signed written consent form from their
parents before the season. For injured adult athletes, specifcally ask if
they want help. If they are unresponsive, consent is usually implied. If
they refuse help, you are not required to provide it. In fact, if you still
attempt to give care, they can sue you for assault.
Some states expect coaches to meet additional standards of care. Check
with your athletic director to fnd out if your state has specifc guidelines
for the quality of care to be provided by coaches.
You should become familiar with each of these 9 legal duties. The frst
8 duties deal mainly with preventive measures, which are explained more
thoroughly in chapter 2. This book is primarily designed to help you handle
duty number 9.
PARENTAL EXPECTATIONS
Parents will look to you for direction when their child is injured. They
may ask questions such as these:
- What do you think is wrong with my childs knee?
- Will it get worse if my child continues playing?
- Should my child see a doctor?
- Does my child need to wear protective knee braces for football?
- Will taping help prevent my child from reinjuring the ankle?
- When can my child start competing again?
While you cant have all the answers, it helps to know those who can.
Thats where the other athletic health care team members can help.
Safety continued from page 12
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Sinle Tier
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Modular
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Solid Cak
Cell Phone Lockers
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Prescription: Perform 1 set of 6 to 10 reps (3-5 in
each direction).
Execution: This exercise will work to more fully
charge the neuromuscular apparatus to recruit
musculature in the global exercise to come. The
emphasis should be on both the explosiveness of
the takeof leg jumping action as well as the ef-
ciency of the landing leg as this landing will great-
ly impact the subsequent takeof to come. Work
to develop greater stifness through this landing
mechanism so the movement action takes place
in shorter periods of contact time.

About the Author: Shawn Myszka is an Athletic Per-
formance Director at Explosive Edge Athletics in Minne-
apolis. He can be reached at either the companys web
site www.explosiveedgeathetics.com or his email
shawn@explosiveedgeathelteics.com.
Editors note: The preceding is an excerpt from Sport First Aid, Fifth Edition (Hu-
man Kinetics, 2013), written by Melinda Flegel. Sport First Aid is the textbook for
the Sport First Aid course, available through the Human Kinetics Coach Educa-
tion Program and used by the majority of state high school associations, athletic
directors associations, and school districts for certifying high school coaches.
The Sport First Aid text and course are available at www.HumanKineticsCoachE-
ducationCenter.com. (All content provided by Human Kinetics)
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45 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
Rowan Universitys Special Teams
Philosophy and Punt Team
Techniques
By Jay Accorsi Head Coach Rowan University

e think our approach to special teams is very sound. We utilize all

players, both starters and reserves, on special teams and use players
from both sides of the ball. Also, we will reward certain players for
outstanding play by allowing them to participate on special teams.
We identify every players strengths and incorporate them into special
teams. We cannot aford to spend an inordinate amount of time teaching
skills that players have already mastered. We keep the schemes relatively
simple and are willing to use as many players as possible.
The two main goals of special teams are to create advantages in feld
position and score points. We use special plays when specifc opportunities
arise within the game. The order of importance will be FG/XPT, Punt, Punt
Return, FG/XPT Block, Kick Of, Kick Of Return, Hands Team and Onside
Kick. To give you an idea of how detailed our special team preparation is,
here is our coaching outline for punting:

Punting Team Rules
1. No bad snaps.
2. No blocked kicks.
3. No bad kicks.
4. No long returns.
5. Eliminate missed tackles.
6. Create turnovers.
7. Eliminate penalties.
8. Exhibit speed.
9. Exhibit good judgment.

PRACTICE PUNTING SITUATIONS
To have efective special teams, you must practice punting in diferent
situations to expose your team to all situations that can happen in a game.
Surprises happen when mistakes are made. There are a number of key
situations that your punt team should be prepared to face.

Key Practice Situations:
Punting from the hash marks
Punting from your end zone
Punting from your red zone
Punting from the 40-50 yard line
Punting from bad snaps
Covering the fair catch
Reaction to a blocked kick
Reaction to a partial block

SPREAD PUNT

The spread punt can be a very efective tool (Diagram 1). It can be used
in a variety of situations and helps place your players in one-on-one situa-
tions (Diagrams 2 and 3). More specifcally, the spread punt:

1. Provides great cover situations
Creates one-on-one opportunities
Center protection rule
3s & 4s (LBs) in space
2s (TEs and FBs) get width
Hides personal protection

Diagram 1.
Diagram 2.
46 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
2. Provides manageable numbers to block
8 vs. 8
7 vs. 8
6 vs. 8
5 vs. 8

CADENCE

Ready-Ready
Count number of possible rushers
Number in box immediate rushers balanced, unbalanced or overload
Identify Protection zone, man or a combination
Call

INTERIOR PROTECTIONS

5-MAN (Center Position)
Snap the ball properly
Good solid base
Be able to move slightly to the block

4- & 3-MAN (Guard and Tackle Positions)
Inside foot one foot away from the inside mans outside foot
Inside feet of 4s and 3s line up
Inside foot forward
Outside toe in line with heel of inside foot
Feet less than shoulder width
Hands on thighs
Head looking forward
Shoulders over thighs
Weight slightly on front foot
Up on the balls of the feet
Balanced

Ball is snapped
Reach back with outside foot
Push of with inside foot
Inside arm comes up and stay balanced
Slide and lean on inside foot for next movement

Next movement
Reach back with outside foot again
Push of with inside foot again
Outside arm comes up
Stay balanced
Slide inside foot back to outside foot
Prepare for engagement

Human Shield The Shield Punt Formation Maximizes Protection
and Coverage August, 2013
Preparing Your Punt Teams October, 2012
13 Advanced Punting Ideas and Drills July, 2012
WANT MORE?
Articles on this subject are on
AmericanFootballMonthly.com
Coach Accorsi answers your questions on Facebook - just go
to http://www.facebook.com/AmericanFootballMonthly/
2-MAN (End Position)
Inside foot two feet away from inside mans outside foot
Inside foot a hand touch away from 3s hip
Inside foot forward
Outside foot back two feet away from heel of inside foot
Feet less than shoulder width
Head looking forward
Hands on thighs
Shoulders over inside thigh
Weight heavily on front foot
Up on balls of feet
Weight backwards
Diagram 3.
Ball is snapped
Reach back with outside foot
Push of with inside foot
Stay balanced
Slide and lean on inside foot for next movement

Next Movement
Reach back with outside foot again
Push of with inside foot again
Outside arm comes up
Stay balanced
Slide inside foot back to outside foot
Prepare for engagement
Reach out if needed to secure the edge

CRITICAL COACHING POINTS
Listen for the calls
Always communicate
Always point out your defender
Come back as a unit
Come back straight
Get good depth
Do not rush but have a sense of purpose
Always get inside arms up frst
Hands should connect with others
Never get shoulders turned
Do not crowd the person next to you

About the Author: Jay Accorsi recently completed his 13th season as head
coach at Rowan University. He had previously been an assistant coach at Rowan
for nine years and started there as a graduate assistant in 1993. Accorsi gradu-
ated from Nichols College (MA) in 1985 where he was a running back for four
seasons and team captain as a senior. Before joining the staf at Rowan, Accorsi
coached both football and baseball at Nichols.
47 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
Lehighs 11 Keys to a Championship Defense
By Gerard Wilcher Co-Defensive Coordinator Lehigh University
W
e have 11 priorities for building a championship defense: staf,
personnel, multiplicity, coaching the little things, getting what
you coach, swarm, passion, and fnish, self-scouting, game plan-
ning, and maintaining the integrity of your defense. Developing
each one is critical to building your defense.

Staf - Its hard to be a championship defense if you dont have a champi-
onship staf. In order to develop your staf, everyone must be on the same
page and be an expert in their area. On a daily basis, the staf must be able
to function as one unit just as you want the defense to function as one unit.

Personnel - Here are the characteristics you want at each position:

STUD LB - Plays over the TE, edge pass rusher, quality spot dropper.

WILL LB - Weakside rusher out of the 3-4, converted safety, must be
able to cover slot and WRs man-to-man.

MIKE LB - Run stopper, can work to the high hole.

SAM LB - Fast and athletic, converted RB type.

STRONG SAFETY - Recruited as a big cornerback.

DEFENSIVE LINE Need to be stout in the run game and have the
ability to become transitional pass rushers.

NOSE TACKLE - 375 lb. bench presser, powerful through his hips.

CORNERBACKS - High school point guards and/or option QBs.

Multiplicity - We have the ability to play our base 3-4 as a formation or as a
hash defense. We use man blitzes, zone blitzes, personnel, fronts and cover-
ages to keep the ofense guessing. We have also developed a no-huddle
fast-tempo system which allows us to adjust and play fast. Our concepts al-
low us to dictate to the ofense, which in todays game can be very difcult.
|||t|| |f||t|tI
Defensive Blueprint continued on page 49
48 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
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I
n this issue, Head Coach DeLane Fitzgerald of Southern Virginia University details how
SVU went from the bottom to the top of their conference. Over the years, AFM has in-
cluded a number of articles on how to improve your won-loss record. In the July, 2006
cover story, Turnaround: How Do You Turn an Ailing Program Around, AFM interviewed
four coaches on the priorities for improving your program both on and of the feld.
FROM
THE VAULT
RECOGNITION AND COMPEITION:
MOTIVATING PLYERS IN THE OFF-SEAON
By Jason Winkle, Ph.D. Player and Team Development Specialist
T
here is no magic formula for motivating players and yet it is considered a crucial part of any
teams success. Athletes are unique in their psychological needs for external motivation and
even those needs change as each athlete matures. To complicate matters further, each year
a teams motivational needs change based on previous successes and a host of other variables. The
following three successful coaches shared how they, through trial and error, found the sweet spot in
motivating their athletes during the of-season. While the motivational techniques were unique to
each coach, the similarities were striking. Individual recognition and use of competition were at the
source of each coachs approach.
July, 2006
AFMs 1,500+ online features from back issues
is the largest coaching library in the world.
Its available FREE to all subscribers.
EABLISHING A QUICK-PACED
OFFENSE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL FOOTBALL
By C. Gordon Davis Teacher and Coach Conestoga High School (PA)
A
side from scoring, the ability to control the clock and the tempo of a football game is the
primary objective of the ofense. For years, the pattern was to pound the ball slowly and
chew up the clock to control a game. Yet, with the advent of the spread ofense, the speed of
both play calling and substitutions, coaches now better manage the tempo of a game and get more
scoring opportunities.
To read these articles, go to www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
This form is perfect for the assessment of your
quarterback. The form is divided into basic
skills and advanced skills. Before competing
at the varsity level, basic skills include how
competent the quarterback is in ball-handling,
knowing his assignments, and many others. In
the advanced section, to succeed at the varsity
level, your quarterback must be able to know
ever players responsibility on every play, lead
in both the huddle and the line of scrimmage,
and be profcient in eight more skills.
Exclusively at
www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
FREE FORM
QUARTERBACK SKILLS
32 www.gridironstrategies.com Football Forms For The Winning Coach
QUARTERBACK SKILLS
Name:____________________________________________________________________________________
BASIC SKILLS
Before competing at the varsity level, the quarterback must be able to:
Assume a correct stance and secure the snap.
Correctly call the cadence and snap of the ball (both under center and in the shot-gun).
Execute a hand-off properly.
Execute a pitchout properly.
Execute a 1-, 3- or 5-step drop.
Properly throw (pass) a football with the following 7-step throwing technique.
Firmwrist.
Coordinate shoulder turn.
Elbows at shoulder level.
Straight-armfollow through.
Head over front foot.
Air under heel (up on toes).
Head still and vertical.
Know the pass tree routes.
Execute the fake.
Know quarterbacks assignments on each and every play.
Learn to control the huddle and properly call the play.
Protect the football while running.
ADVANCED SKILLS
To succeed at the varsity level, the quarterback must be able to:
Successfully execute basic skills 10 out of every 10 plays.
Know each players responsibility on every play.
Lead in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage.
Direct the attack so the offense can either run or pass the ball for positive yardage 9 out of every 10 plays.
Execute the option correctly 9 out of every 10 plays.
Correctly read and identify pass coverages 8 out of every 10 plays.
Read receiver adjustments to defensive coverages correctly at least 8 out of every 10 plays.
Complete 6 out of every 10 pass attempts.
Identify and call an audible Hot correctly at least 9 out of every 10 plays.
Know the oppositions strong and weak points based upon the scouting report.
NOTES: __________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
AFM designer Scott Corsetti came up with the idea to illustrate the 180 Turnaround by reversing the cover photo featuring UCLAs Karl Dorrell. Here
is the cover as well as the inside cover. This issue really turned a lot of heads! Scott has embraced his role as AFM designer for 15+ years while doing his
best to present Xs & Os in a clear, yet dynamic fashion.
49 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
Coach the Little Things - At Lehigh, we teach and drill certain skills which
every defender can use. For example, every player will learn how to Chop-
Dip. This is a skill that is applicable no matter what position you play. Its a
pass rush or block escape move in which the defender chops down on the
hands of the blocker and then executes a dip-rip move to get by the blocker.

Get What You Coach - I learned very early that you are either coaching it or
allowing it to happen. We work very hard to make sure what we discuss and
decide to do shows up on flm. Sometimes it is a personnel move and other
times we try to examine if what we are asking our players to do is realistic.
About the Author: Gerard Wilcher com-
pleted his tenth season as defensive backs
coach and his second season as co-defen-
sive coordinator last fall at Lehigh Univer-
sity. Over the last 22 seasons, he has also
coached at Cornell University, University
of Massachusetts, Boston College, Cheyney
University, and Morehouse College. Wilcher
is a 1992 graduate of Morehouse College
with a Bachelors Degree in business ad-
ministration.

Swarm, Passion, Finish - This is the
basis of how we play defense at
Lehigh. After every game and ma-
jor scrimmage, we acknowledge
the players for their performance.
Swarm is the person who is fying
around the feld making things
happen. Passion usually goes to the
player who may not have the stats
but is doing things that allows the
defense to be successful Finish goes
to the player who causes a turnover,
a sack, or a tackle for loss.

Self-Scout - One of the hardest things to do is to look at ones self objec-
tively. We try to look at what has hurt us on a weekly basis and spend time
discussing how to solve the problem. We strongly feel that if the situation
is not addressed, it will fester like an open wound.

Game Plan - Each week during the season we base our game plan on being
able to stop the opponentstop concepts. We like to look at down and distance
by personnel and by formation. There will be a number of pre-determined feld
zones examined along with looking closely at special circumstances where we
feel the ofense may change what they do. We try not to create a new defense
each week. There should be no new defenses on Thursday of game week.

Dont Panic, Maintain the Integrity of the Defense - When you are playing
at a very high level, teams will work extra hard to break tendencies, create
new plays and/or add trick plays to their package. We feel that when you
panic, bad things happen. So it is our stance that you have to play by your
rules and keep playing them. You have to keep coaching the players and
have them feed of of your energy. If you are stressed, or cant handle the
moment, it will refect in the performance of your players.

After 22 years of coaching at the college level, working with countless
quality coaches, most of what we do at Lehigh is a compilation of learned
experiences. The ultimate goal is to put our defense in the best possible
position to be successful. We thoroughly believe that an ofense can never
match the intensity of the defense.

Defensive Blueprint continued from page 47
Presented by www.musclemilk.com
SELF EVALUATION WITH FILM
50 www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
S
pring football begins soon around the
country. While the format and limitations
vary from state-to-state, there should still
be a focus for both the players and coaches. The
spring is a time where the sense of urgency is not
as important as during the season. There either
isnt a game at the end of this period, or if there
is, its at the end of several weeks of preparation.
With that removed as a prime focus, develop-
ment of a foundation for the fall is of utmost im-
portance. Using flm and teaching players how
to evaluate their performance and technique
now will pay big dividends when time for prepa-
ration, teaching, learning and evaluation have a
weekly deadline during the season.
Begin the process by developing detailed
coaching materials. Most programs have some
kind of editing system now. Even without an
editing system, putting these kinds of materials
together is possible with basic software that is
installed on most computers.
Using your installation plan as a guideline,
put together your diagrams and video of the
play. Ideally, you have a video of the play and
techniques executed perfectly, as well as a clip of
the play not being productive because of a key
error in technique. Because video is so dynamic
and many things can be focused by the player
viewing it, we like to use a sequence of materials
to enhance understanding. Taking the two video
clips, we create a series of still shots focusing on
one particular aspect of the play. This allows the
player to view the play caught in diferent stages
as it develops. Step-by-step, the player can see
what is being done right and wrong. This can
easily be created in PowerPoint or Keynote.
PowerPoint and Keynote allow the lines to be
animated and the coaching points to appear one
at a time, further enhancing the players ability to
grasp the concept. Having these available both
in meetings and for self study creates a power-
ful teaching and learning tool. Film is great, but
to be able to show the isolated techniques and
coaching points in a step-by-step sequence with
notes helps solidify learning. The outcome is that
the player learns how to watch and evaluate flm.
MANAGING YOUR
PROGRAM
A new addition to our coaching method has
been creating screencasts or short telestrated
videos with the coach including his commentary
with voiceover. The screencast slows the video
down as the coach stops and points out keys on
what makes a play or technique successful. Find-
ing a way to make these available for the player to
watch on his own is invaluable. The problem with
a live meeting is that it is done at one pace, and
because of time constraints, much information is
usually packed into that classroom meeting time.
The screencasts allow the player to pause and re-
wind which is unlike a live meeting in which the
player is expected to retain everything that is said
after hearing and seeing it just one time.
Again, these tools begin to give the players
a focus on exactly what they should be looking
for as they evaluate their own performance on
video. To further develop this process, we break
down our players skills into four categories for
each position. The position coaches provide the
specifcs in the still frame illustrations and scre-
encasts. The four categories are stance/start, ap-
proach, assignment and fnish.
The stance and start phase involves the player
putting his body in an optimal position to be-
gin with efcient movement as well as taking
the correct footwork and attaining the correct
angles in body position. For a receiver, for ex-
ample, we want great explosion of the line of
scrimmage and this involves the correct stance
that eliminates wasted movement like sinking
his hips or false steps. The next category is ap-
proach. Whether that is the running back wing
on track on his aim point, the quarterback on
the correct path for a naked, or the receiver on
the proper stem on his route, the approach is
the players next few steps that put him on the
best course for a successful play. The assignment
is self-explanatory; it is who the lineman blocks
or the route the receiver runs, for example. The
fnish is what the player does after putting him-
self in the right spot. Does the ball carrier use
his run after contact technique correctly? Does
the quarterback carry out a fake? Does the line-
man roll his hips and run his feet through the
By Keith Grabowski
Ofensive Coordinator, Baldwin Wallace University
block? These are examples of fnish. Again, each
coach has specifcs for his position players in
each of those categories. Those are shared dur-
ing installation in still frame breakdowns and
screencasts. By breaking down those phases, the
player knows specifcally what he is doing right
or wrong and has specifc criteria he is looking
for in each stage of the play.
After the work has been done to create a
clear picture of what a successful play and pre-
cise technique look like, the position coach then
creates an interactive meeting room. This allows
each player to apply what he has learned. Instead
of the coach standing up front and telling each
player what he did right or wrong as the video
plays, the remote control is given to the player
who breaks himself down in each category as
the play progresses. The player verbalizes what
he did correctly or what he needs to do better.
The coach simply guides the players through the
process by asking questions instead of provid-
ing the answers. Again, this is happening when
the time is available to slow things down in the
spring or early summer. This takes more time
than the coach guiding the process and verbal-
izing everything, but the players begin to see the
flm as a coach does.
Extending this to the fall, we have each player
grade his practice flm daily. The four categories
are still the focus for proper execution and tech-
nique. These have been drilled into them in the
spring and through a detailed process they be-
come better at watching flm and seeing where
they can improve. We have the players keep a
notebook and record their daily grade in each
category. The coach grades the flm as well. We
have found that the players often become more
critical than the coach. Either way, the coach has
a tool which helps him focus on certain areas as
he sees trends develop in a particularly catego-
ry of a players grade. Both the players and the
coach can develop a critical eye for the details.
Ultimately, this leads to better execution and
performance on game day.
B
O
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