Afm 01 12

'%&'EgdYjXiHZgk^XZ<j^YZGjcHideeZg"I]ZDYY;gdci
VOLUME 18
JANUARY
2012
M O N T H L Y
Want to Stop the Spread

and Dynamic Players
like RGIII? You Can with
THE 4-2-5 DEFENSE

Build A PREP POWERHOUSE
- like Lake Travis
PROTECT YOUR PASSER
with these 4 O-Line Tactics
You Must Know
3 OFF-SEASON STRATEGIES
PLUS: Secrets of a
Super Bowl-Winning
Special Teams Coach
,%44%2
M O N T H L Y
&2/-!&-
www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com
Editor & Publisher: John Gallup

jgallup@AFMmedia.com
4(%.&,')6%3"!#+7)4(9/52(%,0
ts the time of year in football where everyones attention turns to the NFL. Playoffs are starting
soon, and, in another month or so, the league will crown a new Super Bowl champion.
When you think of the NFL, you probably think of competitive football at its highest level.
Spectacular plays, bone-jarring hits and fantastic finishes are par for the course. Its a weekly
exhibition by many of the worlds greatest athletes performing at the top of their games.
You might also view the NFL as the greatest sports business venture of all time, and youd be
right. In addition to being the most successful television sport in history, the league is a marketing
juggernaut that leads all other sports in most revenue categories.
But theres far more to the NFL than just the games or the business. In fact, the NFL also leads
professional sports in another category giving back to the community.
Anyone who has watched NFL football for any length of time will certainly recall seeing public
service announcements about the leagues partnership with the United Way and the volunteer work
that that has been performed on the local level by players on all 32 NFL teams. The partnership,
which has been benefiting communities for over 35 years, is one of the most enduring in all of sports.
But there are many other initiatives where the NFL takes an active role in making a difference for
individuals and communities. Theres the highly visible A Crucial Catch breast cancer awareness
program with the American Cancer Society that emphasizes annual screenings. Theres the NFL Play
60 program that helps combat childhood obesity by encouraging all kids to be active for 60 minutes
each day. There are awards programs to recognize outstanding individuals. The list goes on and on.
The programs that interest us the most are those that directly influence the growth of the game
at a grassroots level. NFL Punt, Pass and Kick is in its 50th year. NFL FLAG football has leagues for boys
and girls coast-to-coast. And the NFL High School Player Development Program Presented by
the National Guard is perhaps the best way for high school coaches across America to get involved
in a program that gives back to the community through football.
The cornerstone of the program is the 150+ multi-day football camps that help high school
athletes hone their football skills and also develop their character. The program also includes a
national 7-on-7 tournament that is open to all athletes that participate in the camps. The camps are
free to all athletes, so kids who could not afford to attend commercial camps can still participate and
benefit from the NFL program.
The NFL encourages all high school coaches to be part of its national High School Player
Development program. You can simply make sure your players are aware of the opportunity to
participate in a camp in your local area. Or, if you are willing and able to really give something back
to the game, you can volunteer as a coach in a local camp or even organize a new camp in your
area with the NFLs help. You can find out more on pages 8 and 9 of this issue.
The NFL strives to make a difference every day through its long list of community programs.
You can help make a difference, too, by joining the NFL in the very worthwhile High School Player
Development Program.
John Gallup
Editor & Publisher
Managing Editor: Rex Lardner

rlardner@AFMmedia.com
Design & Production: Scott Corsetti
scottcorsetti@gmail.com
Contributing Writers:
David Purdum, Steve Dorsey, Jim Douville
and Bill Ramseyer
Director of Audience Development: Charlotte Vann
cvann@AFMmedia.com
Video & Internet Coordinator: Mark Taylor
mtaylor@AFMmedia.com
Directory Coordinator: Carolyn Clark
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Administration
0HONE s&AX
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6OLUME%IGHTEENs*ANUARYs.O
American Football Monthly
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"EACH&,3UBSCRIPTIONRATES
PERYEARSINGLECOPY
Hank Carter, Head Coach,

Lake Travis High School (TX) (page 26)
rmation
).3)$%
We started developing quarterbacks

all the way down to the 2nd, 3rd,
and 4th grades.
Time for Foundation Speed Drills

By Dale Baskett, Football Speed Specialist
Cover Pho
Letter from AFM

Speed Report The Off-Season is Back
to: TCU
Sports Info
6/,./*!.5!29
Strength Report Maines Winter Speed,

Strength and Conditioning Program
By Dan Nichol, Speed, Strength,
and Conditioning Coach, University of Maine
Drills Report EXPANDED

Special Teams at South Dakota State

By Shannon Moore, Special Teams Coach
South Dakota State University
Coach to Coach Off-Season Priorities

By Bryon Hamilton, Head Coach
Foothill High School (CA)

Stopping Power: Part I Basics of the 4-2-5

The 4-2-5 is a flexible, aggressive scheme
designed to put the brakes on the spread.
By Frank DiCocco, Assistant Coach and Player
Development Director, Stillman College

Texas Titans Lake Travis High School has

built a winning tradition from the ground up.
By David Purdum

Protecting the Passer Key Elements

Use these O-Line tactics to perfect your
pass protection.
By Ken Wilmesherr, Offensive Line Coach
Grossmont College

Stopping the Run With the Odd Front

Defense The 3-4 defense can be very
effective against the run by mixing
combinations of stunts, slants, and loops.
By Monty Roe, Defensive Coordinator
Missouri Valley College
AFMs 2012 Product and Service Guide

Web Exclusives articles only available
at AmericanFootballMonthly.com

AFM Subs Ask - with former NFL special

teams coach Mike Sweatman

2%0/24
30%%$
.L?M?HN?><S1;GMIHY
QQQM;GMIH?KOCJG?HN=IG
By Dale Baskett tFootball Speed Specialist
f youre not moving forward each year, youre

standing still. If you wish to grow, you need
to review what youve been doing and challenge yourself to do more. Ive spent 32 years
adding something that improves my program
to better levels than they were the year before.
Sometimes its a new system or just tweaking
the old one a certain way. Whatever your situation might be, it can always be better, especially
when it comes to speed.
I will give you a few thoughts that can get you
started in the right direction to begin this offseason in a productive way. Ive included some
drills and theories for beginning the off-season
in a strong, positive manner. Lets move forward
and see if there may be a wrinkle or two that will
make 2012 a better year for speed development
with your team than last year was.
A NEW BEGINNING
The seasons over and a lot of your energy
goes into looking at what happened and what
could have been better. I work with programs every year, some 0-10, some state champions yearly
and many others in-between. Many coaches felt
they were just a game or two away from a great
season and they still are eager to hit the trail in
the off-season and make next year better. Thats
the spirit of a champion, no doubt. Remember,
being a champion brings a price tag with it. You
become the weekly target for everyone you
play all year long. Regardless of which situation
matches yours, you need to continue to squeeze
the grape for more speed juice.
GREAT START, GREAT FINISH

Speed development must rely on a solid foundation package that stresses basics first, then relies on a progressive plan to move forward systematically. Moving toward high-intense speed
and movement training will be productive only
if the preceding elements are in place.
Too often, at the beginning of the season,
coaches are in a hurry to get to the speed phase
quickly and willing to bypass technical accuracy. If
you start with the theory of picking up where you
10
BRING YOUR A
GAME EACH DAY
Off-Season is Back
Time for Foundation Speed Drills
left off, your program will suffer. Mechanics suffer

during the season. Every athlete is trying to be aggressive on the field and without a good technical
foundation, mechanical function erodes rapidly.
By starting the off-season with base drill work,
you are covering the new athletes and reviewing
and sharpening the skills that have dissipated
throughout the season. By stressing basics first,
you are setting the foundation for the advanced
speed development to be introduced later. What
amazes me about speed training is that the body
is traveling at a high rate of velocity and the limb
frequency is at an extremely fast rate of turnover.
The frequencies and velocities that youll be encountering later when sprinting aggressively are
going to be revealing. If you have poor results,
you leave too much juice in the speed grape. A
very minor mechanical malfunction will alter an
athletes velocity dramatically. Starting with the
basics will monitor the low end of speed movement activity and help prevent this problem.
Biomechanical movements must be foundationally sound. If they are correct, youre in
business. If not, effort becomes greater than performance. This is why motor patterns must be established at lower frequencies. Remember, high
intense speed offers more breakdown issues mechanically because the rate of turnover is off the
chart. Conscious thought process cant control the
rapid movement aspects fast enough to provide
synchronization and rotational rhythm necessary
for maximum efficiency. All this stems back to the

beginning. It takes time to be effective and you
have the entire off-season to do that. Be patient
and thorough and dividends will abound.
THE REAL DEAL FOR FOUNDATION TRAINING

Here are the major principles of movement
that serve as a biomechanical premise for human movement. There are three basic principles:
line, synchronization, and foot strike to center.
Line is the leg, torso, and head staying vertically
aligned during all running phases.
Synchronization is merely arms and legs synchronizing front to back with correct angles
applied by the arm at 90 degrees which will
establish the proper synchronization. Then, synchronized upper and lower limb activity allows
for better force application.
Foot Strike to Center - When the leg descends
towards the ground it must land on the ball of
the foot and slightly in front of the hip position.
This action gets the leg and foot to come downward to meet the surface as soon as possible.
This puts the contact of the foot strike to the
ground more often on each stride. This provides
for force production more often and establishes
greater body control as well.
These three factors must be executed collectively. Each full stride is taken front to back. All
drills must include these biomechanical principles on every step and in the right perspective
in order to create opportunity for high frequency
to be induced. These functions are performed
slower rather than faster over time. Slow teaches
placement and control which is being recorded
and processed into the neural pattern functionality. If you slowly activate the limb speed
with drills week to week and month to month
progressively, your players will be mechanically
sound. The key is to be a stickler on doing it right
every time.
DRILLS FOR FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING

The three core principles previously described,
Line, Synchronization, and Foot Strike must be in
place on each rotation taken front to back. The
drills are in an order and must be executed as
they are indicated. Remember, your focus is on
Line Synch Strike for each drill performed.
This series is the foundation drills only, not speed
work. Technical application should be what you
begin with in January and February. Then, periodization work follows with moving the athletes
faster with step 2 - Advanced Velocity Series.
Drill # 1 SPRINT WALK
(20-Yd. Zone from cone to cone) x 3 reps
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front to back, arm 90-degree angle.
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lift slightly below belt.
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rhythm throughout zone, foot strike down.
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Drill # 2 HIGH KNEE RHYTHM RUN
(Same zone set up as above) x 3 reps
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from the shoulder, rhythmically.
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down line, tall and over the knee lift.
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eyes remain level.
Drill # 3 SHORT CYCLE DRILL
(Same zone set as before) x 3 reps
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arm-leg cycle quick and short immediately.
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in rhythm that maintains through the zone.
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tained rhythm is the key.
Drill # 4 HIGH KNEE PROGRESSION
(Same zone as before)
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as in drill 2.
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stride with easy arm action.
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the transition occurs.
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high knee and strides.
Drill # 5 SHORT CYCLE PROGRESSION
(Same zone as before)
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quick cycle as before.
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mode again, slowly activating arm action each
stride.
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and tall, arms locked at 90 degrees.
t"SNUVSOTGBTUFSFWFSZTUSJEFBGUFSUSBOTJUJPO
Drill # 6 HIGH KNEE/SHORT CYCLE/STRIDE
INCREASE
Zones - 10/10/15 yds.
This drill has all three drills incorporated that
weve already done.
First zone is high knee run. On the transition
to short cycle arm action, become short quick
immediately without any change to line synch.
Foot strike will not be an issue because you will
be on the balls of your feet.
Transition to stride, be careful not to over rotate too fast or too long. Arm needs to be the
control factor while all other principles hold fast
in place.
These drills should be used one-two times
per week. Remember, these drills are designed for
mechanical control, foundationally. Be consistent
with correct application with all your players.
Please contact me if you would like more information or if I can be of help to your program
in any way. p
Visit my new web site to learn more about football
speed training. A member-based organization, the web
site includes many resources you can use to train your
athletes www.speedtrainingforfootball.com.
Dale Baskett began his career as a football speed speDJBMJTUJO0WFSUIFMBTU

32 years he has worked with
hundreds of coaches and
thousands of players nationwide. He has also trained
PWFS /'- QMBZFST SFQSF
TFOUJOHFWFSZ/'-UFBN#BTLFUUIBTDPOTVMUFE
with the football staffs of numerous colleges
throughout the country and has worked with
the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning
$PBDIFT "TTPDJBUJPO BOE OVNFSPVT /'- PS
HBOJ[BUJPOT:PVDBODPOUBDUIJNBU
PSBUdbspeedt@hotmail.com.
11
QQQB;GG?LMNL?HANB=IG

2%0/24
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Presented by
Maines Winter Football Speed,

Strength and Conditioning Program
Part I
#Z%BO/JDIPMtSpeed, Strength, and Conditioning CoachtUniversity of Maine
t the University of Maine, we do not get fivestar recruits and it is important that we are
innovative in the individualized programs
we design for our athletes. Our philosophy is to
develop a mentally and physically challenging
training environment that will allow athletes
to maximize their ability. Our programs are designed to decrease the risk of injury through
the teaching of progressive strength and power
development exercises that use ground-based,
multi-joint and multi-directional movements.
We go by the method of not trying to pound
a square peg into a round hole. Although weight
training is a critical part of preparing for the game
of football, it is important that we understand we
are training athletes to become more efficient in
the movements that they perform on the field.
For example, if we have an athlete with a long
femur and a short torso, we will not front or back
squat with him but will utilize a 1-leg bench
squat to increase strength in the lower body and
minimize the risk of injury to the lower back. Due
to the athletes biomechanics, there is a greater
amount of stress placed on the lower back when
performing the squat. Our athletes must be able
to perform all exercises with the proper form before a load is applied.
We utilize a Functional Movement Screen to
identify upper and lower body movement deficiencies. The screen is performed at the start of
spring football and at the start of pre-season
camp. Athletes will follow a corrective exercise
regimen prior to the start of each workout to
improve upon deficiencies and clean up motor
12
patterns in both the upper and lower body.

The off-season training schedule is divided
into post-season, winter break, January training, February training and March training. We
begin our post-season training one week after
the completion of the football season. The philosophy of our program design is similar to that
of building a house. The building of the foundation is performed during December and January
training periods. The remainder of the structure
is built during the February, March, April and
summer training periods.
January Training
Our January training begins with an evaluation week of performance tests and body composition. We will evaluate the players in the pro
agility, ten yard dash, vertical jump and long
jump. Body composition evaluation is made up
of a seven-site skin-fold test. The purpose of the
evaluation is to establish a baseline measurement where an athlete should see an improvement when they are evaluated again in April.
The training objective of January is GPP (General Physical Preparedness). The training is very
similar to the winter break program with the
addition of running and pushing of sleds. We
train four times per week, with three days in the
weight room and one training day in our indoor
dome. The sled pushing is performed after our
higher volume squat day on Mondays. The sled
is loaded with a 45-lb. plate and is pushed ten
yards and back (20 yards total) for five-seven
repetitions. Our dome workout is performed

on Thursdays and consists of total body complex movements combined with running onetwo gassers. For the complex movements, we
use both dumbbells and barbells with no more
than 115 pounds. The exercises we utilize are
the dumbbell snatch, Romanian dead lift to high
pull, squat to press, good morning and row. After
an athlete completes ten repetitions of each of
these exercises, he sprints one-two gassers. He
then goes to the next yard line and performs the
next exercise. Athletes are in lines on both sidelines at every five yards with the weight (dumbbell or barbell) and a sheet with the title of the
exercise they are to perform. The dome workout
routine is performed for two sets with no rest in
between on three different training days.
Monday Training t&YQMPTJWFNPWFNFOUUSJQMFFYUFOTJPO

and shrug.
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one-leg bench squat.
t1BJSWFSUJDBMQVTIQMVTWFSUJDBMQVMM
t4MFEQVTI
t4IPVMEFSTIPQ TIPVMEFSSFIBCJMJUBUJPO
exercises).
t4UBUJDTUSFUDI
Tuesday Training
t&YQMPTJWFNPWFNFOUIJHIQVMM
t6QQFSCPEZQVTICFODIQSFTT
t1BJS6QQFSCPEZQVMMQMVTQPTUFSJPSDIBJO
t5SJTFUTJOHMFMFHQVTIQMVTUSJDFQTQMVT
TDBQVMBUIPSBDJD

t/FDL
t4UBUJDTUSFUDI
TAKE YOUR TEAM

TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Thursday Training - Dome

t##$PVQMFTQBJSFEVQXJUIHBTTFST
Learn from the top collegiate and

high school coaches in the country.
t7PMVNFTFUTYSFQFUJUJPOTPGFBDI
exercise.
t3FTUNJOVUF
2012
Exercises:
t3PNBOJBOEFBEMJGUUPIJHIQVMMMCT
Muscle Snatch - 40-50 lbs.
CLINICS
t4RVBUUPQSFTTMCTo(PPENPSOJOH
115 lbs. - Row-115 lbs.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
GRAND RAPIDS, MI
Friday Training
t&YQMPTJWFNPWFNFOUQVTIQSFTT
t1BJSTJOHMFMFHQVTIQMVTWFSUJDBMQVMM
UNION, NJ
t1BJSQPTUFSJPSDIBJODJSDVJUQMVTVOTUBCMF
vertical push.
t5SJTFUBCEPNJOBMMPXCBDLQMVT
TDBQVMBUIPSBDJDQMVTIPSJ[POUBMQVMM
t1IZTJPCBMM8BMM4USFUDI
The athlete needs to understand the commitment in preparing their mind and body for each
workout. Our workouts are 75 minutes in duration which leaves the athletes with 22 hours and
45 minutes to prepare for the next workout.
Next Month: Part II of Maines Winter speed,
strength and conditioning report will include
a complete training program for both
February and March.
About the Author: Dan Nichol is currently in his
fourth season as Director of Speed, Strength, and
Conditioning at the University of Maine. He previously was the assistant strength coach at Dartmouth College. Nichol is a graduate of Springfield
College and has also coached at Tennessee-Martin,
Connecticut, Iowa, Maine Maritime Academy, and
American International College.
VILLANOVA, PA
GREENVILLE, SC
RANCHO SANTA
MARGARITA , CA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
DENVER, CO
SCOTTSDALE, AZ
KNOXVILLE, TN
HOUSTON, TX
ATLANTA, GA
STAY INFORMED
For the most up-to-date information on
schedules, speakers and topics, visit
www.HammerStrengthClinics.com
HammerStrengthClinics.com
2011 Life Fitness, a division of Brunswick Corporation. All rights reserved. Hammer Strength is a registered trademark
of Brunswick Corporation. USV-069-11 (12.11)
13
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By Shannon Moore
Special Teams Coach
South Dakota State University
AT3OUTH$AKOTA3TATE
have had the opportunity to work as the special teams coordinator at South Dakota State
for the past two seasons. During that time, I
could not be more pleased with our success. In
2010, we ranked No. 4 in FCS net punting, No. 4
in punt return yardage defense, No. 9 in kickoff returns, No. 1 in kickoff return yardage defense and
No. 37 in punt returns. We accomplished these
numbers without placing one single player in the
top-20 of any category. I truly believe we achieved
that success because of three things:
t0VSDPBDIFTCFMJFWFJOUIFJNQPSUBODFPG
special teams and are highly involved in them.
t0VSUFBNCPVHIUJOUPXIBUXFUSZUP
accomplish.
t0VSESJMMXPSLBOEXIBUXFEPEVSJOHPVS
practice time has been very effective.
The biggest difference in philosophy I brought
to SDSU special teams when I became the coordinator is what we do during spring practice and
fall camp. During these practices, we do very little
scheme work and look to focus all of our time on
drills and fundamental techniques. We try our best
to build our schemes and techniques off drills we
do every day in practice so we have to do as little
re-teaching of fundamentals as possible.
During our pre-practice time (nine minutes),
we work all of the basic fundamentals of special
teams. Long snappers, punters and punt returners
work together. Short snappers, holders and kickers
work together. Kickers kick to kickoff returners, and
all other players work on their punt team footwork.
We end this session with what we call the threeman drill. We align our field goal unit up against
our field goal block unit and kick field goals with
interior players taking one step to their gaps and
with the edge players attempting to block the kick.
We want to get six kicks off in a three-minute span
and we chart and time all of them. This allows us to
work our edge blocking, timing and fire calls every
day in a short amount of time.
The punt units first day of drills consists of 1-on1s, 2-on-1s and releases. We primarily operate as a
man team, but we do have calls and adjustments
to put us into zone protection. We have four difGFSFOU HSPVQT EJWJEFE VQ CZ UIFJS QPTJUJPOT 0VS
punter, personal protector (PP) and snapper make
up one group, with our right and left sides repreTFOUJOHHSPVQTUXPBOEUISFF0VSGPVSUIHSPVQ
which consists of our outside guys (stingers), work
releases and a finish drill (squeezing the returner
with their inside shoulder).
In the snapping drills, we tell our snapper which
Diagram 1.
Diagram 2.
direction we will kick to, and our PP plays off of

him. The snapper snaps and the punter punts on
every rep. We place the agile bags three yards
BQBSUUPNBLFUIFTQBDJOHSFBMJTUJD0VSTOBQQFS
and PP are working man and zone principles.
They are responsible for the defenders that come
through the A gap. All other players are assigned
to a specific man.
In diagram 1, our snapper and PP will work
their respective gap and block their man. In diagram 2, our snapper and PP will work their respective gap and block their man. In diagram 3,
our snapper will block the nearest defender and
OPUXPSSZBCPVUUIFDSPTTGBDFEFGFOEFS0VS11
knows that he has the player the snapper will not
take so he will go across the formation to pick
him up. In diagram 4, our snapper will stay in his
gap. We do not want him to wheel back and take
the cross face. He knows the PP will slide over
Diagram 3.
Diagram 4.
15
and pick him up. However, if he does go with him, our PP will adjust and
pick up the right side rusher like he did in diagram 1.
0VSSJHIUBOEMFGUTJEFHSPVQTXPSLBWFSZTJNJMBSESJMM*OUIFEJBHSBNCFlow, I drew up the right side of the drill. We set up the left side the same way,
using the same techniques, with the only difference being their stance. The
wings take a rep, followed by the tackles and ending with the guards. We
set these agile bags two yards apart.
Diagram 5 shows the wing taking on the block 1-on-1. In our 2-on-1 drill,
our wings responsibility is the final #1. If his original #1 crosses his face, he will
wash him down with his eyes inside. If he gets a twist, he will come off and
pick up the twister (#2) who becomes the final #1. The tackle will pick up the
slant (#1) since he will become the final #2 in our pick-up rules (Diagram 6).
to plant, open up to the punt cover man, and stalk block him. We want to
make sure he stays on their upfield shoulder so he is forced to go around and
end up chasing the returner back up the field (See Diagram 8).
The last drill station that we work with our punt return unit is our holdup station (Diagram 9). We can run this as a 1-on-1, 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 drill.
0OUIFSTUEBZXFVTVBMMZEPPO)FSFBSFUIFDPBDIJOHQPJOUT
We want to start in a sprinters stance and fire off the ball like we are
going to block the kick.
We want to explode through the punt man and be violent. The key
words are power clean. We want to act like we are power cleaning as we
bring our hands, hips, and feet into position.
We want our hands inside, feet with a good base, and eyes at throat level.
We want to stay in front of our opponent as long as we can. As we lose
him, we want to push him towards the sidelines.
Diagram 5.
Diagram 6.
With our punt return unit, our first practice consists of three different
stations. We have a hold up station, a downfield blocking station that occurs within 10 yards of the returner and a downfield blocking station that
occurs outside of 10 yards from the returner.
For the downfield blocking station drills, you can start the returner 25
yards down the field with the coach giving a go cadence and then throw
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down the field. As the ball is caught, he will look to squeeze the returner,
keeping him on his inside shoulder. As the returner catches the ball, the
punt cover man wants to plant and work in towards the returner.
The PR man works downfield in a trail technique (1 yard inside and 1
yard behind) on the punt cover man. As the ball is caught, the PR man will
be within 10 yards of the returner. As the punt cover man angles in, the PR
man will rip through his inside arm, cut him off, and keep running with the
punt cover man on his hip. Stress to your PR man not over-run the punt
cover man. Do not let him get behind you. The returner will catch the ball
and get vertical up the field and split the blockers. We will use the players
we have targeted as our returners so they get used to seeing the blocks in
front of them (See Diagram 7).
If you start the returner 35 yards down the field, much of the assignments
are the same. However, as the returner gets up the field, the PR man will look
After the punt man has gotten off our hold up, we want to work into
our trail technique getting us into position to work our inside or outside 10
yards blocking drill.
Day one of our kickoff drills begin with a 5-on-4 drill (you can also make
this 4-on-3, 3-on-2, etc). This drill incorporates many techniques:
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t'PSDFTUIFNUPEFUFSNJOFJGUIFZDBOCFBUUIFCMPDLFSXJUITQFFEPSHP
butt-side.
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key with this drill.
Diagram 8.
Diagram 7.
Diagram 9.
17
Diagram 10: Each line in the diagram is five yards apart
Responsibilities:
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XBOUUPNPWFXIFOUIF,0NBOJTIBMGXBZUPUIFOVNCFST
Diagram 11.
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NPWFKVTUBGUFSUIF,0NBOJTIBMGXBZUPUIFOVNCFST
B Hold hand shields align on far hash.
R o "MJHO PO CPUUPN PG OVNCFST 3VO BU EFHSFF BOHMF XIFO UIF ,0
player comes to balance on the bag.
K 1 to K 5 Align on the sideline and have them run as tight as they can to
the line the entire way. They have to identify where each blocker is coming
from and determine if they can win with speed or need to avoid butt side.
When they get to the hand shield, they want to come to balance (fit up the
bag like he is a blocker) and identify which way the returner is going. When
he sees it, he will get rid of the blocking bag and angle tackle the returner.
Coach He will point to each group and let them know which direction
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want. However, you want them going in opposite directions.
The final unit to talk about is our kickoff return. We run a six-man front line;
three in the wedge, and a two returner man-scheme. We run right and left
sideline returns and a middle return. We can make two or three adjustments
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our wedge work two different drills during our first day practice time.
In our first front line drill (Diagram 11) XFMJOFVQPVS,0QMBZFST ,
WF
yards from our front-line players (R) and have a set of cones with our frontline players and another set 10 yards behind them. We want these players
to stalk block which is what these groups do daily in practice. At the whistle,
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BUEPXOUIFFME8FXBOUPVSGSPOUMJOFHVZTUPTIBEFUIF,0QMBZFS
about a yard inside to block him away from the return. We want to get on the
upfield shoulder and maintain inside leverage.
In our second front line drill (Diagram 12) we will have our players that
we designate as double team players that will work this drill. In this drill,
we stagger our tackles in a 5x5 alignment from our TEs. At the whistle,
the tackles will run back to the cones and it is the TEs responsibility to
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player to the kicker or safety. The double team players most important rule
18
Diagram 12.
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double team, then the TE will climb to the kicker/safety and the tackle will
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With our wedge, we work a 2-on-2 drill and also a double team drill (Diagram 13)8FQVUPVSXFEHF 8
BOE,0QMBZFST ,
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cadence, the wedge drops back 7-8 yards maintaining the appropriate two
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QMBZFSTUBLFPBOEHFUTFUVQ0OUIFDPBDIFTAHPDBMM UIF,0QMBZFSTXJMM
XPSLEPXOUIFFMEBOEUIFXFEHFXJMMBUUBDLUIF,0QMBZFSTKVTUMJLFUIFZ
would on a go call on a live kick. The wedge must maintain an inside leverBHFBMJHONFOUBOELJDLPVUUIF,0QMBZFST
Diagram 13.
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0VSEPVCMFUFBNESJMM(Diagram 14) puts two wedge players in the same
TQPUBTUIFQSFWJPVTESJMM8FTUBDLUIF,0QMBZFSTBOEZBSETGSPNUIF
XFEHFTQMJUUJOHUIFN0OUIFALJDLDBMM UIFXFEHFXJMMESPQCBDLBOEHFU
TIPVMEFSUPTIPVMEFS0OUIFDPBDIFTAHPDBMM UIF,0QMBZFSXJMMSVOBUUIF
EPVCMFBOEUIFXFEHFXJMMBUUBDLUIF,0QMBZFS8IFODPOUBDUJTNBEF UIF
coach will go either right or left at a 45-degree angle. The wedge player to
the coaches side will come off the double team and kick out the coach. The
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Diagram 14.
0VSLJDLPSFUVSOFSTXPSLPODBUDIJOHLJDLTBOEDPNNVOJDBUJOHXJUI
each other during day one. Kickers only kick lob-type kicks so we can save
their legs and also get plenty of work in at the same time.
Each one of the drills that I discussed is a day one drill for each unit (we
run FG vs. FG block every day in pre-practice). We usually do three full days
of drills (15-20 minutes each day) leaving the next two days of drills as a
continuation of these drills and adjustments off of them. I hope you can
take something away from this and incorporate it into your special teams.
About the Author: Shannon Moore recently completed his sixth season on
the South Dakota State staff. During his tenure, he has coached quarterbacks,
tight ends and running backs as well as all special teams units. Moore previously was the head coach of the Wyoming Cavalry of the National Indoor
Football League. He played for three seasons at Black Hills State and earned a
Bachelors Degree in secondary education. Moore also has a Masters in sports
administration from SDSU.
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By Bryon Hamilton
)FBE$PBDIt'PPUIJMM)JHI4DIPPMt1BMP$FESP $"
/&& 3%!3/.02)/2)4)%3
The Future is Now! was a phrase I heard often during the 1991 football season at Long Beach State. It was one of the many catch phrases that George Allen
coined and is famous for. As we enter the heart of the 2012 off-season, its sometimes difficult to envision that the future of next football season is now. When it
comes to developing a successful plan for the 2012 season, the future is indeed
now. Over the past year and half, I have shared many of my ideas as they relate to
the primary off-season areas that most coaches and programs attend to. However,
there are several less obvious aspects to having a strong and successful program
that can also be assessed and fortified in the off-season. These areas may not be as
easy to measure, but they are extremely crucial in your success.
1. Facilities
Have you noticed the emphasis being placed
on facilities at both the collegiate and high
school levels? In todays football landscape, facilities have become another barometer of a programs success and commitment to excellence.
Despite an economy that remains in a tailspin,
school districts in every state are spending millions of dollars on state-of-the-art football facilities. The reality is that great facilities often are a
key factor in attracting the best athletes. You
may be in situation where it is not possible for
you and your program to have the best facilities
compared to your competition.
However, there are ways to improve the facilities at every school. The goal is to maximize what
is possible and to formulate a plan that focuses
on your current and future needs. I make it a
point to assess our facilities at the end of each
season. I start by composing lists of items I would
like to have, things that need an upgraded and
facilities that our competition has that may give
them an edge. Once my list is composed, I rank
the items based on need and realistic accessibil-
20
ity. I have found that many companies will allow

you to purchase expensive items on zero interest
payment plans. This is a great way to purchase
expensive items and not deplete all of your funds
in a single year. Asking booster clubs or local
businesses who are supportive of your program
to volunteer labor and donate supplies is a great
way to upgrade facilities. By using this formula,
we have added 60 pro-style lockers, weight room
equipment and state of the art electronics that
have helped to keep our facilities competitive
and often ahead of our competition. If you think
big, start slow and have a plan, you can eventually have excellent facilities that will play a role in
achieving success.
2. Booster Relations
Booster programs play a huge role in providing support to football programs and athletic
teams in general. Booster clubs, when run properly, are a necessary element of any successful program. At Foothill, our boosters have a very limited
and specific role. They are in charge of manning
and overseeing the game concessions, organizing
weekly team meals, hosting the post-game pizza
parties and planning our team banquet.

This may seem limited when compared to
other booster clubs, but I believe that by simplifying and specifying their role, a healthy relationship between the school, booster members
and coaches can be fostered and maintained.
Too many times, I have talked with coaches who
tell horror stories of an all-powerful booster club
that essentially had the influence to run the entire football program. This can be an unhealthy
environment that often leads to friction and division between parents and coaches.
Booster clubs are supposed to boost the football program, not run it. The off-season is a great
time to assess the role of your football booster
program. Use the next few months to fortify relationships with members while at the same time
clearly defining their role and objectives. It is
amazing what can be accomplished when everyone understands their role and all involved with
your program are pulling the rope in the same
direction.
3. Assistant Coaches
If you are a head coach, you probably would
agree that your success and the success of your
program will be directly related to the quality of
the staff that you assemble. The off-season is a
great time to assess the job performance of your
football staff. I firmly believe that every coach, at
every level, can improve their knowledge, teaching style and overall effectiveness. I have three
areas that I hold in high regard when it comes to
assessing my assistant coaches. First, the coachs
ability to build relationships and get the most
out of their players is of paramount importance
to me. A coach who can consistently maximize
the potential of their players is a very valuable asset. Players will give all they have for a coach they
respect and trust. Second,the role that assistant

coaches play in representing and promoting the
football program in the community is also very
important. Using these winter months to establish ways for the entire coaching staff to be more
involved within the community is a great way to
promote the football program in a positive way.
Finally, expertise and the willingness and desire
to continually increase football knowledge are
obviously important aspects to the effectiveness
of a coach. Finding and implementing resources
for your coaches to increase their football knowledge and become better at their craft should be
an important part of your off-season regiment.
Using the winter months to assess the strengths
and weaknesses of your assistant coaches allows
you to help them make the necessary improvements that will lead to a more efficient and effective coaching staff in the upcoming season. In
prioritizing these areas, I am able to effectively
assess my staff and thus make necessary changes, additions and improvements that will allow
our program to move forward.
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4. Lower Level Success

The lower levels (frosh and junior varsity levels) are very important components of a successful football program. Using the off-season to assess the effectiveness and success of the lower
levels is a way to improve the entire program. Of
course, any coach would like his lower levels to
win championships, but to me there are more
important aspects to consider.
I judge the success of our lower levels by using the following criteria: Are we getting the
athletes on campus out to play? Are we retaining
the majority of the players who play on the frosh
team (if we have 50 frosh players, are the junior
varsity numbers similar the following season)?
Are the core skills necessary for our success being taught and emphasized? Are the teams disciplined, passionate and enthusiastic when they
are on the field? If we are doing a good job in
these areas, then I know our lower levels are successful regardless of their overall win percentage.
The winter months are a great time to define the
goals for your lower level teams and encourage
and equip the coaches with resources necessary
to accomplish them.
Finally, I want to encourage you to use these
winter months to recharge your battery and to
invest in one of the most important pieces of your
teams success; YOU! The winter is a great time to
assess your personal goals as they pertain to your
coaching career. I would encourage you to take
the time to read a good coaching book, attend
a coaching clinic and talk to other coaches who
have similar positions that you hold. Starting the
2012 season with a fresh perspective, recharged
battery and a few additional nuggets of knowledge will play huge dividends to you and your
team in the upcoming season.
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21
Part I Basics of the 4-2-5
The 4-2-5 is a exible, aggressive scheme designed

to put the brakes on the spread.
#Z'SBOL%J$PDDPtAssistant Coach and Player Development DirectortStillman College
22
maintain a stout presence against the running game, and create confusion
in the minds of offensive coordinators and on-field signal-callers. It creates
the potential for generating turnovers and takeaways, while reducing the
likelihood of the big play from the offense.
Each of these reasons, along with the relative simplicity of installing this
particular brand of defense, makes the 4-2-5 scheme what many call the
most effective defense in football.
The Basics
The 4-2-5 scheme utilizes four down-linemen, two inside linebackers,
two safeties (which serve as hybrid-outside linebackers), along with two
traditional cornerbacks and a free safety. The strength of the defense is that
it includes five defensive backs, rather than the conventional four that are
employed in the 4-3 and 3-4 alignments. The 4-2-5 can adequately stop the
run, apply pressure to the passer, and to match up well against a myriad
of spread formations. Its easy implementation and installation process are
also a main reason why the 4-2-5 is rapidly gaining in popularity at all levels
of play.
All Photos: Steven T. Lockhart
ince the advent of the spread-offense, defensive coordinators at every

level have been searching for a way to defend its pass-happy formations, while still being able to stop the run and gain the numbers advantage at the point-of-attack.
Over the past decade, numerous schemes have been devised to stop
the newest trends of offensive football. From variations of the traditional
4-3 and 3-4, to the creation of hybrid defenses like the 3-3 and 3-5, defensive signal-callers have come up with a myriad of ways to attack the
spread. Perhaps the most effective approach, however, may be one which
manages to employ the strengths of each of these defenses, while still being adaptable, learnable, and executable enough to be effective against
virtually every style of offensive play.
Enter the 4-2-5 defense.
The 4-2-5 scheme gives a defense the ability to align and match-up well
against spread formations, allows it to maintain box-integrity by keeping a
numbers advantage near the line-of-scrimmage and point-of-attack, and
provides it with a highly-flexible, easily-understandable, and personnelfriendly approach to defending multiple looks from offenses.
The scheme enables defenses to effectively pressure the quarterback,
Basic Alignment
The base alignment of the 4-2-5 is similar to the 4-4 defense, with the
main differences being in personnel. Rather than two outside linebackers,
the 4-2-5 employs two additional safeties. Essentially, it is a variation of the
Nickel package. However, the added athleticism allows for greater flexibility and versatility in terms of both alignment and coverage.
Along the defensive line, the alignment is the same as that of a traditional 4-man front. Two interior defensive tackles, aligned in a 3-technique
to the strong-side and a 1-technique to the weak-side, anchor the defensive line in this particular scheme. The ends are contain players, along with
outside pass rushers.
There are two linebackers in the 4-2-5, with the middle linebacker (The
Mike) aligned over B-gap to the weak-side, and the strong-side linebacker
(The Sam) aligned in either in a stacked-look over the 3-technique, or
over the B-gap to the strong-side. The backers are aligned five yards off the
ball, playing what usually amounts to the outside shade of either guard.
Depending on your base alignment and coverage, both a 1-safety-high
or 2-safety-high look may be used. In a 1-high look, the free safety would
play in the deep middle of the field, while the strong safety and weak safety
(often called names like Rover,Hawk,Bandit, or Joker) can align to a slot
receiver or trips formation, or can walk-up and become edge-of-the-box defenders. In a 2-high look, the weak safety is free to align to a slot receiver, to
the pass-strength side, or on the edge of the box as well.
Cornerback alignment in the 4-2-5 can vary, based upon coverage and
call. The strong and weak safeties can be set to either the boundary/fieldside or the strong or weak side of the formation, depending upon how you
choose to determine alignment (See Diagrams 1-3).
Diagram 1: Base alignment (4-2-5, Cover 2) vs. 2 x 2
Primary Objectives
The 4-2-5 provides a bend-but-dont-break approach that limits scoring
and emphasizes stopping the run, while eliminating the big play and forcing an offense to execute long drives in order to score. Due to its versatility,
and the overall level of athletic ability that it places on the field, the 4-2-5 offers various benefits that can help a defensive coordinator solve many of the
problems posed by todays complex and multidimensional offenses.
The 4-2-5s strength is its capacity to adjust to multiple formations, adequately address the run, and create a myriad of confusing alignments, pressures, and coverage scenarios for offenses to deal with. It has the ability to
align favorably against two-tight-end and heavy sets and also provide a
strong presence against the run game, by consistently keeping at least six
defenders in the box. The 4-2-5s personnel also allows for greater flexibility
in designing blitz packages and coverage schemes, along with creating an
increased ability to disguise pressures and coverages.
Dedrick Dodge, Stillman Colleges Defensive Coordinator, finds the 4-2-5
adaptable to any offense. It matches up extremely well to every offense we
face, said Dodge. It is essentially a nickel defense, which allows the adjustment to various formations and personnel groupings. The strength of the defense lies in its ability to add an extra defensive back (or two) in order to create
a better match-up with the 3 and 4-receiver packages that you see so often.
Neal Neathery, the Defensive Coordinator at the University of TexasSan Antonio agrees with Dodge. When run correctly, the 4-2-5 is strong
enough to stop the run, and athletic enough to counter the spread offense
which has become the weapon of choice today, said Neathery.
One of the 4-2-5s greatest strengths is that it allows you to defend all
areas of the field, at all times, in both the running and passing games.
Against the Run: By virtue of its ability to maintain 6 defenders in the
box, the 4-2-5 is highly-adept at stopping the inside run game. In general,
the scheme emphasizes defending the middle of the field, playing from
inside-out, and spilling run-plays to the outside. Due to the extra defensive
backs on the field (5 defensive backs/athletic defenders), this inside-out approach plays right into the hands of a defense that is predicated on speed.
The result: teams have a hard time running their traditional inside plays
(especially those often seen in the spread offense) plays such as the Inside
Zone, the Trap, and the A-Gap Power (Fold) play.
Diagram 2: Base alignment and gap responsibilities for the 4-2-5
Diagram 3: Alignment vs. the Wing-T formation
Against the Pass: The extra defensive backs, speed and athleticism of the
defense as a whole, natural pass rush from the defensive end positions, and
myriad of coverages and blitz concepts that can be utilized by the 4-2-5
allow the teams to adapt and defend virtually every type of passing attack from the 3, 5, and 7-step drop games, to receiver screens, to sprintouts and gives a defense the ability to successfully defend every zone of
the field, while still being able to effectively pressure the quarterback. It also
allows a defense to play press and jam techniques on receivers at the lineof-scrimmage, disrupting the timing of routes, and distorting the spacing of
various route-concepts in the short and intermediate zones. The result: more
incompletions, more interceptions, more quarterback-pressures, more sacks,
more turnovers, more 3-and-outs. And, most importantly, fewer points.
A Profile In Strength: Another one of the 4-2-5s strengths lies in its ability
to cover up for personnel weaknesses and individual limitations.
23
Doing More with Less: Unlike the 3-4 scheme (where you almost have to
have a space-eater at the nose-guard position) and unlike the 4-3 scheme
(where you have to have that true 3-technique and middle-linebacker) with
the 4-2-5, you are much more able to hide weaker players and compensate
for them with athleticism at other positions and the overall flexibility and
unpredictability of the scheme. The 4-2-5 enables you to play alignment
and assignment sound defensive football, with personnel that might otherwise be exploited in other schemes. In essence, you can do things with
guys who are limited physically, intellectually, or in terms of their experience level, and do them well.
Along the front four, you generally need to have only one true defensive lineman this being your strong-side 3-technique along with another defensive linemen that can also be a smaller and quicker guy, playing the
weak shaded nose.

At the linebacker level, the presence of four down linemen helps create an
effective pass rush, while also occupying offensive linemen and helping to
keep linebackers clean and free to make plays. The presence of five defensive
backs behind the linebackers provides for adequate coverage in the passing
game, limiting the amount of time that linebackers need to cover, and the
amount of space that they need to account for in their zone-responsibilities.
In the secondary, the luxury of having five defensive backs enables you
to disguise coverages, roll coverages, and exchange responsibilities and allow players especially cornerbacks to play to their strengths and away
from their weaknesses. Sky and Cloud coverage variations, along with the
Robber scheme, are great ways to mix-up alignment and assignment looks,
and hiding weaknesses in the defensive secondary.
The 4-2-5 allows you to:
Play a gap-control scheme.
Keep six defenders in the box at virtually
Create confusion in the pass-rush, due
all times.
to the ability to bring pressure from any

one of 9 potential box-players .
Put 8 or 9 defenders at the line of

scrimmage or in the box.
Adjust easily to traditional spread
Create the impression of having 8-9

defenders committed to stopping the run.
formations, such as 2x2 (4 receivers), the

Ace Formation (2 tight-ends and 2 receivers),
the trips, and tight-end trips formations.
Play all your coverages (0,1,2,3,4,
Match-up better against empty forma-
Robber, Combo, Bracket, Sky, Cloud, etc.)
tions (the 5-wide and various no-back sets).
Disguise your coverages pre-snap.
Adjust easily to offensive shifts and
24
motions, without over-exposing the defense,

particularly against overload formations
(such as trips and tight end trips).
Utilize a great deal of line fronts and

stunts, helping to create an effective pass
rush and enabling you to pressure the
quarterback with four down-linemen.
Easily teach the system either as a
brand new scheme, or as a transition from a
4-4. or 4-3 scheme already being played. It is
also extremely easy to install, and extremely
easy to implement effectively.
Hiding Your Weaknesses: The ability to hide weaknesses and to cover-up

shortcomings in personnel, makes the 4-2-5 an attractive style of defense
for any coach who lacks the overall talent or depth to play more conventional schemes. By being able to compensate for problem areas, and reducing
the size of potential holes in the defense, the 4-2-5 dramatically decreases
the likelihood of big plays from opposing offenses. Its ability to cover up
weaknesses and minimize an overall lacks in both talent and depth, make it
especially suitable for implementation at the high school level.
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Compensating for the Weaknesses of the 4-2-5

Despite its many advantages, the 4-2-5 scheme does have some inherent weaknesses, in terms of both alignment and overall structure. Due to
its flexibility and design, however, these weaknesses can be easily compensated for. They can effectively be covered up to a large degree.
Among the schemes weaknesses is that it is often susceptible to weakside running plays, particularly the speed-option and QB read-counter
plays. However, because of the speed and athleticism of the on-field personnel, this weakness is not as pronounced as it otherwise would be in a
typical 4-3 scheme.
Another weakness of the 4-2-5 is that it tends to be susceptible to the
3-step and quick passing games. This can be compensated for by varying
coverages to include forms of press, bump-and-run, Cloud, and Robber techniques. Another weakness is the vulnerability to crossing routes. Again, the
speed of the secondary can help reduce the effectiveness of such routes,
shortening the yards-after-catch on shallow-routes, digs, and drags.
Perhaps the most-pronounced weakness of the 4-2-5 scheme is the size
disadvantages created by a two-tight-end set (such as the Ace formation).
Larger tight ends can exploit potential size advantages against nickel backs
or smaller defensive backs. However, due to the number of defenders in the
secondary, and the overall speed and athleticism of those defenders, tight
ends will be limited to short and intermediate gains, and almost never will
be able to run unchecked vertically or in the openfield.
The 4-2-5 allows you to keep 6 men in the box at all times, maintaining
the same gap responsibilities, regardless of offensive formation. You can
use a variety of defenses fronts and line stunts, as well, without sacrificing
much with regard to the linebackers or secondary.
Most teams are going to face everything from spread offensive attacks
to Wing-T, Double Wing, I-formation and anything else. The 4-2-5 is easy to
adapt to all of these, since that 6-man box never has to change a bit. You can
use a wide variety of blitzes, as well as any coverage under the sun. Simple for
your guys, complex for the opponent, and adaptable to anybody. p
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Texas
Lake Travis High School has built a winning

tradition from the ground up.
he Lake Travis (TX) High School athletic program is blessed with a huge enrollment, college-caliber facilities and
an abundance of next-level talent, especially at the quarterback position. With those
types of advantages, the Cavaliers are expected
to have success.
But, with four straight 4A state titles and a shot
at an unprecedented fifth, Lake Travis football
has exceeded even the highest expectations and
stands out as a prime example of an administration and coaching staff that has maximized the
programs potential.
That wasnt always the case, though. The Cavaliers went 50-110-2 from 1988 to 2003, including a 1-19 two-year stretch in 2001-2002. Things
26
were so tough that it took the current prolific

run, which features a 48-game win streak, just to
get the programs overall record back to .500.
After the lackluster decade, things began to
change in 2003, with the arrival of coach Jeff Dicus. Now head coach at Duncanville (Texas) High
School, Dicus jumpstarted the Cavaliers rise and
energized the community in the process. The affluent community about 15 miles outside of Austin went from being described as a retirement
area to more of a booming suburb that attracted
successful families.
It was a wealthy area, and the rumor was that
you couldnt get wealthy kids to develop the
discipline and desire that is required to have success, said Dicus, who engineered the turnaround
after taking over as head coach in 2003. But all

kids want discipline; they want to be loved and
shown how to have success. And the community
was hungry.
Dicus and his staff went to work, instilling
discipline in players with positive reinforcement.
He instituted voluntary after school workouts.
He brought in successful people to speak to the
team like Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer,
among many others. He taught his players to accomplish small goals on a daily basis and then
showed them how it led to accomplishing bigger long-term goals.
The programs culture began to change,
and the enrollment surged. Lake Travis is now
one of the biggest 4A schools in the state and
Lake Travis Photos: DJ Wrinkle Photography
By David Purdum
Titans
is expected to be reclassified into 5A, the largest
classification in Texas, next year. There are more
than 300 players currently involved in the football
program. As the numbers have grown, support
has poured into the program. Dicus remembers
parents spending a Saturday repainting the entire
field house. The facilities were upgraded to the
point where some have joked that the Lake Travis weight room is the best in all of Austin. Glance
through the pictures of the Cavs majestic weight
room online (www.samsonequipment.com), and
youll see that heres some truth in that remark.
Dicus efforts werent focused solely on the
high school level. He got involved in the local
Pop Warner leagues. He offered coaching clinics
to the middle school coaches. We taught them
the systems and fundamentals we were teaching,
and I cant tell you how crucial that was, emphasized Dicus. I mean, [SMU quarterback] Garrett
Gilbert and his group had been together running
our system since the seventh grade. When you
run something that long, you get pretty good at
it. Gilbert, who started his college career at Texas
before transferring to SMU, led the Cavaliers to
the 2007 state title, the first of four straight.
CONDITIONING TO RUN
THE UP-TEMPO OFFENSE
Current Clemson offensive coordinator Chad
Morris followed Dicus, going 32-0 with back-toback titles in his two seasons at Lake Travis, before jumping to the college ranks. Morris added
his up-tempo, no-huddle scheme to the spread
passing game Dicus had utilized. The biggest
hurdle in installing the attack was conditioning,
Morris said.
Our off-season was geared to conditioning
our players to run the up-tempo style, said Morris. We did everything on a clock in the off-season. Players would have to do a certain amount
of reps in a certain amount of time. Everything
was timed and up-tempo.
The intense practice pace has continued
under Morris successor, Hank Carter, who actually played quarterback for Morris in high school.
Carter also believes strongly in conditioning
while you practice. We want our practice to
flow and to bounce from place to place, Carter
said. We want to keep the tempo quick offensively and defensively, just to try to keep the kids
locked in. We dont want them to be standing
around; we want them to be moving. Running
to the football, running back to the line of scrim-
mage and getting lined and the ball snapped,

thats how we get our conditioning.
During the season, Lake Travis strength and
conditioning coach Jarrett Lambert believes in
continuing to build strength instead of focusing
on maintaining it. Lambert fluctuates lift percentages, going from 70 to 90 percent of each players
max on all lifts. In November, when the Cavaliers
were in the midst of their playoff run, Lambert
had players lifting at 85 percent of their max. We
all believe that we can get stronger during the
season, he said. We all believe that its a big part
of our success. Some people believe that you
should maintain your strength during the season, but for us, its been beneficial for us
to keep lifting throughout the season instead of just maintaining.
Innovative philosophies have
always been a part of Lake Travis athletic program. In fact, its
something Gary Briley, Director of Extracurricular Programs,
encourages all his coaches to
do. Carter and his staff have become regulars at Texas Tech and Texas
Christian, among other coaching clinics.
I want all our coaches to be looking
for the best way to train our studentathletes, said Briley, who is in his fourth
year fulfilling athletic director duties at
Lake Travis. We want to be using the
same techniques and methods that the
colleges where we hope our young athletes will be playing at in the future, not
only on the field, but also off the field. We
want our student-athletes to be trained
like and supported like they will be in
the future in college. It just helps prepare
them.
Carter pointed out. The run of great signal callers at Lake Travis isnt just good fortune, though.
Its a part of quarterback development plan that
Dicus implemented and Morris and Carter have
continued.
You have to start them early, explained Morris. We started developing quarterbacks all the
way down to 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades. We got
them involved running the same system and
same plays, even if it means just having them run
a play off a card.
DEVELOPING
QUARTERBACKS
Lake Travis has had a great run of
quarterbacks, including former Kansas
QB Todd Reesing and the aforementioned Gilbert. If youve got a DivisionI quarterback, chances are youre going
to have a pretty good football team,
27
Morris spent the entire month of May working

with the youth programs, teaching coaches and
players the schemes and fundamentals. By the
time, the kids reach middle school, there may be
30 potential quarterbacks, each well-schooled in
the Lake Travis scheme. Once the quarterbacks
reach the high school level, Morris divided up
the freshmen into three teams with two quarterbacks on each team. Sophomores were split up
into two teams with two quarterbacks on each.
Youre slowly narrowing down through the
process of elimination, and by the end youre going to have developed a good quarterback whos
well-versed in the system, said Morris.
The development, of course, is aided by good
coaching at the youth levels. Thats something
that Morris says is a huge priority. If youre just
getting into high school ball, thats the first thing
youd better do get your system in place at the

younger levels, said Morris. And your best football coaches had better be at your younger levels. If not, youre going to lose out. Youre going
to get hung up on winning, but thats not what
its about at that level. Its about developing them
and keeping them out. We would say it over and
over and over to our middle school coaches, Its
not your job to run them off ; its your job to get
them into high school.
THE OFFENSE
Carter says his teams ability to throw the
ball successfully at the high school level is one
of the biggest keys to his success. Lake Travis
orchestrates its up-tempo spread attack out of
the shotgun. Carter altered the running game
slightly after taking over for Morris and now using more zone plays than counters. But the overall philosophy and goal remains the same.
We want to play fast and want to snap it with
just five seconds off the play clock, said Carter,
who led the Cavaliers to the 2010 state title and
had them in the quarterfinals of the 2011 playoffs heading into December. I think our tempo
is what really sets us apart. We really try to play
as fast as possible on offense and make them run
the field. We try to wear down our opponents
with our offense and have success doing that.
The Cavaliers are at the mercy of the pace of
the referees, of course, and Carter wont hesitate
to gently mention their up-tempo style to the
officials before the game. The passing game features plenty of quick bubble screens, while also
mixing in some shots down the field. Our passing
LAKE TRAVIS POWER PASS
he Power Pass is intended to take advantage of safeties that play

aggressively in the running game by creating a HI/LO concept
that will isolate them in pass coverage. The QBs progression is
#1 post, #2 10- yard sit, #3 flat. The post and sit routes effectively create
the HI/LO we are looking for. The execution of the play begins with a
great play fake between the QB and the TB during which the QB will
eye the playside safety for his reaction. If the safety Flat Foots buzzes
his feet then we will look for the post. If the safety backpedals on the
snap, we eliminate the post in the progression and go from 10-yard sit
to flat. The fourth part of the progression is the dig route run by the #1
receiver to the backside of the formation. If the QB recognizes that the
defense has spun its coverage to the formation and run strength, then
the QB will immediately look to take advantage of man to man coverage on the backside by throwing the dig route.
t LT- B gap hinge B gap responsibility
tLG- Long Pull front side C gap responsibility
tRT- Slide Step front side B gap responsibility
tRG- Slide Step front side A gap responsibility
(If 3 tech check B gap with outside arm)
tC- Slide Step back side A gap responsibility
t2 Go take 2
t9 12 dig
t5 Go 12 sit
t4 - Run through outside shoulder of C-gap defender
t3 - Sell Power Fake check backside B gap to backside edge
tQB #1 Post #2 Out #3 Flat BS #1 dig (accelerator
playside safety, if spin coverage strong react weak)
28
game is the same system as what youd see Oklahoma State or Texas Tech run, Carter said. And I
think our ability to throw the football has been
something thats really set the stage for our success. If you can throw the football in high school,
I feel like you have an advantage, but youre really
never out of it. Thats something thats important,
the ability to the throw the ball, all the way down
to third and fourth-grade level.
The Lake Travis running game is a mix of
zones and counters, featuring quarterback counters and jet sweeps. We want to level the playing
field athletically, Carter added, because were
not always the most athletic or biggest team
out there. Weve been blessed with some great
players, but when we get deep into the playoffs,
sometimes were outmanned a little bit. To compensate for that, we try to make them play uptempo, and slow down their pass rush because
theyre tired.
THE DEFENSE
The Cavaliers work out of a 4-2-5 scheme,
based closely off what TCU does under coach
Gary Patterson. Like TCU, we want to be an attacking defense, said Carter. We probably pressure about 50 percent of the time, whether it be
zone pressure or man pressure.
The Cavs coverage scheme is based around
a quarters look, but Carter adjusts quickly to an
opposing offense. Against at two-back, tight-end
team, for example, the Cavaliers will use a lot of
robber coverage. In passing situations, well mix
it up, Carter said. We may pressure and run some
three-deep or pressure and run some two-deep
zone, or we may pressure and run some man. We
try to give them multiple looks, but at the end of
the day, we want to surround the box with our
safeties, while also being vertically sound. We
want to try to make people throw short and then
get 11 guys to the football.
4.5
Play Diagramming Software for Windows or Mac
SPECIAL TEAMS
Carter spends at least 45 minutes on special
teams every day and always has his best 11 players on his special teams units. Defensive starters
make up the kickoff and punt coverage teams,
while the return teams feature receiver and running backs.
Weve been blessed to have great special
teams players, Carter said. Weve got long-snappers, kickers, holders and punters that have gone
on to the Division I level. If youre great at special
teams, then thats one third of the game. So if we
can win two thirds of the game, well probably
win the game.
The Lake Travis program is now in tune for a
long run into the Texas State High School playoffs. Their successful tradition is now almost a
decade old and with a strong and deep youth
program, it is bound to continue for years to
come. p
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29
PROTECTING THE PASSER

KEY ELEMENTS
Use these O-Line tactics to perfect your pass protection.

#Z,FO8JMNFTIFSStOffensive Line CoachtGrossmont College
ass protection is perhaps an offensive

linemans toughest challenge. It is a skill
that is acquired through many hours of
hard work and dedication. To be an effective pass blocker an offensive lineman must take
pride and have the confidence in his ability to
protect the quarterback. All pass blockers need to
trust their technique. As long as they are sound in
their fundamentals and technique, it should not
matter what the defender does.
There are four ways to measure the success of
offensive linemen in pass protection:
1. The number of times the quarterback is flushed
out of the pocket.
2. The number of times the QB is hurried.
JAndy Wilhelm
3. The number of times the quarterback is hit.

4. The number of times the QB is sacked.
When teaching pass protection, it is imperative
your offensive linemen understand the launch
point of the QB. Why is it important? The launch
point of the QB will change the pass rush angles

of the defenders. The angles will even change
from a 3 technique to a 5 technique, and so on depending on the depth of the quarterbacks drop.
In pass protection, the objective of an offensive lineman is to keep his body between the defender and the quarterbacks launch point while
maintaining the proper pass pro demeanor and
relative position. What is relative position? The
offensive lineman is keeping his rear-end to the
quarterback while maintaining inside leverage
and keeping the shoulders and hips square. What
is inside leverage? Keeping the post foot just outside the foot of the defenders inside foot while
maintaining inside leverage and never setting
past the midline of the defender. Remember, a
great pass blocker must be disciplined in his technique while being patient but aggressive.
A key to pass protection is how fast the offensive lineman can get from his three-point to
his two-point stance without any wasted movement (the snap-up). As a coach, you must train
the eyes of your offensive linemen. Give them a
target (inside or outside target, etc.). Offensive
linemen must not lean on the defender (leaning
on the hands and the head must not follow the

hands). They must maintain the proper center of
gravity or center of mass, as well as have a good
base of support. The feet must be outside the hips
throughout the pass block. The knees must stay
within the ankles and the hips inside the knees
(the cylinder). If the knees rotate outside the ankles, the shoulder and hip will open up thus creating a soft hip and soft shoulder.
Play on the insteps of the feet with the toes
slightly out (toe out). Why on the insteps? If a
pass protector plays on the balls of his feet, he
will fall forward, unable to redirect his center of
mass. If the pass protector plays on the heels of
his feet, which is the most vulnerable part of the
foot, his mass is falling backward and he will open
up his hips and his shoulder because the foot will
rotate out. Also, it is important to understand that
the body is a cylinder and a pass protector must
stay within his cylinder in pass protection. Once
the pass protector is out of his cylinder, he will lose
power and balance. In other words, the pass protector pass blocks with his hips. It is important to
remember that every pass set is broken into four
parts: feet, landmarks, punch, and knee bend.
31
by the pass protection scheme, the defensive

structure, and the alignment of the defender.
When setting, set to a stagger and maintain the
post-staggered position throughout the set. Play
on the insteps with the toes pointed out slightly
for balance.
RIGHT SIDE LINEMEN
POST FOOT
Inside move of a defender power step and 6

inch slide step (slide to base or equal and opposite steps). The weight should be on the post foot.
Lead with the hip while staying within the cylinder, creating relative position on the defender.
Control the inside shoulder of the defender and
anticipate a counter. Have a slight shoulder tilt
with inside shoulder up, which will help create
balance.
POST FOOT
SET FOOT
SET FOOT
* FEET ARE ALIGNED AT A 45 ANGLE

Diagram 1: Post Foot and Set Foot
The Post Foot, Set Foot Stagger

The Post Foot: The post foot is the inside foot. On
the right side is the left foot. Linemen on the left
side will use their right foot as their post foot. 70%
of the weight should be on the hip of the post foot
(70/30). Teach right and left-handed stances.
The Set Foot: This is the outside foot. All cleats
should be planted in the ground playing on the
insteps and slightly toed out while keeping the
knee inside the ankle. If the weight is on the
ball of the set foot, the offensive lineman will be
caught leaning and will be off balance. In pass
protection, having the ability to redirect and
having balance is the key (See Diagram 1).
1. THE SET: The set is the most important part of

pass protection. Offensive linemen must get into
their proper pass protection demeanor as soon
as possible (the snap up and time of domination). These are the sets I teach: power set, vertical set, settle set, short set, and jump set. The set
depends on the ability of the offensive lineman
to move from his stance to the proper set position as quickly as possible. Understand the set
system and the step patterns within the set system being taught. What is a set system? The set
system is the step pattern which is determined
SET
MIRROR
PUNCH
RECOVERY
Diagram 2: 4-Step Sequence
32
There is a 4-step sequence that must take

place for any pass block to be successful (See
Diagram 2).
Outside move of a defender kick slide, maintaining relative position. Do not set past the midline of the defender. If the feet are too narrow,
the offensive lineman will loose leverage and
power. Maintain a base of support with positive
shin angles and stay within the cylinder. Keep
the feet on the same angle. If not, the shoulders
and hips will rotate. Have a slight shoulder tilt
with the outside shoulder up, which will help
create balance.
3. THE PUNCH: Maintain balance, base of support, and leverage when delivering the punch.
The punch must be upward and out. The punch
is a short extension and must be explosive. When
punching the defender, never lock out the elbows
or you will lose power in the punch. The punch
needs to be timed. The key is to be patient when
delivering the punch. Dont lean on your hands,
keep shoulders back, tuck chin. A key coaching
point is to not have the head follow the hands
when delivering the punch. Never punch off the
post foot. Always punch off the kick foot. Use the
post foot for power and the set foot for balance.
Maintain a post stagger relationship. The punch
starts at the shoulders and extends through the
elbow, wrist, and hands. The punch is an extension of the body and creates space and time.
JAndy Wilhelm
LEFT SIDE LINEMEN
2. THE MIRROR: After initial contact, it is imperative that offensive linemen maintain the proper
pass blocking demeanor. Keep shoulders and
hips square; do not bail by dropping the post
foot. If the offensive lineman drops the post foot,
he is internally opening up the hips and creating
a soft hip and shoulder. When an offensive lineman sets his post foot and set foot, they have to
be on the same angle. If not, the hips and shoulders will internally or externally rotate, thus creating a soft shoulder and creating a rush lane for
the defender. Use the hands to fight, which keeps
the defender off your hip, and creates space and
time. Maintain a base of support, center of mass,
and center of gravity. Maintain the post, set stagger with the feet. When in the mirror stage of the
set, understand the quarterbacks launch point
and maintain relative position.
LOS
2. In pass protection schemes, the tackles have

the width of the pocket.
3. In pass protection schemes, the center and
guards have the depth of the pocket.
3 Yds
COMBAT ZONE
4. The goal in any pass protection scheme is to

keep defenders out of the passing area.
PASSING AREA
5. By flattening and stretching defenders, offensive linemen can keep defenders out of the passing area. p
9 Yds
WANT MORE?
Articles on this subject are on
AmericanFootballMonthly.com
Diagram 4: The Passing Area
When punching, relax the upper body. If not, the
upper body becomes too rigid. The only time the
upper body becomes rigid is when the punch is
delivered. Dont lean forward during the punch.
Maintain the bent knee position for power in
stopping the rusher (See Diagram 3).
drills in pass protection, your offensive linemen

will understand how to counter the bad position
and work back to relative position.
The Passing Area

(See Diagram 4)
1. The passing area is 9 yards in depth from the
line of scrimmage and 3 yards in depth from the
line of scrimmage to the passing area. In between
is the combat zone.
April, 2011 t Protecting the Quarterback - Pass Protection Schemes for the Sprint-Out Passing Game
August, 2010 t Give Your O-Line a Bulls-Eye
A frequent contributor to both
American Football Monthly and
Gridiron Strategies, Ken Wilmesherr
is the Offensive Line Coach at Grossmont College. He has over 30 years
of coaching experience on both
the high school and college level.
Wilmesherr previously coached at Southwestern
College and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from
Chapman College.
Diagram 3: The Punch

4. THE RECOVERY: After initial contact with the
pass rusher, the offensive linemen will have to
regain or adjust their position on the pass rusher.
Keep relative position (inside out position) as well
as keep shoulders square. Linemen must have the
ability to redirect their feet after the initial contact.
Keep the eyes on the landmark. After the blocker
sets and punches, he now has to maintain contact
with the rusher, allowing as little closure to the
quarterback as possible. Once contact is made,
hook-up maintaining inside hand leverage (the
exception is a tackle blocking a wide, up-field
rusher). What is inside leverage? The inside leverage position is having the elbows in, thumbs up
(thumb lift) at 12 oclock with hands inside the
framework of the defender. If the thumbs are
down, the elbows will bend thus creating a loss
of power, and separation. Maintain inside leverage by keeping the hands into the chest of the
pass rusher.
When teaching any type of pass protection
drill, have a redirect within that drill. Also, work
on bad position drills. By teaching bad position
Coach's Office O
R
33
Virginia Tech
STOPPING THE RUN WITH
THE ODD FRONT DEFENSE

The 3-4 defense can be very effective against the run
by mixing in combinations of stunts, slants, and loops.
#Z.POUZ3PFtDefensive CoordinatortMissouri Valley College
grew up learning and then playing defense with an even or four-man

front. In my early days as a defensive coordinator, I ran a 4-3, 4-2 and
bubble or desert storm defenses. We had some success stopping the
run but nothing like the achievements weve had recently at Missouri
Valley College. Since I arrived for the 2005 season, we have finished either
#1 or #2 in team rushing defense among all NAIA colleges. Why have we
been so successful against the run?
Here are the key reasons great players, solid schematics, great defensive assistant coaches and an outstanding head coach who controls the
clock and likes to run the ball. We run a 3-4 defense and believe our success
is directly related to our movements. We believe our defenders are very
hard to block when they are slanting, blitzing, looping, and wrapping.
Most college coaches have the misconception that you need four big
and strong defensive linemen to stop the run. This is simply not the case.
You can effectively stop the run with a three-man front. Ive included some
34
of our fronts, stunts, and coverages that we use in order to stop the run.
Diagram 1 is of our Viking defense and diagram 2 shows our 50 defense.
Diagram 1: Viking Defense
Out of our 50 front, a few of our favorite stunts are plugging the inside
linebackers into the B gaps and wrapping the defensive ends off a pick blitz
from the inside linebackers. As an example, if we want to plug the strongside inside linebacker and wrap the strong-side defensive end, we would
call 50 Moss 2 (Diagram 5). If we want to attack the weak side of the offense, we can plug our weak-side inside linebacker and wrap our weak-side
defensive end and call 50 Water 2 (Diagram 6).
Diagram 2: 50 Defense
Out of our Viking front, our favorite stunts include slanting the defensive
lineman strong or weak and bringing the outside linebacker off the edge
and slanting our defensive line to the strong side. We call this our Viking
Bandit 2 (Diagram 3). If we wanted to bring the strong-side outside linebacker off the edge and slant our defensive linemen weak, we would call
Viking Stud 2 (Diagram 4).
Diagram 5: 50 Moss 2
Diagram 3: Viking Bandit 2
Diagram 6: 50Water 2
Diagram 4: Viking Stud 2
After running combinations of various stunts, coaches will learn that certain stunts are much better vs. certain formations and plays. As an example,
you may find that an outside linebacker stunt is much more productive vs.
the zone read than an inside linebacker stunt. There are a number of advantages with the 3-4 defense:
t8IFOZPVCSJOHB-#POBTUVOU ZPVBSFSVTIJOHZPVSGPVSUIMJOFNFO
while the defense doesnt know where he is coming from.
t5IFSFBSFOPMJNJUTUPUIFOVNCFSPGTUVOUTBOECMJU[FTZPVDBODSFBUF
t0GUFOZPVDBODPOGVTFUIFPFOTFCZDPNCJOHMJOFCBDLFSBOEEFGFO
sive back stunts and blitzes.
Having all of these possibilities certainly spices up games as a defensive
coordinator. p
WANT MORE?
Articles on this subject are on AmericanFootballMonthly.com
August, 2008 t Multiple Fronts and Coverages
February, 2008 t Multiple Fronts With Changing Personnel
Monty Roe is the Assistant Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator

and Linebackers Coach at Missouri Valley College. His defenses
led all NAIA colleges in rushing defense in four different seasons
2005, 2006, 2009, and 2010, Roe previously coached at Wayne
State University (NE) for five years. He also coached at Dakota
State, Nebraska-Kearney, and Sioux Falls.
35
AFM Subs Ask continued from page 50

5. PURSUIT ANGLES - This can be taught with either full field coverage or
half field coverage. Have the returner downfield with a coach telling him
when/where to go. Tag off on the returner as he continues to run down the
field, similar to a defensive pursuit drill.
6. TACKLING - KOC tackling must always be closely monitored by the coach.
If a bad habit (ducking the head) or some other improper technique is noticed either in half speed work in practice or full speed game tackling, the
coach must sit the player down until proper technique is mastered. This is a
tackle after running down the field full speed technique and then coming
under control.
Kickoff coverage drills can be fun and instructional. The primary focus
should be on proper fundamentals, techniques and safe play.
What characteristics must a special teams player possess to play for you?
Who is the best special teams player that you have ever coached? Douglas
Heslip, USA Football Instructor and Coach of Team USA, Canton (OH).
My standard answer to the qualities of a good special teams player is
the ability to run and hit. I would also add that the player needs to be disciplined and consistent. Disciplined to do his job and not try to do another
players job and the coach must have confidence that he will execute his
assignment.
Trying to list some of the best special teams players that I have been fortunate enough to be around is quite difficult, but here it goes: Jan Stenerud, Sean Landeta, Pat Mannelly, Dave Meggett, and Reyna Thompson.
Coach, we dont always have a great kicker at the high school level and
many of our coverage players play offense and defense. In your opinion,
what is the most effective coverage scheme that keeps things simple and
sound and also makes the oppositions offense have to drive the ball as
far as possible to get points? Chris Johnson, Assistant Coach, Ripon High
School (CA).
The most important aspect of a good KO coverage is the kick. We are not
always blessed with good kickers, but we must strive to add quality to his
kicks (distance, hang and direction) If your kicker can maximize any one of
these three qualities, he can increase the effectiveness of his kicks.
In regard to your coverage scheme question, you answered it, simple
and sound. Schemes are not the answer to good coverage, good players
are the answer. This is not a team to give reps to a good kid, this is a team
that you must earn your way by making plays. Instill pride in the way you
cover kicks, even if the kick is less than perfect. Teach them to cover the
kick that is kicked.
What is your approach when teaching open field blocking on your different return units? Martin Leguerrier, Head Coach, Mont-Bleu High School,
Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.
We all dread that illegal block in the back or the holding call that happens on way too many kick returns. Here are some ways to avoid these
penalties:
t5FBDIZPVSQMBZFSTUIFSVMFT5IJTJODMVEFTOPUPOMZUIFMFUUFSPGUIFMBX
but also how the officials make the call. What do they see that indicates a
penalty a stretched jersey, a player being turned, hands on the back (big
number), or a player being pulled to the ground. Demonstrate these calls
(offenses) to your players. If possible, make a teaching video demonstrating situations where these penalties occur.
t8BMLUISPVHIZPVSSFUVSOTDIFNF.BLFTVSFUIBUUIFQMBZFSTLOPXUIF
assignments. If a block is too difficult, change the scheme.
t1SBDUJDFGVMMTQFFEiUPVDIw FNQIBTJ[JOHGPPUBOECPEZQMBDFNFOU5FBDI
your players to be between the tackler and the ball carrier. Dont reach.
Officiate your practices.
t$POUJOVBMMZFNQIBTJ[FUIFJNQPSUBODFPGBWPJEJOHQFOBMUJFTPOTQFDJBM
teams. Coach Bill Parcells would always say no player is worth a penalty.
How much input does your head coach provide you? Is it more during
the off-season or more intensive during the season? About how many
hours are you allotted per week for drill and scheme work? Bob Perkins,
Assistant Coach, Springfield High School (OH).
The head coach needs to provide a lot of input to the special teams
coach. There are not three independent phases to your football team. Offense, defense and the special teams all have to work in conjunction with
the overall team concept developed by the head coach and his staff. The
team concept dictates the types of schemes that you run and the utilization of players on your roster.
Much of the work is done in the off-season in regard to the scheme development (playbook) and specialist identification and skill development.
During the season the special teams coach needs to seek input from the
head coach in regard to individual game plans and depth charts. In my NFL
experience, the coaching staff would watch tape of that days practice as a
staff and receive input from the head coach or any other staff member in
regard to the scheme and players availability.
The special teams game plan was always presented for approval by the
head coach on Tuesday (game plan day). As the weeks practice progressed,
the plan was modified as need be to fit the personnel available and the
evolving plans on offense and defense. Friday was rehearsal day by which
all plans were solidified. Game day was working the plan with situational
input from the head coach.
A weekly schedule of special teams meetings and practice
might look as follows:
MONDAY
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NJOVUFT
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TUESDAY
t(BNF1MBO%BZ
WEDNESDAY
t4QFDJBM5FBNT.FFUJOHNJOVUFT
t8BML5ISPVHINJOVUFT
t1SBDUJDFNJOVUFT
THURSDAY
t8BML5ISPVHINJOVUFT
t1SBDUJDFNJOVUFT
FRIDAY
t8BML5ISPVHINJOVUFT
t1SBDUJDFNJOVUFT 3FIFBSTBM

SATURDAY
Go to www.AmericanFootballMonthly.com to see more
of Coach Sweatmans responses to special teams questions.
49
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www.cytosport.com
Presented by
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ike Sweatman coached for 23 years in the

NFL, primarily with special teams. He began
his NFL career with the Vikings and later
coached with the Bears, Patriots and Jets and had two
stints with the New York Giants. Sweatman coached
under Bill Parcells when the Giants won the Super Bowl
in 1990 and later, Coach Tom Coughlin hired him as
Special Teams Coordinator in 2004. His career included
three Super Bowl appearances and two championships.
He answers your questions about special teams play.
What should a head coach, at any level, require of his special teams
coach? That is, what are his major goals and responsibilities?
Chris Tuttle, Assistant Coach, Somonauk High School (IL).
Simply put, the head coach should expect his special teams coach, along
with all of his other coaches, to provide the players with the coaching, game
plans and preparation to give them the best chance to be successful.
More specifically, the responsibilities of the special teams coach is to
oversee all aspects of special teams play under the direction of the head
coach. This includes all off-season planning, playbook preparation, preseason scouting, off-season personnel development (specialists identified
and trained) and the creation of training aids such as diagrams, videos and
grade sheets.
Practice responsibilities include planning the phase of practice devoted
to special teams, including meetings, walk throughs and the actual practice, and organizing the special teams to maximize the utilization of personnel, both players and coaches. Plan the work, then work the plan.
Game day responsibilities include pre-game scouting of the opponents,
warm-up (who are the specialists and how are they kicking?). Sideline organization is critical that makes sure that the correct players are in the game.
Coach Bill Parcells favorite question on the sidelines was Are there eleven
on the field? Injury substitutions or perhaps a mismatch substitution, half
time adjustments and wind awareness are all the responsibility of the special teams coach.
The job of the special teams coach is much easier when there is a clear and
defined understanding of what his head coach expects. My best advice is to
develop a coaches manual defining responsibilities and expectations.
When it comes to the punt team, do you prefer to have a multitude of
schemes or do you favor keeping it simple and just getting really good
at only a few different things? Patrick Saporito, Wide Receivers Coach,
Alderson-Broaddus College.
I prefer simple and sound. There are a number of different ways to get
fired as a special teams coach but the easiest is to have your punt protection break down.
50
The punt play is a fourth down play, a change of possession play in which
the punt team needs to maximize its field position for their defensive unit.
In my opinion, this can best be done by having a sound protection and
coverage scheme and being able to execute it. Execution comes with practice and, as Coach Johnny Majors would always say, Practice doesnt make
perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.
What drills do you use to improve your kickoff coverage?
Neal Pucciarelli, Assistant Coach, Cumberland Gap High School (TN).
There are many drills that teach the fundamentals of good KO coverage,
but they all can be put into six categories based on the skills to be developed.
1. ALIGNMENT/START - These drills teach proper alignment and the acceleration needed to get speed down the field. Have your kicker go through
the kicking motion without kicking the ball. Coach onsides and acceleraUJPOw*UDBOCFBZBSEESJMMXJUINVMUJQMFSFQFUJUJPOTBOEFJUIFSBXBSN
up or conditioning drill.
2. COME-TO-BALANCE - Kickoffs and punts are the only plays in football
XIFSFUIFQMBZFSTDPOTJTUFOUMZSVOZBSETBUGVMMTQFFEBOEUIFOIBWFUP
come under control to make a play. This requires a coming to balance and
changing direction. Utilize this in a KOC drill or as conditioning.
3. RUN AROUND BLOCKERS - Teach your coverage players to run around
blockers early in the coverage and then return to their lanes. Generally,
XIFOUIFDPWFSBHFJTXJUIJOZBSETPGUIFSFUVSOFS UIFZOFFEUPCFJO
their lanes playing blockers. Bags or players with hand shields in the lanes
will teach this skill. This can be a minimal contact drill.
4. PLAY BLOCKERS - Teach your players to play blockers within their lanes
XIFOUIFZBSFXJUIJOZBSETPGUIFSFUVSOFS)BWF(BQCMPDLFSTXJUI
arms extended similar to the linebacker drills teaching the fundamentals
of hit-separate-disengage.
AFM Subs Ask continued on page 49

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Want to Stop the Spread

THE 4-2-5 DEFENSE

Editor & Publisher: John Gallup

Managing Editor: Rex Lardner

Hank Carter, Head Coach,

We started developing quarterbacks

Time for Foundation Speed Drills

 Letter from AFM

 Strength Report Maines Winter Speed,

 Drills Report EXPANDED

Special Teams at South Dakota State

Coach to Coach Off-Season Priorities

Stopping Power: Part I Basics of the 4-2-5

Texas Titans Lake Travis High School has

Protecting the Passer Key Elements

Stopping the Run With the Odd Front

AFMs 2012 Product and Service Guide

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f youre not moving forward each year, youre

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left off, your program will suffer. Mechanics suffer

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Dale Baskett began his career as a football speed speDJBMJTUJO0WFSUIFMBTU

Maines Winter Football Speed,

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patterns in both the upper and lower body.

repetitions. Our dome workout is performed

Monday Training t&YQMPTJWFNPWFNFOUUSJQMFFYUFOTJPO

TAKE YOUR TEAM

Thursday Training - Dome

Learn from the top collegiate and

direction we will kick to, and our PP plays off of

Diagram 10: Each line in the diagram is five yards apart

A New Perspective On How To Look At Coaching

Grab and Go - anytime, anywhere

Telescoping mast, goes up quickly

It is the best piece of

Use for all QB Drills,

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ity. I have found that many companies will allow

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respect and trust. Second,the role that assistant

4. Lower Level Success

800 790 7611

Part I Basics of the 4-2-5

The 4-2-5 is a exible, aggressive scheme designed

All Photos: Steven T. Lockhart

ince the advent of the spread-offense, defensive coordinators at every

Diagram 1: Base alignment (4-2-5, Cover 2) vs. 2 x 2

Diagram 2: Base alignment and gap responsibilities for the 4-2-5

Diagram 3: Alignment vs. the Wing-T formation

weak shaded nose.

The 4-2-5 allows you to:

Play a gap-control scheme.

Keep six defenders in the box at virtually

Create confusion in the pass-rush, due

to the ability to bring pressure from any

Put 8 or 9 defenders at the line of

Adjust easily to traditional spread

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Letter from AFM

Strength Report Maines Winter Speed,

Drills Report EXPANDED

Coach to Coach Off-Season Priorities

AFMs 2012 Product and Service Guide

Dale Baskett began his career as a football speed speDJBMJTUJO0WFSUIFMBTU

Monday Training t&YQMPTJWFNPWFNFOUUSJQMFFYUFOTJPO

Play a gap-control scheme.

Keep six defenders in the box at virtually

Create confusion in the pass-rush, due

Put 8 or 9 defenders at the line of

Adjust easily to traditional spread

Create the impression of having 8-9

Play all your coverages (0,1,2,3,4,

Match-up better against empty forma-

Disguise your coverages pre-snap.

Adjust easily to offensive shifts and

Utilize a great deal of line fronts and