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AFM Magazine


6 Steps to D-Line Get Off

\'The less you see, the quicker the reaction\'
by: Mike Waufle
Defensive Line Coach, New York Football Giants
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My first National Football League coaching experience was in 1980 with the Los Angeles Rams. It was a spring research visit. I was introduced to Bud Carson, the famed Pittsburgh Steelers’ Defensive Coordinator. I was awed by this encounter. Bud was highlighted in a 1979 Sports Illustrated article titled “NFL Assistant Coaches: Better Than Working For A Living.” In my 29 years of coaching, although the article’s title was unusual, I have found it to be truthful. My career has been blessed with great players and coaches who have inspired me to wake up and begin coaching each day.

Bud and I had a common bond in the United States Marine Corps. He took me under his wing and began to teach me how to coach. Bud introduced me to Frank Lauterbur, his Defensive Line Coach. Frank, another former Marine, had been the Defensive Line Coach in the mid-70’s for the Baltimore Colts. He had coached Fred Cooke, John Dutton, Joe Erhmann and Mike Barnes. The four players became a dominant unit. Their nickname was the ‘Sack Pack.’ Frank was open to extending his knowledge to a young coach.

Frank took me into his office and put film on the projector immediately. The visual learning session was on one subject and one subject only, ‘GET OFF.’ In slow motion, we watched the defensive line at the Rams. He asked me which number got off on the ball first, on the very first play. I said number 85. Frank then stopped the projector (1980…16 mm film). He said, “Mike, watch #85 for the rest of the play.” We resumed and Jack Youngblood made the play. He continued throughout the sessions and every player who got off first was a factor in the play. Defensive linemen #90 Larry Brooks and #89 Fred Dryer also made big tackles for losses or sacks.

It is now 2007 and nothing has changed. The New York Football Giants defensive line meeting room is operated in the same way. Our players: #92 Michael Strahan, #72 Osi Umenyiora, #98 Fred Robbins and #96 Barry Cofield watch film the same way.

GET OFF is the lifeblood of defensive line play. Frank, Rod Marinelli, Earl Leggett, Marv Goux, John Teerlinck, Ray Hamilton, Don Sekanovich, George Dyer, Dale Haupt, Bob Karmelowicz and several other great NFL defensive line coaches all helped me progress to where I am today. The GET OFF system I have developed was inspired by these coaches and I’m excited to pass it on to others.

I have broken down GET OFF into six teaching phases. It is different and GET OFF is defined in each phase.

1. “SEE LITTLE” – The eyes are the most important body part of a defensive lineman. Offense knows where and when the ball is being snapped. Defense has to react to what the offense gives them. Eyes are the key to success. We study what moves first. The ball is the true pre-snap indicator to movement. In physiology labs, reaction time has been proven to be at its best when you ‘see little.’ If you have three offensive linemen in your vision, along with a running back, it will be a slower reaction. The less you see, the quicker the reaction. We key the football. When I was at the Oakland Raiders former All-Pro Dana Stubblefield said he keyed the back tip of the football. It is the part of the football which moves first and forces the defensive line to see little. Only a few have what I call ‘the gift.’ The gift is God-given and is a natural ability to GET OFF immediately upon ball movement. Reggie White, Howie Long and all-time NFL sack leader Bruce Smith are the only players that have the ‘gift.’ ‘See Little’ to improve GET OFF.

See Little: Coach Waufle demonstrates 'Finding the Dominant Eye.’

2. POWER FOOT – This is the forward foot in your stance. The weight is on the ball of that foot and all the pressure on the big toe generates power. The definition of power is force times velocity or strength times speed. If the defensive lineman puts all the weight on the above points he will eliminate fractions of time in his GET OFF. The power foot will raise at the heel upon the snap of ball with no false motion. When the weight is not on the ball of the up foot it will restart like starting a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Eliminate fractions of time with a perfect power foot.

Power Foot: Coach Waufle instructs the Power Foot technique – the forward foot in a player’s stance.

3. FIRST STEP – The first step should always go towards the down hand in the stances. In track and field the first step happens naturally with the starting blocks – power foot too! The length of the step depends on run or pass. Versus the run it must be shorter so the lineman can react to the blocking scheme. Versus pass, it will be longer.

First Step: Should always go towards the down hand in a player’s stance.

4. SECOND STEP – The fourth phase of GET OFF is the second step. This is a reaction step against the run (left or right). Versus pass it must ‘gain green grass.’ Rush the passer. I always stand four yards from the D-Line in this phase of the GET OFF. They have to try to get to me in two steps. It may be unrealistic but over-emphasize this training.

Second Step: Try to get to the coach four yards away in two steps: over-emphasize this training.

5. RUN HANDS – Muhammad Ali is the name I yell to the defensive line when we do the fifth phase of the GET OFF drills. Both hands come off the ground with great speed into an imaginary blocker. John Parrella, a great NFL defensive tackle at the Raiders and with the Chargers, used to be so violent with his hands in this drill you could feel the force from his GET OFF. It was an explosive lockout which he held in place for five yards. This is how we drill our Run Hands.

Run Hands: Both hands come off the ground with great speed and explosion.

6. RUSH HANDS – This is the last and sixth phase of GET OFF. I have the linemen spread out along the yard line so they do not run into each other. When they GET OFF on the ball they execute three to four pass rush moves while gaining green grass. They race each other for seven yards (where the quarterback drop set point is). All of the above phases of Get Off are executed on this repetition.

Rush Hands: A player executes pass rush moves racing for 7 yards.

The most important coaching point is that the defensive line thinks about the individual phase of the GET OFF only. They zero in on each phase (eyes, power foot, first step, second step, run hands and rush hands).

This drill is worked in what we call the “Blue Box.” Each Box is five yards wide and four yards deep. The theme is to get out of the Blue Box as quickly as possible. We treat it as if the middle of each box is on fire. This excites each player not to spend much time in their box and decreases their GET OFF time. The lesser the time the better.

Deacon Jones of The Los Angeles Rams ‘Fearsome Foursome’ told me they began the day with GET OFF and finished the day with GET OFF. We do the same thing at The New York Giants.


Defensive Line Coach Mike Waufle begins his fourth season with the Giants in 2007. Prior to joining the Giants, Waufle was the defensive line coach for the Raiders for six seasons. Before working for Oakland, Waufle served as both defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of California. He also coached at Alfred, Utah State, Fresno State, UCLA, and Oregon State. Waufle played at both Bakersfield Junior College and Utah State, where he was named captain as a senior.

Questions? You can email the author at: MikeWaufle@AmericanFootballMonthly.com





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