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Off-Season Drill Work for Offensive Linemen

by: Bart Miller
Offensive Line Coach, Florida Atlantic University
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The off-season, specifically the cycles around spring football, January through March and May through August, are absolutely vital to the growth and development of an offensive lineman. It is when they make the most significant gains in upper and lower body strength, speed, conditioning and explosiveness as well as continuing to develop and improve position specific technique. We preach the concept of doing it harder and better than it’s ever been done before. It is a constant strain to improve daily and “Win Today”. 

There is a quote we have in our OL meeting room, taken from the Greek general and historian Thucydides that reads, “Remember that each man is much the same as another, and that he is best who is trained in the severest school.” We feel in order to create, and then foster, a culture based on physicality and toughness, our linemen must train with that mindset throughout the off-season. It is a concept that is ingrained in our linemen from the day they step on campus. 

Our weight program, like most, is designed to increase strength and explosiveness, translating to on-field speed, power and performance. While the goal for our linemen is to make significant gains in upper and lower body strength, we also want them to make gains in their technique by training in football specific drills. We refer to this as ‘Mastering Our Craft’.

We have designed a number of position specific drills for them to complete as a group following their strength and conditioning work. Each drill or set of drills is carefully scheduled to pair with the weight room emphasis for that day/week. For example, on heavy squat days, we will put our linemen through agility drills and pass protection drills so they are forced to move their feet and bend their knees when their legs are most fatigued. The focus on these particular drills are quickness, explosive pass sets, correct footwork, keeping eyes on target and violent punches. 

The following drills are examples of a post lower body workout:

•  Set the Ladder

•  Bag Punch

•  Bag Punch & Move

•  Side-to-Side

•  Post & Stab
 
•  6 Bag Punch with Med Balls

•  Christmas Trees w/ 35 lb. weights

•  Mirror Drill

•  Set to Technique

•  Push/Pull Drill

•  Sets vs. Moves

•  1 on 1’s vs. DL

We will always finish the pass pro specific days with one-on-one’s vs. the DL. This gives us a chance to set against live speed defenders while working on our technique. It also creates toughness and encourages competitive drive between both sides of the ball.

On upper body days or conditioning days is when we focus on our run game drill work. Again, everything we emphasize centers around being physical and explosive off the line. We are looking for a great get-off, quick first and second steps, making sure that our second step gets into the ground before contact, a violent strike, and finally a hard finish. Like the pass pro drills, these drills are designed for limited space and equipment. On run emphasis days, we will go through our daily run block progression and then work various combination blocks, alternating on a daily/weekly/per practice basis to ensure each block is given proper attention. A typical run emphasis day is as follows:

Run Block Progression
    - Fit and Drive
    - 2 Step Punch
    - Offset R/L
    - Rock Across (Redirect)
    - Base Reach / Backside Cutoff
    - 2 for 1’s
    - Single LB Approach – Pound Step

Combinations
    - Frontside Zone Combinations
    - Backside Zone Combinations
    - Gap/Down Block Combinations

By splitting the drill work into specific areas of emphasis and coordinating it with the weight room concentration, we ensure that every technique and muscle group gets trained and sharpened at the right time throughout the off-season and summer months. We are encouraging a competitive culture and hard-nosed mentality with our linemen.

We also use this time as a way of creating cohesion, trust and accountability with the position group. The workouts are designed to be challenging and demanding. When linemen go through these workouts and push themselves to their max together, a strong bond is formed. It is the principle training philosophy of any elite organization that depends on teamwork, i.e., championship teams and military units. There is a desire to not only complete the task, but to not let the man next to you down. That is a powerful concept when training a group of young men. 

As you design your off-season programs for your linemen, the key is to make sure they are continuing to develop their specific skill sets while maximizing their growth in the weight room. You must give each component the proper attention. The entire team depends on the success of the offensive and defensive line. The OL leads the way in every aspect, which holds true in your off-season preparation as well. If your preparation is thorough, then you will be at your best when it comes time to perform.

About the Author: Bart Miller joined the Florida Atlantic staff in 2014 as the offensive line coach. He previously coached at both New Mexico State and Wisconsin. Miller played every position while at the University of New Mexico from 2003-2007. He has a Bachelor’s Degree from New Mexico and a Master’s Degree from New Mexico State.






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