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AFM Magazine

AFM Magazine


Practicing What You Preach

Don\'t just talk about what it takes to win. Practice it.
by: Pete McGinnis
Defensive coordinator, Tulane University
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Too many times, we as coaches are guilty of talking out of both sides of our mouths. We stand before our players in meetings or in front of our peers at coaching clinics and expound on our philosophies, values and beliefs about the keys to winning football games. Yet, when we go out to the practice field, our practice structure does not mirror these beliefs. Instead, we spent too little time on what we say are the important things and get caught in the trap of using our limited practice time on "our scheme" and the opponent's scheme. Don't misunderstand me. These things are important. Everything is important. But some things are real important. We must prioritize.

At Tulane, the defensive staff builds the schedule to fit our needs. Our schedule is built to emphasize those things that we feel (or, as the coordinator, I feel) are the keys to winning every week, regardless of schemes, etc. It's not so much what we do that I want to emphasize, because your beliefs about the key to winning might differ from ours, but how we make the schedule reflect our beliefs.

First, let me detail our priorities - the ones we feel must be practiced each week if we expect to win.

1. Turnovers: The object of the game is and has always been to get the little brown ball in your arms and carry it across the white line. This is true whether you are on offense, defense, or special teams. Too often, defensive coaches and players get wrapped up in just stopping the opponent. In reality this is merely the third best thing we can achieve. Our goals each time we take the field should be (in this order): 1) Score; 2) Get the ball; 3) Hold opponent on downs; 4) Make them punt, or 5) Hold them to a field goal.

In the last decade, practically every rule change has been an advantage to the offense in the interest of producing higher scoring games. Scoring has climbed to the point that holding an opponent to 21 points can be a good thing (although most head coaches, being the offensive specialists that they usually are, have yet to fully grasp this concept). Most teams will have one or two turnovers given to them each game. It's those defenses that consistently get that third, fourth or fifth turnover that are leading their teams to bowl games despite their other defensive stats.

2. Taking on and escaping blocks: No matter how athletic a defensive player may be, to survive and succeed he must be able to attack blocks and get off of them. We believe that toughness and strength are prerequisites for doing this well and we work extremely hard to develop both of these qualities in the weight room. By working on the techniques involving hands, feet, and leverage on a daily basis, every player can improve. We also focus heavily on the use of the eyes by stressing two key points: 1) Attack what attacks you, and 2) You can't defeat the block without looking at the blocker.

3. Pursuit: This topic needs little explanation since every defensive coach worth his whistle understands its importance. If you expect it to happen, then you must teach it and practice it regularly. We emphasize it daily and feel we have some unique ways in which to emphasize it so that the drills are more than just a track meet. These will be discussed later.

4. Tackling: This is an obvious topic since missed tackles usually account for more than 30 percent or more of the points and yardage allowed by most defenses. Athletic ability, toughness, and strength are all part of being a good tackler and all can be developed in the off-season and in the weight room. Still, every player can improve if the techniques of the different situations are emphasized.

These are the four most important things that affect our defensive success, no matter what defensive call we attempt to play or what play is being run against us. Certainly alignment, assignment and execution ultimately become important, but these are things that are addressed in your insides, skeely and team drills. We are going to make sure that we attend to these four very important topics in a time-efficient manner. It's the first thing we do every day.

Period 1

Turnover Circuit (3 stations)

1. Tackle /strip: We align a runner with a ball behind two agile bags stacked on the top of each other. He holds the ball in both hands with the ball touching the middle of the bags. Across from him are two defenders. The first one - the tackler - is head up with him and three yards away. Immediately behind the tackler is the stripper, approximately one yard deeper than the tackler. The drill begins on the runner's movement. The runner pulls the ball to his chest and runs to either edge of the bags, placing the ball in his outside arm. We do not allow the runner to fake behind the bags and want his track to be tight off the edge of the bags - not too wide. On the runner's movement, the tackler executes an angle tackle - trying to be perfect - but also trying to be violent with contact and the clubbing of his arms to create a turnover. The stripper moves on the movement also, but his focus is to work slightly wider than the tackler and go for the strip of the football in the runner's outside arm, utilizing different techniques - club, punch, tackle the ball, lift the elbow, etc. When the ball is dislodged, the stripper and the tackler attempt to recover and score. If we fail to cleanly field the ball on the first attempt, we teach our players to cover the ball.

2. Hoops/Strip: We utilize a large hulahoop approximately nine feet in diameter for this drill. On one side of the hoop are two defenders. The first one is the tackler and stripper. The second, aligned one yard behind him, is the scorer. Directly across from them on the other side of the hoop, we have a large stand-up dummy. A coach or manager stands close enough to hold a ball against the dummy at shoulder height on the side away from the direction the defenders will be coming from. Another coach or manager positions himself inside the hoop and in front of the defenders to simulate a snap with a ball. On the snap, the defender runs the outside edge of the hoop and lays out to "sack" the bag while simultaneously keeping his eyes on the ball and raking it out with his outside arm. Also, at the snap, the scorer chases the tackler and reacts to the stripped ball, scoops and scores. Again, if the ball is not cleanly fielded, then we cover it.

3. Step-over/Recover: We utilize three large bags, aligned on the ground approximately two yards apart. We place two defenders in the gaps that are created between the bags. A coach faces them with two footballs. On his command, the players begin to chop their feet in place. The coach will throw the footballs to the outside of the defenders - usually not at the same time. When the defender sees the ball thrown out to his side, he must step over the bag to his outside with a lead step, burst to the ball, scoop and score. Cover the ball if not cleanly fielded. An emphasis is placed on bending the legs when scooping the ball.

Defenders rotate to the three stations, usually spending about one minute and 30 seconds at each. This is high-paced and each defender should get two to three reps at each station.

Period 2

Three-station fundamentals

1. Box Tackle: Four cones are placed in a 5-yard square. The runner is on one side of the box opposite the defender. The runner tries to score using fakes, spins, etc. The defender must prevent the runner from scoring. This drill represents true open field tackling with no help so the emphasis is on keeping the weight back, not lunging, and running at the tackle. The defender is encouraged to finish, even on an ugly tackle. Hold on!

2. Block escapes: Between two bags placed next to each other on the ground, the defender aligns across from a blocker. (Down players are down. Stand up players are in a two-point stance.) On the blocker's movement, the defender utilizes perfect placement of his eyes and hands and perfect footwork and leverage. Upon stopping the blocker's charge, the defender must achieve a lockout and then execute a rip or swim up field past the blocker.

3. Sideline tackle: Two cones are placed at the top of the numbers, 10 yards apart. The ball carrier is at one cone; the tackler is at the other. The drill begins on the runner's movement. The runner attempts to score past the defender but must stay outside of the cones and remain in bounds. The tackler must make the tackle with an inside-out pattern, using the sideline as his help. Again, using high tempo, each player should get two or three repetitions at each station in the five-minute period.

Period 3

Pursuit

We utilize two different pursuit drills - a run pursuit and a pass pursuit. However, we execute them during the same drill period. Since our strong safety is required to give us the down and distance and run/pass tendencies in our huddle during a game, we build our pursuit drill off down and distance tendencies of our opponent. If the down and distance dictates a probable run play, the defense will execute our run pursuit drill. If it is a passing down, the defense executes our pass pursuit drill. The set up and execution is the same for both drills up until the snap of the ball as follows:

Five large rubber trash cans are set up on the field (either hash or middle) to represent the five offensive linemen. A coach or manager is at QB with a ball. A manager is in position with a ball to simulate the snap on the center trash can, a player is in the backfield as the running back or "rabbit," and a coach or manager is used to represent the tight end for strength call purposes. A coach is aligned on the bottom of the numbers on the line of scrimmage to both sides. The defensive team begins on the sideline. When their group is called, they spring to the field and huddle. As they are running onto the field, the strong safety gives the down and distance. The team executes a perfect huddle, huddle break, and alignment to the pre-determined formation. During this time, the strong safety alerts the team to the down and distance and run-pass situation.

Run pursuit: On the simulated snap, the runner breaks in the predetermined direction and the QB tosses him the ball. The runner stretches to the numbers like a sweep play and then continues to run up or outside the numbers until the whistle blows. At the simulated snap, every defender does a grass drill, keeping their eyes on the offense. Upon bouncing up off the ground, the defenders chase the ball with the proper leverage. Our contain players and second-defenders will touch the runner on his inside hip with their outside hand. Immediately upon touching the runner, the defender faces the coach at the bottom of the numbers to his side and chops his feet in place. The coach will blow the whistle at the touching of the runner by that last defender. At that time, every defender will immediately do another grass drill, pop up, and spring to the coach at the bottom of the numbers to his side, chopping his feet in place when he gets to the coach. When the last defender arrives and all 11 are chopping their feet with their eyes up, the coach will break them.

Pass pursuit: On the simulated snap, the QB drops back and passes the ball at or near any defender. The runner steps to either side and simulates pass protection on air. At the snap, the front players rush the passer with their hands up and the drop players execute the coverage drops, with all defenders yelling, "Pass." On the throw, all 11 defenders break in the direction of the pass. The nearest defender to the throw should high-point the interception, tuck it away, yell "bingo," and return it past the line of scrimmage up the nearest sideline. The second nearest defender to the throw should simulate blocking the intended receiver, then follow the return man across the line of scrimmage. The other nine defenders, upon seeing the ball caught (or on the "Bingo" call) should turn and lead the returner up the nearest sideline past the line of scrimmage with their eyes looking to the inside. We demand perfection in this drill and will have the group repeat it as often as necessary until perfection is achieved.

Periods 4 and 5

Four-station circuit

1. Angle shed/tackle: One agile bag is placed on the ground. One yard from the bag is a defender. Across from him and one yard from the bag are three offensive players in a single file line. The first two are blockers, the third is the ball carrier. At the go command, the first blocker attacks the defender at the edge of the bag to the defender's right. After the defender has played Blocker 1 and returned to center, Blocker 2 attacks the edge of the bag to the defender's left. After the defender has played Blocker 2 and returned to center, the runner attacks off the edge of the bag to the defender's right. The defender shuffles to his right and forward to take on Blocker 1, staying square and using hat, hands and lockout. He quickly re-centers with a shuffle and executes the same technique to his left on Blocker 2. He quickly re-centers again, and shuffles to his right and then attacks inside-out to angle-tackle the runner.

2. String-out drill: Three players are aligned to represent offensive players. The first is in a down stance on the line of scrimmage. The second is three yards to the side and three yards behind the second. The defender aligns head up with the down player. On the movement of the down player, the defender defeats the down player's reach block and works up field off the block to take on Player 2's cut block. The defender plays off the cut block and up field to execute an inside-out angle-tackle on Player 3.

3. Angle tackle: Three cones are set up at the top of the numbers, five yards apart. The defender aligns on the sideline head up the center cone. The runner aligns on the hash mark and heads up the center cone. The drill starts on the runner's movement. The runner runs full speed at the center cone. Prior to contact with defender, the runner will cut either to the right or left of the cone. At the start of the runner, the defender runs full speed at the center cone. When the runner breaks to the right or left, the defender will execute an angle-tackle.

4. Two-on-one tackling: The runner begins on the hash mark facing the sideline. The two defenders begin on the sideline facing the runner with each defender 10 yards to the runner's left or right (making the defenders 20 yards apart). The drill begins on the runner's movement. The runner attempts to score past the two defenders, utilizing any fakes or moves he chooses. The defenders close in on the runner, keeping the runner between them (know where your help is). If the runner tries to split the defenders, both should make a solid tackle on the runner. If the runner tries to break outside of a defender, the defender to that side should make the solid tackle and the away defender should overlap to make a strip of the ball.

These four drills are done during a 10-minute segment allowing about 2 1/2 minutes per stations and two or three repetitions per players.

The tempo of these drills in Periods 1-4 can vary, depending on the gear being worn or the day of the week. The exception is pursuit. It is always done at full speed.






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