DRILLS, SKILLS, & CHARACTER: FOUNDATIONS OF THE O-LINE

by: Karl Liedtka
Assistant Coach, Lebanon High School (PA)
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"Skill guys come with me, linemen - go with coach." Translation: Fast athletic guys that get to touch the ball get on the field and play catch - husky, slow kids go drive the 800 pound sled a mile or two. Anyone who has played football is familiar with this scenario. Especially those privileged enough to play on the offensive line.

The group of young men that play offensive line are used to hearing these expressions. They have grown accustomed to not touching the ball, not getting their name in the paper and not receiving a lot of press time or limelight for their efforts. It is for this reason that personal character is the single most important trait for an offensive lineman to possess. Speed and strength are great assets and developing those skills is critical, but all things being equal, young men with strong character will become better offensive linemen and help their team more than those who are lacking in character.

The skill and personality of the offensive linemen has to be considered collectively because the nature of the position requires them to work in unison on every play. A group of average skilled linemen can accomplish great feats if they believe in each other and work as one. The opposite is true of a group of superior athletes who do not fully understand the idea that the game is won and lost in the trenches but is celebrated in the hands of the "skill" positions. A successful lineman is willing to sublimate the desire to feed his ego for the good of the team.

It is not only the skills and drills that build a strong line but also the manner in which the coach conducts the drills that deliver success. In this article I'd like to discuss some ideas about how we can help build character while also developing the necessary skills to be a successful offensive lineman.

Keep All Players Involved

Young men can learn significant life lessons while participating in sports but one of the unfortunate side effects of competition is the narrow focus on the scoreboard at the end of the game. This pressure ranges from the volatile parents attacking little league coaches and referees to the multi million dollar businesses that the larger programs have become. This thirst for winning often forces coaches to focus solely on the starters and neglect their second and third team players. However, football is a physically demanding, collision sport and injuries are a frequent occurrence. This means that the second team players are only a play away from being called upon for active duty and this year's third team may be next year's starters. The linemen will only get better by repping the drills and having an opportunity to practice and develop their skills. There will be starters, there will be second teamers, third teamers, and scout team players, if you're lucky enough to have that kind of depth. But each player, regardless of his level of ability, needs to know that he is an important part of the program. Players won't run through a brick wall because of your knowledge of the game or your number of wins. They will attempt the impossible if they believe--you believe.

Coach Consistently

If you are a hard-nosed, fanatical, energetic coach and demand excellence of the first team then demand it at all levels from all players. If you rewind a single play seven or eight times during film study to ensure that your senior guard's steps are at a 45-degree angle and not 55 degrees on the trap, then also demand that level of quality from the underclassmen. The young bucks in most cases will not be ready to meet those demands and will need thousands of repetitions to get it right but they will understand the level of performance they need to achieve in order to play for you. Your players will recognize different expectations and will live up or down to them. As our assistant offensive line coach Coach Gross always says, "Expect more, get more."

Building Competition and Cohesion

The effectiveness of the offensive line is dependent upon their ability to work together and effective coaches provide their players with opportunities to practice skills they will need to be successful come game time. Teach the linemen to depend on each other and design drills that will develop their ability to communicate and work as one mind.

Competition can bring out the best and the worst in all of us. Again, build opportunities for the players to compete within themselves, among themselves, and with you the coach - mentally, not physically. Draw out of them the negative sides of competition which can include poor sportsmanship, blaming poor performances on others, and making excuses - and reinforce the positive results of competition which include hard work and determination despite the results. Focus, as well, on other life skills.

The Electric Company, Hogs, and The Mushroom Society

Without the line, football would just be a game of catch. That is one of the first basics I cover with our linemen. The offensive line and our knuckle dragging distant cousins. the defensive line, are the heart and soul of the game of football. and A great sense of pride needs to be cultured in the hard core, old fashioned, type of physicality that is required of linemen, rather then complaining about not getting any attention.

The Electric Company turned on the Juice in the 70's and the Hogs went wild in the 80's. A few professional teams's offensive lines have truly embraced the pride in unit philosophy and refuse to speak to the media. Developing an identity and pride in their role in the game of football is essential. I was lucky enough to play on an offensive line that averaged 250 yards rushing a game. We blocked for the all time leading rusher and we still hold the record for most rushing yards in a season. Only one of us was an all conference player and none of us will ever have to worry about preparing a hall of fame speech. Few individuals are ever remembered in the trenches but great lines will live forever.

Bob Wylie, veteran professional offensive line coach, Mushroom Society founding member, and annual organizer of the C.O.O.L. clinic (Coaches of the Offensive Line) has been quoted as saying that the offensive line has a lot in common with a mushroom because, "both are kept in the dark, both are fed a lot of manure, and both are expected to flourish."

Build You Own Leaders

Encourage older more experienced players to coach the young less experienced linemen. This can build camaraderie among the linemen. It will also help the older players to understand their assignments if they can explain it to someone else and it develops leadership qualities within the corp. This also has the added effect of developing the younger players at a quicker pace. Fellow players may have the ability to reach their younger counterparts in a way that you - the old coach - may not.

Stretch Your Zone

I am not referring to zone blocking principles but rather your personal comfort zone. Don't be afraid to experiment with new drills and new ways of doing things. Keep it fresh for you and players from year to year. I'm not advocating change for change sake. By all means you should keep your most effective drills that have proven effective over the years. Keep what has worked for you and find new ways to get routine things done. You become are a better coach when you step out of your comfortable routines and force yourself to examine skills from new perspectives. More importantly, your players will improve if they are forced to adjust on the run just as they do during the course of a game. A little bit of uncertainty and discomfort forces players and coaches to increase their focus rather then resting in comfortable ruts.

Check Your Ego

As the offensive line coach you are in the same situation as the young men you respect and demand excellence of everyday. You are as invisible as your offensive linemen but you probably knew this when you took the job - probably being a former lineman yourself. Live out the things you teach your linemen everyday. Sublimate your ego and your desire for recognition for the success of the team. The people that actually know the sport, your fellow coaches, know that good coaching is a lot like good parenting. Good players and good kids don't happen by accident. There is someone behind the scenes paying close attention to every move.

HBO

If you remember nothing else about this article then remember this: successful offensive linemen and young men of good character that may play other less significant positions such as QB, will understand the concept of HBO or "Help a Brother Out." This philosophy applies when a lineman misses a block and he yells "look out" to a QB hoping he can duck just before being crushed from his blindside. It applies when a player encourages a teammate who is competing for the same position. It applies when two teammates have been out drinking and the third takes their car keys and refuses to relinquish them. It applies to the thousand-yard rusher who looks for his linemen after every score instead of running through the end zone to celebrate individually in the limelight. It applies when the larger more popular student stands up against his friends in defense of a smaller, weaker peer who is being harassed. It applies to every phase of the offensive line and to every aspect of football. The three most important letters in football are not WIN but rather H.B.O. H.B.O. will help you achieve more wins than speed, skill, and strength ever will.

Karl Liedtka just completed his tenth year as offensive line coach at Lebanon High School (PA). He also coached at Lebanon Valley College and is a 1991 graduate of Lebanon Valley. He can be reached at lliedtka@lebanon.k12.pa.us

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