BLOG

Know Your DB History: Ty Law

By now the New England Patriots have developed a nice reputation for developing and producing solid cornerbacks in the National Football League.  However,  there is an entire generation that doesn’t know or won’t remember the man who kicked it all off.  That man’s name is Ty Law.

Football fans’ discussions about who was the best from the previous era usually centers around names like Champ Bailey,  Charles Woodson and right before them Deion Sanders or Rod Woodson.  Lost in the greatness of those individuals is a lockdown cornerback named Ty Law.  Who knows why some guys’ greatness gets kicked under the table but have no fear,  All Eyes DB Camp is here to place Law’s resume front and center back onto the desk.

Law began his football career in Beaver Creek,  Pennsylvania at Alquippa High School.  What should shock you is that,  Law was the first of two NFL Hall of Fame cornerbacks to come from that same high school.  Also hailing from the same halls of Alquippa was everyone’s favorite 1-on-1 cornerback,  Darrelle Revis.  Perhaps Revis had a man to look up to as he was coming up because Ty Law was it.  Law as a three sport star at Alquippa,  playing football,  basketball and running track.  Like Revis after him,  Law would be a solid basketball player and be named his team’s MVP.  In football,  Law played all over the place for the Quips.  His time on the gridiron saw him line up at safety,  cornerback,  running back and wide receiver.  Following his high school career,  Law would sign with and attend the University of Michigan.

In Ann Arbor,  Law had a solid but unremarkable career.  He would letter three seasons and did make All Big Ten his final two seasons but he was not a Thorpe Award winner or Heisman Trophy candidate like his fellow Michigan alum that came after him,  Charles Woodson.  Law was good enough though to enter the NFL draft after this junior year and saw his time for the Maize and Blue end with 8 career interceptions.  In the 1995 NFL Draft,  Law would be picked 23rd overall by the New England Patriots and coach Bill Parcells.  Ironically,  Law would play for three Hall of Fame coaches while playing for the Patriots,  Parcells, Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick.

Law would become a starter midway through his rookie season and go on to nab three interceptions during his initial campaign.  He would duplicate that three interception performance the following year as the Patriots went to the Super Bowl.  When new coach Pete Carroll came to town,  Law would have yet another three interception season and tally 11 pass break ups.  His fourth year would be what you could call his breakout year.  In 1998,  few,  if any,  could say they were better than Ty Law.  In a league that had the likes of Deion Sanders, Rod Woodson, Charles Woodson and Eric Allen playing in it,  Law surpassed them all with 9 interceptions to lead the league.  That would earn him his first Pro Bowl selection and a $50 million contract the following season.

Law’s budding NFL career would reach rock star status though when William Belichick came to town in 2000.  A master of defensive schemes,  Belichick crafted and unleashed a weapon in Law to quell opponents’ passing attacks.  Law would find himself matched up on opponent’s best wide receivers and would severely limit their effectiveness.  Explosive offenses like the Peyton Manning Indianapolis Colts started to sprout up and Belichick used Law extensively in his scheme to frustrate them.  The sticky coverage by Law was an integral part of the early Super Bowl runs by the Belichick Patriots.  In 2001,  the Patriots won their first Super Bowl and Law played an important part picking off Kurt Warner in the game and returning it 47 yards for a touchdown.  Just the season before,  the Kurt Warner led Rams ran through the league with their high flying passing attack and won the Super Bowl.  In five seasons with Belichick,  Law would earn three Super Bowl rings,  make the Pro Bowl five times and be named All Pro twice.

In 2005,  Law’s time with the Patriots was up and he moved on to division rival the New York Jets.  Showing everyone that he was not done yet,  Law turned in his best statistical year as a pro collecting 10 interceptions for 195 yards and 1 touchdown for 74 yards.  He would also add 18 pass deflections to the stat sheet to go along with a fumble forced and another recovered.  For the 2nd time in his career,  Law would lead the NFL in interceptions.

The lockdown defender from Alquippa HS and the University of Michigan would go on to play four more years in the NFL with the Jets, Chiefs and Broncos before retiring in 2009.  In 15 years as a pro,  Law would rack up a ton of honors.  This included three Super Bowl titles (4 appearances), 5 Pro Bowl selections,  2 All Pro honors,  All 2000 NFL decade team and in 2019 named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.   Law’s career can stand up to anyone else who has played the game at the position of cornerback.

DBs You Have to Rehearse Success

I am certain that you are playing the game to be successful.  Of course no one is out there just to be out there or at least I hope not.  If you have been at this for a while,  you realize that there are many components to success but one of the ones that I think most don’t give much thought to is the mental aspect.  In this article,  I will discuss a component to the mental part of the game and that is rehearsing success.

Several years ago,  a video surfaced of then New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees going through a whole 80 yard,  multiple play drive by himself on the field the day before a game.  For many,  this may have seemed weird but for me,  I totally understood the process.  I am sure we all dream about success in the upcoming game but just how much and how organized are those dreams?  Is just dreaming about it enough?

Ask anyone who has reached elite status in their chosen endeavor and they will tell you that they had a strong conviction in their belief that they would one day be where they are now.  However,  as I like to say,  the devil is in the details.  It’s one thing to do all the prep work like watch film,  take notes in the meeting,  pay attention during the walk throughs and be focused during the practice sessions.  Those things are the bare minimum for the entire defensive unit to have success.  What will take you to the next level though?

Just like actors on stage who go out and give you a great performance when you attend the show,  you must rehearse success.  I am not insisting that you go out and run through a 10 play drive like Drew Brees but I am not saying you shouldn’t either.  Falling short of doing that,  I am telling you to have some intent with your dreams.

During my senior year in high school,   I was chosen for the Riverside County (California) All Star Game.  This was big for me.  I did not do much during my junior season but I did manage to have an outstanding senior year.  This All Star game was going to be my cherry on top.  This would be my chance to prove that I was no fluke and that I deserved to be among the greats.  When my father would go off to work and I had the house to myself,  it was rehearsal time.  I saw myself catching the kickoffs and running through the would be tacklers.  I faked out the living room couch,  shook the kitchen table,  darted by the dining room chairs I set up and broke into the open field.  I saw myself catching interceptions and sprinting down the hallway,  also known as the sidelines.  I did this for a solid three weeks before the game.

Finally the game came and I was on stage.  I played on offense and had three long catches,  one for a touchdown.  I had two 40+ yard kick off returns.  I had an interception with a 35 yard return where I darted by some would be tacklers.  Just for kicks, I had a big hit in the end zone to break up a pass.  In a game featuring the best of the best in the county,  I walked away with the MVP.  This came as no shock to me.  That probably sounds totally arrogant but the truth is that I rehearsed all of this.  If I was allowed to give a speech I would have thanked the living room couch,  the kitchen table and the dining room chairs amongst others.  I rehearsed the success that I wanted to achieve and subconsciously,  my mind knew what to do when the moment came.

I took this practice with me into my college football career.  Every Friday night,  I would play out what I wanted to have happen on Saturday.  When I turned my playing career into a coaching career,  I impressed this upon my players.  Preparation is the key to success and part of that success is intentionally,  actively and with great focus,  play out what you want to have happen.  Try it and watch how your mind takes over when the moments come.

He’s Bigger Than Me, I Can’t Cover Him

Playing defensive back ain’t easy.  I’m not telling you anything you don’t know but what can complicate your situation even more is when you enter your battle feeling defeated already because the wide receiver has an attribute that you feel gives them an advantage.

Few positions in football have seen more dramatic changes in body type of the last two decades than receiver.  Once a position resigned for shorter quicker players with speed,  wide outs have morphed into bigger more power forward looking types that have still managed to be just as fast as the little guys.

Some defensive backs get intimidated by the size of receiver.  I am not saying that is you (no one is under oath here) but if this has ever been you or someone you know,  I am going to show your 4 things you need to do neutralize the size difference and win the matchup.

(1) Know Yourself 

The first step in winning any battle is having a keen and honest knowledge of yourself.  What are your strengths and your weaknesses.  Are you good in press?  Do you have the feet and technique to play off?  When playing press,  are you strong and aggressive or is playing soft in press your comfort zone?  Once you have a strong sense of who you are,  now you can adequately determine what tools you are going to use to matchup against your bigger opponent.

(2) Study the Opponent

You should know how the wide receiver is that you are going to face before you get to game day.  No one wants to show up to pre-game and get completely blown away by how big the guy you have to match up against this week is.  Make sure you watch all the film available on him and use the sources on the internet to get an accurate description of his height and weight.

Next do your due diligence on his skills.  Is he strong vs. press.  Even though he is big,  is he actually physical?  Has anyone really pressed him?  If not,  he may not be all that good dealing with it.  Sometimes big guys intimidate people so much that they never really ever get tested.  For all you know,  he’s a real teddy bear.  How is he getting out of his breaks?  Is he a lumbering big guy that beats the drum and gives off clues to the routes he’s going to run?  How is he catching the ball?  Does he win most of the 50 /50 balls that come his way?  Winning this physical match-up is going to come as a result of your preparation for the battle.

Finally,  if your bigger wide receiver is really solid in all phases then you should spend a good amount of time studying the quarterback.  Truth of the matter is that the wide receiver can be big all he wants,  if his quarterback has weaknesses then you can exploit those to prevent them from making connections.  Are there routes the quarterback can’t throw?  Does he give off signals as to what is coming?  Study the signal caller.

(3) Play to Your Strengths

If the receiver is significantly bigger than you then you should have either a quickness or speed advantage.  As I said,  know yourself.  If you are a smaller defensive back,  you should already have been putting in work on your technique and IQ.  These two things should make you pretty sound in playing off man.  If your opponent is very good vs. press,  then you are going to play off against him and use your technique to cut off his routes.  Your superior feet and proper study should put you in a position to beat him to the spot on a lot of the passes coming his way.  Beating him to the spot or cutting him off from his routes can limit his effectiveness and frustrate him.

If you are really good in press despite being smaller,  use that in the beginning.  You should do that especially if you see that the bigger receiver is not very good vs press or has not had much experience against it.  You should not be intimidated from pressing him if that is what you are really good at.  Just be smart about how you deploy it.  Use proper leverage when you are in the red zone and if you have help on certain plays,  make sure you know where it is and position yourself properly.

(4) Win the Mental Game

The last thing you need to do going into the match-up is defeat yourself before the first snap happens.  If you have prepared then you are in position to win.  Now you must think like and act like victory is yours.  Truth of the matter is that size does not = win.  Preparation is what leads to victory.  If you have studied yourself and your opponent then you have what you need to make a victorious game plan.  Once that plan has been established,  believe in it and your ability to execute it.  You already know as a defensive back that receivers will win some of the battles.  What we are trying to win is the war.  Don’t get dejected if should happen to jump over you for a catch,  muscle you off the line for a play or two.  Move to the next phase in your plan and execute.  Not to sound too cliche but he might win a battle however you are out to win the war.  Stay on your plan and strong mentally.

Implement these four things into your next match-up against a big body wide receiver and watch how your open up some eyes by holding more than your own.

If you haven’t done so already,  consider getting your advanced degree in Coverology by joining the All Eyes DB Camp Member’s Area.  200+ videos on drills, coverages, tips, techniques and more.  Click here for more info. 

Have a Next Play Mentality

You kind of missed the jam at the line of scrimmage,  the receiver got a step on you and you are in chase mode.  You are running like a bat out of hell to catch up but you’re not reeling him back in.  In the midst of your panic you become faintly aware of the buzz of the crowd.  ‘The ball is coming’.  As you stride with seemingly a ton of hope wrapped around your legs,  you see the ball fall into that wide receiver’s hands and he’s off to the races.  You’re moving in slow motion now having an out of body experience.  You can’t believe this is happening.

If you have played the defensive back position,  you have experienced what I just described.  Perhaps it wasn’t just like that but you have given up a big play and or touchdown.  The moment that receiver hits the end zone,  the mindset must be on to the next.  For those who have not played this position or the game,  that thought might seem careless.  However,  for those of us who have,  that mindset is about survival.

In this day in age where common folks get to make their voice heard on social media as many times as they want and in as obnoxious a fashion as they please,  it is tough not to give thought to what some people may have to say about the play you just gave up.  Not to be rude but who the %$#@ cares what a fan who has never walked in your shoes thinks about what you are doing out there?  Three people matter when you are out on the field:  your coaches,  your teammates and yourself.  The one person you are in control of though is you and I am telling you that you must forget that play quicker than it happened.

Here’s the plus side to giving up a big play.  It’s an invitation for the offense to try you again.  This is a good thing unless you decide to remain hung up on the error you made.  If your mindset is not “they got lucky” then you might find yourself unlucky.  Of course,  you have to quickly learn from what happened on the play in question.  Was it a miscommunication in the coverage?  What is it an error in technique?  Quickly determine what the problem was and file it away.

What you can’t do is go shaking in your boots and have PTSD.  As I mentioned before,  the offense is coming again.  If the thought of that makes you sick to your stomach then you might not be built for this.  If that thought excites you then you are on your way to being the playmaker that your team needs.  Certainly you don’t want to be a guy that gives up big plays on the regular but you must realize that they happen.  When they do,  you must get excited about what’s coming next.  What’s next is an opportunity and you must be prepared mentally to take advantage of it.

So after you give up the big one,  tighten up on your technique,  get some positive energy in your mind and prepare yourself to be the man when the quarterback rolls the dice in your direction and comes up ‘snake eyes’.

How Do I Cover a _______ Route?

One of the most common questions I get either by email or in my DM’s on Instagram ( @alleyesdbcamp ) is,  “coach how do I cover a <insert route>?” This understandable but head scratchable at the same time.

Covering one specific route is like trying to lose body fat in just one area.  That’s not how that works.  Unless you know for sure a route is coming or you are just going to ridiculously over play a route then the answer to covering a <insert route> is to improve your fundamentals on covering all routes.

Now that we have gotten that out of the way,  let’s talk about three key ingredients to covering routes.  Cover your bases on these three things and you are going to put yourself in pretty solid position to cover that route that’s giving you trouble while not giving up just about every other route in the route tree.   Let’s face it,  I could tell you that the way to cover a go route is to turn around and start running back when the ball is snapped.  However,  you will undoubtedly begin to suck at covering the hitch, slant, quick out, curl, comeback, dig and probably the post.  You’ll be on the bench until the offense is facing a 3rd and 35.

First thing you must pay attention to when playing coverage is your alignment.  I could argue that this is the most important but unfortunately it’s one that many guys take for granted.  I can’t tell you how often I see guys line up at five or six yards when they are in off man coverage or line head up in press when they should have outside leverage.  If you align wrong,  you will be singing a sad song.  Know what your leverage is,  line up at the proper depth and know where your help is located.  If you don’t know what those things are supposed to be then you better find out quickly.

Second,  get your eyes in the right place.  “Coach I keep getting beat inside on the slant when I am in press.”  Rest assured that your eyes are in the wrong place when the ball gets snapped.  You are either looking at the receiver’s head or shoulders.  This gives you a late read on his movement and that allows him to take your leverage away from you.  If you are in outside leverage and you are supposed to have help inside then a slant is not the worst thing in the world that can happen to you.  Even in man coverage,  there are some routes you have to be willing to give up and some others that are an absolute no no.  So for instance,  giving up a slant route in 2 man is a sin.  Giving up that same route in Cover 1 is not as frowned upon.

Finally,  make proper use of angles.  The truth of the matter is that you win with angles in man coverage.  Being able to cut off routes, get to the upfield shoulder or merge into hips when the ball arrives is all a function of you taking the right angles.  This is the case whether playing off man or press man.  Taking the proper angle to cut off routes or be at the hip when the ball arrives should be your aim at all times.  Always be aware of the angles you are taking.  Don’t chase jams in press when the receiver is gone already.  That’s a good way to end up in chase mode.  Don’t break underneath routes in off man when you should be breaking for the upfield shoulder.  Understand angles,  apply them and watch how you are solid against the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9 and all other funky routes the offense throws at you.

I go more in-depth on eye discipline, alignment and angles with all of the members of my member’s area.  It really is a master class on playing defensive back.  Check it out and consider joining if you want to take your game to it’s highest level.  Click here for the All Eyes DB Camp Member’s Area.

Safeties: Survey the Land

I saw a recent interview with Davante Adams where he was discussing what he does when he comes to the line of scrimmage.  According to Mr. Adams,  he puts on his Terminator mask,  scans the DB and determines the many possibilities available to him to win at the line of scrimmage.  Adams may be a little drunk with success at the moment but it got me thinking,  this is what safeties should be doing when they line up.

As a safety in the post or on the hash,  you have a unique vantage point as you set up behind your teammates.  As the deepest man on the field,  you can essentially have a clear view of every member of the offense.  To you,  things can literally look like they do on film.

With this being the case,  a safety should scan the formation and determine the number of possibilities from the offense.  Many young safeties just take their spot on the field (hopefully at the proper depth) and just sit their waiting to react to something.  When you are playing right you are anticipating the moves by the offense instead of being caught on your heels having to react to everything they do.

Anticipation is a by product of film study.  However,  the film study must translate to on field performance.  To do that,  a safety must take careful note of what is happening in front of him.  Like Adams,  you should be putting your Terminator mask on and scanning the enemy.  How many backs are in the backfield?  Where is the tight end located and how is he aligned?  What are the splits by the wide receivers and what do they mean? Furthermore,  safeties should be reading the uncovered linemen pre-snap to get clues.  Finally,  a careful examination of the quarterback as he gets ready to call the cadence could be the ultimate tell.  Heck,  the quarterback is doing the same to your defense when he comes to the line of scrimmage.

Guess who the safety is on defense?  Yes,  you guessed it,  the quarterback.  Use your eyes to scan the offense and collect data.  From there you can cancel out possible plays and zero in on a handful of things that can result from the information you gather.  After you have done that,  it becomes easier to call out any coverage checks,  communicate with defenders and move guys into position.  On top of that,  you can get the jump on plays you expect to come after your suspicions are confirmed with the action post snap.

Above all other things,  intelligence is a must for a safety.  Show me a non-intelligent safety and I’ll show you a defense that has to be simple.  If you are very simple on defense then you are really relying on your athletes being better than your opponent’s.  At some point,  you will find out that isn’t always the case.  That’s when the trouble starts.  Don’t limit your defense by not being smart enough to study,  intelligent enough to understand what you are seeing and not savvy enough to line up your fellow defenders.  Survey the offensive landscape and pick up the clues.

Control Your Body Language

Ever felt like a coach had it out for you?  In your mind,  you don’t cause any problems,  you do everything you you’re supposed to do and you don’t suck,  so why are you not playing?  It could be this funny little big thing known as body language.

Talk to a player about his body language and it will quite often fall on deaf ears.  It’s simply not something that guys focus on but boy are you going to wish you did pay attention once things start going downhill.  When you are a player there are some things that just don’t enter your mind.  I used to be there.  I got older,  I stopped playing and then started coaching.  Body language of players started shouting at me. I remember wishing that I had coached football first before playing it.

Unfortunately,  I was not able to be a coach first and that’s typically how this thing works.  However,  the next best thing I can do is write articles like this one to help out those enough who are smart enough to read them.  A coach will get as much or more clues from a player and his readiness to play from his body language as opposed to what he actually says.

When you are a coach you know that if you ask a player if he’s ready to play, he’s going to tell you “yes” 9.5 times out of 10.  I am not necessary saying that players lie.  Sometimes players just aren’t ready to play and they don’t realize that.  Coaches rely more on reading a player’s body language to determine their readiness.

Most coaches will tell you that they are more nervous as coaches before a game than they ever were as players.  As a player you feel you have more control over the outcome..  As a coach,  you can feel totally helpless.  For this reason,  most coaches will go with guys they trust the most over guys who are “talented”.  How do coaches gauge trust,  through body language.

So if you’re a guy that likes to look down at the ground or in the other direction when your coach is talking then he’s going to have trust issues.  He’s not sure if you heard him and he’s not trying to find out on game day if you did or not.  If you are the player that hangs his head every time he gets beat on a play then coach is not too sure that you will be able to keep it together when you allow a catch in a game.  There are also players who tend to look like a nervous wreck when it’s their time to take reps.  I can assure you that a coach isn’t playing that guy.  If you’re nervous then your coach is nervous and everyone’s throwing up.  No bueno.

If you want to get playing time then outside of the obvious like know your alignment, assignments and techniques,  control your body language.  Look your coach in the eye when he’s speaking unless it’s during a play.  Show some command when you are out on the field.  Display confidence at all times and part of that is going to be knowing your assignments.  Next,  defensive backs get beat.  It’s part of the job description.  Don’t turn into a mental case because a receiver did what receivers do and that is catch a ball.  Line up with confidence on the next play.  Finally,  have some energy when you are out on the field.  Guys who line up in competitive situations and don’t attack it with energy give off the impression that they don’t want to be there.  Why would a coach play a guy that doesn’t want to play?

Your body speaks when you are at practice and in games.  What is it telling your coach when you are out there?  Be aware of what it’s saying and make sure it’s saying “put me in coach”.  I guarantee you that your coach is listening.

These Reps Will Raise Your Game to the Next Level

It’s that time of year,  practice is in full go and by now some of the excitement you may have felt in the early going is giving way to the fatigue and repetitiveness of camp activities.  While this may be true for everybody,  only a small handful of defensive backs do what I will describe today and they get an edge because of it.

If you are like most players at practice,  you do you reps when it is your turn and then you jog to the back of the line or off to the sidelines and await your next turn.  While you are there you let your mind wander.  Perhaps you will occasionally play over in your mind what just happened during your rep (especially if you did it wrong) and within a few moments your brain is on to something else.

I don’t know if you realize it and it may not seem like it but the majority of your time during practice is spent waiting.  You are either waiting for your next turn in Indy or for the next time your group goes in during 7on7 or team.  Most guys waste that time and like I said,  it’s the biggest amount of time you spend.  The common defensive back is only active mentally when they are involved physically.

If you want to be a really savvy DB that improves fast,  make use of that downtime in between reps.  Early on in camp and the season,  spend your time in indy waiting for your next rep going over in your mind how to master the drill.  Perhaps you even go through the steps off to the side as a rehearsal until it is your time to go again.  Sure this may require some energy but you only have 1:30 to 2 hours to get better.  When you think about it,  that’s not that long to focus.  Once you have reached the point of understanding how to do the drill spend your downtime watching guys who are better than you at the drill.  Study what it is they do to make them so good at it.  This way you learn from both the coach and the other players.  When you master the techniques you win the reps.  When you win the reps you make big plays.

When it comes to 7on7 and team periods,  early in the year,  spend the time hearing the calls made by the defensive coordinator.  If you are new to the defense and still learning it,  imagine yourself playing the play with the call that was just made.  Few things will help you learn the defense than doing this.  You are literally stealing reps by using your mind.  When you do this,  you will quickly begin to understand where everyone is supposed to be on each call made.

Once you have learned everyone’s job on defense,  spend your time in between your reps studying the offense.  It doesn’t matter if it’s your own team’s offense.  Learn the offense and how it works.  Pay attention to where guys line up,  what the quarterback says and what plays come as a result.  Understanding your team’s offense will give you an understanding of offense in general.  When you acquire that understanding,  it becomes easier to figure out other teams’ offenses.  Studying film becomes easier and things start to make more sense.

The most misused reps by a football player are mental reps.  Too often guys let their minds wander.  Stay engaged and remain focused at practice.  This is not physically hard and it’s a low impact way to get better fast.  Give this a try at your next practice and watch what it does for you.  You will wonder why you didn’t start doing it sooner.

I Saw These Two GOATs on the Field At the Same Time and It Changed Everything

I know what you came here for.  You came here for a story on how I witnessed a game long 1-on-1 battle between the greatest cornerback and greatest wide receiver in NFL history.  Sorry to disappoint you but don’t leave.  What I am going to testify to will enrich your mindset.

I have had this saying for 32 years now.  It simply goes like this “success is not an accident”  I didn’t take it from a book or off of a caption on some picture.  It literally came into my head as I stared out of the head coach’s window at the University of Miami in January of 1995.

I had completed my senior season at the University of Miami and was in the weight room prepping for pre-NFL draft workouts.  The city of Miami was fortunate enough to be hosting the Super Bowl that year and fortunately for me it was featuring my favorite player,  Deion Sanders.  Sanders had left the Atlanta Falcons and joined the San Francisco 49ers that season.  He also enjoyed what I believe was his best year as a pro.  This was prime Prime Time in 1994.  He racked up 6 interceptions and returned them for 303 yards including three touchdowns.  Add to that he bitch slapped former teammate Andre Rison in a much publicized fist to cuffs in his return to the Georgia Dome earlier in the season.  Deion was already a legend before he arrived in the Bay Area but in this season he became legendary.

To my great fortune,  the San Francisco 49ers were using our facility to practice and prep for their matchup against the San Diego Chargers.  On this particular day,  a couple of us players in the weight room decided to go up to head coach Dennis Erickson’s office to watch them practice.  What I saw blew my mind.

Leading up to this,  I was of the impression that Deion Sanders was largely successful because he was blessed with 4.2 speed,  elite jumping ability, long arms and a go get it mentality.  There was no social media then so there was little out there about his work ethic.  There were no video taped workouts in 4k that I could view from my smart phone.  What I witnessed on the practice field told a story.   Prime Time took none of the things I mentioned for granted.  He competed on every snap in practice.  When the play was away from him during team period,  he sprinted across the field to get to the ball carrier.  Why?  He was in year six of a career in which he already made multiple All Pro and Pro Bowl rosters and been named Defensive Player of the Year.  He had already proven his point.

Working across from Prime Time was Jerry Rice.  Rice had already cemented his legacy as the best in the game by this point.  He was in his 11th year and had done everything thing a single player could do in the game.  Unlike Deion though,  Rice’s work ethic was highly publicized.  Running hills, perfecting routes and catching bricks from his dad was all a part of his legend.  However,  he had already spent over a decade in the game and was playing in his 4th Super Bowl.  This had to be old to him by now.   Not a chance.

I had never seen anyone practice like Jerry Rice did that day.  It was borderline OCD.  Rice would catch a pass during team period and sprint all the way to the end zone every time.  He would then run back down and be ready for his next snap as the 49ers didn’t waste time at practice.  They weren’t going to wait for Jerry,  that next play was getting run.  They didn’t have to wait,  he was there,  in his stance and ready to go.  When the first unit came off of the field,  you would think he would take a knee and recover.  Not this man.  Rice grabbed a trainer for what I thought would be to get an I.V.  No,  he had the trainer throw him footballs non-stop until it was time for him to go back out on the field.  It was insane.

For their final act,  when the whistle blew to end the period,  Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders sprinted to the next field for the upcoming period.  They were seemingly racing to the field.  Our time to be able to watch the practice was up and I remember stepping away from the window thoroughly impressed,  if I could used that word.  Immediately in my head,  I thought “success is not an accident.”  It is a mentality that drives a conscious series of decisions that are focused on getting what you want.  Then I thought,  I should hit a casino and put everything on the 49ers because there ain’t %$#@ the Chargers are going to be able to do about this.  This turned out to be right as the 49ers blew out San Diego 49-26.  Rice had a touchdown and Deion had an INT.  Neither of those things were just luck.

So,  if you are ever around me and hear me say “success is not an accident” you know where it came from and remember why I said it.  You get in life what you focus on.  Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice were gifted by God to play but they did not take any of that for granted.  They are immortalized in the profession for having done it.

4 Things Every Press Man Corner Needs to Be Elite

Playing press corner is a demanding job.  We are all aware of the kind of athleticism the position requires but what are some of the less notable requirements that one needs to excel?  IN this article we will talk about exactly what those attributes are and how they help you win.

Eye Discipline

I consider this to be the most important of the attributes.  (No shock,  the name of the site is All Eyes DB Camp). As I’ve told the guys that have played for me and that I’ve trained,  you can play the game with an ankle sprain.  You can play with a cast on your arm but you can’t play if your vision is impaired. You can’t cover what you can’t see.  Victory at the line of scrimmage awaits the player who has the discipline to focus on the proper area of the receiver once he moves.  Virtually all corners playing press can line up and look the receiver’s hips before the ball is snapped.  Less corners are able to keep their eyes in that spot once the ball is snapped and even fewer are able to maintain that focus as the routes move further down the field.  The defenders that are really good at press all have that ability.  Being able to maintain focus as the action starts allows you to mirror a wide receiver’s moves better.  Eyes in the right spot allow you to notice the change of direction sooner and thus be in better position to react.  If there’s one thing a defensive back should commit to improving it’s eye discipline.  You could never have too much.

Solid Lateral Quickness

More and more these days,  receivers are finding ways to move press defenders side to side at the line of scrimmage.  They are also skilled at getting outside of a defender’s frame and exploding upfield.  Lateral quickness has always been a necessity as a bump and run corner but never as much as right now.  Along with the increased size and athleticism of wide receivers today,  their knowledge of beating press is at an all time high.  There is no shortage of receiving teachers impressing on their pupils ways to move away from aggressive press defenders and separate at the line of scrimmage.  With that being the case,  the ability to move side to side must match the improvements that receivers are making.  On top of that,  being able to suddenly change from one direction to another has never been more essential.  Sure,  developing speed should be a part of the defensive back’s development but doing so without the addition of acquiring lateral quickness is not ideal.

Strong Hands

I’ve always called the hands the icing on the cake.  Here’s we know about icing.  It may be last but it sure is important.  After the eyes and the feet have put a defender in solid position,  it’s time to strike.  If the strike is weak you run the risk of the receiver winning the rep.  Weak hands make for weak jams.  Thumping a receiver in the chest or shoulder changes his plans.  Over the long term,  it defeats his spirit and takes him out of character.  Eventually the receivers’ moves aren’t as crisp and his timing is not as sharp.  Wide receivers feel like they can deal with your body being in front of them but when a defensive back’s hands start thundering into their posture,  route running stops becoming as much fun.  The other place where strong hands make their mark is when the ball arrives.  The stronger a defensive backs’ hands,  the more balls he catches.  The stronger a defensive backs’ hands the more force he generates when he punches through the hands on a reception to cause a pass break up.  All defensive backs should aim to develop strength in their hands by training their grip and their press power (push ups!).

Route IQ

Finally,  no man excels at sport without instincts.  Physical traits are cool but if you want to stand on the mountain top your brain must lead your body.  A defensive back that has a good idea of what’s coming either before the snap or during the route,  stands a good chance of defending it.  Route IQ is best developed through experience and repetition.  However,  through studying,  a player can speed up the process.  Watch film,  watch games and study offenses to up your IQ.  Gaining an understanding of how offenses work will give you the ability to defend them better.  That’s just common sense.  A punch anticipated is a punch avoided.  Build your anticipation by studying the moves of your opponent.  Be obsessed with knowing their moves, their thoughts and their plans.  When you know them better than they know themselves,  the fun as a press defender really starts.

If studying is what you want to do,  join me in the All Eyes DB Camp Member’s Area.  Nothing will up your IQ faster.  Close to 200 videos on everything you need to reach elite status.  Get more info here.

Page 14 of 27
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27