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When it Comes to Dominating at DB, Knowledge is the Key

By: Chad Wilson – Owner – All Eyes DB Camp
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

There he was,  the other team’s top wide receiver and the best pass catcher in the county jogging out of the huddle to his spot on the left side of their formation.  Tasked with keeping a handle on his explosive output,  I trotted over to line up on him.  If you are playing present day high school football,  what I did next would seem odd.  If you are learning how to play the position on your own then not so much.

As the tall angular wide receiver got into his stance ready to zoom off,  I took my position, one yard off and one yard inside of him.  I was also turned to the side facing him cutting off any path inside for a slant or crossing route.  Basically,  I was telling him you’re not going inside and we are just going to race down the field and see who wins.  I was pretty damn sure he wasn’t going to out run me.  It was an odd way to line up in “bump and run” coverage but it was all I knew at the time and it worked for me.

To my credit,  I did my job that night.  That wide receiver caught one pass for a minimal gain.  Oddly enough it was a slant,  the very route I was aligned to totally eliminate.  Not bad for a running back who was moonlighting as a cornerback.  My efforts, along with that of my teammates, was enough to give us a pivotal win against a league rival.  Proud as I was of my nailing my assignment then is as funny as it is to me now to think about how I lined up in press for the entire game.   Knowing what I know now doesn’t allow it to be anything other than hilarious.

What worked for me that night would not work for me as I progressed to the college level.  Discarding my dream of being a running back,  I was now a full time cornerback who signed up to play in a pass happy league known as the Big West.  My team, Long Beach State,  also featured some accomplished pass catchers and a worthy passing attack.  Lining up in front of future San Diego Charger Mark Seay cocked inside and looking crazy drew a puzzled look from the veteran.  The puzzled look after the snap belonged to me as Seay buzzed by me, stacked me and faded outside of me 50 yards down field to easily catch the pass I never saw over his shoulder.  Welcome to the big leagues.

Granted,  I shunned aside what I was taught in the early part of that first practice to unleash my “super technique” that worked so well for me in high school.  As expected,  the booming sound of my college defensive back coach piped in like a jet engine roaring overhead after Seay caught the ball.  It was time to learn how to play cornerback for real.  Athletic talent alone was not going to be enough.

The most important thing for a defensive back as he progresses through the levels (youth, high school, college and pro) is to acquire as much knowledge as possible.  Just as it is important for you to grow stronger and get faster,  it is important to get wiser.  Great defensive backs are hungry for knowledge.  It really is the food that fuels your future performance.  There are many aspects to playing the position and the game.  If you aren’t hungry to maximize your knowledge in each facet of the game then you will end up being that guy cocked inside trying to win versus elite competition.

At no point should it be ok for you to leave a stone unturned in the area of learning the game.  Once you’ve thoroughly grasped your techniques,  it’s time to learn the defense.  Once you’ve learned the defense,  it’s time to thoroughly understand what the offense is doing and on and on and on.  You will not reach your full potential as a defender if you aren’t constantly seeking information on how to play.  When they say curiosity killed the cat,  they were not talking about defensive backs.

Thinking back on my experiences as a high school defensive back and how gaining knowledge so dramatically improved my game is the major reason I got into coaching and now training.  I have dedicated an entire online member’s area to educating players not only in my local area but nationwide and internationally.  I am fully aware how discovering techniques, drills, coverages and info on how offenses operate can take your game to the next level.  If I were playing today,  I would not be caught at the line of scrimmage without it.

With that said,  allow me to shamelessly plug my member’s area as I feel it is extremely important for defensive backs to use it.  I am contacted all the time by players and coaches from all over who have used it to improve their game,  their coaching and thus their results.  Ultimately,  that is what it’s all about.  So,  if you are interested in reaching your full potential as a player or coach,  I urge you to consider joining the knowledge base I have set up for you on this website.   After all,  cocked to the side cornerbacks in press coverage just look funny.   Click here to join the All Eyes DB Camp Member’s Area.

Boss Unit: 1983 Denver Broncos

By: Chad Wilson _ All Eyes DB Camp
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

In the second installment of the Boss Unit series on All Eyes DB Camp,  I am going to talk about a team who’s defense is much maligned in the history of great defenses discussion.  This is due in large part to their inability as a team,  back in the day,  to cash in on their opportunities to win it all and that is the Denver Broncos.

It would seem strange to mention a defensive unit that was part of a team that squeaked into the playoffs as a wildcard and made a quick first round exit but let me explain.  In the 1983 draft,  the Broncos,  tired of all of the uncertainty at the quarterback position,  made the decision to trade for a cannon armed rookie out of Stanford by the name of John Elway.  Elway’s path to the Broncos via a draft day trade with the Colts is well documented and is not the topic of this article.  Whatever the case may be and however talented Elway was,  he was still a rookie in the NFL and it showed.

While Elway showed flashes of the brilliance that made him the overall #1 pick in 1983 and would eventually land him in the Hall of Fame,  his 1983 season largely looked like a typical one for a rookie quarterback.  When you toss twice as many interceptions (14) as you do touchdowns (7),  you can bet the offense was not clicking.  With that said,  if the Broncos were going to taste any success in the 1983 season,  it was going to have to be on the backs of the members of the defense.

The Orange Crush,  as the defensive unit was nicknamed,  was up for the challenge.  Denver ended the season as the 9th ranked defense in the NFL and 5th overall in team interceptions with 27.  The Denver Broncos secondary was packed with talent and out of the five starters at defensive back,  they produced 24 of those 27 interceptions.  Let’s take a look at who the bosses in this unit were.

FS – Steve Foley 

Foley was the epitome of maligned for the Broncos.  The 8th round, 199th pick of the 1975 NFL draft out of Tulane was second on the team in ’83 with five interceptions.  Being among the team / league leaders in interceptions was nothing new for Foley.  In five of Foley’s 11 seasons (all with Denver) he had five interceptions or more.  Only once in his career did he have less than three interceptions in a season.  With his high IQ and uncanny instincts,  Foley made it a point to always be around the football.  If he wasn’t intercepting the football he was knocking it loose or punishing the unfortunate person that took a hold of it.  Consider some of the great defensive backs that have played for the Broncos over the years like Steve Atwater, Champ Bailey and Aquib Talib.  None of them have more interceptions than the franchise leader Steve Foley with 44.  Not bad for an 8th round pick who was cut by the Broncos as a rookie and played for the Jacksonville Express for a season before being reacquired in his 2nd year.

CB – Louis Wright

In the same draft that saw Foley added to the Broncos,  Louis Wright came on board to the Orange Crush Family.  Wright was the 17th overall pick for the Broncos out of San Jose St.  The tall and athletic corner who hailed from California was hell in press man coverage.  At 6’2″ with long arms and track speed,  Wright was difficult for wide outs to get away from.  At 200 lbs.,  Wright was not afraid to run up and smack a running back that thought he had some yards coming on his side of the field.  Wright patrolled the left side of the Denver Secondary with heavily taped forearms looking for opportunities.  In 1983 he found the most on this boss unit.  Wright had a career and team leading six interceptions while smothering their opponents’ top receiver.  Wright would make his fourth Pro Bowl in 1983 and be a strong point in the teams’ defensive rank.

SS – Steve Wilson

Wilson formed the other half of the Steve and Steve duo in the Denver secondary.  While not the starter at strong safety,  Wilson saw a lot of action in 1983 and produced mightily when he was in there.  Wilson was tied for second with Foley in interceptions in 1983 with five.  Originally entering the NFL as an undrafted wide receiver in 1979,  Foley would eventually switch to cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys before joining the Broncos in 1982.  The 1983 season was arguably his best in the league and he fit right in to the strong Broncos’ secondary.  Wilson made good use of his wide receiver skills honed as a collegiate at Howard and his early years as a Cowboy to get into the throwing lanes and snap up passes from opposing QBs.  Wilson would end his career in the NFL with 22 interceptions after the 1988 season.

SS – Dennis Smith

The 1983 season was only the third one for Smith who was drafted 15th overall by the Broncos in the 1981 draft.  If there was one thing Smith was known for during his NFL career it was for knocking opposing ball carriers’ senseless.  Smith traveled through the Denver secondary like a prison guard delighting in dishing out a toll on anyone not wearing the Broncos’ patented high orange colors.  Smith was a sturdily built 6’3″ 200+ enforcer but in 1983 he added ball hawk to his resume.  After a pair of 1 interception seasons,  Smith broke out with four INTs on this sticky fingered unit.  Now,  opposing wide receivers running through Denver’s secondary weren’t sure if they could get separation on the corners,  avoid leading the QB into an interception by the intelligent safeties or get knocked out by the menacing Smith.  The USC grad would enjoy a 14 year career (all with Denver) in the NFL and would be a six time pro bowl selection.  Smith is a member of the Broncos’ ring of honor and is 7th on their all time interceptions list with 30.

CB – Mike Harden

Harden,  like Smith,  was one of the younger members of the Broncos’ secondary in 1983.  Between he and fellow cornerback Louis Wright,  opposing receivers found it difficult to get away from the physically imposing duo. Harden was a 6’1″ long armed corner from Central Michigan.  Not a ton was expected out of the 5th round pick in the 1980 draft but Harden over delivered.  Along with providing sticky coverage on wide outs,  Harden had similar suction on his hands when the ball came his way.  In 1983 he tied Smith with four interceptions to give quarterbacks precious few options when surveying the Denver secondary.  Along with his four interceptions in ’83,  Harden would recover three fumbles and return his INTs for 127 yards to lead the team.  Harden would go on to stack together a couple of five and six interception seasons after 1983 and end his career with 38 total.  He would spend his last two seasons with the Los Angeles Raiders but his 33 interceptions as a Denver Bronco has him 6th on their all time list.

As you can see the Denver Broncos’ secondary had at least one of everything in 1983.  They had lock down corners with Harden and Wright.  They had ball hawks with high IQs in the two Steves,  Foley and Wilson.  They also had physical enforcers with Smith and Wright.  The frustration for opposing quarterbacks was real and with the offense fighting to find it’s way with rookie Elway at the controls,  the defense,  led by the secondary,  carried the Broncos to a 9-7 record and a playoff berth.  Many will forget this Denver Broncos’ air patrol unit but not me and neither should you.

I posted a great article in my Member’s Area using practice film from the Denver Broncos of this era  entitled “This Black & White Video Can Teach You All You Need to Know About Press Man“ talking about press man.  It is one of the best press man vids out there.  You can check out the article by clicking here.  You will need to be a member to read and watch it.

 

You Can’t Cover it All By Yourself

By: Chad Wilson
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

We know how it is when you are playing defensive back. You are primarily judged, evaluated and valued by the masses based on your ability to provide “lockdown” coverage. If you can’t cover then what are you worth as a defensive back anyway? That would be like a quarterback who can’t throw.

With all this pressure to be glued to a wide receiver’s hip everywhere he goes, some defensive backs get themselves in hot water thinking they have to cover a wide receiver or a play all by themselves. Once this thought process enters your head, you and your defense are dead. Football is the ultimate team game and this includes playing man to man coverage when you are on defense.

Many a defensive back ignore the details of a coverage the moment they realize it involves man coverage. In their eyes, once it’s man that means stopping the wide receiver from going anywhere on the field and that’s just not the case. In most man coverages, the defenders locked up in coverage can get assistance from another defender if they are smart enough to use it. For instance, Cover 1 features help in the deep middle by the free safety. 2 man coverage involves help deep on the hashes by both safeties.

Selfish defenders who aren’t seeing the big picture will give up their outside leverage down the field as well as out and corner routes in cover 1. Other defenders will play over the top of receivers in 2 man only to have short routes completed when they could have been underneath the pass catcher since they had safety help over the top.

Some of the best man to man coverage defensive backs that have played the game understood leverage and where their help is. Getting help from a teammate in man coverage does not make you soft, weak or no good. Getting beat repeatedly to areas where no help exists will get you called an idiot and eventually over to the sidelines to watch from there.

Unfortunately for some, this mentality does not just stop with man coverages. Some guys play zone with this same thought process. Every defense called has it’s weakness and every zone has it’s holes. When you truly understand this as a defensive back and / or linebacker you can become an elite defender. There are times when a zone is designed to play heavy on one area of the field while leaving another area of the field untouched. The truth of the matter is that on a 53 yard wide field with only 11 defenders and typically no more than 7 or 8 in coverage, you are not going to cover everything. When greedy defenders that don’t understand the design of the defense ignore that fact, they get baited into areas of the field that were meant to be left bare. This usually starts a chain of events where a defender is pulled out of his zone and gives up a big play to an area that was supposed to be covered.

So, the moral of the story here is to first acquire a total understanding of the defense. Just knowing only your job will not be enough. Dig deep into what the defense and the defensive coordinator is trying to accomplish when the play is called. Second, don’t be a greedy player. It would look crazy if you were the only person in the huddle when the offense is in their huddle with 11 guys. With that in mind, don’t act like you are the only person on the field for your team once the ball is snapped. Everyone has a job to do and it really works out well when everybody does their 1/11th. Team defense is the best defense and it allows you to shine in the end.

Stop Playing Press All the Time

By: Chad Wilson – All Eyes DB Camp
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

One of the funniest things I see at camp every year is when the camp directors tell the defensive backs that they will have to take some reps playing off man. The majority of looks resemble an English speaking man being asked to communicate in Chinese.

Nothing will expose a defensive backs’ skills or a lack there of than asking him to play man with some space between him and the wide receiver. It is why the number one thing I look at when I am evaluating defensive backs at a camp is how they play off man. Heck, if you ask a defensive back to play press with a yard of space between him and the wide receiver you may get treated to a complete meltdown.

Listen I truly understand the need to get a viral moment at camp these days. With 300+ participants, it’s a battle royal of sorts in a quest for attention. Not to mention the amount of social media street cred you can get for man handling a wide receiver at the line of scrimmage and tossing him into the awaiting group of campers. However, no good wide receiver is going to allow you line up close enough to smell his sun tan lotion in a real situation.

Besides when you get into real games, it’s not always in your best interest to let the offense know that you are playing man which is typically what you are doing when you line up in press. You also may not have an advantage vs. some receivers when you are lined up in press.

If you are serious about reaching your full potential as a defensive back then you are going to have to learn how to become a complete one. For many young defensive backs, they think the only thing that matters is being good at press man. They want to be the next Darelle Revis but they fail to realize that Revis could do a lot more than just play press. A complete defensive back can play press but also play off man, zone, tackle, communicate, etc.

Learning how to play off man coverage gives you another tool to use against wide receivers. It also gives your defense some flexibility. Besides, it’s cool to not always have to play with your back to the quarterback. When you line up in press all the time you are basically playing with your back to the quarterback. Doing this makes it difficult for you to get interceptions. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to face the quarterback or even be able to read him in a man to man situation to get a bead on where the wide receiver might be going.

There’s nothing more impressive than being at a camp and watching a defensive back work his pedal, use a weave and come out of his break on a wide receiver trying to route him up. It’s even more impressive to watch a defensive back read a QB and get a break on a route. However, only a few high school defensive backs are going to be able to pull that off. Nevertheless, it takes a certain amount of dedication to the craft and football IQ to play with space between you and the wide receiver. This is why, when I see it, I am on high alert. Playing with space requires good footwork, eye discipline and technique. A defensive back that can do this effectively is way ahead of the game.

So, if you lack these skills, spend some time this summer developing them. If you have these skills, spend some time sharpening them. While everyone else is at camp grabbing onto wide receivers at the line of scrimmage and turning every route into a wrestling match, you can catch the eye of someone very important by showing the smooth movement in space that only a dedicated defensive back can display.

Use Your Coach’s Technique to Get to Your Technique

By: Chad Wilson
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

Technique may or may not be everything when playing defensive back but it’s damn close. Defensive backs care about their technique like a barber cares about his clippers and sometimes things can get emotional especially when a player and coach can’t agree on what technique to use to get the job done.

I played five years of college football and had five different defensive back coaches. Each one of them contributed to my development as a player and unknowingly at the time, my career as a coach. You know what else each one them brought to the table? They brought their own technique, for everything.

You can imagine some of the confusion that my have resulted in my head when the best way to win a press rep last year was not the same way the following year. Each coach believed 100% in their technique as being the best for me to achieve the objective. It was like attending a different religion’s church each Sunday.

As I progressed into my final two seasons, I had determined what worked best for me whether that was a T-step or a bicycle step to get out of my break or a hard press vs. soft press technique in press man. Whatever the case may be, the coach was the boss and if what he wanted something that was counter to what I believed, I had to roll with it. Now, I know what goes on in the players’ head. First of all, you’re competing for a spot on the team and then you’re competing against an opponent on game day. You can’t afford to go out there using a technique you don’t believe in and lose your spot or your reps in the game. I get it and I’ve been there.

From the coach’s point of view, he has to have control of his unit. He can’t allow his players to go out on the field doing whatever they feel like. You’d be surprised what guys will come up with when left to just use whatever technique they want. If a coach starts doing that he runs the risk of having a unit with very poor results. You have a coach for a reason.

With all that said, if you, the player, really want to use a technique that’s counter to your coach’s technique, here’s what I suggest you do. First you have to build some trust with your coach. The way to do that is by doing what he says. If your coach is introducing you to a new technique or even one that you may have tried before, give an honest effort to learn it. Our younger generation wants instant results so when they attempt something, like a football technique and it doesn’t produce immediate results they call it trash, put up a mental block and disrupt their ability to learn. What they also do is put themselves at odds with the person that determines your playing time.

Clear your mind of whatever hurdles that may exist. Have some time and patience with what you are being taught. Not every technique that doesn’t work right away is terrible. Conversely, not every technique that works at first is the gospel. I’ve learned techniques that had immediate results only to fall apart later on once the receivers adjusted to it.

Once you have given your coach’s technique an honest try, you may find yourself liking it. If not, at least you gave an honest effort which most good coaches will appreciate. Once you’ve made that effort, you can now talk to the coach about what has worked for you. Perhaps you even merge his technique with your technique and something even greater is created.

Once I got to my senior year, I had my set of tools I wanted to use. I respected the fact that my coach had other players in the unit that needed more guidance. Those players were going to be there with him after I was gone. He couldn’t just allow me to do whatever from the beginning and have the other guys following. My coach would lose control of his unit and that’s never good. I showed my coach respect by learning it and doing it for most of practice. What ended up happening was me learning some new things and adding them to my tool belt. There were other things that weren’t going to work best for me. On those, I spoke with my coach and since I had built up trust with him, he bent on some of his techniques allowing me to implement my own.

I will admit that accomplishing this does take a quality, mature coach. It also takes a player that has some self awareness as well. Know where you are in your development as a player. Understand what leverage you have and how much you have been able to achieve. When you have self awareness, you communicate better and can achieve better results with your coach. Keep this in mind as you begin preparing for your season.

For Safeties It’s All About Angles

By: Chad Wilson
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

Sometimes playing safety you can feel like Will Smith in the final episode of The Fresh Prince when he was alone in the living room with everyone and everything gone. There’s a lot of room back there and at times it can feel like you are the only one to cover it. Sometimes that may be true.

Having to cover all of that space whether it be off the hash, in the post or coming down in the alleys can be daunting. If you don’t do it effectively, the results for the defense can be disaster in the form of a long run or pass play. If you want to be consistently effective in covering the space required as safety, one must be skilled in using what is known as angles.

So much of what defensive backs do is made better by using proper angles but that is more true for safeties than anything else. Most of the mistakes in coverage by safeties outside of poor eye discipline can be traced back to taking poor angles to the football. How many times have you seen a safety take a poor path to a football and either hit their own player or miss judge the football allowing it to fall into the hands of the wide receiver?

Another common mistake by safeties comes when they don’t move from one zone to the other before the ball is thrown using the proper angle thus setting themselves up for failure before the moment of truth. Poor movement at the snap or while a play is developing puts a safety at a disadvantage once the ball is put in the air. When this occurs, the safety has a hard time adjusting to and finding the football vs. the wide receiver who has been tracking the ball almost since the time it left the quarterback’s hand.

The final way that we see poor angles betray the safety is when they are showing up in the run game. Run plays that come through the line of scrimmage or in the alleys (space between the offensive line and the wide receivers) require the supporting safety to make a tackle. One of the biggest keys to making the play is taking a proper angle to the ball carrier to be in position to use your tackling fundamentals.

As a safety, you must be constantly aware of the angles you are taking. Your path to the football or to your area of coverage should not be taken for granted. Taking proper angles is also something that should be practiced. If you do not get any special work on taking angles in coverage during practice then you already know what you should be doing either before or after practice. Safeties should be getting extended practice on buzzing from the hash to the post and vice versa. They should also get work on using their weave to mirror the looks and movements of the quarterback. Along with that, taking the proper angle once the ball is thrown to move in on the throw with the proper body positioning for them to make a play on it.

Playing safety is similar to play the outfield in baseball. When the ball is hit off of the bat, your ability to catch the ball depends on your path to the ball. Your initial steps are crucial. Practicing moving at 45 degree angles to get to the football while also judging the flight of the ball is crucial. As a safety you must have a great deal of amount of deep balls thrown to you in practice and training.

Finally, open field tackling is an important skill for a safety. If you are not getting enough work individually on this skill in practice then you will have to amp up your focus on doing this during the team periods of practice. Often times, safeties see a heavy run session during a team period as a time to take off. Don’t do that. This is a time for you to put an emphasis on taking proper angles to the ball carrier even though you are not going to actually take him to the ground. Making a tackle really has a lot to do with the set up. The set up is the approach and coming to balance on the ball carrier. Don’t waste those team reps when there is a running play by just going through the motions to tag off on the runner. Sprint to the ball carrier using the proper angle whether that is giving him a one way go on a run coming right at you or using the sidelines as your friend to pin the ball carrier.

Being a good safety includes being a complete safety. You don’t want to be the guy who misjudges balls in flight or misses open field tackles regularly because you don’t understand how angles are everything when covering space vs. fast moving athletes. Continuing to fail at these tasks will eventually lead to your view angle of the came coming from the sidelines.

Boss Units: ’81 Dallas Cowboys

By: Chad Wilson – All Eyes DB Camp
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

I am kicking off a new series here on All Eyes DB Camp where I talk about some of the best secondaries in NFL history. Like Know Your DB History and Dynamic Duos, this series is designed to teach you the history of secondary play as I think it is important to know these things if you are trying to reach your full potential. Knowing history can put you on a straighter path to your future.

Kicking off this new series “Boss Units” is none other than the 1981 Dallas Cowboys. No other secondary in the modern era of pro football turned the ball over like this unit did in 1981. As a whole defense, the Cowboys intercepted 37 passes. 30 of those 37 interceptions came from the four starting members of their defensive secondary. That is an extra-ordinary number. What’s even more extra-ordinary is that none of the four members of this pick making party was a first round pick. Let’s take a look at the make up of this boss unit.

CB – Everson Walls

Walls led the unit and the NFL in 1981 with 11 interceptions. What’s crazy about that is that Walls was a rookie that year. Doubling down on the crazy is that Everson Walls was an undrafted rookie in a year when the NFL had 12 rounds in their draft. In 1981, NFL teams chose 332 players from college football and none of them were Walls. The Cowboys themselves picked 12 players including three defensive backs but none of them were greater than the free agent out of Grambling St. The 11 interceptions were no fluke either. Walls would intercept 7 passes the following year during a strike shortened season in which he only played nine games. In his career, Walls would intercept 5 or more passes in a season 5 times. He would also intercept a total of 57 balls in his career which ends up being more than the first defensive back taken in that 1981 draft Kenny Easley.

CB – Dennis Thurman

Thurman was in his 4th season with the Cowboys and was second on the team with 9 interceptions (career high). Unlike Walls, Thurman was not an undrafted free agent when he came out of college at USC. However, he wasn’t that much more highly regarded. The Cowboys selected Thurman in the 11th round, number 306 overall in 1978. That made no difference to Thurman who was playing in his first year as a starting cornerback for Dallas. Previously, Thurman had played both strong and free safety. The moves proved to be the right one as it produced Thurman’s best year as a pro. All told, Thurman had five seasons of five interceptions or more and logged a total of 36 career interceptions. After his playing days he went on to have a long coaching career in the NFL and coached greats like Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Stephon Gilmore.

FS – Michael Downs

How’s this for crazy? Michael Downs was also a rookie in the Cowboys’ secondary in 1981. Guess what round he was selected in? He wasn’t. Like Walls, Downs was undrafted out of Rice in 1981. Though he was 6’3″ 205 lbs., Downs played his senior year at Rice with a pinched nerve in his neck which affected his play. He was given a reputation as a non aggressive player so no one selected him in the ’81 draft. Downs won the free safety job in training camp and proceeded to aggressively intercept 7 passes for Dallas that year. Now it’s not often that you can intercept 7 passes in a season and be the third leading pass picker on your team but this boss unit was like that. Downs also had a stellar career intercepting five passes or more three times and totaling 35 by the time his career came to an end in 1989.

SS – Charlie Waters

Waters was the old man in this group of youngsters. He was also the highest drafted player in that 1981 secondary. Waters was in his 12th and final season in 1981 after being drafted in the 3rd round of the 1970 draft out of Clemson. Waters was the low man in the secondary with three interceptions that year but he was the general that allowed the other three to thrive. In his 12 seasons with the Cowboys, Waters never had a losing season and missed the playoffs only once. He played in five Super Bowls and won two. He is the NFL all time leader in playoff interceptions with 9 and in total, he intercepted 41 passes in his long stellar career. Waters went into coaching and broadcasting after his career and was considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame though he did not make it in.

The 1981 Cowboys made it to the NFC Championship game and played the San Francisco 49ers on the road at Candlestick Park. It was one of the great games in NFL history and it ended with a play termed “the catch”. Late in the 4th quarter with 51 seconds left, Joe Montana rolled out on 3rd and 3 from the 8 yard line and hit Dwight Clark with a pass in the back of the end zone. The touchdown would give the 49ers a 28-27 victory and effectively launch their dynasty in the 80’s as they would go on to win four Super Bowls during that time (81, 84, 88 & 89).

You have to be amazed at the performance of these lightly regarded NFL draft players and the coaches who developed them. The defensive back coach for the Dallas Cowboys in 1981 was Gene Stallings who would eventually become a national championship head coach for the Alabama Crimson Tide in 1992. The defensive coordinator for the Cowboys that year was Ernie Stautner who was the DC for the Cowboys from 1973 to 1988 and oversaw some of the best years of Cowboys defense in their history. Now that’s what you call a Boss Unit.

Great DBs Talk but Not How You Think

By: Chad Wilson
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

I think many of you reading this have gone paint balling with friends. Have you ever been on a team with a guy that just won’t communicate. Guys from the other team roll up behind you and they say nothing. If you have, then I am sure you know that it’s no fun getting all wet up.

When you are a part of a team, there are few things more important than communication. The amount of information that a unit can relay defensively to it’s members can mean the difference between winning and losing the down. One of the biggest things you notice when you watch a pro football team and a high school team playing or at practice is the amount of talking that is going on before and after the snap.

If you want to play like a pro, then it’s time to start sounding like one. So what kind of information are you communicating both before and after the snap?

Before the Snap

Typical before the snap, the secondary is communicating about formation and location. Each cornerback should be calling out the number of receivers to their side. Further more, if there is a player that is spotlighted for the week and he is lined up in a location that causes an alert then they should be calling that out. Finally, certain alignments call for certain techniques. For instance, a bunch set often means that a different technique will be used whether in zone or man. Whatever that technique may be, it is important that the corner communicates with either the linebacker, safety or both. There are other things that are specific to each team that should be communicated but one thing I do know is that corners shouldn’t be silent, even when they are in man.

Safeties are faced with even more responsibility before the snap. In some defenses, they are responsible for calling out the formation. Even if that responsibility is given to the middle linebacker, the free safety should involve himself in it just as a back up. If your middle linebacker is off his game or a rookie is in there and is overwhelmed, the whole unit should not have to suffer as a result. The free safety can pick up the slack by opening his mouth and calling out the formation.

Safeties can also call out splits by wide receivers that could potentially lead to a play that could be a play on the watch list. A particular split by a wide receiver could be an indication that the reverse is coming. The corner on the other side of the field won’t see that split but he can be alerted by the call made by a safety who is communicating. This can potentially prevent a big play from happening for the offense. In addition, safeties are responsible for relaying the coverage and or any coverage checks that are necessary because of a particular formation or set.

After the Snap

Communication does not end once the ball is snapped. When a defense is playing zone, there is typically more communication for obvious reasons. As eligible receivers progress down the field running through zones, it is important for the players who can see the movement, that they communicate it to the players who can not. For instance, when the #1 wide receiver in a 2 x 2 set runs a curl behind a linebacker, it is necessary for the cornerback who can see it to call it out for the linebacker so he can adjust his positioning within the zone. The same for linebackers who may need to call out a flat route or alert others that a route is coming under.

Safeties who are playing deeper than everyone else on defense can see more than everybody. As the play progresses, they may need to tell other players to adjust their drop or let certain players know that they are there in position to either allow that player to fall off to another route or hold a certain leverage on a receiver.

In Conclusion

Talking while playing defensive back is not about dishing out trash talk to get in the mind of your opponent. I certainly know that this is a part of the game and I did my fair share of it when I lined up. However, more important than renting space in your foe’s head is filling up the mind of your teammates with relevant information for their success on each play to get them in position to quiet a threat that could harm your unit. Practice communicating now with your team in your 7on7 and practice sessions. Watch how it becomes contagious then notice how the overall performance of your secondary picks up.

I’m Too Short to Cover Big WRs

By: Chad Wilson
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

Playing defensive back is challenging and no one with a brain would argue that. It gets even tougher when you have anxiety about your ability to stack up against an opponent physically.

Often times I am asked by cornerbacks how are they supposed to cover wide receivers that are taller than them. Well, first of all, unless you are 6’5″, the time will come when you will cover a wide receiver that is taller than you. The approach, whether the wide receiver is shorter, your height or taller than you shouldn’t be too different with the exception of a few things that I will discuss in this article.

Learn to Play in their Space

One of the biggest things wide receivers are taught and are striving for when they are running their routes is separation. Why? Quite simply completing a pass becomes more simple for the quarterback and the wide out when there is space. With that being the case, you can make your life as a smaller defensive back easier by learning how to close out that space. Getting close to a wide receiver’s body and jumping up with him can be extremely effective. This disrupts both their ability to reach maximum height and pull the ball in for a reception. The same is true for throws that are not thrown high but to other parts of the WRs body. Getting in the WRs space / body allows you as the defender to place your hand to most areas of his body to knock a pass away. This is not the case if you allow there to be space between you and him. The more space between you two, the less your arms will be able to reach all the areas on his body from which he can catch the ball.

Learn to Play Off Man Coverage

In most cases, a shorter defensive back should have quicker feet and change of direction than a taller WR. If you are 5’10” going against a 6’2″ wide receiver then you should most definitely have quicker feet than him. As such, using more off man coverage vs. a bigger / stronger wide receiver is in your best interest. Playing off coverage can discourage the deeper throws downfield that can put you at a disadvantage. Should the offense still attempt these type of throws, your quickness should allow you to cut off routes more often and delay the wide receivers progress down the field. If you playing off makes them opt for more short and medium routes, use your quickness to beat the wide receiver to the spot.

Learn to Play in the Slot

This particular tip does not exactly help you cover bigger wide receivers. However, it is geared toward smaller defensive backs that may face too many challenges playing on the outside. As I stated in the last tip, your smaller size provides you with the advantage of having quicker feet and change of direction. This skill set works very well when you are playing vs. slot WRs. Typically, smaller wide receivers play in the slot because of their heightened quickness. These type of wide receivers are a challenge for the bigger cornerbacks playing outside. Somebody has to cover these guys, why not you if you are a smaller defensive back? Embrace the role of being a nickel back as your unique skills can make you an asset at this spot.

Study your Opponent

You should be doing this anyway but if you are missing some physical attribute that puts you at a disadvantage then reclaim your edge by doubling down on your film study. There’s nothing like knowing where that wide receiver has to be on every play. Knowing this allows you to beat him there and either discourage the throw or be in better position to play the ball when it is thrown. Not everyone that excels at this game is blessed with all the physical gifts. In fact, many have excelled by using their brains to win even in the face of seemingly insurmountable physical odds. Work harder and smarter than the bigger man to end up on top when the ball comes.

Some of these tips are explained in more detail in my member’s area. Others will be addressed in future member’s area posts. If you are not yet a member, I highly suggest that you join and take your game to the next level. Take the tips in this article to heart and to the bank as you enter into battle vs. the bigger guys who think they are going to have an easy day against you. Change their mind real quick.

A DB’s Confidence is His Armor

By: Chad Wilson
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

It’s coming down to that one play in that one moment and their leading receiver is jogging out of the huddle to your side of the field. What’s going through your head? Well whatever it is, don’t take it for granted because it will dictate what happens next.

You don’t need me to tell you that playing defensive back and particularly cornerback is a pressure packed situation. Make a wrong move or two out there and it could be a touchdown for the opposition. If the margin at the end of the game happens to be a touchdown then you already know what’s coming your way and that’s heaping amount of criticism.

When those moments of truth come and it’s you vs. a skilled, athletic opponent, what is going to be your weapon of self defense? I can tell you, it’s your confidence. Confidence opens up the door for you to drown out the noise, use your technique and make a play when the ball is coming your way. Let some bad thoughts enter your head and chances are you are letting your opponent into the end zone or across the first down marker. Neither one of those outcomes are desirable.

So now that we know that confidence is key, how do we get it? Here are a few ways to gain confidence.

First, some people are seemingly born confident. It’s just their personality. Others have to work at it. If you are in the latter group then work is what you will have to do. Often times confidence is developed in other areas before it shows up on the field. Practice being confident in all things that you do. This includes things you may not be good at or you are doing for the first time. First of all, if you are not good at something, continuing to do it will make you better. Second, if you are doing something for the first time, you should know that doing it more in the future will only make you better than you are now. Have confidence that you will improve and that you should have no fear about this first rep at it. It’s only up from here.

Second, preparation is one of the best ways to build confidence. Some of the elite players of this game and in sports typically exude confidence. Basically all of them acquired their level of confidence through hard work and preparation often when others weren’t looking. There were some who faked it first with the idea of making it later. Those guys spoke their future into existence and went to work on making it happen. Speak boldly and then hold your feet and your mouth to the fire by going out and doing the work. It’s ok to write a check for money you don’t have in the bank yet but it’s a crime to not work to make that deposit to cover the check when it comes due.

Being more specific about preparation, film study gives a defensive back big confidence. One of the biggest reasons Hall of Famer Ed Reed was so confident on the field was because he knew that he put in the hours and hours of film study that it takes to know where the ball is going to be. There’s nothing like knowing what your opponent is going to run before they run it. This includes not only plays on game day but in 1-on-1 situations at a camp or 7on7. Perhaps you don’t have film for those situations but observing players when you are not playing against them can give you some clues that you can use when it comes for your time to line up across from them.

Finally, we all know that there is a tremendous amount of physical work that goes into being an elite football player. Don’t cheat the game in terms of the physical work. If you don’t cheat the game, the game won’t cheat you. At some point, you get paid for all of the hard work. Part of this hard work is being in shape. The G.O.A.T. Jerry Rice was not blessed with elite speed. However, he lined up against the fastest defensive backs in this game with confidence because he knew they would get tired before he would. Being in great shape when the big moment comes will make you feel like the bigger man in the matchup.

It’s camp and 7on7 season. Do yourself a favor and never line up in front of an opponent with any thoughts other than you will win the rep. Failing to do that means that you have lost already. The mind controls the body. In order for the body to move the way it should, the mind should send the message that it’s here and ready to win. Bring your armor with you for every rep.

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