BLOG

Should I Move to DB?

Many times I get asked in via email and DM if an athlete should move to defensive back.  As much as I get asked that question,  I am pretty sure there are many other guys who are asking that same question in their own heads.  Today I am going to use this article here to address it.

First,  I will start off by saying,  I grew up wanting to be a running back.  The first individual player that I ended up liking was a running back for the Los Angeles Rams named Wendell Tyler.  You young guys are going to have to google that name,  it’s not widely known.  Wendell was a double whammy for me.  He played for my favorite college football team at the time (UCLA Bruins) and was also playing for my favorite NFL team (Los Angeles Rams). There was just something about that blue and gold I guess.

There was also something about putting the ball in a guy’s hands,  making a whole bunch of defenders miss with sharp cuts and athleticism then having the crowd cheer for you as you scored a touchdown.  Soon my all time childhood football idol came along for the Rams in the form of Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson.  Dickerson was Wendell Tyler x 10.  So,  by the time I started playing organized football,  I was all about being a running back.  To make a long story short,  I developed into a pretty good running back but I had a friend who was certain that I would make an even better defensive back.  He was persistent about it and as I matured in the game,  there were coaches who made the same observation.  By the time I started getting recruited to go to college,  the move seemed clear and Deion Sanders had come along to add some pizazz to playing cornerback.

For many of you,  the dilemma is still raging on inside your head so here are four things for you to consider when deciding if you should move to defensive back.

Are You A Good Athlete?

Sure,  football in general requires you to be an athlete.  However,  the best athletes on the football field are the defensive backs.  Don’t try to debate me on this you wide receivers!  Special teams units are loaded with defensive backs for that reason.  Sure you can survive at defensive back if you aren’t the greatest athlete but it’s going to be tough.

You give yourself a much better chance to be a playmaker and to handle the many responsibilities of defensive back if you can move your feet fast,  have reasonable speed and jump + change direction.  These are major requirements for the position.

Are You Undersized at Your Other Position?

Like me,  while I was a good enough athlete to play running back at a high level in high school,  my days were probably numbered.  I graduated from high school at a whopping 163 lbs.  That does not make for a long life at running back.  Perhaps you are a decent athlete playing linebacker at 185 lbs.  Or you are a defensive end at 200 lbs.  who is likely not going to grow anymore.  If you have some smarts and good feet,  you may benefit from a transition to the secondary.  Depending on your level of athleticism,  you can play cornerback or safety.  Commit yourself to studying the position and you can be making a transition that could extend your playing career.

Not Featured on Offense?

Are you playing offense but you are hiding in the shadows? Do you think that your athletic talent is not being realized and utilized on the offensive side of the ball?  Are you the back up tailback that never really gets any carries?  Are you the 3rd option as a wide receiver on all of the pass plays?  Are you in high school playing wide receiver for a team that throws the ball 10 times a game?  This might be a fine time to flip over to the dark side.

Perhaps it’s being selfish or it’s just being smart.  Why ride the pine if you are a worthy athlete that loves playing if you can move over to defensive back and help your team keep points off the board ?  You may love offense like I did as a youngster but trust me,  when you start making plays on defense,  you will break up with your girlfriend offense and marry a strong woman named defense.  If you are a good athlete like I mentioned before,  strongly consider it.

Are You Naturally Aggressive?

Defense is the part of football that is about toughness.  Sure there are some offensive teams and systems that require roughness but basically all successful defenses require aggression.  If being aggressive is in your DNA,  perhaps you were born to play on this side of the ball.  If you are of the correct size and have the required speed + agility,  a move to defensive back could change your career.  The more aggressive position in the secondary out of cornerback and safety is safety.   However,  aggressive cornerbacks can be tremendously successful.  If you possess cornerback traits and are aggressive,  make that move.  If you are more of a safety type that won’t mind coming up and hitting running backs and tight ends,  then give moving to safety a thought.

The most recent 2020 NFL draft produced 48 defensive back draft picks.  This was easily the most heavily drafted position as it is every year.  There are five offensive lineman on the field,  usually four defensive lineman on the field and many times four wide receivers.  Despite that,  defensive backs have consistently outpaced those positions and others when it comes to getting drafted.  So what I am saying is that there is a demand for defensive backs.  If you can answer yes to one,  some or all of the questions I have asked in this article then you may be ready to meet that demand with a position change.

Do You See What I See? Great Secondaries Watch Film Together

I was in a game vs. a rival once.  Of course,  because it was a rivalry game,  I wanted to do well.  As such,  I did my fair share of film watching that week.  I would often look for situations that I could either take advantage of or plays I needed to know were coming so I wouldn’t get caught with my pants down.

One particular play caught my eye that week.  One of the wide receivers for the other team was a supreme route runner.  He had a post corner route that was practically un-guardable unless you knew it was coming.  I studied like a forensic scientist to determine when that post corner was coming.  One particular situation was in the red zone.   The team would line up in the I formation and they would split as the quarterback took his drop.  That situation was a post corner route every time.  Ok so I am ready!

Well,  sure enough,  the game comes and the team enters the red zone.  Since this play was the bread and butter can’t miss play for them,  they sure enough came out in the I formation.  However,  the supreme route runner who lines up on my side all the time,  lined up on the other side of the field.  As soon as I noticed it,  I start yelling across the field to the corner on the other side.  As it turns out,  he can’t really hear me,  doesn’t know what I’m saying and they get lined up.  Sure enough,  the backs split as the quarterback takes his drop.  Sure enough,  I get a corner route from my wide receiver and I’m on it like the logo on his helmet.  As I look back,  I see the ball is not coming.   My eyes immediately drift to other side of the field.  What do I see?  I see the other cornerback on the ground and the ball in the hands of the supreme route runner.  Touchdown.

A valuable lesson was learned on that day.  A good player does everything he is supposed to do and maybe even a little more.  A great player does all of that but also gets his teammates to do the same.  This is how great units and teams are made.

Football is the ultimate team sport.  In no other sport is your success determined by the performance of your teammates.  What good is being prepared for games if your teammates are not?  They will just attack your teammates and you’ll be left with nothing to do.

One thing I have learned about great secondary units.  Not only are they physically talented and have a tenacious mentality,  they also tend to watch film together.  Had I watched film with the other corner on my team,  he most likely would’ve known this play was coming.  Even if he forgot, we would’ve discussed what kind of hand signal we could use across the field to warn each other that it was coming.  Yelling across the field is not always a good option.  He could have either intercepted the pass, knocked it down or make the QB eat it and have him get sacked.  He also could’ve made the quarterback come off of the throw and come back to my side with a late throw which was going to go 100 yards the other way FOR SURE!

Great secondary units prepare together by watching film,  organizing their thoughts,  putting together alerts and being ready for all the little tactics the offense may unleash during the game.  Over time you can even come up with some of the counter plays the offense might come up with that haven’t been shown on film.

You being great is great.  However,  that is not going to be enough.  If you want to be great great,  bring your teammates with you,  prepare together and be a part of something greater than you and not just the greatest by yourself.

5 Things A DB Should Know Before the Snap

One of the biggest things I stressed as a coach and do now as a trainer is preparation.  Often times when players think about preparation,  they think about offseason work or preparing during the week for the game.  However,  preparation doesn’t just stop there.  Being prepared before the play also gives the maximum chance of being successful.

Here are 5 things a defensive back should know before the snap to be prepared for the play.

(1) Down and Distance

You would be surprised how many times a player lines up before the snap and doesn’t know the line to make for the first down.  It happens and in this day in age of hurry up offenses,  it can happen quite a bit.  Despite the offenses’ tactics,  it is essential as a DB that you know both the down and the distance.

Much of what an offense does is determined by what down and it is and how many yards are needed to get the first.  I would venture to say that everything they do is dependent on that but that’s not entirely true.  However,  you start this during practice.  Hopefully your team makes a note of what down and distance it is during your team and 7on7 sessions.  If they do not,  I would make that suggestion to the coach.  If this still does not happen then I suggest you use your imagination and make up a down and distance.  Anything to get you into the habit of making a note of it before the play.  Your film study should lead you to make reasonable conclusions about what play is coming based on the down and distance.

(2) Personnel

The next thing of importance is who is on the field for the offense.  Has the team come out in three tight ends,  five wide receivers,  two running backs?  This is important to know.  It means everything to your defensive coordinator as he uses that information to know who he wants to be on the field for the defense and then what play to call to stop what he thinks many be coming.  If it’s that important to your coordinator then it’s also important to you.

Not only should you make a note of who is on the field but you should note where they are aligned.  Did they align a guy that is normally outside in the slot?  That should give you a head’s up that something unusual may be coming.  Is the WR lined up in the backfield?  Did they bring the backup QB in as a WR.  You have to sniff out these things so you aren’t caught by surprised.

(3) Formation

Offenses run plays out of formations.  The first thing called in the huddle is the formation.  To run the play they want to run,  they have to be in the right formation.  That’s so basic isn’t it?  Be honest with yourself and realize how many times you lined up and didn’t know the formation.  Now realize that you can never do that again.

Knowing the formation gives you the chance to eliminate possible plays and narrow in on what handful of possible plays may be coming.  It’s also not enough to just know if it’s doubles,  trips or empty.  It’s important to know who is lined up where and then notice the little things like the slot WR being lined up on the ball or the tight end lined up as a wing as opposed to on the line of scrimmage.  Formations are everything,  you simply can’t not know them before the snap.

(4) Splits

Now that you have taken note of those three important things,  you can jump into the advanced stuff.  To run certain plays the way that they want to,  offenses must line players up in certain areas to effectively execute their plays.  Splits mean something.  Offenses are banking on you not noticing them.  Most offenses think the defense is dumb and won’t notice.  Make them the dummies by paying attention.

Is the WR on the numbers,  at the top of the numbers or on the bottom of the numbers?  For you novices,  lined up at the top of the numbers means the player is lined up on the edge of the numbers painted on the field that is further away from the sidelines.  Bottom of the numbers means lined up on the edge of the painted numbers on the field that is closest to the sidelines.  This terminology is derived from watching film as the top and the bottom of the numbers coincides with how the player appears when you are watching the screen.

The splits determine the routes.  Every now and then the offense will try to fool you with a different split but the more they try to fool you,  the bigger the risk they run of not executing their play right.  Believe what you see when it comes to splits.   This also applies to slots and every other eligible receiver on the field (including backs).  A back aligned behind the tackle in a shotgun formation is likely releasing out into a pass route.  A running back aligned seven yards deep in the backfield is most likely going to get the ball on a run play.  Try to notice every little thing you can about positioning of players.  It will allow you to anticipate.

(5) Anticipate Motion

Here is one of the things I would constantly remind my defensive backs of when I was coaching.  Since motion by the offense can frequently lead to a change in coverage and or technique,  anticipating motion can prevent you from being surprised.  Surprise can lead to panic and panic is never good on a football field.

Obviously you need to know the coverage before the play.  However,  also anticipate motion and what the coverage may change to if that motion actually does occur.  Being prepared for that will allow you to stay calm and execute.  This is especially important for safeties as they are responsible for making coverage calls and checks.  As a safety,  you simply can’t get caught by surprise by motion.  Expect it and be ready to make the necessary coverage check.  The entire defense, especially the corners,  are dependent on you making those calls.

So there you have it.  Offseason preparation is important.  Game week preparation is essential but it’s all for naught if you aren’t adequately prepared before the ball is snapped each play in a game.  All of the things I mentioned above can be honed by doing it in practice and can only happen if you study enough film of your opponent.  So get your opponent on your screen right now.

Coverages Explained | 2 Invert

We’ve all heard of Cover 2 as well as 2 man.  Those are common coverages when playing with a 2 high safety defensive scheme.  However,  there are some change ups that you can put on that common Cover 2 and today we will talk about one them called 2 Invert.

In the video at the end of this post,  I go into detail about the coverage in a white board segment that breaks down the responsibilities for everyone in coverage.  In it’s simplest form though,  2 Invert basically involves a change in responsibilities between the cornerbacks and safeties.

The safeties can line up in their normal cover 2 alignment on each hash.  Perhaps they can align a little more shallow than normal at 10-12 yards which would be more similar to a Cover 4 alignment.  Upon the snap,  the safeties move down into the flat area to defend any routes moving into that area.

The cornerbacks who are normally responsible for routes in the flat in Cover 2 will now replace the safeties.  Prior to the snap,  the cornerbacks will retreat back and slightly in.  Upon the snap they get to the hashes and cover 1/2 of the field the way a safety would in Cover 2.

The responsibilities of the other underneath defenders (linebackers and / or nickel-dime backs) pretty much remains the same.  For diagrams and more detail on the responsibilities,  check out the video below from my YouTube Channel.

Any questions or feedback,  feel free to reach out to me via email: cwilson@alleyesdbcamp.com

I’m Locked up in the House! 3 Ways to Get Better Playing Defensive Back

When the 2019 season was ending and you were talking about becoming a lockdown DB in 2020,  being locked up in the house was not what you were envisioning.  This whole coronavirus mess is disheartening for sure but like any good coach or player,  what you need to do is adapt.   Here are 3 ways you can get better during your quarantine.

(1) Keep Training

Being quarantined doesn’t mean sit on the couch and do nothing.  Depending on where you are in the country and the World,  there are things that are still available to you.  If there is a small park that you are still allowed to go to,  you can still perform critical basic drills even with limited space.  Please check my article Coronavirus Drills to Keep You Sharp for a list of drills you can do on your own and with limited space.

Even if there is not a park available to you,  you can go to a parking lot and perform drills from the list in that article I referenced above.  If you are in a total shutdown and can not leave your home then move to the garage,  backyard or front yard.  You may need to get a little creative but where there’s a will,  there’s a way.  If your space is super limited then you would do well to run the drills in my Master’s of the Basics Part I video.  Get really good at those.

Outside of doing DB drills,  getting on a push-up and sit-up regimen along with running sprints in your neighborhood street can do wonders for your overall fitness. If you have a ladder, you can hit ladder drills like these in your garage.  Just don’t sit around and become a video game junkie and think you will return to the football field a Hall of Famer.

(2) Watch Old Football Games

This younger generation doesn’t watch enough football.  I get it,  you have a ton of entertainment options available to you these days.  Certainly more than the older generations.  You must weigh the option of watching 2010 Oregon vs. Auburn vs. binging on the last season of Narcos or a group session of Call of Duty on Xbox.  However,  the guys that truly love ball and want to be great will dive into YouTube and just start watching old football games.

You really can just start by watching your own games from last season.  Learn about the opponents you faced that you will face again this year.  You can learn something about how you played.  Each time you watch a game you learn something new.  That’s a guarantee.  You can alternate that with watching old college and pro football games.  You will learn a ton watching games from that level.  You will subconsciously pick up things about how offenses operate and what defenses do.  Remember,  each time you watch,  you’ll learn something new.  I’ve obviously watched a ton of football in my lifetime and still,  I will learn something new each time I watch a game despite the fact that I’ve seen it 10 or 20 times already.

If nothing else,  use YouTube to go watch clips on defensive backs.  There is a ton of stuff out there like the video I just posted on my account of Brandon Browner’s 1-on-1 reps at practice when he was playing for the Seahawks.  It’s over 20 minutes of straight 1-on-1s.

(3) Learn How Defense Works

The first way you can do this is by studying your own team’s playbook.  Yes,  I know that can be boring but making big plays can be exciting.  Knowing exactly where everyone on the defense is supposed to be on a play call is one of the best ways to put yourself into position to make a big play.

Next,  you can learn how different coverages are played.  I have a whole section in my Member’s Area on explaining some of the most popular coverages that are used in football.  It’s well worth it.  The best players are the smartest players.  Knowing the defense is what smart people do.  Learn not only what your position is supposed to do but where your help is on each defense and what the other players on the defense are doing.  You’d be surprised how knowing where you defensive line is going to pressure the QB  will help you know where to be on a play.

You can come back from this quarantine being a smarter player which will make you a faster player which will make you a better player.  Wouldn’t that be nice?

Know Your DB History: Asante Samuel

The NFL has had it’s fair share of outstanding defensive backs that’s for sure.  Some receive more notoriety than others for any number of reasons.  One that is perhaps a little underrated is Asante Samuel.

Samuel grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and attended Boyd Anderson High School where he played quarterback and then moved on to playing defensive back where he made a name for himself.

Upon graduation,  Samuel attended The University of Central Florida where he played cornerback.  At UCF,  Samuel racked up 8 interceptions, 127 tackles and broke the school record for pass breakups with 38.  Being undersized and not at a marquee school,  Samuel’s college football career was not highly glorified or publicized.  Samuel was also a bit undersized at 5’10” and carrying a thin frame.

The New England Patriots saw enough in Samuel to make him a 4th round pick in the 2003 NFL draft.  After injuries to both starting cornerback his rookie season,  Samuel was inserted into the lineup and never left.  In his first three seasons with the Pats,  Samuel played solid at cornerback amassing six interceptions and 37 pass break ups.  However,  it was in his fourth and contract year that he really took off.  Samuel’s 2006 season was one of the best ever by a Patriot cornerback.  Samuel intercepted 10 passes to tie with Champ Bailey for the league lead.  He also broke up a hefty 24 passes during the year.  His onslaught on the passing game did not just end in the regular season.  During the playoffs,  Samuel returned a pair of picks for touchdowns to help the Pats get to Super Bowl XXXIX.

Samuel would go on to play one more season with New England before he was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency in 2008.  As an Eagle,  Samuel’s strong play would continue as he grabbed 23 interceptions including a league leading 9 in 2009.  After four seasons with Philadelphia,  Samuel moved on to Atlanta.  Samuel made an instant impact with Atlanta in his first season grabbing five interceptions and breaking up 17 passes.  Two seasons later,  Samuel retired from the NFL.

When all was said and done,  Samuel totaled 53 interceptions, broke up 164 passes, scored six touchdowns and made the Pro Bowl five times.  Samuel was also an All Pro twice in 2007 and 2009.  He is one of only 34 players in NFL history to grab more than 50 interceptions in their career.   Not bad for a 4th round pick from the University of Central Florida.

Effective Press Man Coverage Using a Kick Slide

I’ve watched 1000’s of defensive back press reps on film and aside from poor eye discipline,  the next most common mistake made by inexperienced defensive backs is not executing a kick slide in their press rep.

The reason for the lack of a kick slide in the rep could be one of two things.  Either the defensive back knows how to kick slide and failed to execute it or the DB simply didn’t know about a kick slide,  let alone how to execute one.

Either way,  the failure of the kick slide leads to the inevitable opening of the gate which is the defensive back opening up immediately and allowing the wide receiver to run straight up the field with little or no resistance for the defensive back in coverage.

If you are going to be successful with any amount of consistency in press man,  you will need to learn how to get a WR off of his route.  This involves making him go left or right before going up the field.  For you to do this,  you will need to know how to move laterally in your press.

This is where the kick slide comes in.  In the video,  at the end of this post,  I discuss the 3 things you need to have a successful kick slide

(1) A good stance that allows you to slide correctly

(2) Slide at a 45 degree angle

(3) Do not crossover and do not bring your feet together

For starters,  you will need those 3 things.  Of course as you move on and up in your level of competition,  there are some other factors you will need to add to your technique but first things first.  You can not get to that point until you have thoroughly mastered the basics of this technique and that are the 3 things outlined above.

For more in-depth discussion along with instruction on those 3 steps,  check out the video below.

DB Drill Workout for Beginners

I was asked recently by one of my members what would be a good schedule of drills for him to do if he was learning how to play defensive back.  Often times the question voiced by one person is the one in the head of many.  With that in mind,  I have decided to put together this quick guide to a drill schedule for beginners.

First of all,  before I get into the actual drills and number of reps,  you need to already be familiar with the drills.  To do so,  you will need to first view the following posts in my member’s area.  If you are not a member,  I highly recommend!!

Masters of the Basics Part I

Masters of the Basics Part II

Masters of the Basics Part III

Outstanding Press Man Drills Part I

Outstanding Press Man Drills Part II

Outstanding Press Man Drills Part III

Now if you are just starting out as a defensive back it is super important for you to nail down the basics.  Trying to skip ahead to more advanced stuff before you have adequately mastered the basics will only slow your growth and limit you reaching your potential.

One of the secrets to excelling at DB is being able to automate a lot of the processes that occur out on the football field.  By automate I mean be able to do things physically without having to think about them.  For that to happen you will have to,  in practice,  do those things over and over again.

For beginners,  here is the schedule that I recommend:

Ladder Drill Warm up (if you have a ladder).  If you don’t have a ladder I suggest you get one.  You can try this great one here that comes with cones that you will also need.

(from Masters of the Basics Part I)

– Back pedal for 20 yard x 5
– Weave and Stay square for 20 yards x 5
– Flip your hips for 20 yards x 5

Notes:  When you are playing in zone coverage or off man coverage (as a safety or cornerback),  these are the moves on the field that will occur the most.  With that in mind,  it is essentially early on that you master these moves.

(from Masters of the Basics Part II)

– Back pedal W drill x 3
– Shuffle W drills x 3
– Cross over run W drill x 3

Notes: Remember the points of emphasis that I speak of in the videos.  It makes no sense to do the drills wrong over and over because you will execute them wrong over and over in the game.  You will do in the game what you practice.  Do them right !!

(from Master of the Basics Part III)

– 4 Cone 45 degree breaks x 2
– 4 Cone shuffle drills x 2
– 4 Cone 90 degree breaks x 2

Press Cover Drills

Kick slide 100’s
I do not have a video of this entire drill currently posted anywhere but it is simple for me to explain.  First of all,  check out the kick slide mirror drill from Outstanding Press Man Coverage Drills Part III.  The only difference for you here is that you will not have a partner in this drill.  You will start at the goal line and kick slide four times at a 45 degree angle to the left and then plant quickly and change direction to a 45 degree kick slide 4 times to your right.  You should then be able to kick back to your right again for four kick slides before reaching 10 yards.

Once you have reached 10 yards stop and rest 30-45 seconds.  Then repeat the process but first start off going to your right.  Once you reach another 10 yards stop and rest for 30-45 seconds.  EMPHASIZE keeping your hips down in your kick slide.  Yes!  your legs will burn doing this.  The more they burn the weaker your legs are and the more you need to work this drill.  EMPHASIZE keeping your eyes straight ahead and imagining yourself looking at the waist of the WR.  EMPHASIZE having your hands ready to strike and not down to your side.

Continue this exercise until you reach the goal line on the opposite end of the field.  That is 100 yards thus the drill is called Kick Slide 100’s.

(from Outstanding Press Man Drills Part I)

Slide N Get Up Drill x 3 each side

Note:  Getting vertical up the field when a WR gets outside of you is a crucial element in press.  Emphasize making a hard turn up and staying vertical.

(from Outstanding Press Man Drills Part III)

3 Releases

Note: You need a partner to do this drill.  If you do not have a partner then sub this drill with another round of Kick Slide 100’s.  You simply can never have too good of a kick slide.

That’s it.  This workout should take about 45 minutes minus the warm up and stretch.  I recommend you doing this 2-3 times per week.  A good 4-6 weeks of this program and you are ready to move on to a more advanced drill training regimen which I will be posting soon.

Should you have any questions or feedback on this post,  feel free to email me: cwilson@alleyesdbcamp.com

 

 

To T-step or Not to T-step

I didn’t start this, Deion did. This has become an annual thing as the GOAT, Deion Sanders, narrates the action at the NFL combine. One thing you can bet on every year will be Deion voicing his displeasure for the T-step but is the GOAT right on this one?

One thing is for sure, the whole T-step debate seems to have ramped up this year more than ever. Perhaps we can blame it on increased viewership of the NFL combine or because social media is taking a greater importance in our lives.

https://twitter.com/deionsanders/status/1234842652908101634?s=21

Deion Sanders was a high school quarterback that learned how to play cornerback in college. He was taught to play by Mickey Andrews who has a long list of All Americans and All Pros to his credit. During his four years at FSU, there was no other DB coach. With that in mind, it stands to reason that Sanders would hold coach Andrews’ teachings as gospel. To do anything else may seem disrespectful to a man he feels he owes so much to.

Me, on the other hand, had five different defensive back coaches in five college seasons at two different schools. Some coaches loved the bicycle step and some swore by the t-step. I did what they wanted me to. As a result, I became proficient in both techniques. I was one to study myself on film obsessively. Here’s what I found out about the t-step vs the bicycle step. IT DOESN’T MATTER!!

I slipped coming out of my back pedal using both. I came out of my back pedal slow using both. You know what did matter? Where my eyes were before I made my break. Where my feet landed in proximity to my hips when I made my break. My ability to anticipate the next move by the WR before I made my break. When I was on point in those things I got some of the most tremendous breaks every year playing for each DB coach using both techniques.

Here’s what else I learned, different breaks require different techniques. If you are breaking on a route downhill (hitch, curl, comeback) a bicycle step is more natural and may be slightly better. It’s not better if you have T-stepped forever and are now being taught to bicycle step. If you are breaking on an out route or anything 90 degrees then the more natural thing to do is T-step as it allows you to open your hips at the necessary angle to attack that route.

So at the end of the day, this is much ado about nothing. If you have eye discipline, can plant efficiently under your hips and anticipate routes you will come out of your breaks like lightning. Whether you t-step or bicycle step is not more important than the 3 things I pointed out previously.

As a coach / trainer, here’s what I else I learned. Trying to change a t-stepper to a bicycle stepper and vice versa after they’ve been getting coached for about 3 or more years is not worth it. It’s basically telling a left handed batter in baseball that he needs to hit right handed. What side of the plate you hit from comes naturally. What side you hit from is not more important than seeing the ball, anticipating pitches and using proper mechanics to bring the bat head to the ball.

Ultimately the debate exists because every man who has achieved success wants to remain beholden to the technique they used to get them there. We have highly successful men that have used both techniques. That alone should tell you something.

3 Things to Do After You Get Beat Playing DB

There’s an elephant in the room if you play DB.  If she isn’t there now,  she’ll be there shortly.  Sooner or later if you play DB,  the elephant is going to show up.  That Elephant’s name is touchdown and you invited her.  If we don’t address the elephant she will either get larger or have babies and while Elephant’s can be cute,  we don’t want any of that.

What am I talking about? I’m talking about getting beat while playing defensive back.  That’s either for a touchdown or a really big play.  It happens and this article is here to tell you what to do when it does happen because it will.   Here are 3 things you need to do after getting beat for a big play while playing defensive back.

1 – Quickly Figure Out What Went Wrong

The common thing told to DB’s is that you have to have a short memory and forget about the play.  Sure, this is true but not right away.  After you get beat,  you need to quickly determine what went wrong and why you gave up the big play.  Let me put an emphasis on “quickly”.  This is why defensive backs need to have awareness.  The best defensive backs make mistakes but what makes them great is that rather quickly they know what went wrong and can fix it.  Knowing what went wrong is crucial as the situation most likely will present itself again.

2 – Block Out the Noise

After getting beat,  the wide receiver,  if he’s like 80% of them out there is going to be in your ear,  hoping to get in your head.  Close the door on your ear.  You will hear him because you are not deaf but don’t listen.  In your mind,  this guy got lucky and won’t be so the next time around.  Some time the noise comes from your teammates on the scene or in the huddle.  If the noise isn’t coming in some form of constructive criticism,  meaning information that can help you in the next situation,  block that out too.  This may also apply to a coach.  If your coach is prone to venting and yelling without yielding information that can prevent another setback then unfortunately you will have to block him out too.  You can take all the yelling at halftime, after the game or in the post game film session.  You need the proper mindset for the next play, series, etc. during the game.

3 – Focus on the Next Play

After you have made your quick assessment of the situation gone bad,  file away the information you picked up and store it for the next time the situation comes up.  What’s more important now is focusing on what may be coming on the next play.  Your mind still has to be on the other team’s tendencies,  your team’s game plan and what your responsibilities are.  Dwell on the last play too long and you fall short in all of those areas.  You don’t need me to tell you that this could lead to another elephant showing up on the scene.  Too many elephants and you become a clown and the gridiron is no circus.  Get focused on what’s next and you can make everyone forget that you got beat as you high step down the sidelines with a pick six.

Just some thoughts from experience that you can use in a situation that you will find yourself in some time soon.  It’s inevitable that you will give up catches,  long plays and touchdowns while playing DB.  What’s important is that you balance those off with your fair share of big plays too.  Follow the steps above and you have a good chance of making that happen.

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