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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.

Tired of Getting Bombed? Check Your Turn

Football is a game made up of a bunch of techniques and movements designed to give one man an advantage over another in hopes of making a play.  At no position is that more obvious than at defensive back.

Despite what I wrote in that first paragraph,  many a defensive back takes their movements on the field for granted.  No other position is required to go in reverse as much as a defensive back.  At some point,  some geniuses decided that back pedaling is not that advantageous to DBs and started a no back pedal movement.  This involves starting a player off turned sideways so they can run deep with a WR.  What has resulted is a virtual playground of short to medium routes by wideouts that have been hitting with high frequency.

Perhaps coaches were tired of seeing players who playing in off coverage,   struggle to come out of the back pedal on deep routes and end up in trail position.  Mistakingly,  some observers attribute this to the DB turning too late which could be the case at times.  However,  a lot of times,  the problem resides in how the player turns out of their backpedal.  Turning out of the backpedal is on the list of things that are taken for granted by defensive backs and coaches.  However,  it’s one of the more important things that you will do at the position.

In observing the backpedal turns of many defensive backs,  I have zeroed in on the 4 main things that go wrong in that turn that leads to trouble.

(1) Too high in their back pedal

Some guys just don’t like bending their knees.  That’s unfortunate.  Most of your power and balance as an athlete comes from bending your knees and lowering your center of gravity.  Pedaling too high makes turns of any kind very difficult.  One of the questions I ask many of my defensive backs in training is “If you were being chased around corners in a car,  would you rather be in Ferrari or a Range Rover?”  The point I am making is that a Ferrari because it is low,  will negotiate turns a lot better than a taller Range Rover that will have to support the swinging weight of it’s top when it bends around a corner.  The same is true when you turn out of your pedal.  Be a Ferrari not a Range Rover.

(2) Stepping with the wrong foot

Some guys can turn out of their pedal in one or two steps.  Others will take three or four.  What causes the extra steps?  Dropping the wrong foot on the turn leads to the multiple steps that slows down your momentum and obviously delays your transition into running deep.  A player turning to his left should drop his right foot in the ground and vice versa.  Dropping the opposite foot allows the hips to open in the direction of the turn quickly.  If you drop your right foot to turn right,  you will then have to step over with the left,  have to drop the right again and possibly have to drop the left foot once more to gather yourself.  Can you see how that would be a problem?  Dropping the proper foot is a minor detail that has a major effect on the outcome.

(3) Stepping outside of your circle

What’s the circle?  It’s the small imaginary circle under your body.  That circle represents the place where your footwork should reside if you are going to make the most effective use of your power and balance.  Some defensive backs will take a wide step to turn.  Once that first step is wide,  the next step will also be wide to compensate for the swing your upper body makes to come back in line with your feet.  So essentially, your body will swing from side to side until you are able to stabilize it.  Who has time for that when a WR is screaming down the field at us?  Stepping wide outside of your circle is equal to jerking the steering wheel hard from one side to the other when you go around a corner.  You don’t need me to tell you what could possibly happen if you do that.  Keep your feet under you in your circle as you make that step or steps to turn.

(4) Using your upper body to turn

When making your turn,  you should keep your shoulders at the same height. Popping your shoulders up and down or swinging your upper body around to make the turn will quite often throw you off balance once you face the other direction.  Again,  thinking of a car making a turn,  the last thing you want when you bend the corner is for the top of your car to be swaying from left to right.  Instead of throwing your upper body,  generate the turn from your hips and keep your upper body as still as possible.  This will help you keep your balance.

If you want more details and instruction on the proper way to turn out of the back pedal,  check out the video below.  The turn is comprised of many little things,  all of which are important in getting up the field and in proper position quickly.

Inside the Playbook | What Do Those Personnel Numbers Mean?

You may have heard your coach saying it or maybe you’ve even heard announcers on TV say it during a game.  “The offense has come out in 11 personnel”.  Perhaps it’s something you have ignored in the past but if you are playing ball,  especially in the back seven of the defense (defensive back and linebackers) then it’s something you have to know. This article and the attached video will explain it to you.

In it’s most simple explantation,  the personnel group numbers indicate how many tight ends and running backs are on the field.  So when you hear 21 personnel,  the first number indicates how many running backs “2” and then how many tight ends “1” .  Below is a picture showing a typical I formation.  The “I” formation is the most common form in which we will see 21 personnel used.  ‘H’ and ‘F’ are the running backs symbolizing the half back (H) and the fullback (F).  The tight end in the graphic is symbolized by ‘Y’.

In today’s pass happy era of football,  just about every team is running the spread formation or some variation of it.  One of the traditional formations that you see in a spread offense is a formation commonly known as doubles. This means two wide receivers to one side and two wide receivers to the other with one back in the backfield.  Below is a picture of a doubles formation.  In this type of attack,  the tight end is replaced by a quicker,  often smaller wide receiver as the offense attempts to get more speed on the field in open space. The personnel grouping for this formation would be “10” personnel.  As you can see in the picture,  there is only one running back and no tight ends as Y has been replaced with a WR.

Maybe an offense wants to get as much speed on the field as possible but they don’t want to get rid of the tight end because he’s a very good player (i.e. George Kittle or Travis Kelce) or they still want to have solid blocking on a run play.  Teams wanting to do this will employ what is commonly known as a single back set.  In a single back set,  the tight end is kept in the game but the fullback is replaced by a wide receiver who is split out in a slot formation.  A single back set is shown in the picture below.  The added wide receiver in the picture is depicted by ‘H’.  The halfback has now moved to the letter ‘F’.  In a single back set,  we have one running back and one tight end thus the grouping is called “11” personnel.

Let’s say an offense is near the goal line and they want to be a bully.  This basically means they want to be physical at the line of scrimmage and run the football.  In that case,  they will remove some of the smaller less physical wide receivers and replace them with tight ends and / or running backs.  In the picture below,  a double tight, wing formation is shown.  Because the offense wants to be more physical,  they keep both the fullback (F) and halfback (H) in the game.  They then decide to replace both wide receivers (X) and (Z) with tight ends that are lined up at the end of the line of scrimmage and as a wing off of the end of the line of scrimmage respectively.  In this particular formation,  there are two running backs and now three tight ends.  The personnel grouping for this formation is called “23” personnel.

So why the hell do we need to know the personnel groupings?  Offenses during the course of a game and series will run different players in and out of the game.  The offense’s objective is to create mismatches whether that is by personnel or alignments.  If an offense deploys a doubles formation with four speedy wide receivers on the field,  it might not be a good idea for the defense to have bigger,  less agile linebackers on the field attempting to cover them. In that case,  a defense may want to get quicker more agile  defensive backs on the field to cover the wide receivers.  Likewise,  if an offense wants to get physical and breaks out in a double tight wing formation,  it may not be a good idea for the defense to have additional defensive backs on the field taking on blocks from a tight end.

What defenses will do is have a coach in the press box who’s job it is to scan the opposing team’s sidelines and quickly call out the personnel groupings that the offense is going to use.  Rather than yelling out “two tight ends and one back”,  that coach can simply say in the headphones “12 personnel”.  The coach on the field can now quickly call out the package of defenders he wants to match what the offense is using.

It’s as simple as that.  If you want a little more detail and visuals on explaining personnel groupings in football,  check out the video below from my YouTube channel.  I would encourage you to subscribe to my YouTube Channel and if you are looking for more detailed information on playing defensive back or covering as a linebacker,  join my member’s area where I have over 100 videos on tips, drills, coverage, technique and more.  You can join the All Eyes DB Camp Member’s Area by clicking here.

Know Your DB History: Troy Polamalu

Many of our most recent generation may only know Troy Polamalu for his hair but he was so much more than that on the football field.

Though he was born in California,  Polamalu played his high school football in the state of Oregon.  Oregon is hardly a hotbed for college football talent and besides the fact that missed much of his senior season due to injury,  Polamalu was named Super Prep in 1998,  a prestigious honor back in those days.  Polamalu played running back and defensive back as a prep.  In his junior season he rushed for 1040 yards,  had 22 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He also participated in baseball and basketball while at Douglas High School in Winston, Oregon.  After fielding several offers during his senior season,  Polamalu returned to California to play for the USC Trojans.  Polamalu was quoted as saying “I was named Troy for a reason.”

Polamalu’s career at USC was not eventful as first.  He was primarily a special teams contributor as a freshman.  However,  he did make his impact felt as a member of those special teams.  His hustle and determination caught the eye of the Trojans coaching staff.  Polamalu would be named the starter the following season.  The rest,  as they say,  was history.  Polamalu’s rise coincided with the Trojans’ rise through the college football ranks.  USC was buried for several years from spotlight but during Polamalu’s time,  USC would take over college football.  His “hair on fire” style of play made Polamalu a leader on the USC defense and spearheaded their return to glory.  During his career at USC,  Polamalu had 278 tackles with an amazing 29 of them for a loss.  He also had six interceptions,  4 blocked punts and 3 touchdowns.

After his spectacular career as a Trojan,  Polamalu displayed his athleticism for scouts when he ran a 4.34 forty at USC’s pro day.  With the 16th pick in the first round,  the Pittsburgh Steelers chose Polamalu and thus began his Hall of Fame career.

By his second season,  Polamalu became the starter for the Steelers.  Much like he did in college,  he played with tremendous heart and fire.  He ran around the field as wild as his hair flowed from under his helmet.  Polamalu was a big risk taker at safety.  Whether he was playing deep centerfield or near the line of scrimmage,  he was the type to just go for it.  Many a time he would fly out of the post to go break up or intercept a pass.  He became famous for jumping over lineman at the snap of the ball or dashing into the A gap to sack the quarterback.

Much like his time at USC,  Polamalu’s time in Pittsburgh coincided with better defensive play and championships (see video below).  The Steelers became fixtures in the playoffs and would twice win the Super Bowl during his 12 year NFL career.  Because he did not rack up massive interception numbers like Ed Reed and Charles Woodson,  Polamalu has been slightly maligned in his post NFL career.  He ended with 32 interceptions and 770 tackles.

Though different in stature than his Hall of Fame classmate,  Steve Atwater,  much of their career is similar.  Polamalu played near the line of scrimmage often which does not lend itself to a ton of interceptions.  However,  he was extremely effective and impactful in that spot.  Polamalu amassed 56 tackles for loss during his career along with 12 sacks.  He also forced 14 fumbles which are all numbers amongst the best of any of the other safeties to have played the game.

Like Atwater,  Polamalu was a Pro Bowler 8 times and was named to the All Decade Team (2000’s).  He was named All Pro four times and on February 1, 2020,  he received the ultimate honor of being named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Know Your DB History: Steve Atwater

Before Kam Chancellor patrolled around the Seattle Seahawks secondary looking huge and unleashing pain on wide receivers and running backs trying to advance the football down the field,  there was another big safety that wrecked guys who liked the carry the football.  His name was Steve Atwater.

How big was Atwater?  He was 6’3″ 220 lbs. of all muscle and I promise you he looked much bigger.  Maybe it was because I was a youngster watching him play or maybe it was because football players wore bigger pads then but Atwater looked like a monster sitting in the defensive backfield for the Denver Broncos.  His claim to fame was a hit he unleashed on a running back known as the “Nigerian Nightmare” Christian Okoye on a Monday Night football game in front of a national audience.  Okoye was a huge 260 lb. running back for the Kansas City Chiefs that destroyed defenders on a regular basis.  Every week was full of highlights of him pounding defenders who dared to come before him.  That all ended on that Monday Night (see video below).

As usual,  the Kansas City Chiefs relied on Okoye to get them the tough yards and quiet the crowd.  This Monday Night football game was at Mile High Stadium in Denver.  Mile High was a tough place to play and it made sense for the Chiefs to try to take the crowd out of the game.  The opposite happened.  Okoye found an open hole on one play and proceeded through it with his 4.4 speed.  Everyone watching expected what they always saw in this situation and that was a big gain with Okoye pounding defenders and dragging them downfield with him.  All of sudden,  Atwater,  all 220 lbs. of him,  flashed into the screen and dropped the hammer on The Nightmare.  Right where Atwater hit him is where Okoye laid.  It was a Monday Night football memory for the ages.  Okoye would never be the same after that.  The fear factor was gone and Atwater took it.

Atwater was much more than just that big hit though.  He went to Lutheran High School North in Missouri where he was an option quarterback.  Many of the NFL’s top defensive backs back in the day began their careers as quarterbacks.  Atwater was one of those.  He was the top athlete in his school and fielded many scholarship offers.  Ultimately he decided to attend the University of Arkansas.  Quickly,  Atwater was switched from quarterback to defensive back.  It turned out to be a great move.  He would be named All American twice and finished as the Razorbacks all time leader in interceptions with 14.

In one of the deepest and most historic drafts ever in 1989,  Atwater became the 20th overall pick of the Denver Broncos.  Atwater had an immediate impact,  tallying up 129 tackles and 3 interceptions as a rookie.  He finished 2nd to Derrick Thomas for NFL rookie of the year.  Many will look at Atwater’s stats (only 24 career interceptions) and wonder how he was elected to the Hall of Fame.  However,  much of that had to do with how he was used by defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.  Phillips saw in Atwater the size and aggressiveness that could helps their team playing near the line of scrimmage.  In college,  Atwater proved that he could play centerfield and force turnovers.  However in Denver,  he also showed that he could be an extra linebacker against run heavy teams too and force teams to pass.  In his first five seasons,  Atwater finished in triple figures in tackles including his second season in which he had 173.  Atwater’s versatility forced teams to throw into a Denver secondary that was up for the task.

Towards the end of his career,  Atwater was rewarded by becoming a two time Super Bowl champion.  His performance in Super Bowl XXXII was noteworthy as he had six tackles, two pass break-ups and a forced fumble.  The Broncos ended a history of Super Bowl heartbreak by getting back to back championships and Atwater was a big part of that.

Atwater would be elected to the Pro Bowl eight times in his career and twice he would be named All Pro.  He was named to the NFL’s All Decade Team (1990’s) and finished his career with over 1,100 tackles.  On February 1, 2020,  the former option QB from Missouri was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as one of the games greatest defensive backs.

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