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When it Comes to Stopping A Passing Attack, Communication is Key

This current era of football,  at all levels,  has seen the most prolific passing offenses in history.  High school quarterbacks are breaking state passing records,  college football signal callers are setting new marks and professional football gunslingers are piling up yardage that no one could have imagined some two decades ago.  Even youth football quarterbacks are putting the ball in the air more in single games than teams did in an entire season in the early 2000’s.

With so much passing going on,  defenses must constantly be on the lookout for new ways to slow down the aerial onslaught.  One of those new ways to limit passing games may be looking back to the old and that is to communicate.

One of the things that I have noticed in coaching and training over the last decade is that more and more football players are focusing more individually while trying to be their best in a team atmosphere. One of the biggest groups getting hurt in this movement are defenders and in particular,  defensive backs.

Defensive backs are spending great amounts of time working on drills and individual skills and not enough time learning how to play within the scheme.

If you are going to stop a passing attack,  I can tell you that no amount of individual skill is going to overcome poor communication in the back end of the defense (the secondary).   With that said,  here are 5 big areas of communication that will help you defend a strong passing attack.

1 – Communicate Formation

Seems simple doesn’t it but you would be surprised how many defenses don’t do this.  Teams use formations to beat the defense.  It is important to call out the formation when the offense lines up.  This responsibility,  as will many in the area of communication,  should fall on the safeties since they have a central view of the offense.  However,  the cornerbacks to each side should communicate how many eligible WRs they have on their side of the formation.  With their side view of the offense,  cornerbacks are in the best position to view how many eligible guys there are to their side.  This will help the defense set itself and get lined up.  If you studied right during the week,  this simple formation communication can clue everyone in on what to expect after the snap.

2 – Highlight Key Player Formation

Most strong offenses have a key player that they like to get the ball to.  Sure,  some teams may have multiple ways and players that can hurt you.  However,  even in those situations,  the times they get the ball to those players are pre-set.  Many times,  it is dictated by formation.  So after communicating the formation,  call out the location of the player you guys determined was key during the week.  Some offenses are crafty in moving players around or hiding them in the backfield or at the end of the line of scrimmage.  Knowing where the player is will help in defending him and that can’t happen unless it is called out by either the middle linebacker or safety.  It should then be echoed by the rest of the players in the back seven (linebackers and defensive backs).

3 – Loudly Call Out and Echo Coverage and Checks

Another one that seems elementary but again,  you’d be surprised how many times this is not done.  First of all,  most defenses have little code words or hand signals for their coverages.  Make sure that those code words and hand signals are communicated every down!  It’s hard enough to cover talented WRs getting thrown to by gifted QBs without having one guy play man while the others are playing zone.  Safeties should make sure they get the attention of their cornerbacks who are notorious non communicators. Make sure they see or signal to you that they heard the coverage.  Double the emphasis on this if the formation changes or there is motion that causes there to be a change in the coverage called.  Loudly communicate the check.  Corners should signal their confirmation of hearing the check with some kind of hand signal.  I don’t recommend looking to your safety to say “I got it” and risk having the ball snapped while you’re not looking.

4 – Communicate Scheme Technique

The place where this comes into play is against unusual formations.  When the offense lines up in bunch sets,  stacked formations and tight alignments,  safeties, corners and linebackers have to open their mouths and remind each other who has what.  Most of the time,  who cares if the offense knows.  What’s more important is that everyone on your side of the ball knows who they got or where they are supposed to be.  It only takes one man to be out of place for a big play to happen.  “You got the point”.  “Banjo, Banjo”, “Inside out!” are among things that should be loudly and clearly communicated pre-snap when the offense starts getting creative with their formations.  Silent is deadly for the defense in these situations.

5 – Call Out Routes

The communication does not stop once the ball is snapped.  The best defenses continue their exchange of information after the center releases the ball to the QB.  You cover WRs in zone with your mouth.  Since you aren’t chasing guys all over the field,  you need to communicate their location by yelling out the routes they’re running.  This alerts the defender in the zone the receiver is heading to that he has someone coming.  The best way for me to have you visualize this is to think of going to play paintball with your teammates.  If your group of 11 went up against another group of 11,  I really don’t think you guys will not say a word during the game.  You better be telling your guys where the enemy is or all of you are going to look like a work of art really fast.  It’s the same thing on the football field.  The game of football was born out of the actual idea of war.  Talk to your teammates in zone post snap to help them defend their area.  A simple yelling out of “china” when the offense runs a smash concept can lead to the interception you need to take the wind out of a high flying offenses’ sails.

There may be some other areas of communication that are necessary depending on your defense and how you run it but I think I’ve covered the most crucial parts.  Here’s one thing you don’t want to communicate during the game and that is that you know exactly what play is coming.  You can keep that one a secret.  Perhaps you can alert that something may be coming but refrain from yelling out something like “hey #5 is at running back here comes the swing screen!” Don’t give the QB the chance to call an audible or time out and ruin your defenses’ chance at a big play.  For an example of what I mean,  check out the video below and have a good laugh.  Also continue watching the video to listen to how much communication goes on pre-snap during NFL games.  You want to be a pro,  start talking.

 

3 Things A DB Must Do To Make Plays In Big Moments

It’s a crucial 3rd down late in the game.  You come to the line of scrimmage, your legs are trembling,  your mouth is dry and your hands are shaking.  What will they say on Twitter if you give up a touchdown pass here. You read about this wide receiver and how great he is.

Playing defensive back in this social media era is tough.  Every time a wide receiver catches a ball,  the tide of public opinion turns against you.  The more catches a guy makes,  the bigger of a bum you become according to those who have never walked in your shoes.  Social media is here for you to care about what other people think but I’m here to tell you, as a defensive back,  it’s the last thing you should do.

Success at this position takes a certain mentality and caring about what others think,  especially those who don’t play or coach,  should never be a part of the equation.  If you want to entertain yourself with the opinions of others on the likes of Twitter and other social media outlets,  fine.  However,  allowing it determine how you feel and how you define yourself as a player is a recipe for disaster.

First of all,  fans are emotional beings.  During the course of a game,  many will say things that are irrational.  Many of those things they don’t really mean and their thought process is really tied into the outcome of the game.  A majority of those fans don’t know what it’s like to train for and ultimately line up in a game in the situations you are in.  Essentially what they are doing is similar to you watching a mechanic fixing the engine of your car and offering an opinion when you’ve never even lifted a car hood.

You can’t carry the load of 1,000 people’s opinions onto the field with you to cover the likes of those lined up in front of you.  The task is already tall enough as it is.

If you want success on the field during the pressure situations,  here are the 3 things you need to do:

1.  Know the Situation

You have to study film to know the tendencies of your opponent.  People rely on what works when they are in a tight spot.  Most of the times,  in crucial situations,  people will rely on what has worked for them in the past.  If you do not study,  you will not know what your opponent is likely to rely on.  If you have done your studying then you are halfway there. Now,  when the game arrives,  you have to be aware of the situation so you can match up what is likely to happen with what you observed on film.  Film study is useless if you are not aware of the situations while the game is happening.  Study but also be aware.

2. Focus on Your Technique

Now that you know the situation and have a reasonable expectation of what is coming,  it’s time to defeat it.  This comes by being technically sound vs. the play.  In those pressure situations,  drowning out the noise of the crowd,  the perception of the opponents abilities and the importance of the play will help you calm yourself.  The major focus should be on being technically correct in your movements.  Double down your focus on executing what you’ve learned in terms of skill.  Put your eyes where they are supposed to be,  move your feet correctly and place your hands in the proper position.  Being technically sound will also protect you against the wide receiver doing something unexpected.  Sometimes,  teams will pull a fast one and do something other than what you saw on film.  Good technique will keep you in good position should that occur.  Often times,  the player more sound in their technique will win the 1-on-1 battle.

3. Think Positive Thoughts Only

The power of the mind is real.  You can will yourself into success by thinking that it will happen.  Some people don’t believe in this and there is a name for them…… failures. Talk to yourself if you have to but in the crucial situations,  channel only positive thoughts.  You are the biggest,  the baddest and the best in that moment right now.  Fully expect to be successful and it will allow you to execute points 1 and 2 much better.  Positive thoughts allow you to move confidently.  The best players at this position all had the common element of confidence.  Confidence starts in having positive thoughts about yourself and that is true in the pressure situations.  When the heat is on,  you should want the ball to come your way because you are prepared to make a play on it.  Nowhere in your thought process should their be room for what Twitter will think if the play doesn’t go your way.

Even when you do all of the above,  the play still may not go your way.  My answer to that is,  that’s life.  There ’s always the next play,  the next game or the next season.  Once the play is over,  you are on to the next.  When you play defensive back,  you will get beat.  The only guys not getting beat are the ones on the sidelines.  Accept that getting beat is a part of the hazards of the job.  Learn from it,  move on and prepare yourself better for the next situation.  You are only one play away from the big one if you consistently follow the three steps outlined above.

If you are looking to make big plays on a consistent basis, you have to prepare yourself.  You can do so by joining me for my in person sessions if you live in the South Florida area. Or you can sign up for my member’s area if you live outside of the area and / or want to just have the added bonus of online training.  To join me for my in person sessions,  send me an email at: cwilson@alleyesdbcamp.com.  To join my member’s area and reap all the benefits of online training,  Click here to sign up.

DB Tips | How to Back Pedal as a Defensive Back

Back pedaling may be a lost art for many and it’s getting DBs killed.  Having a strong back pedal can keep you out of many bad situations on the field while covering WRs and this video is going to show you how to pedal correctly.

The growing trend by defensive backs and their coaches alike is to shun the back pedal for turning hips right away and putting DBs at a disadvantage while covering the growing number of quality route running WRs.  I am not certain if it’s a deliberate effort to eliminate pedaling or if it’s just something that is being neglected while coaches focus more on scheme but it’s not good.  So,  with that in mind,  use this video to introduce or re-introduce yourself to the most basic of all DB drills and that is the back pedal.

Some of the main points in the video are (1) getting into a comfortable stance. (2) Pushing off into the pedal correctly (3) Landing the foot properly to increase speed and keep balance (4) Correct positioning of the feet to allow for most efficient mobility (5) What to do with the arms to enhance the effort of your pedal.  Refer to the video for details on each of these points.

A back pedal allows the defender to remain squared up on a WR thus allowing him to break left or right with equal efficiency when the route breaks off.  With a proper back pedal that has speed,  a defender can keep his over the top relationship over a WR up through and beyond the point of a route breaking off.  What happens most often is that players do not develop a quality back pedal and feel threatened when a WR starts running at them.  Defensive backs panic because their cushion is broken so quickly and this results in them turning too quickly.  Once that happens the WR can attack your blind spot to manipulate you and turn you in the wrong direction gaining separation on you for an easy reception.

Get back to basics by focusing on developing a quality back pedal.  Do so and watch how you are able to make more plays on the ball in coverage.   Enjoy the video below.  Don’t forget to Like and Share the video.  Also,  subscribe to my YouTube Channel.  If you really want to become an elite DB,  join my member’s area where I dig deeper into the secrets of becoming a great DB with tips, drills, analysis, coverage teaching, film study and more. Sign up for the All Eyes DB Camp Member’s Area – Click Here.

Dynamic Duos | Kevin Ross and Albert Lewis

In the next installment of my Dynamic Duos series,  we take a trip back in time to Kansas City to reminisce on a pair of cornerbacks that were the cornerstone of a defense that was very tough on opposing quarterbacks.

The 80’s was a golden time for the advancement of passing games in the NFL.  Bill Walsh’s west coast offense would dominate the era winning three Super Bowls.  As such,  NFL offenses were forced to adapt and that basically means copy.   Soon,  offenses found it advantageous to get more balls in the air on Sundays and use the passing game as an extension of their running games.

With that being the case,  defenses also had to adapt and find ways to limit all the passing that was going on.  Having a pair of cornerbacks that could play tight man coverage became the move to make and Kansas City struck gold with Albert Lewis and Kevin Ross.

Ross was a 7th round pick by the Chiefs in 1984 out of Temple.  The New Jersey native was able to earn a starting job as a rookie and have immediate impact when paired with Albert Lewis at the cornerback spot.  Ross was 5’9″ and a stocky, muscled up athlete who preferred to wear the commonly referred to “duck” facemask.  That bar down the middle was perfect for Ross who was physical in every way.  He would beat up wide receivers at the line of scrimmage,  get them out of their game and if they were able to catch a pass,  he would make them pay a hefty price.  Ross intercepted 30 passes in his 11 years as a Chief,  made two pro bowls and is in the team’s Hall of Fame.

Albert Lewis was more of the gazelle.  At 6’2″ with 4.38 speed,  Lewis would disrupt WR routes at the line of scrimmage with his long arms then use his speed, length and acceleration to stick to wide outs like a pair of hip pads. Lewis was drafted one year before Ross in the 3rd round out of Grambling St.  Coveted for his athleticism,  Lewis put it to fine use as a bump and run technician.  Pass breakups were not a stat kept back then but as someone who watched plenty of Ross and Lewis during this era,  they both racked up a ton of them.  Lewis also was a force on special teams where he blocked 11 kicks in 11 seasons as a Chief.  In his time with Kansas City,  Lewis intercepted 38 passes which was quite a feat.

In their first three seasons as a duo,  Ross and Lewis racked up 29 interceptions before it became teams’ strategy to avoid throwing at them.  The ability to remove wide receivers from the game plan helped Kansas City’s defense tremendously and had reverberating effects.  Chiefs’ safeties like Deron Cherry stared racking up interceptions and their pass rush buoyed by Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith started leading the league annually in sacks.  It was truly fun to watch the Chiefs play defense back in this era.

Know Your DB History | Eric Allen

One of the more overlooked defensive backs in the history of our game is the one I am featuring today.  When you had 54 career interceptions as a pro your name should be circulated more when talking about the greats but that’s just not the case.

Most young defensive backs tend to idolize guys that look like and are built like them.  Well,  for the sub 6 foot cornerback club,  Eric Allen is a guy you should be looking up and taking after.  Eric Allen’s biggest mistake in terms of pub was playing during the Rod Woodson,  Deion Sanders era and not being that flamboyant.

Allen grew up in San Diego,  California and played high school ball at Point Loma HS.  After high school,  he would sign a scholarship to play for Arizona St. in the then Pac-10.  All Allen did during his Sun Devil career was make plays.  In four seasons at Arizona St.,  Allen would pulldown 16 interceptions including 8 his senior season with two ran back for touchdowns.  You would think that would be enough for him to win the Thorpe Award that year but he wasn’t even a finalist.  That season the award was given to both Bennie Blades of Miami who had 10 interceptions the season before and followed up with 5 on a national championship team and Rickey Dixon who also had 8 interceptions and played for high profile Oklahoma.  The other finalist that year was some dude named Deion Sanders.

Allen’s performance in college wasn’t even enough for him to be a first round pick.  Allen was a 2nd round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles (pick 30).  Three defensive backs went ahead of Allen in that draft;  the aforementioned Blades and Dixon along with Terry McDaniel from Tennessee that was drafted by the Raiders at pick number nine.  Allen was 5’10” and 180 lbs. at the NFL combine which is not too different from McDaniel but McDaniel was a track star and thus more coveted.  Nevertheless,  Allen would go on to have a better NFL career than all three men accumulating almost as many interceptions as all three men combined (54 to 55).

As a pro,  Allen would become known for his sticky coverage and knack for getting his hands on the ball.  Having an immediate impact,  Allen would grab five interceptions as a rookie then follow it up with eight during his sophomore campaign.  He quickly established himself as a top cover man in the league.  His crowning year as a pro came in 1993 when he grabbed six interceptions running them back for 214 yards and an amazing four touchdowns.  This included a ridiculous 94 yard interception return that was one of the all time NFL greatest pick sixes (see video below).

After seven years as an Eagle,  Allen would go on to play for the Saints and Raiders.  In 1998,  Allen would tear his ACL while playing for Oakland and miss the final six games of the season.  Two years later,  Allen would again rise to the top of his game and grab six interceptions,  running three of them back for TDs.

In 14 seasons in the NFL,  Allen would total 54 interceptions for 826 yards with eight touchdowns and 789 tackles.  He was chosen for the Pro Bowl six times and was on three All Pro teams.  As I said,  Allen was not the flamboyant,  flashy type.  He just went about his business and did not make headlines off the field.  In my opinion,  Allen joins Everson Walls as two of the biggest non NFL Hall of Fame snubs at the defensive back position.  Between two men that’s 111 interceptions without a bust in Canton.

Know Your DB History: Willie Brown – Oakland Raiders

Willie Brown – Oakland Raiders
By: Chad Wilson – All Eyes DB Camp

Everybody loves to press these days. Ask any defensive back what they love to do the most and they’ll probably tell you “line up close to the line of scrimmage to play bump and run.” Well they can all thank Willie Brown for that.

Brown may or may not have been the first cornerback to line up and play bump and run but he was the leader of the group that made the technique popular.

The Oakland Raiders were as popular a football team as there was in the late 60’s and 70’s. From the silver and black uniforms to their on-field antics, football fans could not get enough of the Raiders. One of the things the team became known for on the field was their aggressive play spearheaded by the bump and run played by their cornerbacks.

Brown played collegiately at Grambling State and was a tight end. He went undrafted in 1963 out of college despite there being 20 rounds back then (yes I said 20!).  He signed a free agent contract with the Houston Oilers who cut him in training camp.  He was then picked up by the Denver Broncos who moved him to cornerback and he became a star. In his rookie season he recorded 9 INTs and was selected to the AFL All-Star Game.

Four seasons later,  Brown would be traded to the Oakland Raiders and was installed in their new bump and run defense. For the next 12 season,  Brown and the Raiders would terrorize offenses with their physical play and disruptive ways at the line of scrimmage. Brown would be elected to five AFL All Star Games and 4 NFL Pro Bowls in his 12 years with the Raiders. His crowning moment came in Super Bowl XI vs. the Vikings when he stepped in front of a Fran Tarkenton pass and raced for a then record 75 yard touchdown.

Brown holds a special place for me as he was my first defensive back coach in college at Long Beach St. in 1990.  He introduced me to the mindset of a defensive back.  That mindset stood with me throughout my playing days and definitely stands now as I coach and mentor other young men playing the game.

He ended his NFL career with 54 INTs for 472 yards and 2 TDs. He was a 3x Super Bowl Champion and was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984.  Not bad for a guy who went undrafted in a 20 round NFL draft.

Know Your DB History: Champ Bailey

When you talk to young cornerbacks in today’s game,  there are a handful of names that they will mention.  From the past they may bring up names like Deion Sanders, Charles Woodson, Darrelle Revis and occasionally Rod Woodson.  They will also talk about current players like Richard Sherman, Pat Peterson and Jalen Ramsey.  Lost in all this conversation will be discussions on one important figure in the world of cornerbacks,  Champ Bailey.

Admittedly,  I learned some things about Bailey in writing this article that I did not entirely know.  One of them was just how productive a football player he was in high school.  It would be hard to do more for a football team than Bailey did for his high school.  At Charlton County High School in Georgia,  Bailey was Mr. Everything and anyone coming behind him will have to live in his shadow.

Bailey rushed for 3,573 yards in his high school career including 1,858 one season.  He holds the school record for touchdowns in a season with 28.  He scored 394 points in his high school career.  He also threw for over 1,200 yards.  On defense he had 8 interceptions and amassed over 1,000 yards in kick off and punt returns.  Obviously,  an athlete like this was highly recruited and he was.  In 1996,  Bailey signed with and entered the University of Georgia.

Seizing on his ability to excel on both sides of the ball,  Georgia played Bailey at both cornerback and wide receiver throughout his career. Bailey would total close to 1,000 receiving yards, 100 rushing yards and gain 500 plus yards in kick returns.  Defensively,  he had 8 career interceptions including one for a touchdown.   He was a consensus All American his senior year in 1998 and won the Bronco Nagurski Trophy awarded to the nation’s defensive player.

In 1999,  the Washington Redskins made Bailey their 7th overall pick. In the pre-draft run up,  the Bulldog put up some unreal numbers at Georgia’s pro day.  The most noteworthy figures were his 4.28 forty, 42 inch vertical and 22 reps of 225 lbs. on the bench press.  Bailey posted some of the most eye popping numbers of any cornerback in NFL history.

For the Redskins,  Bailey made an immediate impact nabbing five interceptions in each of his first two seasons in Washington. In 2002,  Bailey combined three interceptions with an astounding 24 passes defensed.  In five seasons,  Bailey made the Pro Bowl four times.  Unfortunately,  Bailey and the Redskins could not work out a new contract and he was traded to the Denver Broncos after his fifth season in exchange for Clinton Portis.

In Denver,  the party didn’t stop for Bailey as he continued making Pro Bowls and started adding All Pro teams to his resume.  Bailey was an All Pro in his first three seasons with Denver as he piled up 21 interceptions over the seasons including a league high 10 in 2006.  In six of his first seven seasons as a Bronco,  Bailey ended the year in double figures for passes defensed,  he was truly a shutdown corner.  At the conclusion of the 2013 season,  Bailey retired completing 15 seasons in the NFL.  He would end with 52 interceptions, 203 passes defensed, three touchdowns and over 900 tackles.  This past summer (2019),  Bailey was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  The man they called Champ was included into the group of the best to ever play the game.

 

Know Your DB History: Mike Haynes

Our latest generation may not be familiar with Mike Haynes seeing as though he is now 66 years of age.  However,  there’s no hiding what a talent he was even though he was a bit overshadowed by his Oakland Raiders’ counterpart Lester Hayes and his eccentric behavior.

Haynes grew up in Los Angeles California and attended John Marshall High School.  He was a two sport star in both football and track.  To this day,  he still holds the school record in the long jump with a mark of 23’5″ inches. Haynes achieved the mark in a league championship meet to give Marshall High the victory.   On the gridiron,  he was a two way starter at quarterback and defensive back.  Haynes’ long and athletic 6’2″ frame was attractive to college scouts and he signed with Arizona St. out of high school.  At ASU,  Haynes was All Conference three out of the four years that he was there.

In 1976,  Haynes was selected in the first round by the New England Patriots.  He didn’t waste any time impressing New England and the rest of the league.  In his rookie year he pulled down 8 interceptions and returned a pair of punts for touchdowns.  That was good enough to land him in the Pro Bowl as a rookie.  Building on that rookie season,  Haynes came back the following year with five more interceptions and then six in his third season. In seven years with the Pats,  Haynes collected 28 interceptions.

Midway through his 8th season with New England,  Haynes was dealt to the Los Angeles Raiders who made a run to the Super Bowl to face the Washington Redskins who defeated the Raiders earlier in the season.  With Haynes teaming up with Lester Hayes, the Redskins’ passing game was grounded to a halt and the Raiders won the Super Bowl.  Showing that his career was not on the decline,  Haynes intercepted six balls in 1984,  his first full season with the Raiders.  He totaled a career high 220 return yards on those INTs including one for a touchdown.  Haynes would play a total of seven years for Los Angeles and amass 18 interceptions to bring his career total to 46.

Throughout his 14 year NFL career,  Haynes would make it to the Pro Bowl nine times.  Twice he was All Pro (1984 and 1985).  He was named to 75th NFL Anniversary team and the All 1980’s team.  In 1997,  he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  He was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

Just Moved to DB? You’ll Need These 4 Things

You don’t know how many times I get this message in my DM’s on my Instagram account: ” Coach I just moved to DB,  any tips?”  So let me answer this questions once and for all.   If you are moving or just got moved to defensive back,  here are four things you will need to be a success.

(1)  Knowledge 

You are scared to death,  you don’t know what you are doing so you will be hesitant when you first get on the field at your new position.  Confidence eliminates hesitation and confidence comes with knowledge.   Have you ever watched a game show where the contestants have to buzz in first to give their answer?  Usually the person who buzzes in first is the person who immediately has the correct answer in their head.

On the football field as a defensive back,  you are a game show contestant.  The offense is going to ask you some questions with their formations, alignments and personnel.  Add to that the questions your own team has with regards to the defense you are in and the assignments.  The faster you have the answers about what is coming and what you are supposed to do,  the faster your feet are going to “buzz in”.

A game show contestant either studied hard for their performance or has acquired a wealth of knowledge over their life span before they go on the show.  You will bring some knowledge to defensive back from your previous position but the rest you will have to study up for and I do mean study up.  You are behind everyone else who has already been playing defensive back. First,  go hard at your team’s playbook.  Take sharp notes and study them every chance you get.  The better you know the defense,  the faster you will move.  Once you have mastered your playbook,  study offenses.  The quicker you can identify what they are doing,  the faster you can react to it.  All of this happens when you study and acquire knowledge.

(2) Be Able to Tackle

Unless you moved from another position like linebacker to defensive back (which is rare) or from defensive line to defensive back (almost never happens),  tackling is going to be kind of new to you.  Unless the offense you just moved from is prone to turning the ball over,  you haven’t had much practice at tackling.  On defense,  tackling is everything.

Even the greatest defense does not always stop the ball from going into the hands of the intended carrier.  With that being the case,  once the ball safely reaches it’s destination,  the ball carrier must be tackled or points are going to get put up on the board.

When you first move to defensive back,  your coverage skills are probably not going to be at their best.  This means that receivers will likely catch balls on you.  You can not compound that problem by also missing the tackle on the WRs after they catch it.  That will result in a lot of time on the bench or a move back over to offense.

If you want to be a successful defensive back,  then spend the extra time working on your tackling.  Study effective techniques and hitting the bags. Tackling is one part technique and the other part desire.  You either have that desire or you don’t but the technique can be learned and perfected.  It will take a little bit of your extra time and effort to get there.  Don’t forget to work on the tackling part.  All of the glamour and glory at defensive back is put into who can cover but if you want to be a real asset to your team,  learn how to be best at what defenders do most and that is tackle.

(3) Have Great Footwork

There is no footwork in football like a defensive back’s.  Outside of a left or right tackle pass blocking,  no one else on the team is really expected to go backwards with as much proficiency.  Not only going backwards but mirroring a quick WR that knows where he’s going is a challenge in and of itself.  Having the knowledge as I said in the beginning of this article will help but you still won’t get there if you don’t have the footwork.

The best way to get good at DB footwork is to do DB drills.  IN this day in age,  you will see a lot of gimmicks being taught to get you good footwork over night.  That might range from an over indulgence in ladder drills to beach workouts seven days a week.  Neither of those things in mass quantities will get you where you want to go.  In fact,  they can slow your ability to have good footwork.

Simply do DB drills on a game type surface (grass or field turf) as much as possible.  With each rep and session,  strive to perfect a core base of drills like back pedaling, weaving, flipping your hips and shuffling.  Developing a solid foundation with those key movements will allow you to quickly pick up any other advanced movements a particular DB coach may be trying to teach you.  Check out my Masters of the Basics DB Drills – Part I for a great line up of drills you MUST master if you are going to be a great DB.  Practicing those drills over and over on a game surface may be boring but only if you are not interested in greatness.  The great ones never get bored with the basics.  You can also sign up as a member of the All Eyes DB Camp site to catch Parts II and III of the Masters of the Basics series to see some of the other drills that will fast track you to having solid DB footwork.

(4) Ball Skills

If you are coming over from offense and wide receiver in particular,  then you should already have ball skills.  If they kicked you off of offense because you can’t catch then don’t think it’s ok to bring the brick house to the defense. There’s nothing worse than doing everything right to get into great position and not cash in because you can’t grab a hold of the pigskin.

Don’t ignore your ball skills.  Spend some time catching the football especially if you moved from linebacker where you didn’t drill it as much.  Work on your hand eye coordination.  Especially work on tracking deep balls and catching them.  At defensive back you will be distracted while defending a deep ball.  You will often start off with your back to the ball and often won’t see it thrown.  This means that you have to catch enough balls to not panic when you see it as it is almost at your hands.  The more balls you catch in practice,  the more confident you will be when it comes your way in the game.

So there you have it.  Those are the most important things you will need when you make the switch from whatever meaningless other position you were playing on the field.  Because we all know that there’s nothing like playing DB.  Now get to work on all these things so you can be an All American.

Know Your DB History: Lester Hayes

The NFL has certainly produced it’s fair share of “characters” over it’s long rich history and when it comes to being a character,  few out did Lester Hayes.

Hayes was a 5th round draft choice by the Oakland Raiders in 1977 out of Texas A&M.  What few people may know is that Hayes was a defensive end as a freshman at Texas A&M.  He would move to linebacker during this sophomore year and then onto safety where he played during his final two seasons for the Aggies.  Hayes would earn All American honors his senior year at safety after pulling down eight interceptions.

After signing with the Raiders in 1977,  Hayes would make yet another move and that was to cornerback.  At cornerback,  Hayes would become an all-time great and one of the cornerstones on defense for a pair of World Championship Oakland Raider football teams (1980 and 1983).

The 6’2″ 200 lb. Hayes had his finest year in 1980 tallying up 13 interceptions for 273 return yards and one touchdown.  The 13 interceptions in one season are second only to the NFL record still held by Dick “Night Train” Lane who had 14.  Hayes’ amazing 1980 season followed a 1979 season in which he had 7 interceptions for 100 return yards and 2 TDs.

After that 1980 season,  Hayes was largely avoided by opposing QBs and that resulted in only 14 interceptions over the final six years of his career.  IN total,  Hayes would make the Pro Bowl 5 times and become All Pro once (1980).

Hayes was known not only for his on field production but for his odd look and strange behavior on the field.  His wide and extremely low stance was often talked about but not as much as his use of the substance known as “stickum”.  Stickum was introduced to Hayes by Raiders WR Fred Bilenitikoff.  Stickum,  as the name would suggest,  was a sticky substance that WRs would apply to their hands to aid in catching the ball (gloves weren’t a thing back then).  Hayes would often spray himself down all over his body with the substance.  Eventually it drew wide complaints from opponents and it resulted in the NFL banning stickum after the 1980 season in which Hayes had 13 INTs.  Some say the banning of stickum made Hayes less of a defensive back.  Of course,  that’s open to debate.  Hayes used a combination of aggressive play and great instincts to find himself in the right place at the right time many times.

When his career was over,  Hayes had 39 interceptions,  all as a member of the Raiders.  He is tied with Hall of Famer Willie Brown for the most in Oakland Raiders’ history.  Not bad for a former defensive end and 5th round draft pick.

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