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You Are the Greatest!

We all know the line made famous by boxer and humanitarian Muhammad Ali: “I am the greatest”. For Ali it wasn’t just a quote, it was a lifestyle and it’s one you have to adopt when you’re playing defensive back.

If you want to have any chance at being the best at playing this position you must transform yourself into the mentality of one of the greatest athletes of all time. Sounds like a really big task doesn’t it? Well not really. There will be times when this line of thinking will be challenged as I suppose it was for Ali but if you say it enough,  believing it becomes easy.

Failure as a defensive back is just a part of the game. It’s almost like a baseball player in the batters box. You know there will be times when you will strike out. However, the thought every time you come to the play is that you will get a hit. This is the same mentality when you line up as a defensive back.

Your biggest weapon when you’re out on the field is your confidence. Your confidence unlocks everything else that you have at your disposal. Being confident allows you to operate your physical skills at their maximum. Being confident sets your football intelligence free allowing you to make the plays you need to make. Allow any ounce of doubt to creep into the equation and everything else starts to falter.

It really doesn’t matter what happened on the play before. What matters now is the play that’s in front of you. So whether you got beat for a touchdown or gave up a 50 yard completion, none of that has anything to do with the play that is happening at the moment. If you want to have success on a more regular basis, each time you lineup in front of a receiver, remember that you are the greatest. If you have to say it to yourself then get to talking. Just so you know,  some of the best athletes and performers of our time talked to themselves either before or during their performances. There is a ton of truth in the saying “you have to speak it into existence.”

So at the end of the day, realize that you will win some and lose some but when it’s all tallied up you’ll win a heck of a lot more than you’ll lose if you can keep your mind in the space of you being the best at what you do. If you’re going to play the game you might as well be the greatest.

Get in Phase Drill for Defensive Backs

One of the most feared and dreaded releases by wide receivers is the outside release when you are in press man coverage. Why? Because it just might be that go route. In this article will talk about a drill that you can use to help defend yourself against the outside release.

There was once a time when an outside release basically meant only two routes. You were either getting a go route or a comeback by the wide receiver. That time seems like so long ago. Here’s what an outside release means in today’s game of football. It could mean a go route. It could mean a comeback. It could be a stop route or it could mean a back shoulder fade. Hell, nowadays you can get a dig route from an outside release. So with all these things being at play just off of this one release, it has become more and more important to be in the proper position when this release occurs.

The common term for being in the proper position against an outside release that’s pushing up the field is known as “being in phase“. While being in phase is only half the battle in defending all of the routes that I named, the truth of the matter is that if you aren’t in phase you simply aren’t going to win versus the route. With that in mind, it is important to focus some of your work on just being in the proper position before we get into all of the other factors that would lead to you defending the routes.

Using the Get in Phase drill will provide yourself or the DB that you coach the opportunity to get reps on this critical phase in covering routes that come from an outside release. As I’m sure you are aware of, repetition is the key to automating your moves when you are in competition. When things get hot and heavy, an athlete reverts to his training.

One of the things I like to do in training is run this get in phase drill so that we automate the process of getting in the proper position against the wide receiver when he takes this type of release. The focus in this drill is not on what is happening immediately at the line of scrimmage nor is it about what happens once the ball arrives. The focus is on what is happening in between. Again,  getting in phase is the most important part of defending the routes.

In the Get in Phase Drill, we are working on proper angles versus the wide receiver’s release and working towards getting either hip to hip or slightly up field on the receiver so that we can defend all of the routes that could come our way.

One of the most common mistakes that defensive backs make when in the situation is taking an improper path versus the release.  This puts them at the low hip of the receiver. Or the defender ends up leaving too much space between himself and the receiver leaving him in a poor position to defend the ball when it arrives. The focus in the Get in Phase drill is to take the proper initial angles and then work into the correct positioning on the receiver. This allows the defender to either be in a good position to make a break if necessary or defend the throw with his hands if that is what is taking place.

Take a moment to watch the short clip below from my YouTube channel that shows several reps of this drill. Notice the position that is being taken by the defenders in the drill. Also notice that there is no emphasis on what is happening at the line of scrimmage nor will you see the defenders turning their heads to make a play on a mythical throw. The focus of the drill is the focus of the drill and we have to cut those other areas out. This has been done for a reason. Sometimes in your drill work you really do need a narrow focus. Adding the element of turning the head can take away from the focus on getting in phase.

Feel free to drop a comment below on this article and the video. Thanks for reading the All Eyes DB Camp blog.

What’d He Do Wrong: Overplayed Leverage

A new video in the series of What Did He Do Wrong. This one features something that is a pet peeve of mine when it comes to guys playing press man coverage.

In the video down below,  I break down what went wrong in this press man rep in a game featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers. It is a common mistake made by defensive backs playing press man And using leverage. I see this mistake happening at all levels including the NFL which is featured in this clip.

Pay close attention to what is being said about how you avoid making this mistake and the reasons why you should not want to play press man the way that you see it in this video.

As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions or comments by either posting it below this article or by sending me an email to cwilson@alleyesdbcamp.com – thank you for being a member.

Defend the Fade Drill

The fade ball is the most feared pass for defensive backs in coverage. It is also the most poorly played pass in football. It is why so many offenses opt to throw it when they see a defensive back in press coverage.

The video that I have posted below shows a great drill to run to help defensive backs in defending the fade ball. One of the biggest issues is how, where and when to look for the ball.  This drill helps with all of that.

Pay close attention to what I say about how to look for the ball. That ends up being everything when it comes to defending the throw.  This is one of my favorite drills to run in my press man sessions.

As always if you have any questions feel free to post them at the end of this article or send me an email to cwilson@alleyesdbcamp.com – thank you for being a member.

3 Things Defensive Backs Must Remember During the Game

Football is a very simple game that can get rather complicated at times. That complication hits warp speed when the bullets are flying and the action is hot and heavy. If you are going while the game is going there are some important things for you to remember as a DB while the game is unfolding.

I’ve definitely been there before. I put a lot of time in to prep and you have a plan in place but once you get out there , things start moving fast so you tend to forget. While there can be a lot of tiny little details that may slip your mind, there are three important things for you to remember while the game is going that will help you make big plays.

(1) Know the down and distance

This seems simple enough but you’ll be surprised how many times guys will get on the field and forget this. I am not just talking about youth and high school football players either. This will also happen to guys playing the pro game. Whatever level you are playing at, you must make it a point to remember this important element. The plays run by the office are dictated by the down and distance, it’s that simple. With that in mind, it stands to reason that you knowing the down a distance can help you determine what may be coming. Of course,  mastering this will require some effort from you in practice. For you coaches out there, you are doing a disservice to your defenders if you do not put some emphasis on the down and distance when you are running scout team plays against them.  For you players out there when you are in the team or 7-on-7 periods of practice,  make it a point to remember to know the down and distance. I’m speaking from experience when I tell you that this will translate to a better game day performance.

(2) Know Where You are on the Field

By this I mean, pay attention to and be aware of what yard line the offense is on. For a majority of the teams that you are playing against,  where they are located on the field determines what plays they will run. A team backed up against their own end zone will have a different set of plays they will run versus that very same team with the ball near midfield. Similarly, there are different plays run from midfield than those run in the red zone.  Offensive coaches’ mindset will change as they progress down the field or get pushed back towards their own goal. Being aware of where you are on the field can help you make a more accurate prediction of what may be coming your way.

(3) Know Who’s in the Game

Players dictate plays. Some teams engage in this practice more than others but almost all teams run plays based on the personnel. Even teams that don’t switch guys out very often will run plays according to where certain players are located. Once you get more comfortable in your skin out on the field and you are able to narrow your focus, one of the things you need to take note of is who is on the field for the offense.  Often times teams will run different plays depending on who is in at running back.  Some teams will run the ball more often when certain receivers are in the game.  Knowing who is on the field and how that matches up with what plays are going to be run will help you make a prediction of what is coming your way.

So if you want to become a consistent play maker and a guy who always seems to be around the football, I would advise you to make it a practice of knowing these three things when you’re lined up on the field.  Of course with each team there are changes so you will need to study film.  However, a lot of what your opponent is going to do can be dictated by the three factors I mentioned in this article. Success is not an accident, it’s a direct result of your preparation.  Put this into practice as soon as possible.

4 Tips with Clips: Beat Before the Snap

By popular request I am going to run this series 4 Tips with Clips in the members area. It’s really simple,  I will break down four clips from games with two being good reps and two being not so good reps.

Of course,  there is always something to learn both from the good reps and the bad reps so take it all in as I breakdown these plays by both corners and safeties in this edition.

One of the things we must be mindful of as defensive backs when we’re playing is that we don’t put ourselves at a disadvantage before the ball is even snapped. That is one of the things featured in this episode of 4 tips with clips.

I hope you enjoy the video and that it is beneficial to you. As always,  if you have any questions,  feel free to post them at the end of this article in the comment section or send an email to me at cwilson@alleyesdbcamp.com – thank you for being a member

Attention Defensive Backs! Stay in Your Circle.

Body control is a must for defense of backs that are looking to stay in and or around the wide receiver that they are covering.  This also applies to guys that are trying to be in the proper area in zone coverage when the ball is thrown.  To do this there is one simple thing that a defensive back must do.

Now that I have you hooked in, it’s time to talk about how we control our body out on the field. If you have ever been to a training session with me you have no doubt heard me say stay in your circle.  It’s a reference to the game Madden and the tight circle that is around the player that you are controlling on screen.  It is typical for defensive backs that are surprised by a sudden change to have their foot work go awry. Typically,  going awry means the defensive back will take wide steps and put himself at a physical disadvantage.

We already know what the deal is when we’re playing defense. The wide receiver knows where he is going and we do not. If you have carefully studied wide receivers, the majority of them are able to have a good balance and drive when they are running their routes.  This is due in large part to them knowing exactly where it is they want to go and because of this they can anticipate the steps they need to take.  As defensive backs,  we do not have this luxury.  So when we are greeted with a directional change it is usually on an emergency notice.

Sudden change can lead to a breakdown in technique.  For defensive backs that usually starts with the eyes and quickly gravitates to the feet.  The major reason why we slip coming out of our breaks is because our feet are landing in the wrong spot in relation to our upper body. When a defensive back sets his feet wide and away from his center of gravity he puts himself at risk to slip.  Furthermore, the further away his foot lands away from his center of gravity,  the less power he will have in his plant and subsequent push towards the direction he would like to travel.  Explosive movement occurs when the foot lands under the hips and can propel the body forward.

Now that we know where the feet need to land,  we must now make plans to have this happen without us thinking about it. Remember, our change of direction typically comes at moment’s notice and as part of a reaction to what a receiver is doing.  Our natural reaction is going to be to spread our feet apart.  We do this because we think it will prepare us for anything.  One foot put far to the left and the other foot put far to the right makes us feel like we’d be ready to go in either direction.  The truth is that doing that puts us in a poor position to go either way.

For us to adopt the skill of planting under our hips whenever we need to make a sudden change we must rep it over and over again.  By doing something repeatedly, we hardwire it into our brains.  Once it’s hardwired into our brains it becomes difficult to do it any other way.  This is essential because while we are playing the game we are focused on either a receiver or a quarterback.  When it comes time for us to react to what the opposition is doing,  we will revert to what is hardwired in our brain.  If spreading our feet wide apart is what we have done the most leading up to that moment then that is what we’ll do.  However,  if through hours of practice,  we have learned to place our feet in our circle underneath our hips then that is what will occur when we are required to change at a moment’s notice.

So, in closing,  staying in your circle means planting your feet under your hips and within the tight circle around you similar to the circle that is found around a Madden player in your favorite game on PlayStation.  Keep that visual in your mind as you practice your drills over and over. Soon you’ll find yourself taking the proper steps,  getting good plants and great drives towards the ball.  It’s only a matter of time before that ball finds itself in your hands on a regular basis.

Know Your DB History: Ty Law

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DBs You Have to Rehearse Success

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(1) Know Yourself 

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

(2) Study the Opponent

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

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

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

(3) Play to Your Strengths

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

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

(4) Win the Mental Game

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

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

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

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