Rely On Your Technique!

The defensive back position is the toughest position to play in all of football. The reason is that a safety or corner must be able to move in any direction quickly, efficiently, and with great speed. The development of great fundamental technique will allow this special player to have great results. Every healthy person grows up learning to walk and run forward. The fundamental movement which a defensive back must make in any practice or game is that of moving backwards. He must be able to backpedal fast and at different angles. In order for a DB to master backpedaling, he must work on it every day until it becomes as natural as moving forward. A defensive back must be able to change direction. The ability to transition from backpedaling to running is difficult and only perfected trough daily technique work. Speed is the final necessary ingredient. Speed is both inherited and learned. In-season and out, a player must work to develop his God-given speed and quickness. In every drill and on every play, a player must move his feet as quickly as possible and when called upon to run Burst! Great technique is primary in the defensive secondary. A talented athlete may get by with natural ability, but in order to be great he must combine this attribute with perfect technique. The learned ability to move the body in different directions will give the player confidence. The confidence when playing against another great athlete, the confidence in close games, the confidence when coming back from a bad play, and the confidence when tired. In all situations, a defensive back must Rely On His Technique!

The will to win out weighs the skill to win!

Qualities of Good Defensive Backs. 1. The number one pre-requisite of any defensive back is SPEED! 2. Secondly, he must have the ability to react. The ability to react involves quickness. 3. A good defensive back must have confidence in him-self and proper confidence can only be built through successful experiences. 4. Defensive back must be physically and mentally tough. Many times DBs are put in situations where they are at a size disadvantage, there is no room for someone meek or timid when they are the last line of defense. 5. A good defensive back must have a short memory. Everyone will get beat at some point, the difference between a good DB and a bad DB is how they choose to react. The most important play is the next one. Defensive Back Priorities: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Must Be Great Tacklers. No Mental Errors. Must Deny Long Plays Always Cup the Ball (keep it inside and in front). Produce Takeaways.

Daily Practice Planning: Each day our individual practice time will be made up of drills from each of the following categories: 1. 2. 3. 4. Fundamental Footwork Drills Tackling Drills Ball Drills Block Protection

The Five Phases of Every Play: If we are to be successful, you must be able to do/understand each of these phases. 1. Understand the call. We want to make sure we leave the huddle or align with the knowledge of what we are playing 2. Recognize the formation. By doing this, it allows us to play the proper coverage if we have checks, eliminate guess work and defend tendencies of an offense, and it helps with the next phase, alignment. 3. Align properly. With proper alignment, we have a chance for success. Make the other team out execute you. Dont give them an advantage by miss alignment. 4. Read your keys. Train your eyes!!! You will play faster by seeing, believing and responding to your keys. 5. Execution. Execute your job/responsibility.

Basic Fundamentals: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Stance Staggered or Square Start Backpedal Straight, Angle, Weave Turns Man, Zone, C/F Breaks T Step, Buzz Feet

STANCE: 1. Outside foot forward 2. Feet staggered, heel to toe relationship 3. Feet positioned slightly less than shoulder width apart. 4. Weight should be on the inside ball of the front foot. 5. Bend at the ankles and knees, knees are over toes. 6. Sink the hips with shoulders over knees. 7. Flat back with slight arch in the upper and lower regions. 8. Arms hanging loosely with hands positioned in front of knees. 9. Eyes focused on read Uncover lineman to QB on or off the LOS. CP Make sure the DB is relaxed and comfortable. START: 1. DB will start by pushing off the front foot. 2. Pad level should remain low. 3. Elbows behind the back, locked at 90 angle. 4. Arms should start to move in a running motion (move arms wrist to hip) CP Arms are used for balance and control. BACKPEDAL: Three (3) most important aspects are: 1. Length of the stride should be short and quick. 2. Height of the feet should be low, cut the top of the grass. 3. Arm action must be smooth. TURNS: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Pad level must remain low Prep the opposite foot at a 45 angle. Reduce the near side shoulder and hip. Throw the near elbow behind the back. Open hips at 180.

BREAKS: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The break can make the difference between an average DB and a great DB. Pad level should remain low and over your toes. Your plant foot is the foot opposite the direction you want to go. Turn the plant foot 45 and get your cleats in the ground. Plant foot should be in the cylinder of your body (No more than 6-8 inches out of the cylinder). 6. The front foot is your drive foot. Get it down as fast as you can and pointed in the direction you want to go. Click your feet! 7. Keep both feet as tight as you can. Distance between the feet is wasted time. 8. Burst out of the pedal! Defensive Back Drills: Foot Work 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Pedal Box Warm Up: Easy pedal SL to hash and back. Drill page Control/Accelerate Slow to fast, SL to hash and back. Drill page Flip & Gos Give them a direction to start, build to reacting to a direction given. Angle Flip & Gos Angle pedal to a straight back pedal to a Flip. Drill page T-Step Click feet to burst. Drill page Box Drill Drill page Quick Feet Drill Drill page W Drill From reaction, do not use cones, train the eyes. Two times up and back, four different ways: backpedal, zone turn inside break, zone turn outside break, zone turn speed turn break). Drill page 9. Three step drill WR are stationary (quick out/slant). DB reads angle of shoulders of QB. Drill page 10. Zone Turn w/breaks ( 5 step drill) a. Curl b. Post c. Speed Out d. Fade Flip turn (jump ball) e. Comeback Flip turn T-step 11. Man Turn w/breaks a. Fade b. Fade Stop/Curl c. Comeback d. Post Corner 12. Cat & Dog drill Drill page 13. Man Coverage Stutter drill Drill page 14. Press Technique Off hand jam. 15. Centerfield turns Do drill with a WR so your angle matches the WRs angle. 16. Cone Plant Three cone (15 yards) reaction to coach.