Teaching Module for Coaching Linebackers

1. Teaching Module for Coaching Linebackers Spanish Fort High School Youth Football Coaching Clinic Saturday, August 4, 2007

2. Spanish Fort High School 1 Plaza de Toros Spanish Fort, Alabama 35627 (251) 625-3259

3. Spanish Fort High School www.spanishforthighschool.com School Staff Justin Moore Presentations

4. The Coach • As a teacher • As a role model • As the support person • As the encourager • As the disciplinarian • As the innovator • As a realist in drilling

5. Big Picture • We Would Not Have Jobs Without Players • Basic Skills: Eyes, Hands, Feet • Philosophy: “Each Play is a Test”/No Big Plays • Scheme • Skill Development

6. The Attributes • Size • Speed • Movement • Courage • Agility • Knowledge of the game • Knowledge of the scheme • Leadership • Reading ability • Tackling Ability

7. The Attributes • Hands and arms • Running ability • Competitiveness • Contact • Aggressive/passive style

8. Size • Cannot be coached; • Restricted by league rules; • Restricted by diminishing pool of athletes; • Normal position players may be needed to shore up other team positions.

9. Speed

10. Speed • Conditioning • Can be improved • Change of direction speed • The use of sprints in a positive mode • Jingle/Jangle – “Pro Shuttle” • 40 yard shuttle • 20/30 yard dash time

11. Drill #1 Speed - Jingle Jangle 5 yards 5 yards Player Coach with Stop Watch

12. Drill #2 Speed– 40 yard Shuttle 10 yards Player Coach with Stop Watch

13. Drill #3 Speed – 20/30 yard Time 20/30 yards Player Coach with Stop Watch

14. The Bowl Season What does the average LSU Football player get on his SATs? ..............Drool

15. Movement

16. Movement • Ability to move directionally with either foot • Stunt versus read • Proper schooling • Proper drilling • Shuffle • Cross over • Shuffle and cross over to run • Drop step to zone concept

17. Drill #1 Movement - Direction B Right Leg Forward Right Foot Diagonal Left Leg Forward Left Foot Diagonal

18. Drill #2 Movement - Direction B Right Leg Shuffle Right Foot Diagonal Left Leg Shuffle Left Foot Diagonal

19. Drill #3 Movement - Direction Shuffle – Scrape Underneath Play B Right Leg Shuffle Right Foot Diagonal Left Leg Shuffle Left Foot Diagonal

20. Drill #4 Movement - Direction Open Left Leg 45 Degrees Open Right Leg 45 Degrees B Right Leg Drop Left Leg Drop

21. Drill #5 Movement - Direction • Open hips at 45 degrees to get to middle of drop zone; • Cross-over steps to get to middle of drop zone (head on a swivel); • Depth of zone (MOF) – 13 yards wide / 10-12 yards deep; • CUSHION To Deepest Part of Drop Zone or until route is recognized.

22. Drill #5 Movement - Direction 1/3 1/4 B B

23. Drill #6 Movement - Direction LB (with head on swivel) will drop to zone and recognize the R1 coming across and defend receiver. 1/3 R1 1/4 B B

24. The Bowl Season How do you know if an LSU football player has a girlfriend? .............There's tobacco spit on both sides of his pickup

25. Agility

26. Drill Packet #01 - Agility Line Ladder Routine

27. Drill Packet #02 - Agility Line Rope Routine

28. Drill #03 - Agility Linebacker will face coach and shuffle the length of the course by leading with left leg, and then will stop. There is a return process with the right leg as a lead. B Coach

29. Drill #04 - Agility Linebacker will face coach and shuffle the length of the course by leading with left leg, and then will stop. At the end of the course the linebacker will work underneath the play. There is a return process with the right leg as a lead. B Coach

30. Drill #05 - Agility Linebacker will face coach and shuffle the length of the course by leading with left leg, and then will stop. At the end of the course the linebacker will work underneath the play. BC1 will mirror the path and then become a ball carrier. There is a return process with the right leg as a lead. B Coach BC1

31. Drill #06 - Agility Linebacker will face coach and begin the shuffle, cross over and mirror BC1 until BC1 commits to a hole. Linebacker will work underneath the play and execute form tackle. B Coach BC1

32. The Bowl Season How many LSU freshman Football players does it take to change a light bulb? ............None. That's a sophomore course

33. Tackling

34. Drill #01 - Tackling Form Tackling Drill Line up one linebacker and one potential running back and review the basics of form tackling. Be sure to use the right shoulder and the left shoulder. LB BC1

35. Breakdown Position • teach good football position which is a position of leverage, mobility and power; • feet should be shoulder width apart with the toes pointed straight ahead. • player should dip his body to lower his hips into the power position with knees bent and weight of the body forward on the front of the feet like performing a three-quarter squat lift. • chest should remain over the knees while the knees remain over the toes • eyes are focused forward and on the target with the hands relaxed hanging outside the knees.

36. Focus – Aiming Point • eyes of the tackler must be focused on the hip; • hip the tackler focuses on will be determined by the angle and by where his help is.

37. Approach • approach is very important when making a tackle and usually means the difference between making the tackle and missing it; • approach is closing the distance between you and the ball carrier as quickly as possible while maintaining both good football position and focus mentioned above; • important to keep your shoulders square to the aiming point and the feet moving as well as knowing where your help is.

38. Hands and Eyes to the Sky • tackler must use legs, hips and lower back in the tackling process; • maintaining the power position and focus, just before contact, bring the hands forward and up in a quick and powerful motion causing the hips to come forward with force • if the hands do not start forward until after contact, then the tackler is only catching the ball carrier or running into him and will not be able to use his hip strength to stop the ball carrier’s momentum.

39. Hands and Eyes to the Sky • the hands come forward, contact is made with the tackler’s shoulder pad to the ball carrier’s thigh pad • head is up and focused on the aiming point of the hips and should slide to the side before contact. • contact is made the tackler’s eyes should raise, keeping the head up and the hips in a power position “slide the head, eyes to the sky”

40. Contact Point • contact point refers to the area of the tackler’s shoulder pads that makes contact to the aiming point of the ball carrier; • ideal contact point is located on the ball carrier’s thigh pad; • tackler must maintain the power position • keep head up with his shoulders square to the aiming point.

41. Drill #02 - Tackling LB Scramble Tackling Drill Line up one linebacker and one potential running back. Have both players lie down on their backs – heads at the top of the bags and feet away. BC1 Faster pace and “courage” drill

42. Drill #03 - Tackling LB Sideline Tackling Drill Line up one linebacker and one potential running back. Have both players lie down on their backs – heads at the top of the bags and feet away. BC1 Use of the boundary as another player

43. Sideline Tackling Drill • ball carrier and tackler 4 yards apart; • ball carrier aims for sideline; • mirror step – tackler inside out; • near shoulder through far hip; • shoot hands, eyes to the sky; • get outside foot down on contact; • change up by having ball carrier spin on contact; • punch with hands and keep good base.

44. Drill #04 - Tackling LB Sideline Tackling Drill With Cutback Line up one linebacker and one potential running back. Have both players lie down on their backs – heads at the top of the bags and feet away. BC1 Use of the boundary as another player

45. Remedial Tackling Series • Tackling in stations • Using Drills 1-4 as stations • 5th station in the center; Coach at 5th station keeps time and horn. • Station 5 serves as a remedial center for players that are not meeting coach’s criteria at other stations.

46. The Bowl Season Why did Tennessee choose orange as their team color? ............You can wear it to the game on Saturday, hunting on Sunday, and picking up trash along the highway the rest of the week.

47. References • James Willis, Auburn University • Catholic High School

48. Contact Me… • Justin Moore • JAMoore@bcbe.org • www.spanishforthighschool.com • (251)234-7775