PRESS MAN TO MAN TECHNIQUES & DRILLS BRIAN BORLAND DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR & DEFENSIVE BACKS COACH UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-WHITEWATER EMAIL: borlandb@uww.edu phone: (262) 472-1058

STANCE / ALIGNMENT Distance from receiver can vary – generally crowd the LOS Feet parallel to slightly staggered with feet basically shoulder width apart On balls of feet with bent knees, flatten down chest angle toward parallel with ground, arms/hands slightly extended and ready with thumbs up Alignment on receiver can vary between head up or slight shades based on available “help”

KEY PRE-SNAP: 1. ball 2. receiver POST-SNAP: 1. receiver 2. (to ball)

TECHNIQUE PROGRESSION On the snap, total focus goes to receivers hips/midsection Activate feet and “soften” slightly using a quick foot motor movement (lose ground from receiver) Keep DB’s square shoulders on the receivers square shoulders as long as possible (don’t side step, turn shoulders, and “open the gate” for the receiver to run by) DB mirrors the receivers hip movement as softening, trying to stay in front of & inside the receivers framework for as long as possible

TECHNIQUE PROGRESSION Be patient! The goal of press coverage is route disruption while playing close coverage…not necessarily route elimination The DB should play first with his feet and eyes, then with the hands last (don’t over commit to jam too fast or lose balance/control position by becoming overextended in an attempt to make aggressive premature contact) “2 hands = no feet”!

TECHNIQUE PROGRESSION As the receiver gains ground and declares a direction of release (WR hips open beyond 45 degrees or he moves outside the framework of the DB’s body), the DB should open his hips at a 45 degree angle and begin to shuffle, getting ready to run with the receiver At this time, use an opposite arm jam on the receiver to disrupt (arm opposite of receiver release, palm of hand to near number, lock out elbow with thumb up)

TECHNIQUE PROGRESSION As a general rule, the DB should attempt to stay on the “high side” (downfield) of the receiver as the route progresses. “put the receiver in your back pocket”. Game situation/field position may dictate otherwise at times (goal line, etc…)

TECHNIQUE PROGRESSION While transitioning to cover downfield “eye the hip/thigh” of the receiver for his breakpoints (hip level changing, stride length changing, arms/hands lowering, etc…) Beyond 15 yards downfield on a vertical release shift key focus to the receivers eyes for ball arrival When “in phase” with the receiver and confident the route has fully developed, it’s OK to “sneak a peek” for the ball or see through the receiver to the ball

“TRICKS OF THE TRADE” Expect double moves – “play the receivers 2nd step”, “think opposite direction of the WR foot that sticks hard in the ground” Counter punch (explained later) Whip turn (explained later) If receiver avoids DB to the inside – think curl/post routes If receiver avoids DB to outside – think out/fade routes If receiver tries to run through the DB – think “pressure in or out” after about 1 second of pressure (using 2nd hand to jam OK here) Vs. back shoulder fade - ?? As perceive receiver slowing down and his near shoulder pivoting toward sideline – DB throws outside hand/arm at receivers back shoulder

PRESS MAN TO MAN DRILLS MIRROR SOFTEN: At a controlled tempo, receiver weaves back and forth as he moves up field DB “softens” and stays square to the receiver and stays inside the receivers framework as they work up the field DB – don’t use the hands during this drill!

PRESS MAN TO MAN DRILLS MIRROR JAM Receiver stutter moves one direction, then redirects the other direction and heads vertically up field DB ‘softens” and stays square on the 1st stutter, then once the receiver redirects and gets outside his framework on the redirect, the DB uses an opposite arm jam and moves up field with the receiver maintaining the proper “in phase” position

PRESS MAN TO MAN DRILLS COUNTER PUNCH Receiver angles up field one direction until the DB executes a jam, then the receiver redirects up field the other direction DB “softens” and throws an opposite arm jam as the receiver gets outside his framework moving in the first direction As the receiver redirects, the DB must redirect also – plant, pivot, and shoot the opposite arm jam to the receiver as he gets “in phase” once again heading up field

PRESS MAN TO MAN DRILLS WHIP TURN Receiver angles up field until he see’s the DB attempt to throw a jam, then immediately redirects up field the other direction DB “softens” and attempts to throw the initial jam toward the receiver. The DB should intentionally try to be early/overanxious on the first jam (miss the jam) The receiver will beat the DB clean in the other direction. The DB must execute a “whip turn” technique (plant, throw near elbow back, turn his back to receiver for an instant, whip head/eyes back to the receiver), and get back “in phase” immediately heading up field

PRESS MAN TO MAN DRILLS BEST POSSIBLE RELEASE: DB applies press technique on scout receiver. Receiver must stay within a 5 yard area and works from sideline through the top of the #’s 1 ON 1 drill vs. actual QB/WR’S

PRESS MAN TO MAN DRILLS FADE - NO LOOK Simulating the DB being in an “out of phase”/disadvantaged position on the receiver as the ball is thrown down field DB must catch up and play the ball out of the receivers hands as it arrives – don’t look for the ball in the air Clue into the receivers head turn, eyes tracking the ball, and finally his arms/hands extending for ball arrival DB should attempt to punch up through the receivers hands with his inside arm to dislodge the ball while securing a potential tackle with the outside arm, as opposed to the stripping down motion or reaching with the outside arm for the ball

PRESS MAN TO MAN DRILLS WEDGE DRILL Simulating the DB being in a dominate/ “in phase” position on a downfield route thrown outside the #’s (fade route) DB will “zone turn” on time and look up for the ball in the air while using his body position to “wedge”/squeeze the receiver toward the sideline as he maintains contact DB should become the “receiver” and attack the ball at the its nearest and highest point. It’s important the DB maintains speed as he turns (“step on the gas”), as well as continue to keep his wedge on through out the play (don’t drift toward the inside)

OTHER MAN TO MAN DRILLS DOWNFIELD SHOULDER DRILL (both pass knock down and interception aspects) DB backpedals away from QB, on the look of the QB the receiver begins to run laterally DB changes direction and heads toward intersection point with receiver paying special attention to maintain aim toward the most downfield shoulder of receiver (don’t initially aim between the receiver and QB) As DB closes to an “in phase” position at the receiver’s downfield shoulder, he sneaks a peak to the QB for thrown ball

DOWNFIELD SHOULDER DRILL, con’t… d. Once DB realizes he can make a play on the ball he will adjust his angle and come in front of the receiver toward the thrown ball One aspect of the drill is to work on batting the ball down – reach out and “bunt the ball” with the near arm while securing tackle with the arm furthest away (don’t “swing” at it – harder to hit a moving target with another moving piece) An additional aspect is to go through same procedure as previously described except make the interception instead of the knockdown