In his weekly mailbag, Coach Bass tackles questions from first year high school and players and potential college players. If you have a question for Coach Bass you can email him at NFLAsktheCoach@aol.com.
Chris from Temple Hills, Md., sent the following question:
This year I'm starting at cornerback. I'm a good tackler, but in coverage I get nervous. Could you run through the details of cornerback pass coverage?
Hi Chris,
I always taught my defensive backs to not think about every pass route a receiver might run on them at the start of each play. If you do, you can become overwhelmed and very nervous.
Instead, I taught them to break the pass routes down into groups of routes run at different distances from the line of scrimmage. These would be the routes that are run in the short area up to five yards (quick out, hitch, slant), the medium routes run at 10 to12 yards (out, hook, in, quick post, cross, delay), and the deep routes run over 12 yards (up, post, corner, comeback).
By thinking in this manner, you only need to focus on the routes that are run in a particular area. At the start of the play the only routes you are looking for are the short routes. Once the receiver passes five yards, you forget the short routes and focus on only the routes run in the medium area. Once the receiver passes 12 yards, you forget the medium routes and your focus now shifts to the deep pass routes.
You can be much more relaxed in your coverage when you have broken down the total passing tree into three areas that are much easier to group and routes that are quickly identified and give you the opportunity to defend against and break up.
Give this a try and see if you do not become more relaxed and less nervous at the start of every play.
Coach Tom Bass
Orale from Scarsdale, N.Y., sent the following question:
I just wanted to know if I miss a practice, am I not eligible for the first game or the scrimmage?
Hi Orale,
Your question brings up a very important area of any football program, and that is the establishment of the basic rules for the team. Every team will have their own set of rules that are set by the coaching staff and the school.
My feeling is any situation like the one you brought up should have been covered by the coaches at a meeting prior to the start of the season in a verbal and written form.
You should know the answer to the question before the situation ever occurs. I cannot give you an exact answer because each team is different. You need to talk to your coaches and see what the penalty is for not attending a practice. It may be that your reason will be good enough that your coaches may excuse you missing a practice.
Coach Tom Bass
Aaron from Castlewood, Va., sent the following question:
I've played football since I was in third grade. I've been a wide receiver my whole life, but now I'm on the varsity team and the coaches don't even look at me. I'm in 10th grade, and they don't think I can do it. I want to play college football, but I don't think I can because the coaches never let me play. What can I do?
Hi Aaron,
Right now you are going through a difficult time. The challenge for you is to stay positive, work harder and have the confidence in yourself that you can get the job done.
One thing you will find out as you go through your football career is that every time you move to the next level of competition, you have to prove yourself all over again.
Now that you are in the 10th grade, it starts all over again, and you need to work extra hard to prove yourself to your new coaches. Make sure you are first in line for every drill, go 100 percent when it is your turn, volunteer to be on special teams and do anything you can to show the coaches that they can count on you.
Above all, speak to your position coach and ask him, "What can I do to become a better player and make a positive contribution to the team?" Let him see that you are thinking of the team first and your own situation second.
Coach Tom Bass
Brad from Union College sent the following question:
I'm in my second year as a college fullback. I'm 6 ft. and 225 lbs. A lot of people say I could be the next Mike Alstott. I would love to be as good as the A-Train. I can block well, but I want to be like 245 or 250 lbs. I run a 4.6, can catch and carry the ball well. Any tips to help me develop into a better fullback?
Hi Brad,
Never give up speed and quickness for added weight. In the next two years, you will have no trouble gaining extra normal weight so you may want to focus your energy right now on the techniques that will make you a better football player.
One thing I would do is to become a real student of defense so that you understand what they are going to try to do prior to the snap. You will become a much better blocker when you can anticipate the movement of a defensive player and end up taking a better path, ending up in a more advantageous position to execute your block.
More and more, the fullback is becoming a positive outlet receiver on many pass patterns so the more you can work on your pass receiving and route running the greater impact you can make in this offensive area.
It sounds to me that you are on a great track to have success and with the excellent coaching you receive at Union College and your positive attitude I am sure you will have a rewarding football career.
Coach Tom Bass
Steve from L.A. sent the following question:
I am in ninth grade, and I want to play WR and/or DB. I am 5-foot-6 and 130 lb. I am fast and pretty smart on the field. Can you tell me what position I should focus on and tips and drills?
Hi Steve,
It is important to understand that your coaches will ultimately make the decision on what position you should play. My suggestion to you would be to start at wide receiver and if they feel you should be a defensive back they can make the change.
As a wide receiver you need to know where to line up on each play, your assignment on each play, the proper method of catching a pass (hand and arm position), the different pass routes and the correct way to run them, how to secure the ball after the catch, how to run with the ball after making a reception and how to correctly block a defensive player when an offensive teammate is running the ball.
Your coaches will teach these techniques to you. You will have to work hard to perfect each one and will need to study away from the practice field to make certain that you understand everything you are being asked to do during practice and in a game.
This should be an exciting year for you and I hope you have an enjoyable experience playing our great game of football.
Coach Tom Bass
Coach Tom Bass, the technical writer and advisor for USA Football is a thirty-year NFL coach who has also authored several books, including "Play Football the NFL Way" - the first "how to" book ever authorized and published by the NFL. Coach Bass is happy to personally autograph his books to you. Book ordering information can be found on http://www.coachbass.com/.