I'm not a football guy but I play one on TV...

[Scottemojo]

I played WR/CB and gunner in high school, went to play in college and decided to pursue lacrosse instead.

While in college I got a minor in coaching with the hopes of coaching major college football. My ultimate dream was to be a defensive coordinator in the NFL. BUT I got married after college and had my first child and put my dreams on hold to get a career that will take care of them.

I still watch football from a coaching perspective, makes it tough when I watch the game with family members who yell at lynch for running it between the tackles and only gaining 3 yds. Have to explain its a science and not all plays are meant to be successful. Some plays are meant to set up other plays later in the game when it really needs to count.

That is the kind of perspective this board needs during the season.

Oh please...the gameday forum is choc full of perspective.

coherent, sober perspective?

 

[Sports Hernia]

I'm just a dam ugly cheerleader.
Unless of course, you like middle aged Italian dudes.

....but did your 'stache play football?????? 8)

 

[pmedic920]

^^^^^^
Invented football.
I'm old.

 

[TheHawkster]

I never played offense in high school.
So, I called all the opponents defensive plays at ILB against our starting O.
Every HS defense imaginable. All the blitz packages, shifts, stunts, blah blah blah.
I definitely see the game from a defensive angle.
I've forgot a lot but it comes back in bits and pieces all the time.
Virginia Tech still runs a ton of our teams concepts.

Shoulda got into coaching early but my jobs never had the right hours.

Now I'm almost 40 and definitely regret not giving it a shot but I'm sure my wife is glad I'm not coaching.

 

[TAB420]

Played in HS and a little after. I've coached Pop Warner, and middle school. My boy just finished his first year of JV. He plays WR and DE, just like his old man.

 

[Rainger]

Played Junior high and high school ball. Lost my knee in a very bad play in 68/69. ACL, MCL, LCL, and knee cap which eliminated my playing at UW. I then coached for about 4 years. Studied ball since 1964.

 

[RolandDeschain]

Since joining the site and reading many of the posts from people like Kearly, Scotte, DavidSeven, (not Roland), etc.,

 

[two dog]

I agree with you that I would like to know as much as some of the posters here.
I also concur that "Take Your Eye Off The Ball" is a good beginning.

It's not the 21st century but it's still hard to beat "Lombardi on Football". Long out
of print but sure worth your while if you can find a copy. It taught me in the 1970's
that the receivers are X, Y and Z and what each does. How deep should a Guard
drop on a sweep, etc. Lombardi said that the game was blocking and tackling and
which ever team did those things best usually won the game.

Many changes in terminology and schemes but the basics still apply.

 

[olyfan63]

Back in the day when O.J. Simpson was the best RB in the NFL, and my idol, I had a brief, illustrious 8th grade career as a halfback. I largely abandoned the game in HS when, as a freshman, the focus of the team seemed to be on how cruelly the upperclassmen could haze and physically abuse the freshmen, and football stopped being fun. So my X's and O's development was arrested at "25 Trap" and "26 Trap", where RH or LH got the ball, respectively, after 2 misdirection steps and then followed a pulling guard. I'd get a long TD run from one of them almost every game, since I had a pulling guard who always got a great block right at the point of attack.

After HS, I took up basketball coaching, as I continued to play that in HS, and found I really enjoyed coaching. I branched out into soccer coaching after I had daughters, got assorted coaching certifications and licenses, and went on to coach assorted competitive soccer teams. I really enjoy and am fascinated by the whole coaching process.

In Pete Carroll I think we have a man who will be looked back at as one of the all-time coaching greats. I see a man who has made coaching, and improving and evolving the state of coaching, his life's work, and done brilliant things. I can see why Carroll's approach is so successful, and why he does the things he does, and see how thoroughly he studied, and see traits of his primary influences, especially John Wooden and Bill Walsh. Carroll is definitely in the same sentence with them, and really, I believe, has improved coaching, and youth coaching especially, overall for the better, with his model of positive ways to have great success.

One of the things I love about .NET is the X's and O's breakdowns and explanations of the game and of specific plays, to better understand the game, and to understand Pete & co's schemes, and understand strengths and weaknesses of individual players. It's fascinating to break things down and see why something worked or didn't work, and what the thinking of the coaches and players was on a particular play, or what the game plan approach was for a particular opponent, to neutralize their strengths and exploit their weaknesses, while taking advantage of our strengths. So I especially appreciate the posters who bring a solid X's and O's, matchups and schemes perspective to their .NET postings. The football conversations and learning that results makes it worth wading through some of the personality pissing matches that clutter .NET. While I could list out a bunch of super helpful X's and O's posters, in the interest of space, I won't, but they know who they are, and Thank You!

 

[Largent80]

RockHawk taught me everything I know.

 

[swagcity21]

I look forward to being more a part of the .net community and participating more in game day forums. I can say I've enjoyed a lot of different perspectives on this forum pertaining to the team that I love and cheer for.

 

[AgentDib]

I'll also recommend Take Your Eye Off The Ball along with the show (Moving the Chains) on SiriusNFL.

I haven't completely finished it but there's an enormous amount of information in Coaching the Multiple West Coast Offense. It's not a good place to start because it focuses on the how rather than the why, but once you do have a basic handle on rules and terminology the explanations start to become self evident as the author really puts a ton of detail into his scheme.

Football's Eagle and Stack Defenses is really good on the defensive side of the ball. It's a look at a specific scheme but with explanations and individual player coaching strategies that apply universally.

 

[RockHawk]

RockHawk taught me everything I know.

So basically you know how to yell loud and develop a slightly creepy friendship with Walter Jones... I apologize for you taking the wrong path my friend. :thirishdrinkers:

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

Played TE in HS and was quite average. Was a much better hoops player (played small college ball....NAIA, but still college ball).

I watch the line play develop while keeping my eye on the ball peripherally when I watch football. Gives a great perspective on how fast a RB hits a hole, offensive holding, pass pro, d-linemen moves, etc. Not an all-22 guy though I suspect I'd like it.

 

[Tical21]

Madden. Lots and lots of Madden.

 

[NFSeahawks]

ive learned that Sac and Throw are only pretend black people and that Roland does grammar well.

 

[CANHawk]

I played Canadian football. My opinion matters naught.

 

[BlueTalon]

Since joining the site and reading many of the posts from people like Kearly, Scotte, DavidSeven, (not Roland), etc.,

That made me laugh. I'm still chuckling.

 

[Seahawkfan80]

My friend in San Diego has a different perspective in the games now. He is a Ref and was watching our game there with that perspective in mind. He told me so. I thought it was interesting. I record the games so that I can take my eye off the ball and go see where other players are zoning out and where some are just sitting and watching our players make plays. Some of our players are just sitting out on the sidelines as they are supposed to be (in my eyes) making a different play happen. THis year I plan on recording a few more different teams games and then evaluating their playing styles in my own mind. That way I can gain a better perspective as to how they can be defeated should our team play them in the fiesta bowl...or the Tostitos bowl......oops...I suppose I need my meds. he he he

 

[Popeyejones]

Not an expert by a long shot, but in that seemingly rarefied group of those who know enough to know what they don't know.

I coached HS ball for awhile. I watch all the games for three or four teams a year (always the 9ers, usually a division rival or two, and then another team who has piqued my interest that year), and try to catch all the other games I can. I've watched all the Hawks game for the past two years because they play a brand of football I enjoy and have some individual players who are a ton of fun to watch.

I tend to not watch the ball too much. What the O-line is doing is a much better guide to where your eyes should be going. On run plays I'll watch from the O-line into the second level. On pass plays I'll watch from the 0-line out to routes, and then scan back over to the QB after three seconds or so to see how he's working the pocket and pressure. Part of that is also because I don't watch All 22 -- it feels too much like work -- so it's more interesting to watch the pocket at that point anyway as TV angles aren't telling you much of anything at that point in a pass plays progression.