“The READ”
by Shawn Moody

Please note that this article contains dirty words and may not be acceptable by all readers.

Man you feel that; it’s hot as hell out here! Feels good though, I feel loose and fuck’n ready to go! Gotta grab my towel, the sweat is starting to burn my eyes. Ahhh, that’s better. I was going to drink some more water but my fuck’n stomach is a mess and I feel like puking! That Metallica song I had on my headphones is still banging around in my head! GOOD SHIT!

Ok, ok, huddle up, huddle up! Let’s go guys! Let’s fuck’n do this. Ok, what’s the call…………34 open slant, strong A fire, cover 1 face………34 open slant, strong A fire, cover 1 face, ready BREAK! Ya, baby I’m freed up to roam! All right where are we at? On their 30 yard line. Ok, here they come,…….what’s the formation? Pro I…….I, I, I Formation! Where’s the tight end?….. To the left!…….STRONG LEFT!, STRONG LEFT! All right, where are your keys. Tight left, open guards, WATCH THE GUARDS! CHECK MOTION, MOTION, MOTION! The “Z” is in motion. What did our scouting report say? Shit I remember this formation from watching film. If the “Z” stops short in motion watch the run to the motion side; if he motions all the way to a TWINS set they threw the ball like 65% of the time. If they motion to twins I have to slide over and take #2, NO HELP over top. The face call is OFF, because we won’t bump and run with NO HELP over top. Strong A backer is still blitzing and the back-side backer is going to have to watch that the tight end doesn’t drag into the emptied zone. WATCH TIGHT! WATCH TIGHT! Watch looks like the “Z” is going to motion short?

Watch, WATCH!…the ball was just snapped. Get your read steps, LET’S GO! MOVE! The “Z” motion was short…….CHECK THE GUARDS……..they’re past the line of scrimmage! RUN! RUN! RUN! Ok find the ball……..FIND THE BALL! The “Z” is trying to crack down. THERE’S THE BALL! Tailback has it! He’s trying to get outside. The corner HAS to push him back to the inside. Ok, MOVE! CHOP STEPS, LET’S GO MOVE YOUR ASS! TO AND THROUGH! TO AND THROUGH! Run, RUN, harder, pick up the feet, LET’S GO………MOVE! Here he comes, he bouncing back to the inside! DOESN’T SEE YOU! You gotta DRIVE this fuck’n guy! HEAD ON THE NUMBERS! EXPLODE! To and through! SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTT WHAT A HIT! I can’t see anything…………..everything is BLACK! Man did he weez! YOU FEEL THAT! Whistle blew. Ok second down. Ball on the 32 yard line.

I got to tell you, when I was approached about writing this article, my stomach felt sick all over again! NOT in a bad way, but sick with excitement. It brought back some great memories of how I spent my childhood, teen and collegiate years playing (American) football. I remember quite well that sick feeling in my stomach right before the start of a game. This is crazy to say, but it was phenomenal! Sport will do that to you! The nervousness made me step up and deliver! Football is a very violent game with high impact collisions so you better be mentally and physically prepared for a battle when you step on the field.

When we examine the game of Football or just watch from a fan perspective it is typically easy to identify the player or players that have a true “nose” for the ball. Regardless of your sport, you know the players I’m describing. These are the individuals that always seem to be involved in the action. Defensively speaking in football, these individuals are knocking the shit out of people on every tackle. You’ll witness their bodies in unusual positions and dragging people to the ground with relentless passion and determination.

Although I never reached a professional level, even as a young boy playing I possessed this special “nose” for the ball. Involved in tackle after tackle the coaches would often compliment my play and style to my parents. Often followed by the question of “how he does it?”  I never really knew. Was it because I didn’t fear anything? Maybe I had great field vision? Perhaps it was the tackling drills we performed in practice? Or was I just very technically sound at my position?

From a descriptive and formal explanation when coaching athletes that play football on the proper technique involved in tackling an opponent you would follow the basic criteria:

1. Define or locate the opponent, this involves understanding your individual responsibilities when the ball is snapped. From a defensive perspective we’ll be looking for the ball carrier or player attempting to score with the football.
2. Next we start to run towards our opponent and based on the distance from the opposing player will also determine the speed of running. You can be the fastest player on the field but if you can’t control you body and breakdown properly you will simply run past the ball carrier or they will make a lateral movement having you foolishly running past them. They’ll make you look like an ass!
3. As you close the distance between you and the ball carrier, now you can accelerate within the last few metres to deliver the blow. Tackling is a movement of positioning and leverage. With this in mind, I need to stay focused on the opponents mid-section and make certain that my shoulders are lower than his at the point of contact. If I were to attempt to bring down a larger ball carrier and I don’t have an advantage in leverage. Well…….let’s just say it’s not going to work out well for me. Your head should always be up and looking at the mid-point.
4. Just before contact occurs within the last few steps, we want to extend the arms to wrap around the ball carriers waste and explode into him by maintaining leg drive and pushing through him and onto the ground.
5. Finally drive the ball carrier to the ground, pick yourself up off of the ground and prepare for the next play

Pretty simple stuff. Now every play is not that picture perfect, in fact most never are. We know that only predictable event is the unpredictable. So, what qualities does a player that has that “nose” for the ball really possess? Great vision and knowledge of where to be, the technical ability to complete the task and fearless mindset of someone who wants to knock the shit out of you.

When it really comes down to it, I’ve had my body in some really uncomfortable positions for the sacrifice of making the stop. I always felt like the equipment gave me this feeling of being a samurai in his armour. Protected, yet pliable enough to destroy. At this point you can forget about your periodized training programs, sport specific movements, science and technical assets. Tackling in this fashion is not for everyone. But, to experience the feeling and mind-set that engulfs you when you run at someone as hard as you can, only to be aware that this great collision is about to happen truly taps into the adrenaline of your life!

Always remember; to and through!