J.T. Curtis: Winning Special Teams 2-Pack

with J.T. Curtis,
John Curtis Christian School (LA) Head Coach,
2006 USA Today National HS Coach of the Year;
21 State HS Football titles

The punt game is on display in this DVD presented by legendary high school coach, J.T. Curtis. The "Five S's" form the foundation of winning special teams play. They are split, stance, set, strike and sprint. The center's first responsibility is to deliver the ball to the punter with perfect timing. Protection in this case is secondary. The center is given a zone to protect rather than a man so he can focus on the snap. The tackle and guard use a jump technique, jumping and hitting their man high. This technique eliminates the twist. The wider the end rusher gets, the more vertically set the wing gets. In Blue protection, all assignments are simply flipped to the opposite side. The Load call is used when the fifth man has any piece of the center. In high school, the 6-2 look is countered by the defense and their Man 33 Call. Another alignment is White Protection, demonstrated by Coach Curtis on the field with his players. When coaching the gunners, the split, shake, sprint, and stack techniques must be mastered. Little things are required during several drills, shown by Curtis.

58 minutes. 2007.

with J.T. Curtis,
John Curtis Christian School (LA) Head Coach,
2006 USA Today National HS Coach of the Year;
21 State HS Football titles

Coach Curtis believes that special teams are essential for winning football. Kickoff coverage drills make up the first segment of this DVD. The three ways to beat blocks are speed, back door and two gap. Players must decide which technique to use in each situation. The first drill is set up in an area 17-foot wide. Curtis teaches to always pursue with a proper angle to defend against a cutback. Alignment and positioning are the next skills taught. Three kickoff return plays are middle, right and left. Keys to kickoff return presented by Curtis are the angle of the block and the timing of the block. Another strategy is to preset your keep players to the tendencies of the kicker. The fullback should position himself about 5-8 yards from the ball. The side return is an option for successfully returning the ball on kickoffs.

28 minutes. 2007.

See all the items in this series!

• Winning with the Spread Punt Game
• Winning with the Kickoff Game