Michigan Football Series: Sam, Viper, and Nickel Linebackers

with Anthony Campanile,
Miami Dolphins (NFL) Defensive Assistant Coach;
former University of Michigan Defensive Assistant Coach;
former Assistant Coach at Boston College and Rutgers

Outside linebackers need to be versatile players with a wide-ranging skill set in modern football. Anthony Campanile, the former Linebackers Coach at the University of Michigan, covers all the essentials of his Sam, Viper, and Nickel backer positions in this informative instructional video.

Daily Drills for Linebacker Play

Coach Campanile starts by showing examples of several footwork drills that he uses with his linebackers every day. He presents drills using agility bags and without agility bags and demonstrates teaching linebackers how to move their feet while keeping their body in proper position to react.

Additionally, Campanile demonstrates how block defeat and ball drills can be incorporated with footwork drills. Several tackling drills are demonstrated that teach defenders when to "shimmy" to a ball carrier. Several great coaching points are shared by Coach Campanile during the course of the presentation, and in all, you'll get:

• Several daily footwork drills that teach and reinforce good posture and body control.
• The approach to tackling at Michigan.
• Several drills that teach tackling for linebackers in a number of situations.

Pass Coverage

Coach Campanile continues by explaining how pass coverage techniques are taught in both man and zone coverage. Drill footage is shown in which the linebackers are taught how to drop to a zone then react to the quarterback's motion. Also, Campanile shows several examples of drills that teach man coverage for the outside linebackers on a slot receiver using a "scooch" technique. Coach Campanile goes into detail describing the footwork and eye progression of a defensive player playing man coverage against a receiver. Finally, several pass rush drills are shown that teach a blitzing linebacker to defeat blocks and rush the quarterback.

This video not only shows several drills that teach the finer points of linebacker play, but gives tons of great teaching and coaching points too. With this video from Coach Campanile, you will have your linebackers ready to dominate the opposition on game day!

71 minutes. 2019.