William & Mary Defensive Series

with Vincent Brown,
College of William & Mary Associate Head Coach / Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers Coach;
3x All-Pro linebacker for the New England Patriots ('91, '92, '93);
former Assistant Head Coach / Defensive Coordinator at Howard University;
former Dallas Cowboys Inside Linebackers Coach (2006)

If you've ever wanted to adopt a 3-4 defensive system, why not learn it from a three-time NFL All-Pro linebacker?

This video featuring former New England Patriots star Vincent Brown, who's now the Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator at the College of William & Mary, dives into teaching and running the 3-4 defense. You will come away with knowledge of the structure of the defense and how to teach each position within that structure.

Structure of the 3-4 Defense

Coach Brown starts with an overview of his 3-4 defense and why he believes it's the best defense to defend modern offenses. Then, he diagrams the basic structure of the 3-4 defense with an emphasis on the basic alignment and responsibilities of each position group. Brown shows several clips of game and practice footage to illustrate specific coaching points.

Position-Specific Aspects

The presentation continues with an overview of the type of players that fit into the requirements for each position. Coach Brown details the alignment and assignments within the basic scheme. You'll also see several clips of position-specific drills that are done with each group at William & Mary. Finally, Brown shares some of his insights into the characteristics that make up a good defensive team, as well as some of the things that are necessary to be successful against the pass and the run.

Overall, this video from Coach Brown is a great addition to any coach's instructional library. You'll get an outstanding presentation on the 3-4 defense and learn why Brown believes it's the best defensive scheme to defend modern offenses!

76 minutes. 2020.

with Darryl Blackstock,
College of William & Mary Defensive Assistant;
seven-year NFL linebacker/defensive end with the Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, Oakland Raiders, and Baltimore Ravens;
played linebacker at the University of Virginia - 3x All-ACC honoree and Sporting News ACC Defensive Freshman of the Year

Darryl Blackstock's seven-year career in the NFL provided him with a wealth of experience that he's since brought with him to the coaching staff at the College of William & Mary. You'll see much of his knowledge brought to life in this video covering all angles of an effective pass rush. Blackstock gives you his keys to controlling the pass game, playing as a unit, and developing players with high IQ before presenting drills that you can adopt to train your own pass rushers.

Pass Rush IQ and Point System

Pass rush IQ centers around having in-game awareness and an understanding of the opposing quarterback's mechanics according to Coach Blackstock. Players must also know the pass protectors and protection scheme. You will learn to train your athletes to be aware of the in-game situation and apply what they learned in film study leading up to the game to make big plays when the lights are on. Additionally, Blackstock covers what to look for from the offense in order to set up your pass rush for success before the ball is even snapped.

Next, Coach Blackstock breaks down his pass rush point system, which is comprised of five parts:

• A - Alignment & Stance
• B - Get Off
• C - Move
• D - Countermoves
• E - Finish

He goes in-depth on each of the five components of his point system in order to make it easier for you to adopt with your own program.

Film Room and Drills

One of the great attributes of this video is it includes a film room section where Blackstock walks you through exactly what to look for regarding pass rush during games. A number of tactics and results are addressed, both good and bad, to help you understand keys to the pass rush.

Finally, Coach Blackstock includes some of his favorite drills that reinforce the desirable skills in elite pass rushers. Drills covered include multiple Hoop Drills, the Mirror Hand Up Drill, the Hip Turn Drill, and Hand Combat Drills.

Unleash a fierce pass rush on your opponents this season using the strategies and drills of Coach Blackstock!

45 minutes. 2020.

with Mike London,
College of William & Mary Head Coach;
former Howard University Head Coach;
2017 AFCA Regional Coach of the Year; 2017 FCS Eddie Robinson Award finalist;
2011 ACC Coach of the Year (University of Virginia);
2008 FCS National Champions (University of Richmond); 2008 AFCA FCS National Coach of the Year

It's common knowledge that teams that win the turnover margin often win the game. By taking away an opponent's scoring opportunity and adding to your own, you will always increase your chances of success. Instead of leaving these opportunities to luck and chance, you can develop a culture of taking the ball away with drills and techniques taught in this video by Coach Mike London!

London covers many defensive drills to develop a takeaway mindset in your defense. With these drills, your team will learn everything from how to jump a pass route, to how to run the edge and force a strip-sack, and more

"If it is on the ground or in the air, it belongs to us!"

Defensive coordinators in today's game must know that modern offenses are designed to score a lot of points quickly. To defend against today's offensive attacks, defenses need to eliminate an opponent's scoring opportunities through takeaways. Coach London demonstrates how to design and build a culture of creating turnovers in your defense. You'll get insight into all the best tactics for causing takeaways, including:

• Aiming points for pass rushers to force a strip-sack
• How to neutralize a scrambling QB
• How to secure and strip a ball carrier

Raise Your Players' Football IQ

With detailed diagrams and live demonstration, Coach London shows you how to use these drills to emphasize ball disruption. You'll see many drills, including:

• Take-off and Angle Drills
• 3 Man Interception Drill
• Scoop and Score Drill

Every defensive coordinator needs this video in their library! With the drills provided by Coach London, any defense can become a turnover machine, create momentum and score more points in the seasons ahead!

48 minutes. 2020.

with Keenan Carter,
College of William & Mary Defensive Line Coach;
former Howard University Defensive Line Coach;
former Bridgewater College Defensive Line Coach

The defensive line can make or break a defense. With a strong one, the offense will have fewer options in their playbook with less time to throw and fewer holes to run through. With a weak one, the rest of your defenders will be scrambling to pick up the slack on the back end.

Keenan Carter, the College of William & Mary defensive line coach, covers his range of teaching methods for the defensive line in this video. You will learn defensive line fundamentals to use against the run and the pass, as well as drills to improve the skills of your individual athletes.

Run Defense Fundamentals for 3-4 and 4-3

Coach Carter's presentation begins with an explanation of his philosophy for defensive line play with regards to playing both a 3-4 and 4-3 defense. He covers a variety of topics, and with several game and practice video clips, demonstrates several drills that teach the finer points of defensive line play against the run. You'll see:

• The stance and initial step that Coach Carter teaches his players.
• Keys and responsibilities for each position in both the 3-4 defense and the 4-3 defense.
• The Run Gauntlet drill, which ties together several of the fundamentals of run defense.

Fundamentals of Pass Rush

Carter concludes with a detailed explanation of pass rush fundamentals. He touches on pass rush lanes and how to teach the concept from both a 3-man and 4-man pass rush. You'll come away with tactics to rush the passer in order to limit QB scramble yards, drills that teach necessary landmarks for coordinating your pass rush, and adjustments to pass rush lanes to contain the QB while only rushing three players.

Coach Carter gives a detailed look at all elements of defensive line play for both the 4-3 and 3-4 defense. This is truly a great addition to any defensive coach's library!

36 minutes. 2020.

with Bo Revell,
College of William & Mary Inside Linebackers Coach / Video Coordinator;
helped oversee the development of Luke Rhodes, a 2015 Butkus Award Watch List honoree and current member of the Indianapolis Colts;
played tight end for William & Mary - was a three-year starter and team captain his senior season

College of William & Mary linebackers coach, Bo Revell, delivers an outstanding video covering all aspects of linebacker play. You will unearth strategies for stopping the run game using your backers while also receiving drills for improved ball pursuit, tackling, and block destruction.

Alignment, Stance, Keys, and Responsibilities

Coach Revell begins by giving an overview of his beliefs in terms of teaching skills and concepts to his players. He explains how important it is to be careful in drill selection in that drills are directly relatable to skills that are performed on the field. Revell then gets into the fundamentals of linebacker play such as the stance, keys, alignment, and responsibilities of the linebackers in a single gap defense. You'll observe the course alignment adjustment that Coach Revell will make to put his linebackers in an advantageous position against certain modern run schemes.

Tackling and Block Destruction

Next, Revell demonstrates several drills that teach and reinforce proper leverage and tackling fundamentals. You'll see how to teach your players to defeat blocks by giving the players options in terms of how they attack and defeat blocks. Every player has different strengths and weaknesses, and therefore some players will be more effective with certain techniques than others.

If you want some linebacker drills and skill instruction that you can use to make your athletes better today, this is the video for you. Coach Revell shares several great insights into coaching linebackers at a championship level.

45 minutes. 2020.

with Ras-I Dowling,
College of William & Mary Cornerbacks Coach;
former Howard University Cornerbacks Coach and Defensive Quality Control Coach;
drafted by the New England Patriots with the 33rd overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft;
2010 All-American and 3x All-ACC honoree at the University of Virginia

For the last 10 years, football at all levels has seen an explosion in passing offenses. Now more than ever, defensive coordinators require sound, fundamental defensive back play to keep their opponent from moving the chains. This video is an instant benefit to any defensive back coach or coordinator eager to create a "no-fly zone" in their defense. Coach Ras-I Dowling has provided detailed instructions on how to develop a shut-down defensive backfield.

Coach Dowling shares his non-negotiables for a successful defensive back player. With his instruction, you will learn to teach your players how to get "in-phase" against a pass receiver, how to defeat blocks, and how to "play the pocket" to force incomplete passes.

No Explosive Plays!

Today's pass-heavy offenses rely on creating explosive plays to move the ball and generate points. If a defense is to have any chance of success, it must have an answer to explosive plays. With this video, Dowling shows you the key factors and fundamentals you need to develop in your defensive backfield to eliminate big plays.

Dowling covers:

• Exact pass defense alignment
• Specific keys to read for immediate reaction
• Techniques to defeat blocks, make tackles or deflect passes

Get the Drills That Teach the Skills

With game footage, Coach Dowling demonstrates how fundamentals apply in game situations. You'll get detailed instruction on:

• Maintaining the correct position on a pass receiver
• Approaching a ball carrier for a tackle
• Creating turnovers to score points

This video is a must-have for any defensive back coach or defensive coordinator. Whether you are a new coach or a seasoned veteran looking to adapt, Coach Dowling gives you the tools to develop a smothering defensive backfield.

43 minutes. 2020.