4️⃣ Things to Address in Offensive Line Off Season Development
Nov 16, 2023 1:09 pm
Coach ,
The game has come a long way since the days of OL Development being “get in the weight room.” Offensive line coaches have become great teachers of the game and developers of culture, and they don’t wait until August for that to happen.
Through technology, skill development drills, and attention to the chemistry of the unit, it has become a year round process. Today we look at 4 concepts that are important to this process and share a great resource for your creating your OL Development plan for 2024.
Four Critical Elements in All Drills
First and foremost, development of OL skills can be taught without contact and incorporated into any kind of movement and agility session. This is something that Calgary Stampeders OL Coach Pat Delmonaco, Jr. puts great detail into. For him, every drill is focused on 4 critical elements:
-Eyes
-Leverage
-Elbows in
-Drive the Backside Knee
With these elements in all drills for run blocking, Coach Delmonaco is sure to be developing the most important elements of run blocking fundamentals. He explains it in this video:
Start Teaching the Pre Snap Process Now!
Teaching the your Offensive Line to have a pre snap process helps set them up for success. From understanding the personnel they face to what level 1, 2 and 3 player alignment signals as to what will happen gives them an edge.
This is best taught now and then solidified in spring ball and fall camp. Here is Ohio OL Coach Allen Rudolph explaining some of the basics of the Pre Snap Process.
More than the Game
For Duke Offensive Line Coach Adam Cushing, the process of building his unit will begin with really learning about his players and what makes them tick. He has a process called “Life Graph.” This unique tool which he uses helps a coach understand the events in the individual’s life which have been formational in who he is. Coach Cushing explains the “Life Graph” here:
Consistency is the Hallmark of Greatness
In his presentation for LFGF, Coach Cushing established that consistency is the hallmark of greatness.
The beginning of his talk focused on delivering a consistent message to your players to help cut through a noisy world that delivers an abundance of different messages. He pointed out that while the message may not hit home immediately, eventually your consistency will make your point come across clearly.
A great takeaway from this talk was what he calls “homework.” He talked to all of the offensive line coaches he knows to put this together for his offensive line. It is a daily list of things that the players focus on each week on their own.
The way he does it is collaborative amongst his players giving them each a section to focus on. He shows the template and explains it in this video:
There is certainly much more that can go into your plan and Lauren’s First and Goal has put together bundle of clinic presentations that covers a ton in terms of developing your OL. The list of what is included is below. It’s available as an Early Black Friday Deal at 71% off.
As you get through the holiday season, taking time to put together a comprehensive plan that you can implement with your OL in the new year will go a long way in helping them be successful under the lights next fall.
Thank you to Lauren’s First and Goal for putting this package of resources together!
Always be growing!
Coach Grabowski
2023 Black Friday OL Off Season Development Bundle (9 clinic presentations for $55 - 71% savings)
Here’s whats included:
-Ron Crook, Virginia Tech - “OL Run Game Fundamentals”
-Brian White, Hampton U. - “Offensive Line Off Season Development”
-Adam Cushing, Duke - “Creating a Consistent Offensive Linemen”
-Brendan Walsh, Colgate - “OL Fundamentals in Gap Schemes”
-Herb Hand, UCF - “Six Man Protection Fundamentals”
-Pat Flaherty, Rutgers - “Developing the Offensive Lineman”
-Saga Tuitele, Arizona State - “Inside Zone Fundamentals and Technique”
-John McLaughlin,Columbia - “Maximizing OL Personnel”
