Month: March 2023

Aaron Lafette Brooks (born March 24, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, primarily with the New Orleans Saints. He played college football at Virginia and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft.[1] After one season with the Packers, he was a member of the Saints for six seasons, where he led the franchise to their first playoff victory in 2000 against the defending Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams. Brooks also became the first NFL quarterback to eliminate the defending Super Bowl champions in his first career postseason start. During his final season, he played for the Oakland Raiders.

Brooks retired in 2007 as the Saints’ leader in season and career touchdown passes. For his accomplishments with the franchise, he was inducted to the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame in 2014.

Brooks lived in a public housing project in the East End area of Newport News. Mentored by Coach Tommy Reamon,[2] Brooks played high school football and graduated from Homer L. Ferguson High School in Newport News. He was awarded a scholarship to attend the University of Virginia (UVA), from which he graduated in 1999.

Main ingredients for a good defensive lineman, is the need for quickness and determination. Areas of consideration when conducting your drills:

1. Speed: A defensive lineman must have excellent foot speed. He must always keep his feet alive and moving.

2. Acceleration: Initial quickness must always be emphasized. The desire to accelerate on movement of the football is the principle athletic trait a
defensive lineman needs. Areas of concentration will be to accelerate, react quickly, and develop good physical coordination. If a blocker is quick enough to get his hands inside the frame work of the defensive lineman’s numbers, and get his elbows locked on him, forget it; the defender will not get the passer.

3. Coordination: A defensive lineman must be able to coordinate the action of his hands, fee, and body, as he rushes the passer. When rushing the passer, or playing the run, a defensive lineman must keep his feet moving. As a defensive lineman engages, and fights, to get the passer or runner, he must keep his feet moving; remember this point with your drills.

4. Competitiveness: Attitude is one of the most important football qualities that a defensive lineman should have. A defensive lineman gets more sacks
when he just keeps coming, and never gives up. A defensive lineman needs to have a mean streak, meaning they want to get after people, even on the
practice field. Make your drill tough and demanding.

5. Toughness: A defensive lineman must not be denied. How will he react when playing against a bigger, and stronger, opponent?

6. Inside Power: A defensive lineman must be able to control the line of scrimmage.

Seven Considerations When Developing Your Defensive Line Drills

1. Stance – A defensive lineman must have good body position with proper weight distribution in order to be able to move instantaneous with either the snap of the ball or movement of an offensive lineman (mirror step).

2. Ability To Get Aligned Properly – Exact alignment according to the defense called is essential. Each defense called will dictate alignment.

3. Movement – The ability to move instantly on the snap of the ball, or movement of an offensive blocker is key, in order that your defensive lineman may engage his blocker or penetrate the line of scrimmage as fast as possible.

4. Deliver the Blow or Punch – The ability to attack the blocker by neutralizing the power of his block, or by delivering a blow in such a manner that he defeats the block, or gains position on the blocker, is key.

5. Reaction – The ability to read one-on-one blocks or blocking combinations that tell you what type of run or pass while on the move, and then putting into effect the proper escape technique is most important (read on the run).

6. Defending the Run – If a defensive lineman reads run and he is at the point of attack, defeat the blocker and make the tackle (be a play maker). If
you are not at the point of attack the proper pursuit angle to intercept the ball carrier (never follow the same colored jersey). Remember, when conducting your drills, talk the shoulders this is a key coaching point. Always keep your shoulders parallel or square to the line of scrimmage when defending the run.

7. Defending The Pass – If you read pass, always have a pass rush move in mind. When reading pass always get your shoulders out of parallel with the blocker.

Other Defensive Line Considerations

1. Always line up with your feet well underneath you so that you are ready to fight pressure from any direction. The only thing that overrides the first sentence is; pass only responsibility. This can elongate a defensive lineman’s stance.

2. Always concentrate on the man nearest you, for he is the man who can block you first.

3. Never rise up to look for the ball carrier, for the blocker will tell you where the ball is going.

4. Always keep your back parallel with the ground, and you then become very difficult to block.

5. Do not go to the ground, but if you do so, get back up quickly. A football player’s ability can be equated by the amount of time he spends on the ground.

6. In defeating the trap, first know who is going to trap you. Secondly, use your head to get an “anti-trap” position. As you turn to play the trap, keep your head on your side of the L.O.S. and you will never be trapped. If you get too much penetration, then spin back inside.

7. Never allow a blocker to get into your legs; for if he does, you will go down, and on pass, this is a cardinal sin.

Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. Regarded as having transformed the quarterback position with his rushing abilities, he is the NFL leader in quarterback rushing yards and was the league’s first quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Vick played college football at Virginia Tech, where he received first-team All-American honors, and was selected first overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 NFL Draft. During his six years with the Falcons, he was named to three Pro Bowls while leading the team on two playoff runs, one division title, and an NFC Championship Game appearance.

Vick’s NFL career came to a halt in 2007 after he pleaded guilty for his involvement in a dog fighting ring and spent 21 months in federal prison. His arrest and subsequent conviction garnered Vick notoriety with the general public, which lasted throughout the rest of his career. He was released by the Falcons shortly before leaving prison.

After serving his sentence, Vick signed with the Philadelphia Eagles for the 2009 season. As a member of the Eagles for five years, he enjoyed his greatest statistical season in 2010, earning him Comeback Player of the Year and a fourth Pro Bowl selection. In his final two seasons, Vick played one year each for the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, primarily as a backup. He officially retired in 2017 after spending the entirety of the 2016 season as a free agent. Vick first came to prominence while at Homer L. Ferguson High School in Newport News. As a freshman, he impressed many with his athletic ability; he threw for over 400 yards in a game that year. Ferguson High School was closed in 1996 as part of a Newport News Public Schools building modernization program. Vick, as a sophomore, and coach Tommy Reamon both moved to Warwick High School.[citation needed]

Vick was a three-year starter for the Warwick Raiders. Under Reamon’s coaching, he passed for 4,846 yards with 43 touchdowns. He added 1,048 yards and 18 scores on the ground. As a senior, he passed for 1,668 yards, accounting for 10 passing and as many rushing touchdowns. During one game, he ran for six touchdowns and threw for three touchdowns.[citation needed]

Reamon, who had helped guide Brooks from Newport News to the University of Virginia, helped Michael with his SATs and helped him and his family choose between Syracuse University and Virginia Tech. Reamon favored Virginia Tech, where he felt better guidance was available under Frank Beamer, who promised to redshirt him and provide the freshman needed time to develop. Reamon sold Michael on the school’s proximity to family and friends,[2] and Vick chose to attend Virginia Tech. As he left the Newport News public housing projects in 1998 with a college football scholarship in hand, Vick was seen in the Newport News community as a success story.[4]

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Hampton got it right in uplifting our own