How to Crush Block Destruction: Button Press & Pop-off Drills - Archie McDaniel

Archie McDaniel, Linebacker Coach, Houston shows how he teaches his linebackers to play with devastating block destruction. 

He walks us through sled drills (both fit and back positions) to teach button press and pop-off techniques.

His entire clinic can be seen at: LB Drills for Success in Glazier Drive.

You will see practice drill video along with live application of the skills.

Key Takeaways

• Base, Balance, Pads (Low Pads) are the keys to Houston linebacker play.
  
  
• Key to tracking the ball.  If he's running I'm running, if he's square, I'm square.
  
  
• If Coach McDaniel finds that he is running a drill in practice that has no or very little game application, he throws it out.  He wants to spend time drilling the skills that take place most often in the games.
  
  
• In the drills, the eyes should simulate looking into the gap that the defender is responsible for.
  
  
• If Coach McDaniel can't see the player's helmet inside the gap, they are reaching.
  
  
• If you are engaged with a blocker, you can't play with "bent-nails" (bend in the elbow)
  
  
• He teaches very few techniques to avoid the "jack of all trades master of none syndrome.  He wants to be masters of something.
  
  
• The players will do what you coach them to do. Coach M always stresses the "why" for how they do everything.  It helps the player to be much better prepared to apply in games.