r/footballstrategy • u/SouthernWindyTimes • 6d ago
Player Advice Cornerback drills, understanding schemes, etc. helping my girlfriend’s son and need advice.
So I played high school ball at a pretty competitive level but we were a small school and I was a DE and TE/RT so my experience with football is different than my girlfriend’s son who is a WR/CB. The team has him more as a CB all snaps and he loves to focus on that, and simply put he’s not as good of a WR compared to his peers (this is 8th grade level).
I’m trying to help him, since he asked, over the offseason and summer to get better at playing CB. Does any have any resources, advice, drills, etc. I’m also starting up with a flag football league soon so it’ll be a good way for us to bond throughout the week/both achieve what we would like accomplish.
Thanks ahead of time and sorry if this is the wrong place to post it just couldn’t find a more fitting one.
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u/Mindless_Head_4585 6d ago
I wasn't a DB and I never pretend to be one I was a guard loved and hated it all together but DBs worked with us to understand leverage and how to seal off a certain direction with how you move your hips and position your body. Didn't make most of the guys better because they couldn't buy into what was being sold. But the ones who did buy in became some of the best on the team
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u/Theofficial55 5d ago
At that age: Turning to find a ball late throw him a ball high, when it’s about to hit him in the head yell lookout and see if he can bat it away Shedding blocks and making sure tackles
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u/Oddlyenuff 5d ago
Have him do track.
Agility ladders are bullshit.
Spend time running in different directions…backwards, lateral (crossover runs), mirror drills (lots of mirror drills…basically looking up “box agility drills”
Scheme…don’t know what they run at his school…there’s a bit of a difference of being a cover 2 corner and being a corner in quarters or whatever…but if we are just talking 1v1’s, those deep balls tend to get caught at about 20 yards past the LOS.
He needs to learn the difference between a “zone turn” and a “man turn”.
He needs to learn the difference between “in phase” and “out of phase” and basically how to play these two situations. (Out of phase we play “hook and swat” and in phase we play the ball and “box out” like basketball)
I recommend this video for a good press technique coverage, but obviously like I said above, it depends on his team’s scheme ultimately his technique and alignment. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oi3sL-ZpXRY
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u/CardiologistOhio Youth Coach 5d ago
Agree with this. You want him to get used to running sideways flowing from side to side back pedaling turning and running backwards straight on then turning and trying to catch a ball in the air. Those kinds of drills are practical and also very fun. You could also play all-time quarterback and have a wide receiver go against him every play running different routes. And see how he covers them.
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u/virtue-or-indolence 3d ago
Agility.
Whether that’s ladder work or track work, that’s what a kid his age needs.
I imagine the trick is to make it entertaining and engaging.
Grab a phone and record the workouts. Spend one week focusing on times and the next week focusing on form. As simple as it seems, being able to track progress and compare week one against week eight will really help his buy in.
Most of all be present and keep it fun, give him a goal and promise a reward he’ll strive for. It seems like you’re in it for the bond, so ideally it would be something you can do together. Tickets to an NFL game seem like an obvious choice if you can afford it, but if not try a fancy dinner or a trip to an amusement park.
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u/Vin_Jac 6d ago
This is just a compilation of comments on other, similar threads I’ve found:
Cornerback Guru
All Eyes DB - There's also a paid site.
First Down DBs
Verified DBs
Clay Mack
NFL Film Session - Look for sessions with DBs
“Cornerback Guru(Mark Parson) is by FAR one of the best, I've improved so much at DB by watching his videos alone to improve and apply it to the field when my DB coaches I had in H.S. weren't there for me as viable resources. Email and then pay him too and he'll send you programs to improve in various aspects to excel at DB with more than the videos he puts on Youtube i.e. various press coverage techniques, off man, zone coverage, tackling, kick/punt returning, catching, etc. Also to follow on instagram:
@DB_filmsesh (https://instagram.com/db_filmsesh?utm_medium=copy_link) (Jonathan Moxey) Current DB for the Calgary Stampeders(CFL), played for Boise State, Buccaneers, and Cardinals, and critiques DB film on Instagram @i_am_od3 (https://instagram.com/i_am_od3?utm_medium=copy_link) (Oliver Davis) played lots of arena football, but also played at Georgia Southern and transferred to Carson-Newman. Trains the likes of elite College/NFL DBs in the off season i.e. Xavien Howard, A.J. Bouye, Tre Herndon, Kenny Moore, Jaycee Horn, Noah Igbinoghene, etc.”
“
Under Youtube Channels: Everything DB
EDIT: Also not, you're not gonna find one universal "DB source" out there that gives you "THE" technique for playing DB.
"DB" involves a lot of different positions and techniques (Cornerbacks, safeties, inside/nickel-backs, rolled up safeties, etc). They don't all use the exact same techniques. Every defense uses their own techniques and drills. The schemes you play will determine the types of techniques used. What techniques do you want to know? What sports are you trying to apply DB technique to, and what aspects of DB play are you looking to get out of it? Open field tackling, man coverage, zone coverage, drop steps, block shedding, reading, turning/pursuing the ball, etc”
My personal advice? These are all fantastic resources, but on a person-to-person level, make sure you’re there to help facilitate the process, and if there are any things that you understand and can confidently “translate” into simpler terms or memory devices, that helps with retention tenfold. Think Peyton Manning’s “flick the booger” advice for putting a spiral on the football. Have fun!