The Coach's Eye: Offensive Line

Offensive linemen rarely dominate the box score, but they can dictate an offense on nearly every snap. After 32 years of coaching, I have learned that evaluating the position goes far beyond simply finding the biggest player on the field. I want to know how quickly a lineman gets out of his stance, whether his feet stay active through contact, how he uses his hands, whether he understands his assignment, and what happens to his technique when fatigue sets in.

The first step tells me (and the scouts) plenty. How quickly does he pick that foot up and get it back down? How quickly does he reach his second step? Is he stepping out of his stance under control, or lunging at the defender? One of the biggest habits I tried to eliminate was lunging. An offensive lineman should not throw his body at a defender. He needs to step, stay balanced, and get his feet moving.

It Starts With Stance and Technique

Good offensive line play begins before the ball is snapped. A lineman's stance matters on every play, and it matters just as much late in the fourth quarter as it does on the opening series.

One coaching point I always used was to imagine a six-inch string tied from the knee to the shoulder pad. Don't break the string. Stay low, stay balanced, and keep your weight where it needs to be.

Fatigue is one of the easiest ways to see technique disappear. As players tire, stances get lazy and linemen begin coming off the ball too high. That is when fundamentals matter most. Whether it is play 13 of a 15-play drive or the fourth quarter on a 100-degree afternoon, the standard does not change: maintain a good stance, keep your eyes up and make your pre-snap reads.

Quick Feet

We worked footwork drills every day. Even the day before a game, we would spend five minutes on footwork because it is that important. An offensive lineman must get the first step down quickly, reach the second step, and keep his feet moving once contact occurs.

That becomes especially important at the second level. Do not run to a linebacker and stop as though he is going to stand there and let you block him. Run through him. Keep the feet moving, drive the legs, and finish the job. Size and strength help, but a big lineman with slow feet is going to have problems.

Low Man Wins

Pad level is critical, and it is directly connected to stance and footwork. Come off the ball low, maintain leverage, and win with your hands. I always preached two things with hand placement: inside and low.

Get the hands inside the breastplate and inside the framework of the defender's body. There is a practical reason for that, too. If I can see a lineman's hands outside the defender's shoulders or arms, the official can see them as well. That is an invitation for a holding flag.

Explode off the ball and get your hands on the defender before he gets his hands on you. Low man wins, and the player who establishes clean hand placement first usually owns the leverage advantage.

Finish Every Block

One of my biggest coaching points was simple—finish every block. That can mean driving a defender downfield, staying engaged and sustaining the block, or putting him on the ground when the play allows it. Initial contact is not the end of the assignment. Block until the whistle.

Effort shows up away from the initial block, too. If the running back breaks through the line, what are the offensive linemen doing? Are they standing and watching? If you are going to watch, buy a ticket. Get downfield and help the play.

On screens, that effort also has to be smart. Do not run downfield looking for an illegal block from behind. Get into position, become a lead blocker when possible and affect pursuit without drawing a penalty. The point is simple: do not become a spectator while your teammate is still working.

Assignment Discipline

You can usually tell when an offensive lineman is unsure of his assignment. He is slow off the ball, looking around instead of at his target, and hesitating. Mistakes happen. Alignments can get busted, and assignments can occasionally be missed. I can live with a mistake. What I cannot live with is hesitation.

I always told my players: if you make a mistake, make it go 1,000 miles an hour. Play fast. An aggressive physical mistake can be corrected. A mental mistake made while standing around can get the quarterback hit or the running back tackled for a loss.

Physicality

This is non-negotiable. You cannot be soft and play offensive line, especially in the run game. Run blocking demands a hard first step, good hand placement, active feet, and leg drive. Move the defender off the ball.

I want offensive linemen attacking the line of scrimmage rather than waiting for somebody else to make the play. You can see the difference between an offensive line playing with physical intent and one simply going through the motions.

Different Positions = Different Responsibilities

Not every offensive lineman has to look the same. I wanted tackles with size, but I also wanted quick feet. Guards need enough size to hold up inside, but quickness matters because they may be asked to pull and get to a target in a hurry.

The center adds another responsibility: intelligence and communication. He has to recognize the defensive front and help communicate it across the line. Every lineman should understand the technique aligned across from him and how the front affects the assignment. If the left guard is pulling, for example, the alignment on the other side can determine his path and aiming point.

An offensive line is five players, but it has to function as one unit.

Offensive line play is not only about running the football. Whether the protection calls for an aggressive set in the quick game or a deeper drop-back set, footwork and recognition remain critical.

Pass Protection is Just as Important

In the quick game, fire out with balance and get the hands on the defender so he cannot easily disrupt the passing lane. In every protection, identify what is in front of you. Is the linebacker coming or sitting back? Has a defender walked into the gap? Those reads begin before the snap. Keep your eyes up, communicate, and understand the pressure picture.

Coachability Matters

Coachability is one of the first traits I look for in any player. Everyone makes mistakes. The coach explains what went wrong and how to correct it, then the player must make the adjustment.

Nothing frustrated me more than coaching a player through an assignment error for five minutes and then watching him make the exact same mistake. That is no longer just a talent issue. It becomes a coachability issue. I do not expect perfection. I expect improvement.

The OL Should Set the Example

I expected my offensive linemen to be the hardest-working position group on the field - not just the starters, but the entire room. The offensive line should set the example for the rest of the program.

That is part of what makes the position different. The running back scores the touchdown, the quarterback gets the headlines, and the receiver makes the spectacular catch, but the offensive line creates the opportunity for all of it. I used to tell my players not to expect recognition, but expect blame. That's offensive line.

The Six Traits All Scouts Want

If you ask me for the three physical and three mental traits I want in an offensive lineman, the list is straightforward.

• Quick feet

• Quick hands

• Aggressiveness

• Toughness

• Attitude

• Selflessness

The first three are physical, and the final three are mental. All six matter, but one principle ties them together, which is understanding that the position is not about individual recognition.

It’s Not About You

That may be the biggest lesson I want young offensive linemen to understand. The position is about doing whatever is necessary to make the group better. If that means taking on a defensive lineman so the running back can hit the hole, pulling across the formation to make the key block, or doing your job all afternoon without hearing your name called, that is the job.

When all five offensive linemen approach the game that way, each player committed to making the man next to him better, an offense has a foundation that can be very difficult to stop. Because, in the end, the offense goes as the offensive line goes.