Featured courses
- How to Be an Influential Football Coach by Grant Young
- How Football Coaches Can Build A Game-Changing Special Teams Unit by Grant Young
- Master the Art of Quick Passing for High Completion Percentages by Keith Grabowski
- 3 SPO’s to Protect the Passing Game and create opportunities in space by Keith Grabowski
- The Art of Running the Corner Route- Coaches and Players Prespectives by CoachTube Staff
- Evolve your Defense with Quarter, Quarter Half to Stop RPO by Coach Grabowski
- 5 Core Offensive Priniciples for a Winning Football Formula by Keith Grabowski
- Win Downfield - Attacking Different Areas Deep with 3rd Level RPO by Coach Grabowski
- WAKE FOREST’S UNIQUE RPO GAME by Keith Grabowski
- Adjustments to Defeat the Tite Front by Keith Grabowski
- Attack Defenses with The Versatile Y-Cross Concept by Keith Grabowski
- Play Action is a Cheat Code! - 5 Play Action Concepts to Increase Your Expected Points by Keith Grabowski
- Question from Rutgers OC - What does your offense say about your coaching? by Keith Grabowski
- Gap Schemes vs. Tight Fronts, Play Action Shots and Misdirection by Coach Grabowski
- Setting up your young Qb for success by Keith Grabowski
- The Hot Gap plus 3 Gap Scheme RPO’s to Stress the Defense by Keith Grabowski
- Unlocking the True Potential of Your Special Teams Play by Keith Grabowski
- The Most Important Components of Air Raid by Keith Grabowski
- 4 Plays that Benefit from Bunch Formations by Keith Grabowski
- 3 Third Level RPOs for Explosive Plays by Keith Grabowski
- The Role of the Screen Game in Explosive Offense by Keith Grabowski
- The Chess Match: Win on the Perimeter (Part 1) by Coach Grabowski
- Unlocking the Power of Gap Manipulation to Limit Explosive Plays by Keith Grabowski
- TCU’s 3-3-5 and facing bigger personnel by Keith Grabowski
- Elevating Your Team: Strategies from Coach Matt Ruhle by Keith Grabowski
- 7 RPO’s for your playbook by Coach Keith
- Beyond Quarters - The Need For Additional Coverage Concepts by Keith Grabowski
- Top 10 College Football Players to Watch for in 2022 by Alec Burris
- Clemson vs. Syracuse Matchup of the Week by Keith Grabowski
- Sprint Out Passing: Move the Pocket for Success by Keith Grabowski
- How to Maximize Tackling Efficiency within Scheme by Keith Grabowski
- Offensive Drills of the Week by Keith Grabowski
- How a Stoplight Can Make Your Fly Sweep Takeoff by Keith Grabowski
- Keep your Drills Fresh and Your Skills Developing - Offense by Keith Grabowski
- Coach Kevin Kelley, Outside The Box by Keith Grabowski
- Want your defense to get off the field after third down? Sims and Creepers are the answer! by Keith Grabowski
- Create More Turnovers with Circuit Training & Win More Games! by Keith Grabowski
- Devastate the Defense with TE RPOs by Keith Grabowski
- Red Zone adjustments by Keith Grabowski
- CoachesClinic.com Featured Matchup: Cincinnati vs Indiana by Caleb Hopkins
- 3 NFL ZONE RUN PLAYS FROM WEEK 7 by Alex Kirby
- Sonny Dykes Teaches You How to Put Together an Offense by Coach Grabowski
- FIVE REASONS TO RUN THE 3-3 DEFENSE by Alex Kirby
- Getting Your Defense Ahead - 1st and 2nd down Pressures from Noah Joseph by John Grayson
- Chad Morris Teaches How To Builds an Offense by Coach Grabowski
- Get Your Offense a +1 With the QB Run Game by Coach Grabowski
- Are You Causing a 14 Point Turnaround...Against Your Team? by Coach Grabowski
- Learn How to Improve Your Offense with USC’s “Harrell Effect” by Coach Grabowski
- The Power of Influence - Rick Jones, Mizzou by Coach Grabowski
- Easy QB Runs to Drive Defenses Crazy by Ryan Eisenberger
- How many different ways can you make the defense cover everyone? by Ryan Eigenberger
- Win Passing Downs with Creepers and Sims by Coach Grabowski
- Always have a plan to play your best 11 by Keith Grabowski
- Dominate the Defense with Double Teams by Coach Grabowski
- Buffalo OC teaches his model for game planning by Keith Grabowski
- Put your 3 Deep Coverage in a Better Position with Zone Alert Rotations by Coach Grabowski
- 5 Keys to Using Trick Plays by Coach Grabowski
- Learn from 'Juggernaut' Offense by Keith Grabowski
- Bob Wylie - Offensive Line Breakdowns by Coach Grabowski
- Utilizing the Hybrid Linebacker to take away Offensive Advantages by Coach Grabowski
- Always have a plan to play your best 11 by Keith Grabowski
- Coachesclinic.com Featured Matchup: #6 Oklahoma vs #21 Texas by Caleb Hopkins
- Easy for You - Difficult for Them Adjustments by Keith Grabowski
- Coachesclinic.com Featured Matchup: Davidson College vs Presbyterian by Caleb Hopkins
- Week 5 National High School Football Rankings by Keith Grabowski
- Protecting Aaron Rodgers (and your own QB) by Caleb Hopkins
- Defensive Drills of the Week by Keith Grabowski
- Woo Pig - Add a wrinkle with these Arkansas Downhill Run Variations by Keith Grabowski
- Coachesclinic.com Featured Matchup: #7 Cincinnati vs #9 Notre Dame by Caleb Hopkins
- Offensive Drills of the Week by Keith Grabowski
- Coach Jason McEndoo Teaches #12 Oklahoma State’s Top Running Play by Keith Grabowski
- Adjustments - Attach Screens to your best plays, defend star receivers, & movement to stop the run by Keith Grabowski
- Coachesclinic.com Featured Matchup: Army vs #16 Wake Forest by Caleb Hopkins
- How To Implement A Running-Back-By-Committee Scheme by Brandon Ogle
- How To Become The Most Feared Offensive Lineman In Your League by Chrisian Benavides
- Wylie, McNally and Alexander Key Coaching Points on the Wide Zone Play by Keith Grabowski
- #21 Coastal Carolina’s play that is a whole offense within itself by Keith Grabowski
- 4 Plays that Benefit from Bunch Formations by Keith Grabowski
- Best Mesh Concept Plays by Ron McKie
- Forming Families For Football by Darryl Page
- Top 5 Things Coaches Should Strive To Get Out Of Spring Camp by Darryl Page
- 10 Tips To Know Before Attending Football Camps by James Breland
- Offensive Line Drills by Rick Bouch
- You’re a captain, now what? 5 Tips to bring your team together and establish yourself as a true leader by Lester Crafton
- COACHING THE 4-2-5 DEFENSE VS SPREAD TEAMS by Alex Kirby
- Gifts From Grinch by Coach Grabowski
- A Package to Help You Win Mid to Late Season by Coach Grabowski
- The Future of American Football: How to Run the Spread Offense by Coach Scott
- Chris Ash teaches Longhorn Tackling by Coach Grabowski
- The misunderstood Yet Powerful Run Scheme - Duo by Coach Keith
- THE GUS MALZAHN QUARTERBACK COUNTER PLAY by Alex Kirby
- FIVE TIPS FROM GUS MALZAHN ON HOW TO BUILD YOUR PLAYBOOK by Alex Kirby
- LITTLEST KID ON THE FIELD TRUCKS LINEMAN – YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP by Jacob
- HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR OFFSEASON FOOTBALL TRAINING by Dominic
- BAD CALL, GREAT COACH: THIS IS WHY PLAYERS LOVE PETE CARROLL by Jacob
- How to Get Recruited for Collegiate Sports by Brandon Ogle
- How Offensive Coaches Win with Pre-Snap Movements by Trevor Strong
- HOW VAN HALEN AND CHIP KELLY CAN MAKE YOU A BETTER COACH by Alex Kirby
- FIVE REASONS TO RUN THE JET SWEEP by Alex Kirby
- THIS GUY’S DESIGNS ARE MAKING NFL HELMETS LOOK LIKE RELICS by Jacob
Five Leadership Lessons You Learn Playing Offensive Line Worth More than the Touchdowns You Won’t Be Scoring This Season
You may not get to score touchdowns, your name may not be called out for making tackles and you may even hang your head a little when you tell someone you’re “just” an offensive lineman, but there are lessons you are learning now which will last you and help you for the rest of your life.
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Lesson #1: You are learning to take joy in the dirty work.
If you’re playing on the O-Line, you may have a rock solid core under a little play-doh, but you probably don’t have a six pack. As O-Linemen, we weren’t put on earth to look pretty, we were put here to make other people look pretty by doing the dirty work and then to take joy in their successes.
In a world full of people with big ideas, it’s the people who are willing to not only do the dirty work, but to learn to enjoy it who actually make those big ideas happen. And if you’re the one with the big ideas yourself, with every rep in the weight room and every snap of practice when you put forth your best effort while everyone else is complaining, you’re becoming someone who can do what’s necessary with the right attitude to make your dreams a reality.
Lesson #2: You are becoming keenly aware of how your decisions impact other people.
If a quarterback and running back miss a handoff exchange, your team could lose a fumble and maybe lose a game because of it. If you miss a block, one of your best friends could end up with a concussion or a broken body part.
One of the attributes which separates an average leader from a stellar one is how well they are able to understand the impact their decisions have on other people. What other sport and what other position can you think of where an athlete’s actions actually impact the lives of his teammates more than an offensive lineman?
Lesson #3: You are developing resiliency.
How many times have you completely taken your man out of the play with a great block only to have a running back cut the wrong way and be tackled by the guy you thought you’d just destroyed? And whose fault is it? If you’re an offensive lineman, it’s always your fault. No matter how well you execute your responsibility, your teammates will still screw up, and you’ll still get blamed. This is part of being an offensive lineman. And it sucks, but it’s also a very powerful, long-term leadership lesson that your glory hound teammates aren’t learning.
As an offensive linemen you are by definition a leader--you are at the very front of the offensive formation. Without the hole you create, there is no glory for any other position. The valuable lesson you’re learning is how to deal with other people’s opinions about you while simultaneously maintaining your willingness to give your best effort on the next play.
The best leaders are masters at resisting the temptation to reciprocate blame when someone first puts blame on them. Rather, they smile when being criticized, listen and learn from the situation, then put it behind them and do all they can to improve on the next play.
You will receive your credit, but only if you learn to do your best and not be stopped while constantly being blamed for things which you aren’t at fault.
Lesson #4: You are learning the ability to work for delayed gratification.
Offensive linemen do receive credit eventually, but it’s after the winning is done. It’s not in the weight room. It’s not on the practice field. It’s usually not even during the game. But when the game is over, when the season is done, and when your glory-hound teammates aren’t walking around with a limp in a decade, they will be very grateful for the effort you put in.
Leaders are faced with the same difficulties. While your backfield teammates are learning to do the best with what’s given to them, and blame you when it doesn’t work out, you are learning to do your personal best.
You must accept responsibility not just for your mistakes, but the mistakes other people blame on you while improving each step of the way. Doing the best with what someone else creates for you and blaming the creators is something employees do.
Entrepreneurs learn to work for “recognition at the end of the season” - exactly what you’re learning as an offensive linemen.
Lesson #5: You learn to listen well and react quickly.
Have you ever committed a false start? One of the loneliest feelings in the world is leaving your stance too quickly only to find yourself finally receiving the full attention of everyone in the stands while the ref twirls his hands like an old-fashioned lawn mower.
Your teammate may or may not give you a pat on the butt, a head nod, or say “good job” after you pancake a defensive end (who never saw the trap coming)... but you can count on feeling like everyone hates you when you jump the snap count.
So what do you have to learn to do?
You have to learn to listen. You have to listen to the snap count when the play comes in from the sideline. You have to listen in case there is an audible. And you have to respond to a sound faster than the defensive line and linebackers can react to a sight.
Learning to listen well while in constantly, changing, pressure-filled situations is a hallmark skill of a leader. And it’s one you are developing each day you play offensive line.
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Although you may not receive much glory now for what you are doing, you must remember to form the habit of doing the best you can each day and don’t blame others--including coaches--for not seeing your immediate value. Instead, focus on listening, learning and improving and your rewards for playing offensive line will continue to pay off far longer than the last time you ever take off your cleats.