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Kenneth Gilstrap, Florida International, Special Teams Coordinator

Full video on Glazier Drive:  Kickoff Circuits

SPEED & U-TURN DRILL

The coach covers three tackle angles — head up, angle, and chase — emphasizing that when a defender loses lane leverage, they must execute a U-turn while working to get their shoulders back square. The key cues are stick-and-avoid, long stride/short stride, and near leg/near shoulder. Getting back square creates knockback; overcoaching this technique is intentional to build good habits. Immediate correction is stressed when a player does the drill wrong.

BULLY DRILL (TWO-GAP)

Players should hit on the rise with a square base, strike and extend while peeking, then violently disengage. A wide base is flagged as a liability — it allows ball carriers to run through or avoid the defender. The preferred technique is near leg, near shoulder with a long stride. If a single-man sled isn't available, player-to-player contact can substitute to emphasize leverage and hand placement.

SPLITTING THE DOUBLE TEAM

When facing a double team, defenders should always attack the back blocker first, then get skinny through the gap. A defender should be a half-step back at the start of the drill to reinforce this habit. The minimum acceptable outcome is forcing both blockers to engage, creating knockback and making the ball carrier redirect laterally rather than hit downhill — keeping the defender in the picture.

 

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