CHAPTER 84

The following day, we returned to practice, once again watching film and having our individual meetings. The days were becoming regimented, much like they were in college. We had one day a week off, we practiced every day, then three hours in the weight room. The trainers had changed some of my routines, some changes I liked, some I did not. During that week of practice, after our day was over, I would see Josh head up the stairs while everyone else left the facility. Finally after the second day, I had to ask.

"Where you headed to Josh ?", I asked.

"Study hall, wanna come ?", he smiled.

His answer got the better of me, I was intrigued by the mystery.

"Sure, I'm in.", I replied.

I followed Josh up the stairs to the second floor, down another long hallway to a door marked private. He unlocked the door with his key, opened the door, flipping on the light switch. I walked into a large room, there were three large sofa's in a U shaped formation, with a small table in the center. There were at least five remote controls on the small table. Against one of the walls there was a huge narrow table that had six high back leather office chairs tucked up under it. There was a set of cabinets on the other wall, which housed a large microwave, and a huge refrigerator. There was a small bathroom in the back of the room.

"This is my office.", laughed Josh.

Josh began to explain to me, what it takes to play quarterback in this league. After practice was over every day, he spent an additional three to five hours breaking down footage of the opponents defense both on live film and overhead photos taken during the entire game. By doing this, he could try to understand what coverages they would try and play based on our formations. He could also see exactly how they lined up against a certain formation, then by snapping pictures every two seconds, see the movements they made prior to the snap of the ball. By this time, I guess he could tell by the look on my face, I was a bit puzzled.

"Look, let me show you something, it will explain itself. Sit right there.", he said, pointing to the sofa.

He inserted a disc into the machine on the wall, above it were four huge flat screen TV's arranged in a square shape. He walked over to the table, chose a remote then pressed play. I immediately recognized the footage as our past game against Miami. As he fast forward the film, I noticed each play was filmed from two angles. One high behind the offensive line, the other high above both the offense and defense. You could go back and forth and see different angles on each play we ran. The discs were edited so that only our offensive series were on these discs. He quickly found the play he had been looking for.

"Ok, now I want you to watch this. The play was Quad, Dual Trips, Jet Left, 18 Post Right, Vertical 88, 20 Seam Short.", he started.

"Ok, here you are right here, now come show me where your route takes you.", he commanded.

I walked over and pointed to where I was aligned in the Jet Left formation, my number 89 visible as I was in my stance. I drew an imaginary line up the field ten yards, then broke across the middle of the field between the two safties. I then turned and looked at Josh, knowing that I had given the right answer.

"The answer is right, but the result was wrong. You're beginning to think like Billy, you have one assignment period. If it happens fine, if not , oh well.", he scolded.

"I don't get it Josh.", I answered, "That's where I belong."

"Wrong rookie, this is where "we" belong." he said pointing to the end zone, thirty yards away," Now watch the play carefully as I move it forward."

He began flicking the remote control, one frame at a time, his eyes riveted on the screen. Just as I approached the spot on the field where I would make my break inside, he froze the picture.

"What do you see now ?", he asked.

"I'm about to make my break to the middle, drag underneath the 88 slot.", I answered.

He pointed to the coverage by the defensive backs, especially the strong safety and linebacker, who were both no more than five yards from me. He explained that they were in a three level base coverage. That the linebacker was under my route, the strong safety over me. While if I made a clean break, I might be open for a moment, I missed the big picture. He explained that whenever I had no outside route called on a drag, I had to watch what the strong safety was doing with his feet. He started the tape again, clicking a few frames at a time. As soon as he started it, I saw the free safety moving forward slowly, his feet shoulder width, heels up. As soon as I made my break, he closed on the middle of the field rapidly.

"Here's what you missed. See our back here, five yards up the field below you. Both the linebacker and the safety who you think are covering you, both blow their assignments. You are already over the top on the backer, you have him beat. Now here when you break, the safety is already committing himself our running back. Instead of cutting in front of him, getting him off the hook, right here, you take him deep. It's six points baby.", he finished.

He kept running the play over and over, back and forth. He was right. The safety who was supposed to have me over the top, left me for a moment when he saw our running back swing out of the backfield. Had I not cut in front of him, he would have moved further up the field. I should have cut my route off and went vertical, it would have been either a long gain or maybe a touchdown.

"I see it Josh, but what if I cut my route off, and you throw the ball to where I am supposed to be going ?", I asked seriously.

"Then we both fuck up, maybe it gets picked.", he answered, "But there are six to ten times a game when the defense completely blows their coverage. If you can exploit it two to five times, you will win almost every time."

"I guess I understand.", I replied.

"No Brian, you never guess. You want to be one of those guys down there, the ones who just go through the motions, fine. You do exactly what you're told, every time. You wanna be great ? Then you put in the extra work, you do the time in here, in the weight room, out there.", he said, pointing to the field.

"You want to be just another Billy Huber ten years from now, scared to death some snot nosed rookie is going to take your place ? If you do, get the fuck out of here, don't waste my time.", he said, loudly.

He set the remote down gently on the table, walked over to me, putting his hands on my shoulders. His face relaxed, a warm smile crossing it.

"Brian, I can't promise you anything. But I know this, athletically, you're the mosted gifted tight end, I have ever played with. You have great hands, you have no ego, you're willing to learn. Learn the right way, work your ass off, I promise you, it will pay off.", he said, softly.

Over the next three hours, we watched film of our next opponent, he took notes, every now and then pointing out what the defense was doing. The more I watched, the more you noticed little subtle differences, which individually didn't mean much, but put together made a huge difference. Finally at almost six that afternoon, he shut off the DVD, tossed the remote to the table.

"Let's go home. Here is your copy of their defense, here's mine. Go home and study.', he told me.

I did as I was told for the rest of the week, I studied film after practice with Josh, I studied film of other tight ends, what they did. I looked at thousands of pictures of formations, over and over.