BRIAN BORLAND
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR &
DEFENSIVE BACKS COACH
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-WHITEWATER
EMAIL: borlandb@uww.edu phone: (262) 472-1058
 Distance
from receiver can vary – generally
crowd the LOS
 Feet parallel to slightly staggered with feet
basically shoulder width apart
 On balls of feet with bent knees, flatten
down chest angle toward parallel with
ground, arms/hands slightly extended and
ready with thumbs up
 Alignment on receiver can vary between
head up or slight shades based on available
“help”
 PRE-SNAP:
1. ball 2. receiver
 POST-SNAP:
1. receiver 2. (to ball)
On the snap, total focus goes to receivers
hips/midsection
 Activate feet and “soften” slightly using a quick
foot motor movement (lose ground from
receiver)
 Keep DB’s square shoulders on the receivers
square shoulders as long as possible (don’t side
step, turn shoulders, and “open the gate” for
the receiver to run by)
 DB mirrors the receivers hip movement as
softening, trying to stay in front of & inside the
receivers framework for as long as possible

 Be
patient! The goal of press coverage is
route disruption while playing close
coverage…not necessarily route elimination
 The DB should play first with his feet and
eyes, then with the hands last (don’t over
commit to jam too fast or lose
balance/control position by becoming
overextended in an attempt to make
aggressive premature contact)
 “2 hands = no feet”!
 As
the receiver gains ground and declares a
direction of release (WR hips open beyond 45
degrees or he moves outside the framework
of the DB’s body), the DB should open his
hips at a 45 degree angle and begin to
shuffle, getting ready to run with the
receiver
 At this time, use an opposite arm jam on the
receiver to disrupt (arm opposite of receiver
release, palm of hand to near number, lock
out elbow with thumb up)
 As
a general rule, the DB should attempt to
stay on the “high side” (downfield) of the
receiver as the route progresses. “put the
receiver in your back pocket”. Game
situation/field position may dictate
otherwise at times (goal line, etc…)
 While
transitioning to cover downfield “eye
the hip/thigh” of the receiver for his
breakpoints (hip level changing, stride
length changing, arms/hands lowering, etc…)
 Beyond 15 yards downfield on a vertical
release shift key focus to the receivers eyes
for ball arrival
 When “in phase” with the receiver and
confident the route has fully developed, it’s
OK to “sneak a peek” for the ball or see
through the receiver to the ball

a.
b.




Expect double moves – “play the receivers 2nd step”,
“think opposite direction of the WR foot that sticks hard in
the ground”
Counter punch (explained later)
Whip turn (explained later)
If receiver avoids DB to the inside – think curl/post
routes
If receiver avoids DB to outside – think out/fade routes
If receiver tries to run through the DB – think “pressure
in or out” after about 1 second of pressure (using 2nd
hand to jam OK here)
Vs. back shoulder fade - ?? As perceive receiver slowing
down and his near shoulder pivoting toward sideline – DB
throws outside hand/arm at receivers back shoulder
 MIRROR
a.
b.
c.
SOFTEN:
At a controlled tempo, receiver weaves
back and forth as he moves up field
DB “softens” and stays square to the
receiver and stays inside the receivers
framework as they work up the field
DB – don’t use the hands during this drill!
MIRROR SOFTEN
DB
WR
 MIRROR
a.
b.
JAM
Receiver stutter moves one direction, then
redirects the other direction and heads
vertically up field
DB ‘softens” and stays square on the 1st
stutter, then once the receiver redirects
and gets outside his framework on the
redirect, the DB uses an opposite arm jam
and moves up field with the receiver
maintaining the proper “in phase” position
MIRROR JAM
IN PHASE
OPPOSITE ARM JAM
MIRROR SOFTEN
DB
WR
 COUNTER
a.
b.
c.
PUNCH
Receiver angles up field one direction until
the DB executes a jam, then the receiver
redirects up field the other direction
DB “softens” and throws an opposite arm
jam as the receiver gets outside his
framework moving in the first direction
As the receiver redirects, the DB must
redirect also – plant, pivot, and shoot the
opposite arm jam to the receiver as he gets
“in phase” once again heading up field
COUNTER PUNCH
IN PHASE
JAM #2
JAM #1
MIRROR
SOFTEN
DB
WR
WHIP TURN
a. Receiver angles up field until he see’s the DB
attempt to throw a jam, then immediately
redirects up field the other direction
b.
DB “softens” and attempts to throw the initial
jam toward the receiver. The DB should
intentionally try to be early/overanxious on
the first jam (miss the jam)
c. The receiver will beat the DB clean in the
other direction. The DB must execute a “whip
turn” technique (plant, throw near elbow
back, turn his back to receiver for an instant,
whip head/eyes back to the receiver), and get
back “in phase” immediately heading up field

WHIP TURN
IN PHASE
WHIP TURN
MIRROR
DB
WR
MISS JAM
 BEST
POSSIBLE RELEASE: DB applies press
technique on scout receiver. Receiver must
stay within a 5 yard area and works from
sideline through the top of the #’s
1
ON 1 drill vs. actual QB/WR’S

a.
b.
c.
d.
FADE - NO LOOK
Simulating the DB being in an “out of
phase”/disadvantaged position on the receiver as
the ball is thrown down field
DB must catch up and play the ball out of the
receivers hands as it arrives – don’t look for the ball
in the air
Clue into the receivers head turn, eyes tracking the
ball, and finally his arms/hands extending for ball
arrival
DB should attempt to punch up through the
receivers hands with his inside arm to dislodge the
ball while securing a potential tackle with the
outside arm, as opposed to the stripping down
motion or reaching with the outside arm for the
ball
FADE NO LOOK
#
15 YARDS
BALL
#
#
BALL
#
QB
WR
DB
WEDGE DRILL
a. Simulating the DB being in a dominate/ “in
phase” position on a downfield route thrown
outside the #’s (fade route)
b. DB will “zone turn” on time and look up for the
ball in the air while using his body position to
“wedge”/squeeze the receiver toward the
sideline as he maintains contact
c. DB should become the “receiver” and attack
the ball at the its nearest and highest point.
d. It’s important the DB maintains speed as he
turns (“step on the gas”), as well as continue
to keep his wedge on through out the play
(don’t drift toward the inside)

WEDGE
#
15 YARDS
BALL
#
WEDGE
#
BALL
ZONE TURN
#
QB
DB
WR
DOWNFIELD SHOULDER DRILL (both pass knock
down and interception aspects)
a. DB backpedals away from QB, on the look of
the QB the receiver begins to run laterally
b. DB changes direction and heads toward
intersection point with receiver paying special
attention to maintain aim toward the most
downfield shoulder of receiver (don’t initially
aim between the receiver and QB)
c. As DB closes to an “in phase” position at the
receiver’s downfield shoulder, he sneaks a peak
to the QB for thrown ball

d. Once DB realizes he can make a play on the
ball he will adjust his angle and come in front of
the receiver toward the thrown ball
e. One aspect of the drill is to work on batting
the ball down – reach out and “bunt the ball”
with the near arm while securing tackle with
the arm furthest away (don’t “swing” at it –
harder to hit a moving target with another
moving piece)
f.
An additional aspect is to go through same
procedure as previously described except make
the interception instead of the knockdown
DOWN FIELD SHOULDER
#
#
1. START W/ BP
15 YARDS
2. BREAK ON QB LOOK
DB
#
2. GO ON QB LOOK WR
#
QB
BALL