Drills Report: The Down Block

If you are a tackle or tight end and you can down block, then you will play. We have reminded our players of this for the last twenty years. The down block is the most important block in our offense.There are four phases to the proper execution of the down block. The first phase is footwork. To be a good down blocker you have to bring your feet to the block. The first drill that we do every day is “One-Step Bird Dog.”FOOTWORKStart all offensive linemen in a stance with their heels on a line. On command, they will take their first step and hold their position. This step should change their foot placement from toes pointed to the goal line to the sideline. Their inside foot should now be on the line. If their foot is past the line or in front of the line, their first step is incorrect (Diagram 1).The next footwork drill is a two-step bird dog drill. The first two steps are a skate