Within the rules, what can a DB vs WR do

[Dan Thompson]

on the line of scrimmage?

Can he lay the guy out flat?

Can he block the WR's down field progress?

[Ardmore_Sooner]

In the pros you can bump and push the WR until he is five yards past the line of scrimmage.

[Doged]

In continuing Ardmore's answer, the db can use any legal block within 5 yds of the line. He can't hold, but if the receiver falls/is knocked down by the block that's not illegal.

[Dan Thompson]

So OU could take out Crabtree at the line of scrimage with a big hit from Lofton.

[Blitzkrieg]

The problem is you'd whiff and the guy would be gone to the house in about 6 seconds. There's quite the little sparring match going on when you play bump and run, and the WR is looking for the fastest way around the DB.

Ever wonder why NFl teams don't put RBs up on the line of scrimmage as a WR like they do in college? An NFL corner would tie the RB into a pretzel in those 5 yards, but in college, with the type of defgense being played today, everyone drops back into a cover 2 or 4 and keeps everything in front of them. It's no wonder yardage numbers continue to go up in large chunks every year.

[cheezyq]

It varies by which teams are playing. ;)