douxpaysan
8/31/2006, 12:19 PM
Calm, cool and coordinated
Thursday, August 31, 2006
STEVE IRVINE
News staff writer
visit the UAB football practice field and it's easy to notice the quiet way that defensive coordinator Rick Christophel handles his job.
Now he's not sitting in the middle of a library quiet - after all he is a football coach. And he's found plenty of reasons to raise his voice since UAB began fall camp in early August. But he's more likely to call a player over, drape his arm over his shoulder and explain what the player did wrong. And, as a UAB defender, when you're accustomed to life with former defensive coordinator Wayne Bolt, whose practice field voice was hard to miss, it's a welcome change.
"I think we respond better to Coach Christophel," said UAB senior strong safety Chris Felder. "Mostly what Coach Bolt did was yell. Everybody knows that. Coach Christophel, he'll pull you to the side and talk to you and tell you what you did wrong and correct it."
Senior defensive end Kyle Bissinger laughed when asked to compare the personalities of the past two coordinators.
"Coach Christophel, he's one of those coaches, he doesn't harp on you when you're doing bad and he knows how to get to you when you're doing it wrong," Bissinger said. "Instead of yelling at you he tells you to do it this way and I think it has a better effect on the team as a whole. We're more positive out there instead of everybody being so negative on each other."
UAB head coach Watson Brown decided to make a change at defensive coordinator after last season. Christophel was a comfortable choice considering 23 of his 30 years in coaching have been spent with Brown. He served as defensive coordinator under Brown at Vanderbilt and also for two years at UAB, including 2001 when the Blazers had the nation's top run defense and No. 5 team in overall defense.
Christophel inherited a group that has experience throughout. All four defensive tackles have seen significant time in the past, there are four starter-quality players at defensive end, the linebacker corps stretches at least seven deep without a drop in talent and the secondary is filled with experience. Putting together a scheme for such an experienced group can take two directions, according to Christophel. The first could be filling up the defensive playbook because with maturity generally comes the ability to learn more. The second method is to keeps things simple and let players make plays. Christophel chose the second method.
"I think we've eliminated some things, simplified the way we call some things," Brown said. "We felt like when we critiqued ourselves that we made too many mental mistakes. To me when you run well, you have to put them in situations to go chase the ball down. I can't imagine anybody in our league being any faster than we are but we have to learn to use our speed. You can't use your speed if you're confused."
Cornerback Kevin Sanders said he notices the difference because "it's a lot less coverages just so players won't be out there confused, thinking about the checks or anything."
Middle linebacker Mastaki Smith said he likes the change because "he really lets you play what you see and not have to think as much."
An evidence of the simple approach _ as well as the defensive speed _ came during a drill the Blazers did nearly every day in fall camp. Eleven cones were set up in a line on each sideline about five yards apart. A runner would take the football and run around the end and the object for the defenders was to occupy each of the cones before the runner passed the final cone. It took speed and teamwork to finish the drill and the defense generally was successful.
"What I like about Coach Christophel so much is he's letting us use our athleticism more this year," said defensive end Jermaine McElveen. "He's letting us fly around. Last year was a more read defense. This year we're attacking more. We're trying to establish a new line of scrimmage every play. We're giving licks, we're not taking licks."
The true test of the defense's worth comes over the next 12 weeks and perhaps the toughest test comes on Saturday in Norman. Adrian Peterson is perhaps the nation's best running back and the Sooners have speed throughout on offense. Christophel is anxious to see how his group's speed matches up with the Sooners.
"I think it's going to be interesting. I don't know if we're ready to play but I think it's time to play," Christophel said. "We need to get on the field and see where we are, what we've got to do and how we've got to improve."
E-mail: [email protected]
:pop: We will see
Thursday, August 31, 2006
STEVE IRVINE
News staff writer
visit the UAB football practice field and it's easy to notice the quiet way that defensive coordinator Rick Christophel handles his job.
Now he's not sitting in the middle of a library quiet - after all he is a football coach. And he's found plenty of reasons to raise his voice since UAB began fall camp in early August. But he's more likely to call a player over, drape his arm over his shoulder and explain what the player did wrong. And, as a UAB defender, when you're accustomed to life with former defensive coordinator Wayne Bolt, whose practice field voice was hard to miss, it's a welcome change.
"I think we respond better to Coach Christophel," said UAB senior strong safety Chris Felder. "Mostly what Coach Bolt did was yell. Everybody knows that. Coach Christophel, he'll pull you to the side and talk to you and tell you what you did wrong and correct it."
Senior defensive end Kyle Bissinger laughed when asked to compare the personalities of the past two coordinators.
"Coach Christophel, he's one of those coaches, he doesn't harp on you when you're doing bad and he knows how to get to you when you're doing it wrong," Bissinger said. "Instead of yelling at you he tells you to do it this way and I think it has a better effect on the team as a whole. We're more positive out there instead of everybody being so negative on each other."
UAB head coach Watson Brown decided to make a change at defensive coordinator after last season. Christophel was a comfortable choice considering 23 of his 30 years in coaching have been spent with Brown. He served as defensive coordinator under Brown at Vanderbilt and also for two years at UAB, including 2001 when the Blazers had the nation's top run defense and No. 5 team in overall defense.
Christophel inherited a group that has experience throughout. All four defensive tackles have seen significant time in the past, there are four starter-quality players at defensive end, the linebacker corps stretches at least seven deep without a drop in talent and the secondary is filled with experience. Putting together a scheme for such an experienced group can take two directions, according to Christophel. The first could be filling up the defensive playbook because with maturity generally comes the ability to learn more. The second method is to keeps things simple and let players make plays. Christophel chose the second method.
"I think we've eliminated some things, simplified the way we call some things," Brown said. "We felt like when we critiqued ourselves that we made too many mental mistakes. To me when you run well, you have to put them in situations to go chase the ball down. I can't imagine anybody in our league being any faster than we are but we have to learn to use our speed. You can't use your speed if you're confused."
Cornerback Kevin Sanders said he notices the difference because "it's a lot less coverages just so players won't be out there confused, thinking about the checks or anything."
Middle linebacker Mastaki Smith said he likes the change because "he really lets you play what you see and not have to think as much."
An evidence of the simple approach _ as well as the defensive speed _ came during a drill the Blazers did nearly every day in fall camp. Eleven cones were set up in a line on each sideline about five yards apart. A runner would take the football and run around the end and the object for the defenders was to occupy each of the cones before the runner passed the final cone. It took speed and teamwork to finish the drill and the defense generally was successful.
"What I like about Coach Christophel so much is he's letting us use our athleticism more this year," said defensive end Jermaine McElveen. "He's letting us fly around. Last year was a more read defense. This year we're attacking more. We're trying to establish a new line of scrimmage every play. We're giving licks, we're not taking licks."
The true test of the defense's worth comes over the next 12 weeks and perhaps the toughest test comes on Saturday in Norman. Adrian Peterson is perhaps the nation's best running back and the Sooners have speed throughout on offense. Christophel is anxious to see how his group's speed matches up with the Sooners.
"I think it's going to be interesting. I don't know if we're ready to play but I think it's time to play," Christophel said. "We need to get on the field and see where we are, what we've got to do and how we've got to improve."
E-mail: [email protected]
:pop: We will see