FOOTBALL IN HIGH HEELS: ALL ABOUT THAT (DEFENSIVE) BACK
All week, I have been learning about the offense and defense when it comes to football and then further defining what each side does. In the next portion of this series, I am taking on the defensive back roles.
In my mind, I was picturing something like this, mostly because I figured that if they were in the back, they were the toughest:
Of course, I am wrong, as per usual. It would be hilarious, though, if one of the members of the defense tried to do something like this. Here is a quick breakdown of what they do:
Defensive Backs: They are usually behind the linebackers or near the sidelines. They defend against pass play, cover wide receivers and tight ends and prevent them from catching the ball. They also intercept passes from the quarterback and are the last line of defense on running plays, while also being able to make open field tackles.
Cornerback: No, they are not ones that stand in the corner—NOBODY puts them in the corner!
Their job is to prevent the quarterback passes by swatting the airborne ball away from the receiver or catching it themselves. They also contain runners by tackling them, lead them to be tackled or force them out of bounds.
So they swat and tackle…so the cornerbacks are like my cat in a hyper mood? Maybe I can sign Brody up for football next season.
Safety: No, they are not an officer to keep people safe on the field….although an image of this guy on the field makes me smile:
So what does the safety in football do? They are in the last line of defense that is the farthest from the line of scrimmage. Their job is to help the corners with the deep pass coverage, with the strong safety providing extra protection against run plays. They stay closer to the line of scrimmage and tight end side of the field, whereas the free safety provides help on the long pass plays. These ones are usually smaller and faster.
Nickelback: No, this has nothing to do with the band that was a huge part of my college years.
This is when five defensive backs are in a formation, which is called a nickel and actually is named after the US coin. When a sixth one is added, it is called a dimeback or dime package.
Another interesting fact is that formations use a numerical code indicating the number of players in each position—such as a 3-4 or 4-3 defense. The first number represents the defensive linemen, whereas he second is for the linebackers.
Join us tomorrow to learn more about other football terms. Goodnight!
