Video provides glimpse into Venables' teaching style

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Thu Feb 16 18:03:50 GMT-04:00 2012

CLEMSON – The early returns on new defensive coordinator Brent Venables show that Venables definitely enjoys the teaching aspect of coaching.

In a video released by the school on Thursday that centered on the All In Drills that took place, Venables is shown talking to a group of players about how critical good technique is to playing good defense and how good technique can be the difference in a win and a loss.

“I’m looking for footwork and keeping a base the whole time. I want a plant foot and a drive foot, Venables told his defenders. “When you start going back and you go high, what happens? Then I step over and cross-over and then I’m here. I’ve wasted three steps which is the difference between getting off the field or not on third down. That’s the difference between winning and losing at the end of the day.”

Venables has been using teaching videos to explain not only proper footwork, but eyes as well. In one part of the video he mentions a specific play, but it wasn’t a Clemson play from this past season, it was from the videos he has been using.

However, the play talked about by Venables could very well have been one of several that plagued the Tiger defense in 2011.

“Just like you saw on the one that we were watching on Red Two- the sprint pass,” Venables said. “The safety had bad eyes so he runs up field. The corner is trying to protect him, which he shouldn’t have to. They ran two to the flat and the corner should’ve been sitting all over it. What happened on 2nd-and-seven? It was second and it should have been 3rd-and-seven, but instead it’s 1st and-goal at the one.”

He then drove his point home.

“You get bad eyes or you get bad technique and you’re going to get exposed- not some of the time, but every single time.”

Venables then ended the session by pointing ahead to spring practice, which starts in a few weeks.

“When we start spring ball it will be humbling,” he said. “But it will also be refreshing to say ‘Oh, you mean it’s that easy’ because it is really simple. When we make mistakes, it’s going to be one of those two things. All the stuff that happens before the ball is snapped- alignment and your key- and your technique once the ball is snapped. If something breaks down in there then something bad is going to happen. If those things are clean, then we will dominate.”