With practices ramping up and football camps popping off around the world, I’m noticing something… A lot of players are struggling to adjust to the speed of the game and react to different blocks in real time. It’s easy to win when you know what’s coming…. It’s harder when you’ve got one second to diagnose and react. That’s where these two drills come in. 👇 1️⃣ Partner Drill: Block Reaction Drill 👉 Purpose: Train your brain and body to instantly recognize and respond to multiple blocks without freezing. Setup: - Grab a partner (they’re the O-lineman). - Start slow, then build up speed. Blocks to Rep: 🔹 Base Block: Partner steps down at you → Inside hand to sternum, outside hand to bicep, first step in. 🔹 Down Block Away: Partner steps away → Attack their hip and react according to your system. 🔹 Reach Block: Partner tries to reach you → Fight the upfield shoulder with vertical pressure and step-gather. 🔹 Pass Set: Partner steps back → React with a pass rush move and reset. Key: Once you’ve got each block down, get them to mix it up so you can’t guess. 2️⃣ 1-Gap Hand Reaction Drill 👉 Purpose: Sharpen your hand placement accuracy so you stop throwing random hands and start striking with precision. Setup: - Partner holds two tennis balls. - You’re in your stance, ready to strike. How It Works: 🔹 Partner tosses both tennis balls. 🔹 Step with your inside foot and catch them using proper hand placement: Inside hand → Sternum punch. Outside hand → Bicep strike 🔹 Reset and repeat for reps. Goal: Get full arm extension on contact while locking into your gap. 💬 Your Turn: Who’s going to try these this week? Drop a comment when you do and tell me which one was harder for you.

(Start every practice with focus and tempo) This plan sets the tone. Fast, technical, and game-relevant. No wasted movement. Just real D-line development. 1️⃣ Stance & Get-Offs 3–5 reps each side Focus: urgent first step, clean shin angles, violent off the ball Your first step decides the rep — make it count. 2️⃣ Strike + Run Your Feet Partner or bag drill Focus: Sternum & Bicep hand placement, foot drive through contact Don’t just hit. Dominate. 3️⃣ Peek & Shed Drill Focus: extension, gap control, shedding with purpose Peek only after you’ve earned knockback. Control before you chase. 4️⃣ Reach & Gather Steps React to reach blocks Focus: fight through the upfield shoulder, vertical steps, no crossover Stay square, stay balanced. 5️⃣ Core Pass Rush Move Circuit 3 reps each: Double Swipe, Cross Chop, Bull Rush Focus: speed, precision, clean transitions Fast hands. Step through. Finish through the line. 🤩 This 10-minute sequence builds real habits. It’s perfect for high school, college, or off-season training blocks. 👇 Comment below if you want more Indy plans or have a specific focus you want covered next. — Coach Dheilly

Does left/right foot back really matter? For either left or right side of the ball. For me I prefer a 4 or 3 point with my right foot back anywhere on the line. I know some coaches say “if the ball is on your left, keep your left foot back, if ball is on the right, keep your right foot back” but doesn’t it come down to your assignment, comfortability, and confidence in your stance? Let’s discuss

Had a cool experience today that I wanted to share with you guys. The high school team that Im coaching at was invited to New England Patriots training camp today as VIP guests. Our head coach is former New England Patriots all pro center Dan Koppen who won 2 superbowls with the Pats. His former teammate & friend is Pats head coach Mike Vrabel. After practice they invited us on the practice field & Vrabel was nice enough to say a few words to the team. I feel very fortunate to have had this cool experience today. The kids & coaches had a great time that Im sure this will impact the players in a positive way. I'll attach a link to the X story & the video if you want to check it out. https://x.com/RealianSteele6/status/1949878109664055631?s=19

👉 I’m starting to build full practice plans & workouts that you guys can follow this summer — just like you would in the gym: ✅ Drills ✅ Sets ✅ Reps ✅ Video demos ✅ Step-by-step coaching You’ll be able to pick any workout, take it out to the field, and get to work — no guessing how many reps or how long to drill it for. Just grab it and go. BUT — before I start dropping these, I want YOUR input. 🗣️ What do YOU want these practice plans focused on? 👉 Pass rush? 👉 Run game? 👉 1-gap? 2-gap? 👉 Cross chop? Double swipe? Bull rush? 👉 Beating reach blocks? Beating passive O-linemen? 👉 Full workouts you can do solo or with a friend ? Coaches & players — drop your answers in the comments so I can build exactly what you need. This is your community. I’m building it for YOU. Let’s work! 🔥 — Coach Dheilly