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167. Anchored Where Your Feet Are with Ty Detmer
41 Plays5 days ago
A conversational interview hosted by Dustin Smith, alongside Justin Miller, with former NFL quarterback Ty Detmer. The coaches discuss the evolving landscape of youth sports, contrasting the mindset and environments of modern student-athletes with past generations. They dive deep into the impacts of social media, the complexities of the modern college recruiting system, and the timeless importance of football IQ, baseline fundamentals, and mental preparation.
00:32:17 - The Impact of the Smartphone Era on Young Athletes
00:40:01 - The Evolution of Coaching Delivery
00:43:09 - Ty's Recruiting Experience and Navigating the Recruiting Process Today
00:49:59 - Preparation and Taking Advantage of Opportunities
00:55:25 - Embracing Where Your Feet Are in High School
00:58:50 - Developing Your Attributes
01:01:57 - How Offensive Football Continues to Change
01:07:22 - Modern QB Coaching
01:13:57 - Ty's Mentors Throughout His Career
01:18:59 - A Message to Incoming High Schoolers and Parents
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Credits: Hosted by Dustin Smith
Produced by E4A and IMAGINATE STUDIO
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Transcript
Introduction to Empowering Athletes
00:00:01
Speaker
Welcome to the Especially for Athletes podcast, where we explore essential principles that empower athletes to learn life's most valuable lessons through sports.
00:00:16
Speaker
Ty, thanks for joining us. Got a couple of specific questions to you in the in the quarterback world. um You know, i've I've known you for, I can't remember, i don't know, 15 or so years. um You had finished, what what year did you retire from the NFL? 2005 was my last season. Okay.
00:00:38
Speaker
So I guess what I'm curious is of asking is from, i think it was around 2011 or 12 or so that that we kind of met up, started doing you know QB stuff together. But um since that time, since you since you retired, and was it 2007 is when the iPhone was invented, and shortly after that, all the all the social media apps and everything started
Digital Distractions in Modern Sports
00:01:04
Speaker
to come out. And, um you know, this the current group of high school kids that you're coaching down there in Arizona and that I coached up here, you know, their whole life's been with the Internet um and with cell phones and with iPads and iPods and social media. um
00:01:24
Speaker
I know you weren't coaching pre-19. kind of social media or or pre, uh, you know, iPhone days, but, um, what do you think mentally, uh, resiliency, uh, toughness wise, focus wise, what do you not, doesn't have to be, and I'm not trying to direct you in a negative way here. I'm just curious. What's the biggest difference?
00:01:46
Speaker
Is there a difference that you're noticing from, you know, kids 15, 18 years ago versus kids nowadays? Um, you know, I think, uh,
00:01:56
Speaker
Coach Wood and I, we work together. He's our OC here. And, you know, we were just talking yesterday about, you know, kids wanting to kind of drop out and not play football. It's hot. It's hard. It's early mornings.
00:02:11
Speaker
Yeah. you know I think you know you see a little bit just um the drive of kids. some More kids are online school now. They're not really on campus interacting. they They're doing their own thing. They're scrolling reel to reel. They're they're, uh, checking everybody else out and what's everybody else doing. And, and there's other things, you know, that they can be doing that obviously are easier. And, uh, and I think we're, we're kind of getting into that, you know, era of, uh, kids just drifting a little bit and, uh, and not really having something that they're tied to all the time. And so, ah
00:02:52
Speaker
You know, we're talking like, how do we keep kids engaged? How do we keep them from dropping off football? And, and you know, even if they're not going to play much, there's something to be said about being a part of a team and being a part of a group.
00:03:06
Speaker
And, you know, we had a a young man come in the other day that was like, I'm going through some stuff mentally. I'm going through, you know, things at home. I don't know if I want to play. And we're like, look, it's only going to get worse if you don't you like, you know, football can be your release. It can be your out, you know, having, and and not that it's gotta be football, but something that you gotta have, ah a little drive for and, and some work ethic and, and something that keeps you going and keeps you in a routine. You know, you see it all the time. Kids get out of a routine, they drift and they're not, they just kind of do their own thing and and move off. And ah so, you know, it we're, we're in that mode of life a little bit where, you know, we got to keep kids engaged and we got to keep them moving forward and give them some things to work towards.
Commitment and Communication in Today's Teens
00:03:59
Speaker
Yeah. how So I agree 100 percent with that. is And, is is you know, it's not that these kids are are being born different. They're just being you know raised differently. And this isn't just a ah ah a young man in football issue. Right. This is this is girls and and all sports where the distraction And the the ease and comfort of that distraction is so much easier than the distraction of, you know, having going and running and sweating and and doing something hard on a football field. But it's getting easy and easier for kids to just say, i i'll I'll fill it with a part-time job. or And there's nothing wrong with that. It's just the...
00:04:40
Speaker
I think we're like you said, Ty, the commitment to doing something that's difficult is it's hard to find that nowadays if you're not involved in ah in a sport, because it's not like It's not like it was, you know, years and years and years ago where kids had hard jobs. or I mean, even even in a lot of these neighborhoods, kids don't even do a lot of work in their yard anymore. Somebody, they pay a lawn service to come and and do it, right? And so, you know, it's a lot easier to work at So Delicious and, you know, have a drink in your hand all day and just be in the AC. And, you know, i mean, there's a lot more opportunities that way than we ever had for sure. Yeah.
00:05:20
Speaker
or to be or or Or to be an influencer, right? They all want to be social media influencers. yeah And I don't mean to be negative because, you know, I've studied this quite a bit, actually. and And there are some studies that show that kids this age...
00:05:34
Speaker
i you have have some things about them that are that are on the that are positive compared to past generations. They're more tolerant of other people, for example. They're more you know accepting of people and their differences. And that's something that's super valuable right now in a world where it seems like adults are the opposite. We're all kind of picking sides with you know picking and choosing what tribe we want to be part of and who we're going to you know dislike for what reason every day. But you know these kids are a little bit more open to other people and differences and things, but they are more anxious.
00:06:06
Speaker
ah They are more depressed. and They don't move out of the house as early as they used to. They don't go out as much on the weekends as they used to. um And in the one particular book that I reference a lot called iGen, the iGeneration, kids born a around or after 2007 when the iPhone came out, that this doctor believes they they when they graduate, they're doing so having had half as many conversations with other human beings as their parents had when their parents graduated when they were 18 because their communications are electronic. They're not verbal like you know like like we were when we were you know growing up.
00:06:47
Speaker
And so she believes socially that their brains are three years less developed than kids' brains were pre-iPhone and Internet. And so, you know, I when I first read that, I thought, wow, that's I don't know about that. But I think the more I was around that.
00:07:05
Speaker
you know, high school, junior high, high school age, young men in my case, and and young women in in in this program, especially for athletes, but quarterbacks in particular in the football team that I coach that, yeah, I started to see the social difference, um the harder time holding a conversation with somebody or looking somebody in the eyes or or taking criticism without really getting their feelings hurt or feeling like they were being attacked, right? And didn't matter how nicely kind of tiptoed around the critique,
00:07:35
Speaker
It was taken as a is an attack, and then it was run home to mom and dad. and have you How have you navigated it? I'm curious. to you know you You had a dad and who coached you know forever. You coached. Your brother coached. Your nephews coached. i mean The Detmer family is just synonymous with coaching.
00:07:53
Speaker
Yeah. you know, are are you more aware of that stuff now as a coach? And how do you think your dad would have handled this stuff? i mean My dad was a little ahead of his time, you know, he had good it like yeah, I mean, he would have had, well, he coached until about five years ago, you
Coaching the New Generation
00:08:11
Speaker
know, no that's true.
00:08:12
Speaker
And, uh, you know Yeah, you do have to be conscious. so you know Kids now have choices. They have you know options out there. and You still got to have the the right expectations. The delivery's got to be different you know than the old school jump down your throat, you know, that kind of thing. And every kid's different. Some kids can handle it. You know, some some can't. And so, you know, the old saying, oh, I treat all my players the same, you don't. You know, you can't. And ah every kid reacts differently. I mean, I had coached at a little private school in Austin. we had a lineman like –
00:08:50
Speaker
If you didn't kind of get after him, he didn't think you were serious, you know, and but he could handle you getting after him. Another kid, if you got after him, he shot right down, you know. So you kind of had to, if you wanted to get your point across to either one of them, you had to do it different ways. So, you know, that old coaching mantra of treating everybody the same out the window a little bit, you know. I mean, the expectations still have to be the same, but the delivery's got to be a little different. Yeah. Well, and I think, i keep going, but I think the best coaches understand what you're saying. But yeah, keep going.
00:09:24
Speaker
Yeah. um You know, it's just that's that's the day and age we're in. And again, kids have choices. They have school choice here in Arizona. They can go anywhere they want. They they can leave, you know. and And if you're trying to keep your players, you got to, you know, and it's not to say you're not going to get after them, but then you got to kind of put your arm around them and say, hey, you know, you understand what I'm saying, you know, and kind of then talk them through it afterwards if you do kind of lay into them. And, you know, we're we've I think we're just kind of in that, in that model of, you know, we don't, we don't need to just chew kids out and beat them down and beat them down because they got enough going on outside of sports and things like that too, that so half the time we don't know what's going on in their brain. And, uh, you almost have to go into it that that way that, you know, everybody's got something going on behind the scenes and, uh, we don't know what those things are most of the time.
00:10:24
Speaker
Yeah. I think you're exactly right that, that there, and more so, and and that's always been a thing. I'm sure people, even when we were younger, kids were dealing with things. We didn't talk about it like we would now. ah You know, if you had a mental health issue 30 or 40 years ago, it wasn't something you even knew you had or, or that you would even think you had, you wouldn't go, at least I don't remember ever thinking I'd go talk to somebody about that or, or, or hearing much about it. But, um,
00:10:51
Speaker
But I also don't believe, even though we might have been dealing with things back then, I'm sure kids were, um i think that's been magnified in current times by the social media stuff and and just by all the attention that's given to these kids at he's such a young age. When you came out of Texas, i mean, you were you were, I'm sure, well-recognized. People knew who you were in Texas, and obviously at BYU, they knew a little bit about you, but You know, had you come out doing having done what you did in high school, you know, back in the 80s, had that been
00:11:25
Speaker
now I mean, every single school in the country would have known who you had you know who you were and had video of you and seen seeing you on lists and at camps. And I mean, you would have been having people knocking at your door from all over.
00:11:40
Speaker
No chance. I was but one sixty five not going to happen. I tell people that all the time. like yeah I'm glad I was not in that day and age. They had to go out newspaper clippings and an old VHS tape. you know Yeah, exactly. yeah that I would have gone to a camp. They would have looked at me like, who's the kicker showing up? Yeah.
00:12:00
Speaker
and Well, let's talk about
Navigating Recruitment and Success
00:12:02
Speaker
that then. So when you got BYU to pull the plug on you or you or sorry sorry, take a shot on you, not pull the plug, take a shot on you. um What convinced them then to because because it was harder than to find somebody like you. i mean, it was harder to find anybody. Had you been six, four to 20 and it still would have been harder to find you.
00:12:22
Speaker
in in you know in texas and other states recruiting is just wide open now compared to what it was you know 30 or 40 years ago because of the internet and huddle and all of these things so and and i know a little bit about this story already but for those that don't how did you then get byu to to take a shot on you yeah so i mean i kind of recruited myself you know they were just starting to recruit taxes texas a little bit um think David Futrell was a defensive lineman from Texas. So there were a couple, couple kids from Texas there, but, um,
00:12:56
Speaker
you know, they, they really hadn't tapped into that yet. And my, my year was kind of the first year. I know we signed Brian Mitchell from Waco, Dave Henderson from Longview. Um, so we signed a few guys in that class from Texas. Um, but, um, you know, I, I knew I wasn't going to go run the option anywhere. I wasn't, I wasn't a running quarterback. I, you know, like i said, I was six foot one 65 and, and ah You know, Lavelle tells the story. He's like, yeah, you know, I'd heard this the top quarterback from Texas was coming in. I thought here'd come John Elway, you know, 6'2", 220, and walk Herman. He loved telling that story, you know, and it was true. I can only imagine when he saw me, like, I mean, you know, skinny legs and just kind of wiry and and he come in and, you know, he's probably like, oh, boy, what have I gotten myself into? I'm kind of committed to this right now.
00:13:55
Speaker
ah You know, yeah, threw for a lot of yards and and Coach Bassett, Claude Bassett had come down and watched the you know We threw in athletic period, threw like seven-on-seven type of stuff then. even you know we were We were ahead of our time a little bit throwing the ball in high school. So we were throwing it around. I think he saw, you know, okay, he's accurate and gets it out you know good enough, that kind of thing. Now we've got to put some weight on him, that kind of deal. But, ah you know, Lavelle, true to his word, kind of hung in there and –
00:14:28
Speaker
gave me that opportunity. But like I said, I, you know, if it was today's world, it it'd be tough. You know, it wasn't anything special to look at. That's for sure. You know, um, you know, it's, uh, and you know, we're, we're going through it with some of our own kids that are good players and, and, uh, they just, you know, it was like people aren't pulling the trigger on an offer for whatever reason. And, and, uh,
00:14:51
Speaker
you know Kids are frustrated. Parents are frustrated a little. and um you know But for me, it was you know I kind of recruited myself and it it you know kind of played out you know just like I'd hoped as far as getting an opportunity there and Lavelle kind of holding true to that. you So I ended up being in the right situation and kind of guided in the right direction. you know Coach, how do you kind of navigate that a little bit in terms of you being in more in the high school level now and and you were at the college level too, so you can kind of get both sides of it of how do you keep encouraging these kids to go after it and and to try to get recruited where it is a different landscape and and there's so much to navigate of should I be on these different platforms or services that are trying to help me or
00:15:43
Speaker
Should I just kind of go on my own and kind of like you did and what I did really. and And my dad helped me a lot was kind of recruit, get yourself recruited and and kind of use the people around you. What do you kind of have your athletes do and what do you encourage them to do?
00:15:58
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, they gotta, they gotta put work into it. You know, the parents, you gotta be involved. You gotta keep putting yourself out there. And, uh, and then, you and know, as coaches come around, i don't know if you can see our board there, but we had, uh,
00:16:11
Speaker
39 coaches come through this spring, you know, and then so you try to let kids know, look, everybody's path is going to be different. You know, we're not all going to start out D1 and then with the transfer portal and some of those things where guys can kind of move levels. um You just, if they really want to play, there's opportunities out there, whether that's D3 or uh, NAIA D2, you know, there, there's ways to, to continue to play. And that's kind of the message with kids is it may not, you know, we can't force people to give you and an offer, you know, it's not going to happen, but, um, if you really want to play and this is your passion, your your path may not be what you had hoped it was going to be. And so, but,
00:16:56
Speaker
there is a path there, you know, to, to continue to to live that dream if you want to really play football at the next level. So, um, just may not be where, where you'd hoped that you would start, you know, never know where it ends up, but, um,
00:17:11
Speaker
may not be what you hope for starting. So, you know, you just try to encourage them that if if that's their dream, um great, you know, then then make it happen and we'll help you as much as we can and try to put you in front of the right people and and really be realistic in your expectations of what you're looking at, you know, um, opportunity wise. So, um, some guys are blessed with the physical traits that open the door, uh, to be able to go D one, some of those, you know, others, there are so many high school kids that are five, 10, five, 11 that, uh, you know, coaches are looking for six plus and, uh, you know, it's, it's just unfortunate, you know, that's the nature of the business, but there's a way to to get there if you really want to.
Preparation and Opportunity in Sports
00:17:56
Speaker
So,
00:17:57
Speaker
we We talked to Brandon Doman um about this not long ago, and and he talked about when success meets opportunity, we have it or excuse me, when preparation meets opportunity, that you have a chance for success. And and we talked a little bit about what you just said, which is one positive of the landscape now, and at least in college football, is that because of the transfer portal and things, it is harder to get seen by or to be to be you know recruited by the the top schools because the transfer portal is such a popular place to go and find ready to play guys, guys who've already been in college systems.
00:18:37
Speaker
However, because of that and kids bouncing around, there are vacancies at at schools all over the place. If you do a little bit of work, you can probably find some place to go and you may need to walk on or something, but you can get that key word, which is opportunity.
00:18:52
Speaker
And then you have to be prepared because you have to be ready to strike when you get that opportunity. Brandon Doman, his opportunity opportunity came after being a third and fourth string quarterback because a couple guys got hurt in front of him.
00:19:06
Speaker
And then he got his shot, happened to be you know right before the big rivalry game against Utah where he played well. And then a new coach came in. And the new coach came in with an offense that was going to run some zone read stuff and some option and kind of fit his system, his style a little bit better. right And what Gary Croton was doing at BYU. And then they went on and had a big year. right um But the key is to be to be prepared and then be ready to, you know, you got to be ready to strike. So in your case, you know, how do we tell these kids how important things
00:19:40
Speaker
Because some of it is just circumstance. it's it's I remember three years ago, Justin was there. i took Justin and and several other kids that we'd worked with, Ty, that were all college quarterbacks. And we did a workout and some other guys were there. And Fernando Mendoza happened to be there. and there was like four or five other QBs. And he was at Cal at the time.
00:20:01
Speaker
To me, he was just, he was good. Like, I remember thinking, that kid's pretty good. But by no means did I say, holy cow, look at this guy. Like, this guy's going to be, he's going win a Heisman. He's going to be know, top drafted player.
00:20:14
Speaker
NFL guy compared to the other QBs there. I thought, well, these guys are all really close, like really good. And they were, they were really close, but one guy is playing for the Raiders, making crazy money. And the other guys aren't um in your case too. Like you had your opportunity, your circumstance with, with the offense that was being run at BYU. And then when you got your shot, you know, you took advantage of it, but how do you get kids to understand preparing and being patient but also when your time comes you you have to take advantage of it and and unfortunately that's on you like you have to play well it's not it's nobody's fault when you get your chance you gotta strike yeah that's uh i mean that's the the golden rule really i mean you you know you've you've got to prepare you got to
00:21:03
Speaker
prepare as if you're going to be the guy or if you're the starter. you know and And so trying to you know have kids understand that. There's great examples out there. You look at Pavia and his his path. I think he went to a prep school and then to New Mexico State, and then all of a sudden he gets an opportunity of Vandy with a system that fit him.
00:21:25
Speaker
really well. Same with Mendoza. you know He's at Cal. Obviously, did some good things there, but then you fall into the the perfect opportunity at Indiana. you know I look at Kurt Warner with the Rams. you know ah He goes from the barnstormers to, you know all right, I'm going to be the backup and get my feet wet here behind Trent Green. Trent gets hurt.
00:21:48
Speaker
they got all the pieces around him, you know, Marshall Falk and Isaac Bruce and, you know, a great offensive line and Mike Marks, the mad scientist dialing it up. And, ah and, you know, was like, he was ready and that was perfect opportunity. And, and, you know, you, you gotta believe in yourself for when that time comes, but there's so many examples of things that have,
00:22:13
Speaker
Falling that way for guys and they did take advantage of it. So, you know, if you kids are paying attention and you never know what's going to happen, I tell them all the time, there's no crystal ball, you know, like you don't know what what's going to happen here.
00:22:28
Speaker
Keep putting the work in, keep preparing and and your time will come, you know. if it's kind of It's meant to be a little bit, you know um but then you've got to be ready when when it is. and If you're not, sometimes you only get one shot and you're done. you know so Just a lot of great examples out there guys that that have done that. I try to point those out to kids all the time. you know It's amazing.
00:22:55
Speaker
you know, fun kind of watching guys get their shot and make it kind of coming from, from not, not a great opportunity leaving high school, but they, they grinded, you know, they were out there just grinding and working and believing in themselves that, you know, when it, when it happens, I'm going to be, I'm going to be ready.
00:23:17
Speaker
And is it, Justin, I know you have a couple of questions. I'll, I'll ask one or two more here. And then i know you want to fire a couple of way, but, it's It's also important too, right, Ty, that we make sure that these kids know and their parents in some cases need to be, i think, educated more so on this.
Athletic Pressures and Enjoyment
00:23:33
Speaker
And that is that it's it's okay to not,
00:23:38
Speaker
play college football or college basketball or like, and most don't. And, and it, it I don't, I think some of the issues, some of the negative issues that we're facing and and maybe this has been there forever, but I think more so now because of the attention that's given to a kid online, if he gets an offer, he's kind of got that one week where he's all over social media and everyone's telling him great he is that they all want that. And I think the parents want that a little bit. And, and, but yeah, that's,
00:24:06
Speaker
That's not, it's okay to not make it. That doesn't mean you were a failure. It's, so what do you tell coaches and athletes about enjoying where your feet are? Like you're you're on a high school team. It's fun. It's pure. It's supposed to be the best time of your life when in sports is, and is high school. Right. And so how do you get these kids to soak up being part of a high school team and not missing what they're in because their eyes are so focused on what they don't have yet?
00:24:33
Speaker
which is all agree Yeah, it goes back to, you know, the message of controlling what you can control. You know, it's like, you know, RQB here, he's had a great year last year. You know, he's running an 11, 400, the kid's athletic, you know, he's and no offers yet. And everybody that's kind of like, man, he's really throwing it well. He's doing great. Like he looks good. And then they leave without an offer. And you're like, look, man, I don't, I don't know what to tell you. Like, I mean,
00:25:00
Speaker
Yeah. Me, coach Wood over here, played QB at Portland state high level. Uh, you know, it's like, uh, we're, we're vouching for you, but I mean, I don't know what to tell you. Um, you know, you may go on a mission, so that's playing into some of this for a few of the schools. And, but ultimately it's like, man, you know, at some point here, once we get through June, ah you gotta you gotta flip the switch and just go play football and enjoy your senior year enjoy the the time that you have and and then see where what happens you know at the end of it but don't get caught up in who's watching you know as an athlete when you try to do too much you try to to make things happen you try to put a show on for people usually it backfires right you know you you have your worst game because you're trying to play for something else and uh
00:25:54
Speaker
So the message is control what you can control. Enjoy the time you have. It goes so quick, you know, like, man, this is your senior year. This is it. Don't worry about the rest of the stuff. You can't control that. You can't force people to do things. You can't, you know, just play the game, be a leader amongst your teammates, be the guy they want to be around. And, uh,
00:26:16
Speaker
you know, and then see what happens, you know? So it's kind of the message, you know, you to try to share with guys once you get through spring, summer. All right. Now the season's started. Now we're here, you know, like the rest of it will take care of itself as we go, you know, so.
00:26:34
Speaker
like that. Justin, fire a couple of questions. or ah I know you, you sent me ah a list of a couple you wanted to ask Ty. Fire a couple at them. Yeah, I think first one I wanted to ask was, you had kind of mentioned in a couple different ways. I mean, this quarterback that you guys have now, super good athlete, stuff like that for you.
Quarterback Skills and Strategies
00:26:54
Speaker
You mentioned with Coach Edwards, it was more you walked in and it wasn't the physical stuff that set you apart. ah So I mean, everybody has their gifts and their talents that kind of separates them as a quarterback and And whether that is at the high school level or the college or the NFL level, everybody's a little bit different. um What were some of the things that separated you? and And more importantly, when did you figure those out and how did you keep developing them as you went through college and and through the NFL for so long?
00:27:26
Speaker
Yeah, i mean, i I credit my dad a lot because the system we ran, when we dropped back, we actually free-released the backs most of the time. So we were two back, you know, tight ends, two receivers, kind of your typical 21 personnel.
00:27:40
Speaker
But we hot-released the backs. And so I learned to to read hot. I had to check hot both sides because a lot of times you're playing a three down front and double red.
00:27:52
Speaker
you know, the guards were double read on both sides. So if they brought two from any side, you had to throw hop that way. And so you're kind of, You learn quickly. You've got to kind of open that wide vision a little bit and see what's happening one side or the other. You know, if they only brought one, you're okay. So um I learned at an early age, sophomore year, really ah to to understand defenses and pressure and and be able to throw hot that way. Yeah.
00:28:23
Speaker
So, you know, having having that ability going into college where most guys had never probably ever read a hot, you know, it was a handoff, handoff, bootleg, play action, take a shot, you know, ah at at that time. So came in with a great foundation and allowed me to kind of jump ahead of the curve and,
00:28:45
Speaker
be ready for the BYU offense, which had some of that in there. Usually it was more one side reading hot than both. But when you get to empty and some of those things, you're kind of hot both sides at that point if you're if they're bringing two to a side. So that but that was probably the biggest thing, you know, the knowledge of the game and understanding that part of it at an earlier age really gave me a ah springboard for being able to have some success early on in college, know.
00:29:15
Speaker
Very cool. I know, Dustin, I remember, you and I'm sure both of you have talked about it before, but at our qb Elite camps and different workouts and stuff like that, we've talked about kind of the, like we're playing Madden with the R2 button or the right trigger where it kind of zooms out and you can see everything going on. And i think that's kind of what you're talking about of zoom out see everything. And then once you get to your read, it kind of narrows down and then Even more so when you're going to throw it.
00:29:43
Speaker
I mean, we're, we're dialed in on ah a small target trying to hit it. And so I think that, that kind of goes along with what you were saying. That's, that's pretty cool that you learned that at such a young age too. Hey, Justin, I want to ask Ty, kind of a nerdy for the football, you know, anybody that's football a fan or or, or, just fan of offensive football particular question here.
00:30:04
Speaker
You don't see a lot of that two back tight end attached offense anymore. Just like you don't see a lot of the, you know wishbone or, you know, flex option football anymore. Do you see a world and where that stuff will creep back or it is it and I'm just missed it? Or i mean, clearly it was effective for you. Defenses are getting used to seeing a lot of the same stuff, three by one, empty, you know, no huddle. Like, is it time for offenses to kind of go back to some of this because defensive guys aren't used to seeing it?
00:30:34
Speaker
Well, I think, you know, it goes back to the personnel issues, you know, it's like, you know, all these kids grew up in sevens now. And so, you know, to have two tight ends in a program that can actually function. i mean, we jump into some 12, you know, personnel um from time to time. But, you know, you start looking at guys and you're like, man, we don't really have two tight end bodies now. Yeah.
00:30:59
Speaker
you know at times. So it really depends on personnel, especially at the high school level. you know like What do we have to to work with here? you know there might be years where it's got to be 10 because we don't have a tight end type of body or, all right, we're going to be 20 personnel because we got good running backs and we'll get more into that and be able to move one around a little bit.
00:31:20
Speaker
So um I still think, yeah, there's, you know, with defenses and things, you know, I don't know. I've always been a fan of tight ends because, it stretches the gaps. They've got to move. They've got to do something on the edge there with a tight end at times, a sniffer, same type of thing. you know um the The sniffer part of it, I i think that flex tight end ah gives people problems because is he a fullback? Is he a tight end?
00:31:48
Speaker
He can be on the line. If he's on the line, that changes things for the defense. then If he's off the line, i mean there's a lot of different combinations you can do with tight ends. and and A lot of the you know The NFL teams, you know they're utilizing those guys with Kelsey and Kittle and and man the tight end, such a big part of an offense at at the higher levels. that um you know Teams that that are able to use that and have that guy, man it creates such a problem for the defense gap fitting in their fronts and things. so
00:32:23
Speaker
I don't think that's going away. You know, kids are pretty athletic now. we're We're, you know, it's like the old BYU tight ends were really good in the pass game because they're matched up on linebackers all the time. And they heard at the time they were the big run stoppers with the big neck roll and toilet seat around their their neck. Yeah. man, you know like they couldn't cover guys, couldn't cover the backs of the backfield. and and Now, you know obviously, backers are more athletic. They're more nickel type of guys. They're 220 instead of 250.
00:32:54
Speaker
ah They've had to adjust that a little bit, but now of sudden, you get in 12 personnel and you're pounding the ball at people. They're not built for really standing in there and taking on the run all the time. It I still think there's place for that, and that's not going to go away anytime soon if you have those type of guys. So, yeah, I think the two-back stuff, it's the same type of thing. If you're able to motion and shift guys and get matchups on backers and safeties and those kind of things, it's still – you've got to be versatile, I think, a little bit in what you do.
00:33:33
Speaker
um They keep teams their toes. And, you know, anytime you make the defense adjust or have to change what they really want to do you have the advantage, you know.
00:33:45
Speaker
yeah Well, I think you kind of see it in some ways and throughout life, where whether it's socially or in football, where there's kind of this pendulum that swings back and forth. And it started off as a run game. And then you get some really good throwers in there with, I mean, kind of a little bit before you with Dan Marino and some of those guys and then it swings back to the run a little bit and then I mean right now it's super heavy pass and all that stuff but you kind of see it trickle down I think from the NFL the college to high school and it kind of has ah a ripple effect of all right we we will see a little bit more of that like Michigan a couple years ago where they just they have that personnel they just start pounding everybody and nobody can really stop it because they don't have the guys to and so
00:34:34
Speaker
i think i think it goes back to that a little bit. And I think in that, you can relate it to quarterbacks too, Ty, where I think in some ways we've kind of gotten to the extreme on another side of quarterback training and and some of the the drills and and focus that we're doing with quarterbacks and where it's so much off-platform and moving and throwing out, whether it's sidearm or kind of crazy arm slots and stuff like that, where I mean, me and Dustin have talked about it before. It's, I mean, how much of our game or how much of the game that we play is played that way. And i think there's a small percentage of the plays that happen in a game that you need some of that stuff. And so what my question for you is what, what are some of the things that you've seen in quarterback coaching and, and,
00:35:27
Speaker
I mean, whether it's high school or just some of the guys that that you work with, with QB Elite, that we can kind of bring back, almost back to the basics or back to a little bit more of the old school type that that you grew up on. what are What are some of those things that you see?
00:35:43
Speaker
Well, it's kind of, you know, you watch Mendoza, some of the things he's doing with the Raiders, a lot of under center work it it looked like and in highlight clips and things that they're showing. Yeah.
00:35:54
Speaker
you know There's still a need for that for guys. you know You never know when you're going to be in that. you know um There's still a lot of things you can do. Training. I i always go back. you know I had a kid in Texas that I worked with, and he was a big, strong kid, ah rocket arm.
00:36:11
Speaker
um And the first time I had him throw off platform, like he'd just been drilling, drilling and and everything. Feet were always perfect. And I had him like have to move lateral and throw across the body. The ball went the dirt, like 10 yards in front of him. He just, you know, kids don't, they play up playing, they grew up playing video games. They're a lot smarter than we were concept wise. And they're making their own offenses on Madden, you know, and all those things. But Um, the natural play in the front yard gets lost a little bit for some kids. And, uh, and so they're, they're a little bit more stiff. So, you know, you have to incorporate those things into your training because they're not doing it naturally all the time. Uh, I had a kid out there yesterday. I'm like, it was our quarterback. And I'm like, can you punt? He's like, uh, no, like I and never have. And I'm like, you've never like just kicked the ball. You never punted.
00:37:08
Speaker
And he's like, no? How do I drop it? Do I drop it sideways like this? or or and I'm like, oh my gosh, do you not play front yard football? Have you never punted a football? Jeez, you guys are killing me right now. like and so I'm like, here, because we had Oklahoma State here was working out a receiver and they wanted to see him in the return game punting doing a little catch and our punter was not here and and so i'm and i'm like give me the ball and i've just you know so i became the punter i've got only get you about 30 yards but they didn't need a lot you know and i'm like oh my gosh ben how are you gonna quick kick this year like if we want to quick kick one or you know and so i'm teaching him how to drop the ball and and he's he punts one he's like oh
00:37:53
Speaker
yeah, that's not that hard. That's pretty cool. I'm like, seriously, like that's the first time you've ever punted a ball. Well, well, i probably kicked one one time, but I didn't play soccer. I'm like, you don't have to play soccer. I didn't play soccer, but I could punt a ball. Like, yeah my gosh, you know, so, um,
00:38:10
Speaker
so training wise, you have to work some of those off platform throws that, you know, just came natural for a lot of kids that grew up playing, playing in the front yard, you know, and then the playground and, and, uh, you know, you still see some kids that still, you know, it's fun to go by a park and see or recess out here, you know, with the elementary school and the kids are running around playing football. And it's like, okay, they're still getting a little bit of that, you know, but, uh, not enough. So,
00:38:37
Speaker
You know, you got to be careful. Some of these guys, I watch them do training and it's like they're, they're, Jumping up in the air and launching one, okay, it shows us some arm strength.
Mastering Basics in Quarterback Training
00:38:47
Speaker
It shows hip rotation. But, you know, if you're doing that in a game, you're that's a hope and a prayer. You know, like, come on now. ah So some some guys overdo it, I think, and and over overdo the the whole off-platform stuff. There are a lot of throws that come across the body, you know, dropping the elbow down a little bit. There are things like that.
00:39:11
Speaker
But I see some of this stuff that's just made for TV, made for videos. And you're just like, okay, you know, like, what are we really teaching here? You know, come on now.
00:39:22
Speaker
so absolutely ah You got to be careful, you know, because I don't know, me and Dustin have talked a lot. It's like, you have to be able when you drop, set and throw, you have to make that throw 95% of the time. It's got to be accurate.
00:39:36
Speaker
So if you're not training your body to make that throw and it's boring, it's not the fancy cones and everything, but it's that, that throw has to be made 95% of the time, uh, or you can't play, you know, and then the other stuff on the run, 56, you know, if you can hit that 50% of the time where you're having to make a play, now you're 70% passer because it's going to be half of those where you can set your feet and half where you can't. And, uh,
00:40:05
Speaker
but But you have to train yourself to drop, set, throw, and be accurate and be on point. And muscle memory has to kick in at that point. And if you're missing throws when you have that opportunity, yeah at the NFL level, you're not you're not playing very long. These guys work too hard to get guys open. And if you're missing guys, coaches are like, you're done. you know Now, high school level, you might that might be the only guy you have to work with. And you're going to have to take your – you know, 55% completion percentage and be happy with it, you know, but if you really are going to be a quarterback that plays at the next level in college and then the NFL, you, you've got to just do the the same thing over and over and over and over and, and be able to hit those it blindfolded, you know, a lot of times. So.
00:40:56
Speaker
Totally. I mean, I think that's something we had touched on a little bit with Brandon in the past of you just, it's got to be monotonous sometimes and you got to do the same stuff over and over and over and until you're perfect at it essentially. And, and I think that's, that's where we can get lost sometimes is, I mean, you see all this stuff on social media and there's so many drills that you can be doing and stuff. And, and sometimes it's just, no, just,
00:41:22
Speaker
take a three-step drop and throw it off your back foot and make sure you can make that throw over and over and over to a bunch of different routes and that's kind of all you need sometimes and and then you can add any other stuff but it's gonna be like 80 20 80 percent you're just you're you're monotonous you know you're just over and over and over and right left middle you know right left middle and Then the 20% of, all right, you know, we got to be able to to make some plays too. so
00:41:52
Speaker
Yep. Totally. Um, think last question for you that I had was, uh, in your, I mean, you're in the NFL for 14 years, I think, is that right?
Coaching Influences and Innovations
00:42:03
Speaker
I did the math right. So 14 years in the NFL, who were some of the the best examples or or kind of mentors for you in learning the game? um I mean, you talked about your dad early on, who kind of kept that progressing for you. And and I mean, you stayed in the NFL for that long for a reason. and And so I'm sure it was a lot of mental work more than it was physical at some points. Who are some of those guys that kept you going and and taught you lessons and and football specifically that that you ah i mean still carry on through your coaching?
00:42:39
Speaker
Well, you know fortunate to have LaBelle at BYU, but Norm Chow specifically running the offense and and ah gave me a lot of freedom, a lot of input and in system. You know, he, he went one time and and went to Detroit and they were running the run and shoot, brought back some concepts and, and we got on the board. We kind of looked at it. We got on the field during spring ball. We put a few in and if I wasn't comfortable with it, you know, he I had that ability to say, Hey, I don't, I don't really feel good about that. and he would throw it out, you know, and there were a few of them that,
00:43:16
Speaker
yeah, I liked that, you know, and we kept them in. And, uh, so fortunate to him, we had a great relationship, allowed me to have a little bit of say, so, and what I felt good with. And, and, uh, and then you move on Steve Mariucci, great quarterback coach in green Bay with Mike Holmgren there, who would obviously coach Joe Montana, Steve Young, uh, two of the best of to play. Um,
00:43:41
Speaker
And then, you know, you're you're learning through Brett Favre, a young Brett Favre at that time. So ah you're seeing, you know, a lot of his mistakes and and great plays, you know, a little bit of both. And then, you know, I think really...
00:43:57
Speaker
having a chance to back up Steve Young in San Francisco, you saw his preparation. Like that guy didn't leave any stone unturned. He knew every part of it. He knew who was, who was where, who was, he worried about everything. Like who's going to be my left tackle this week. You know, he worried about all the little things that he couldn't even control, but he was in on it, you know? So you really saw his preparation and, and ah you know, had John Gruden in Philadelphia as the OC and,
00:44:25
Speaker
You saw the amount of time he put into scheming and and just grinding, you know, the preparation it took to really be a top coach. um You know, Sean Payton was in our quarterback room, you know, at that time, too. So some great coaches had an opportunity to be around and, you know,
00:44:46
Speaker
You pick up a little bit from everybody, even the guys you're playing with, the do's and the don'ts sometimes. ah and Then ah you know you finish up with Greg Knapp and in Atlanta, and and Marty Morninwig was part of that.
00:45:03
Speaker
Played with Michael Vick. I couldn't do near what Michael Vick could. I mean, we We ran zone read from under center with him. And it wasn't – it was just if if they were in a 4-3 and the backer was tucked, there was nobody on the edge, he had the option to either hand it off to the right or pull it and boot with a naked no pass route, just I'm going to beat the defensive end.
00:45:27
Speaker
bo out the backside I call it zone read from under center, but we weren't reading the end. He just looked over there. If there was nobody on the edge, I'm pulling and I'm running because I'm going outrun the end every time. And, you know, you you look back and you're like, man, if that guy played in today's world of actually staring at the end and he's got to make a decision.
00:45:49
Speaker
That guy would have been unbelievable. and He was in college anyway, but it was drop back and then run. If if they'd have had you know some of the stuff they have now, i don't know how you stop that guy in today's world. You told me too about Mike.
00:46:05
Speaker
He was 10 years behind being like probably the best college football player to ever play the game you know in in the systems that we have now. He had the arm to back it up too, didn't he, Ty? He did. He could zip it. I mean, you his rotations on the ball were just like, you know, kind of just one of those guys that like, again, how do you stop him with RPO, zone read, oh and then being able to just a laser down the field, you know. Like, I honestly feel like in today's game with with those options and things and the QB run, QB power and some of those things,
00:46:43
Speaker
he He probably would be mentioned as one of the greatest college quarterbacks to play the game, you know, just because it's set up for the his style right now. and And, you know, he had the arm to beat you throwing it too.
00:46:57
Speaker
Yeah.
Supporting Young Athletes
00:46:59
Speaker
Well, Ty, we'll let you go. i I'm going to ask you one question. you don't have to answer, you know, give a long answer or anything. Just, you know, first thing that comes to your mind. I'm sure you've had this at parent meetings and different things over the years with parents and conversations with kids you coach down there in Arizona. But, you know, you have an incoming, you know, 15-year-old football player and ah ah a mom or a dad that want to see them play and and hopefully get a chance to you know play on. we'll we'll We'll assume this parent's reasonable and they're not crazy about, you know, the college the college football world. And what do you tell that person is is, what's the best way for that young man to enjoy being part of a team?
00:47:44
Speaker
And what's the best way for the parents to enjoy that experience and not get too, you know, off track with all this other stuff? Yeah, I think, um you know, the biggest thing is to come in and be a part of the program. And, you know, your son is going to be treated right. You know, it goes both ways. You know, you we always value communication. If there's something going on or or any questions, always come.
00:48:11
Speaker
But, you know, our goal is to give them the best high school experience they can have in the right way, you know, and do it the right way. And, know, And so, you know, anything above that is gravy. You know, that's the icing on the cake is to be able to play at the next level. And and there will be those opportunities like we talked about earlier. There's different levels and different opportunities.
00:48:34
Speaker
Part of will depend on... You know, size and and speed and some of those things, some of it it will depend on the the work he puts in. And so, you know, biggest thing is come in and and just dive right in, be a part of the program and and work. and And then, you know, You know, we'll see where where things pan out as they turn 17, 18, you know, down the road. So, um you know, again, no crystal ball. ah We don't know what's going to happen, and how they're going to grow, if they're you know, where they're going to end up. But we're going to try to help them have the best experience they can have playing high school football.
00:49:13
Speaker
Awesome. Well, Ty, Josh, thanks for
Podcast Summary and Organization Info
00:49:16
Speaker
hopping on. think we've got a lot of good stuff covered. Ty, good luck this year and go get them, brother. Appreciate it. You might have time to come catch a game one time down here. I will now. Yeah, I will. I wanted to. i will have time and and get down to the ball. Yeah, okay. Yeah. Hey, put me up in the booth, coach. Let me ah put me to work.
00:49:38
Speaker
We will well do. I'd have hard time being there and not having something to do. Even just let me be the water boy or something. but And this up here we'll see you up here in Utah next month.
00:49:49
Speaker
few weeks, yep. Take it care, Ty. Appreciate it. Thank you for joining the Especially for Athletes podcast. To learn more about Especially for Athletes organization, get a copy of our book, The Sportlight, or to bring our program to your team, school, business, or organization, visit us at especiallyforathletes.org.