When I was in my final year (8) of playing professional football (training camp w/ the Washington Redskins) I felt outmatched. I was recovering from a sports hernia from which I was trying to keep under wraps, I just turned 30 (that’s like 60 in ordinary people years) and on top of all that I had multiple surgeries under my belt (both ankles, reconstructed ACL on my left knee and arthroscopic surgery on my right). But the Redskins understood the value of having a veteran who could teach a young group of defensive backs how to “be a professional”. I had to cover a “young” Laverneous Coles (4.2 something 40 yard dash) and much bigger and stronger Rod Gardner (6’2” 220). But what I realized is this….I wasn’t just covering them 1 on 1 all day. I had lineman that were applying pressure to the QB and LB’s that might give me help during crossing patterns and most of the time I had a FS in the middle of the field….This gave me confidence and you must have this as a DB.

So here is the blue print for facing an opponent that is faster, quicker, bigger and stronger than you.