Hard Knocks Blog 2015 Final Episode.

Week 5 – Final Episode.

Just a few notes this week.

It was nice to see how J.J. Watt was encouraging Christian Covington – as well at the technique work Covington was getting from the defensive line coach.

It made no sense why Kourtnei Brown was tired and took himself out of the Dallas game – even if it was just for a few plays.

Bill O’Brien does a nice job when cutting players- he is respectful – yet direct – often explaining exactly why they got cut – like they did not run the pass routes the right way. He gives players something to specifically work on to make the team – or any team in the future.

It was very nice to see Kourtnei Brown get picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It will be very interesting to see how he does under the Buc’s linebacker coach, Hardy Nickerson. Nickerson played linebacker at Cal when I coached swimming at Cal. His son is currently a linebacker for Cal.  Mike Vrabel played defensive end for many years in his career.  I would expect Nickerson really knows the details of the linebacker position – and how to teach intricate details of the position.

Here is part of Hardy Nickerson’s bio on the Buc’s website:

Working with the linebackers in 2014, Nickerson helped Danny Lansanah to a career year. In his first season as the primary starter, Lansanah recorded 79 tackles (third-most on the team) while adding three interceptions, two returned for touchdowns. He is one of only two linebackers in team history to have multiple interceptions for touchdowns in the same season. His two defensive return touchdowns tide for the second-most in the NFL last year, while he his three interceptions were the second-most by a linebacker. Lansanah also became the first player in Buccaneers history to start at all three linebacker positions in the same season.

In addition to working with Lansanah, Nickerson coached Lavonte David, who finished the season with the second-most solo tackles in the NFL (101) and the third-most total tackles (146), while also ranking third in forced fumbles (4) and seventh in tackles for loss (17).

Nickerson could be the right type of coach for Kourtnei Brown. At every level in all sports an athlete may not know the difference between a bad coach, an average coach, a good coach and a great coach. It is not until you are around a great coach that you can really evaluate all the other level of coaches. If all you ever have are bad coaches – then get an average coach – you think the average coach is the greatest coach ever.  All coaches may say similar things but it is the technique work, communication, the ability to teach and inspire athletes that sets great coaches apart from all other coaches.

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