Excellent book - Blood, Sweat and Chalk

[ThreatLevelOrange]

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys studying football strategy. It covers everything from the Wishbone to the Zone Blitz.

One thing that was really cool is how the Wildcat/Zone Read is directly traced back to the Single Wing. And the stuff Auburn is running looks a lot like the Delaware Wing T formation. It's all in this book.

One of the more interesting things was how coaches invented formations and schemes to compensate for their personnel. For instance, Bill Walsh started using the West Coast offense with the Bengals because his QB had a weak arm. And Joe Gibbs started using two TE formations to help block Lawrence Taylor.

One of my favorites! Merry Christmas everyone.

 

[esarmstrong]

Sounds like a very interesting read.

When I first saw it, I viewed the Zone Read (spread option) and the Wildcat as copies of the single wing. Watch old film of UT in the 50's and you'll have to tell yourself that they are not running the Spread Option with Johnny Majors as the QB. In a sense the spread is simply paying ommage to the old single wing.

Harry Truman was right: "the only thing new in the world is the history you haven't read yet".

 

[Freak]

Thanks. Sounds like something I would enjoy reading. I'll have to see if there's a Kindle version.

 

[bamabobo]

That book is a must for anyone who wants to truly understand football and how the game has developed.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

Does it specifically reference the schematic contributions of our very own Dewey Warren?

Dewey "was instrumental in revolutionizing college football under LaVell Edwards at Brigham Young. Edwards, who had spent his career as a defensive coach, became head coach in 1972; he knew that BYU lacked the blue-chip athletes necessary to win consistently with a conventional run-oriented game and so handed the offense to Warren, who had been hired to install a passing attack. Warren's offense turned every running play into a passing play, and overwhelmed defenses with four and five receivers, coming from every possible position in the offense. Although Warren left BYU after only two seasons, his offense, led by quarterback Gary Sheide, was already setting records. BYU continues to use his offense, with further refinements, today" (Dewey Warren - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

 

[ThreatLevelOrange]

Does it specifically reference the schematic contributions of our very own Dewey Warren?

Dewey "was instrumental in revolutionizing college football under LaVell Edwards at Brigham Young. Edwards, who had spent his career as a defensive coach, became head coach in 1972; he knew that BYU lacked the blue-chip athletes necessary to win consistently with a conventional run-oriented game and so handed the offense to Warren, who had been hired to install a passing attack. Warren's offense turned every running play into a passing play, and overwhelmed defenses with four and five receivers, coming from every possible position in the offense. Although Warren left BYU after only two seasons, his offense, led by quarterback Gary Sheide, was already setting records. BYU continues to use his offense, with further refinements, today" (Dewey Warren - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

I can't remember if Dewey Warren was mentioned specifically, but BYUs "Air Raid" attack has a chapter. It extended to Mike Leach at Texas Tech. There are a ton of passing concepts, from Air Coryell to the Run N Shoot.