Wut do high school football coaches look for in defensive tackles???

Question

what do they look for???

Answer 1

They usually look for someone who strong, quick in space, and isn't easily moved.

Answer 2

As a high school coach the first thing you look for is intelligence. Are they smart enough to stay at home and read pocket movements. Size and agility would be your next choice in finding your defensive tackle.

Getting back to the part between the ears can they understand the blocking schemes being thrown at them and adjust to them as the game goes on. You can figure this out by asking what they are doing to him on the line. If he answers with a specific on angles and approches you might have a winner.

Be sure you have someone that has a sence of balance because he will be hit from all angles if he lacks lateral movement so he can clog the middle you may have a problem stoping dives and draw plays with him in the middle.

Answer 3

Same as any level. A defensive tackles biggest and most important job is to occupy blockers and clog the running lanes in the middle. It sounds simple and in theory it is but getting the other team to honor you with 2 blockers isnt that easy. You have to be smart, know what gap system your team plays and BE in that gap no matter what. Your coach will be looking for the guys who can maintain gap control, keep blockers from getting to your linebackers and show tremendous fight in the trenches. They are the only guys that work in small space on defense and usually arent asked to cover much ground so they count on you to fight like crazy and get body on the other teams guards and centers. They will also want you to read plays and turn guys toward the strength of your defense (watching for pulling tackles & guards), that is why you will hear words like "gap integrity" from your line coach. You have to stay in your gap or the linebackers have a harder time doing their job. Great guard play forces running games outside where the sideline is like an extra defender, poor gap play makes it so they can run anywhere they want on the field. Tackles and sacks are bonuses, your coach wont care if you never make a tackle or get a sack if you kill the middle with proper positioning.

Answer 4

Several things really.  Since you're asking I assume your coach put you there because you already have the proper body build, so I'll skip that.

They look for people who fire out LOW out of their stance with aggression and explosion.

They look for people with good strength (both upper and lower body) to drive back blockers.

They look for people who use their hands and use them the correct way, also ample tacklers.

Believe it or not, they look for bigger people with athleticism.  It's not just strength, you have to be agile, quick, quickness is more important than speed but speed helps too.

You need to have a good understanding of different pass rushing techniques, and you also need to keep your shoulders square at the line of scrimmage on 1st and 2nd down to hold your gap to stop the run.

They look for intelligence.  I do not know a single coach who doesn't HATE when their DTs penetrate 4 or 5 yard deep on running downs.  They want you to penetrate one or two yards on first down then keep your shoulders square to the line of scrimmage and stay in your gap.  I saw two DTs today in fact when we were watching film of our scrimmage who got yelled at for going 5 yards deep on 1st down and the HB cut through their gap.

Most of all however, they look for unselfishness.  If you play in a 3-4 or 3-5 defense and you're the NT, they don't expect you to shed your block every play.  That screws over a linebacker.  They want you as an NT (or DT also but not as much as NT, as DT you can penetrate much more often) to create h**l on the line of scrimmage so the Center goes back to the huddle/sideline saying he needs help blocking you, this way you eat up blockers to free up linebackers.

On top of all that, you must have a good work ethic no matter what position you play.  Coaches will always start the person who works the hardest at their position because the one who works the hardest is almost always the best.

Answer 5

they look for heart. determination. drive. they look for ppl who arent afraid  2 HIT people and who are RELENTLESS and cause HAVOC for the other team...they want some1 whios rlly quick or really strong and some1 who will NEVER GIVE UP AND KEEPS HITTING AWAY TILL THE WHISTLE BLOWS

Answer 6

If you are big and strong enough for the position. Also they look for skill and technique in that position.