Keep Your Pads Down!

Episode 59 is an absolute gem as we welcome Coach Ruffin McNeill onto the podcast. Coach McNeill most recently coached outside linebackers in 2019 and is currently taking some time off to take care of his father, but his fire and passion for the game of football burns hotter than ever. We talk about Coach McNeill's rise through the coaching ranks and the lessons he learned along the way, plus we talk about Coach's favorite every day drills, the importance of pursuit drill, and his coaching philosophy that he's honed over the years as a coach.

In episode 58 we are excited to bring the focus back to Texas high school football and talk DLine play with Bridgeland High School Defensive Line Coach Matthew Valmore. Coach Valmore is a recipient of the Houston Texans High School Coach of the Year award, a former coordinator and standout defensive lineman at Texas Southern. Coach was a two time team captain for the Tigers and received all SWAC honors as a senior. Today, Coach Valmore and I talk about his experiences of coaching football in inner-city Houston at Furr High School and his current position at Bridgeland, a new school in the Cypress area of Houston. We also get into talking how the Bears work to defend the run and go through Coach Valmore's coaching progression for defending the run game and how they break down their opponents during the week.

University of Texas Defensive Ends Coach Oscar Giles joins us today to talk about his journey from a tiny coastal Texas town to the 40 acres, highlights from his illustrious coaching career and some of the outstanding players he's had a chance to coach and the elite coaches he's been able to work with along the way.  We also talk about the Longhorn's new defense under first year Defensive Coordinator Chris Ash, and then we get into Coach Giles' pass rush progression and how he's handling the quarantine with his players.

Fore Episode 56 we are honored to be joined by Coach Marco Regalado whose viral parody videos have taken social media by storm during the national quarantine and provided coaches and football fans alike with a much needed laugh. Coach Taylor and Coach Regalado talk about the inspiration behind those videos and then discuss topics familiar to coaches like, "The coaches you see at coaching clinics, "Coaching sub-varsity football," "Riding the yellow dog," "Old coaches vs. Young Coaches," and "Coaches in the classroom." We are sure you'll be able to relate to our conversation today, so kick back, relax, and enjoy! Oh, and KEEP YOUR PADS DOWN!

Indiana Defensive Line Coach Kevin Peoples joins us in episode #55 to discuss things he's learned in 27 years of coaching football, including his greatest influences in Coach Bob Petrino, Willie Fritz, and Pete Jenkins. Coach Peoples shares his coaching progressions for playing the run and rushing the passer, including some of his favorite "Every Day Drills" and the importance of coaching up the fundamentals and details of defensive line play.

Baylor Special Teams Coordinator and Safeties Coach Matt Powledge joins Coach Taylor and guest host Coach Jonathan Darby to discuss his rise from walk on to all conference and team captain at Sam Houston State and his rise up through the coaching ranks. We then talk about Baylor's defense under the direction of new Head Coach Dave Aranda and Defensive Coordinator Ron Roberts, including the Bears' simulated pressure packages. We then dive into safety play and talk about how Coach Powledge coaches up his guys in Baylor's three safety look and talk a little special teams to close out the episode.

This week, Coach Robert Irwin and talk with Dodge City Community College Head Coach Ricky Coon. Coach Coon talks about his coaching journey which includes stops at every level of college football, culminating with his current position at Dodge City. A longtime believer in the 4-2-5 defense, Coach Coon and the Conquistadors now employ a 3-4 scheme with a heavy dose of Bear and Tite fronts. Coach Coon talks about why he loves the 3-4 over the 4-2-5 and breaks down his fronts and fits with both the defensive line and linebackers. We then talk to Coach Coon about the challenges of being a head coach in the wake of a national pandemic and what he and his staff are doing during this time away from their team.

I wrap up my conversation with my brothers, Grant and Garrett, by talking about the specific lessons they learned from football and how those lessons apply to them as professionals, parents, husbands, and men. Grant and Garrett also give a message of encouragement to coaches today, we all talk about the things we DON'T miss from playing football, and finally we get into some of the guy's funniest memories from their days as players.

In this special two-part episode, I am joined by my brothers, Grant and Garrett, to talk about the impact that football had on their lives as young men and now as adults. We talk about their days as offensive linemen in high school and college, the coaches who impacted them, and how that impact has continued on into their professional and personal lives today.

Del City Defensive Line Coach Tyler Caid joins KYPD to talk about Del City's defensive front and the Eagles' "Push and Slip" technique that they have employed with their interior linemen to help combat the run game. We also discuss how Coach Caid teaches pass rush with his two technique interior linemen and what he feels is an under coached aspect of pass rush. Coach Caid is a former Graduate Assistant at Oklahoma University and Central Oklahoma, college position coach, and head coach and has a wide array of experiences when it comes to coaching football that he shares with us today, including things he leaned from Bob Stoops, Brent Venables, Adam Gaylor, and more.