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01The journal

Notes and lessons from J.B..

Latest — September 23, 2026 · 4 min

Cover 3 vs. Cover 4: How to Instantly Tell Them Apart and Attack Each One

If you can't tell Cover 3 from Cover 4 before the snap, you're guessing — and defenses win when offenses guess. Learn two simple pre-snap reads that reveal the coverage and unlock exactly how to attack it.

02What Every Position on the Football Field Is Actually Responsible ForMost beginners watch the ball and miss 90% of the game. Here's a plain-English breakdown of every position's job on any given play — so you can finally see football the way coaches see it.
03The 5 Sprint Drills Every High School Athlete Should Do Before Touching a WeightSpeed is a skill before it's a strength — and if you skip the mechanics, every weight you lift and every plyometric you land gets built on a broken foundation. Here are the five drills I put every athlete through first.
04Heel-to-Toe vs. Ball-of-Foot Sprinting: Which Technique Actually Makes You Faster?Most young athletes are sprinting on their heels without even knowing it — and that one mechanical flaw is quietly costing them speed on every single rep. Here's what elite foot strike actually looks like, and how to start fixing it today.
05How to Build a 40-Yard Dash Training Plan from ScratchMost athletes kill their 40 time before they ever hit the field — by training too hard, too randomly, and without a plan. Here's the week-by-week structure that actually works.
06Run Blocking vs. Pass Blocking: What's the Difference and Why It MattersMost linemen are taught to "block somebody" — but run blocking and pass blocking are fundamentally different skills with opposite mechanics. Here's what separates them, and why conflating the two is quietly killing your offensive line.
07How to Create a Recruiting Profile That Actually Gets College Coaches to RespondMost recruiting profiles get ignored because they look exactly like every other one in a coach's inbox. Here's what to change — and where — so yours gets a response instead of a scroll-past.
08Pre-Game Meals for Athletes: What to Eat (and What to Skip) Before Game DayMost young athletes eat the wrong foods before competing and pay for it by the second half. Here's exactly what to put on your plate, how much, and when — so your energy peaks at kickoff, not crashing before halftime.
09How to Read a Defense Before the Snap (Even If You're New to Football)Pre-snap reads don't have to be overwhelming. Here's a simple, repeatable process any beginner QB or skill player can use to identify coverage and make smarter decisions before the ball ever moves.
10What Is a Cover 2 Defense? A Beginner's Complete BreakdownCover 2 is one of the most common defenses you'll see at every level of football — but most players and parents can't explain how it actually works. Here's exactly how the coverage is built, who owns what piece of the field, and how offenses attack it.
11Zone vs. Man Coverage: What Every Football Player Needs to KnowKnowing whether you're facing zone or man coverage before the snap is one of the most valuable skills a football player can develop. Here's how to read it — and use it against the defense.
12The Biggest Football IQ Mistakes Youth Players Make (And How to Fix Them)Most youth football mistakes aren't about speed or strength — they're mental errors hiding in plain sight. Here's how to identify them and fix them before they become habits.

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