Defensive Secondary - Position and Protection
Safety First
The defensive secondary must be able to run, block and bring the offense to the ground in a hurry. That's why they are fast and powerful players. Just because a defensive secondary is a strong player and can weigh over 200 pounds doesn't mean he should wear little padding and protective gear. Padding is necessary for each and every position on the field for protection and safety.
The defensive secondary wears padding on his shoulders, hips, knees and elbows. This padding helps protect him when he makes a big tackle and hits the ground. Today, most of the padding worn by the defensive secondary is made of plastic and foam-rubber so that when they run and make a tackle the padding flexes with their body making it easier to move around and not get injured.
Before removable pads came in the 1940s, players had padding sewn into parts of their uniforms. Padding back then was also made of leather and canvas, and got to be quite heavy and was not as safe as what is used today in the NFL.
Safety in Numbers
Two positions make up the defensive secondary: the cornerbacks and the safeties. The safeties need to be fast runners. They are the last line of defense and need to stop the offense from running. There are two types of safeties on the field: strong safeties and weak safeties.
The strong safety takes position on the same side as the tight end. His job is to cover the tight end and to provide support on runs to their side, come forward to help on inside runs, and even run across the field to block runs. That's a lot of running!
The weak safety is not weak by any means! He takes position in the middle of the field a few yards behind the linebacker. His job is to cover if a blitz is called, come forward to help on inside runs within their zone, or to quickly cross the field to help his teammates out.
Quick Tip
If both safeties are within eight yards of the line of scrimmage, it usually means there is going to be a blitz and they will have to cover a tight end or a running back. See if you notice this next time you're watching a game.
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