Colorado State University Athletics
Safeties Get Architect's View of Defense
3/12/2020 5:00:00 PM | Football
Heater's teachings lead to big-picture view
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – In the process of having a new defensive scheme installed, the players want as much information as they can as soon as it can be delivered.
Colorado State's safeties feel like they're first in line with the information distribution, with the blueprints sitting in their meeting room. The master architect and defensive coordinator, Chuck Heater, happens to be their position coach.
"I mean, the overall part of it. The safeties in particular are so involved in all of it, our run-fit game, they're part of the pass game, so they're the most involved player that you have on the field," Heater said. "I think it probably does have some benefit just as you present it to them as to why you're doing what you're doing. So much of what we're doing is really key to how they get lined up and go about their business, they're like the starting point, the tip of the spear in terms of how we go about their business."
At one point, it was possible Heater would serve as a coordinator without a specific position, but the hiring process didn't play out that way. Heater himself is happy with how the staff is constructed. While he's sure he could find some benefit to being able to freely roam throughout defensive drills, he's not sure where he'd find it. Instead, a man who has always taken a viewpoint of a defense from the back forward – how the eyes of a safety would see things unfold – is happy to teach the backend his vision.
In defensive meetings, it's how it plays out, and junior safety Quinn Brinnon feels the order is helping him break down the big picture much quicker.
"It is more beneficial. He tells us what we're doing first, and then we can see what everyone else is doing so we can listen and learn the process of the whole defense," he said. "It's definitely the nice part. You know everything, because he's the defensive coordinator and he knows everything that's going down. It's beneficial that he explains every little detail to us, and he tells us every little singe detail that can make us do better, especially if this play happens, if this stunt happens."
Now imagine you are a true freshman, one who graduated early from high school. A few months ago, Henry Blackburn was participating in Colorado's state playoffs, and now he's trying to weave his way through a college defense.
Getting a designers instruction on how it all works, Blackburn feels he's able to catch on that much quicker as he's also coming to grips with the complexity of the college game and the speed in which it is played.
"It gives me a great insight on just the whole schematic side of things, and just learning how to be in a college defense," he said. "It's a big change schematically mostly going from high school to college and the speed of things. It's nice having Coach Heater to help me through that and help me learn everything while I'm here early."
Heater made it clear early to his safeties they play a critical role in how the defense performs, a message they all took to heart.
Critical, because they are a vital part of the communication process. They are key to how the defense lines up, because he said they don't do a lot of post-check changes by design. As more and more of the system has been taught, he said the retention level of the defense as a whole has been impressive, and he's particularly happy with his guys. He also quick to say he felt he was put in a good position with the players he inherited. In practice, Heater hasn't had to backtrack much at all, allowing them to constantly move forward.
"There's a lot of similarities, but a little different," he said about the defensive teachings. "They're picking it up well. I can tell when they do certain things they've been coached well, because they have retention, so they have carry over to us. There's a foundation here to build on."
Brinnon feels he's really getting an insider's look as he listens to Heater in safety meetings. He knows they're being taught how the whole package interlinks, so he's getting lessons which extend beyond what he needs to know to be successful.
Blackburn agrees. Being told how each piece interacts and depends upon the other is like mixing basic and advanced courses in the same setting, and both players agree that can only help them grow. Heater sees his defenses from the back forward, so it's only natural he teaches his room from that vantage point.
"I think the more you know other people's positions, the faster you can play," Blackburn said. "Knowing the whole defense is super beneficial and not just knowing what you have to do. You know what your teammates are doing and you can trust what they're doing so you can do your job. We're the safeties, so we see everything. We need to know where the linebackers are, where the D-linemen are, where the corners are. It's really beneficial having Coach Heater there to help us out with that."
Colorado State's safeties feel like they're first in line with the information distribution, with the blueprints sitting in their meeting room. The master architect and defensive coordinator, Chuck Heater, happens to be their position coach.
"I mean, the overall part of it. The safeties in particular are so involved in all of it, our run-fit game, they're part of the pass game, so they're the most involved player that you have on the field," Heater said. "I think it probably does have some benefit just as you present it to them as to why you're doing what you're doing. So much of what we're doing is really key to how they get lined up and go about their business, they're like the starting point, the tip of the spear in terms of how we go about their business."
At one point, it was possible Heater would serve as a coordinator without a specific position, but the hiring process didn't play out that way. Heater himself is happy with how the staff is constructed. While he's sure he could find some benefit to being able to freely roam throughout defensive drills, he's not sure where he'd find it. Instead, a man who has always taken a viewpoint of a defense from the back forward – how the eyes of a safety would see things unfold – is happy to teach the backend his vision.
In defensive meetings, it's how it plays out, and junior safety Quinn Brinnon feels the order is helping him break down the big picture much quicker.
"It is more beneficial. He tells us what we're doing first, and then we can see what everyone else is doing so we can listen and learn the process of the whole defense," he said. "It's definitely the nice part. You know everything, because he's the defensive coordinator and he knows everything that's going down. It's beneficial that he explains every little detail to us, and he tells us every little singe detail that can make us do better, especially if this play happens, if this stunt happens."
Now imagine you are a true freshman, one who graduated early from high school. A few months ago, Henry Blackburn was participating in Colorado's state playoffs, and now he's trying to weave his way through a college defense.
Getting a designers instruction on how it all works, Blackburn feels he's able to catch on that much quicker as he's also coming to grips with the complexity of the college game and the speed in which it is played.
"It gives me a great insight on just the whole schematic side of things, and just learning how to be in a college defense," he said. "It's a big change schematically mostly going from high school to college and the speed of things. It's nice having Coach Heater to help me through that and help me learn everything while I'm here early."
Heater made it clear early to his safeties they play a critical role in how the defense performs, a message they all took to heart.
Critical, because they are a vital part of the communication process. They are key to how the defense lines up, because he said they don't do a lot of post-check changes by design. As more and more of the system has been taught, he said the retention level of the defense as a whole has been impressive, and he's particularly happy with his guys. He also quick to say he felt he was put in a good position with the players he inherited. In practice, Heater hasn't had to backtrack much at all, allowing them to constantly move forward.
"There's a lot of similarities, but a little different," he said about the defensive teachings. "They're picking it up well. I can tell when they do certain things they've been coached well, because they have retention, so they have carry over to us. There's a foundation here to build on."
Brinnon feels he's really getting an insider's look as he listens to Heater in safety meetings. He knows they're being taught how the whole package interlinks, so he's getting lessons which extend beyond what he needs to know to be successful.
Blackburn agrees. Being told how each piece interacts and depends upon the other is like mixing basic and advanced courses in the same setting, and both players agree that can only help them grow. Heater sees his defenses from the back forward, so it's only natural he teaches his room from that vantage point.
"I think the more you know other people's positions, the faster you can play," Blackburn said. "Knowing the whole defense is super beneficial and not just knowing what you have to do. You know what your teammates are doing and you can trust what they're doing so you can do your job. We're the safeties, so we see everything. We need to know where the linebackers are, where the D-linemen are, where the corners are. It's really beneficial having Coach Heater there to help us out with that."
Players Mentioned
DB
/ Football
DB
/ FootballThursday, May 14
Monday, May 11
Friday, May 08
Tuesday, April 28