Special Teams Units Gain a Primary Focus

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Having one source for information as a player is enlightening. And simpler, too, when it comes to the learning process.

"It's better having just one guy. It's one person, and you get a definitive answer vs. an opinion from one person or another," Tywan Francis said. "You get one precise answer and it's clearing it up for you."

Tommy Perry is that man. If a player wants to know about punt coverage, they'll go to Perry. Same for kickoff coverage, or kick team or punt team. Perry is the one they want, and he's the first coach in program history dedicated solely to the pursuit of excellence in special teams, as he does not have another position on the field to teach.

It's a change in college football, a spot on the coaching staff which wasn't really available until the rules changed to allow for a 10^th coach on the field. It's a change at Colorado State, where the past two seasons coaches handled different units on the field with a special teams coordinator overseeing it all.

For Perry, having that as his sole responsibility is a blessing, which he knows will carry over the players. He values the importance head coach Jay Norvell puts on the units, which also puts a bit of a spotlight on him.

"The biggest, most troubling thing I'm seeing in football, when that 10^th assistant came out, you saw a lot of dedicated special teams guys. That was really good," Perry said. "Now it's starting to transition, and I looked at doing it, so I'm glad it worked out to come here … There's a lot of teams that are moving that guy off the field. He's still coaching, still doing what he's supposed to do, but when they're on the field, he can't put his hands on the players, he can't stop the drill and get things fixed. Then on the sidelines during the game, he can't do anything. You're robbing us as special teams coaches of our most valuable deal, and that's to be able to communicate with the head coach what it is that needs to be done, and from our perspective, what we can and can't do.

"I'm so grateful to Coach Norvell that he puts a high priority on special teams. It puts a lot of pressure on me, but I'm good with that."

Which one would expect from a man who was part of the storied tradition of the 12^th man at Texas A&M, playing special teams for the one school he wanted to play for, a place where his grandfather, John David Crow, won the Heisman Trophy back in 1957 and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

It anything, Perry is passionate about the game and special teams in particular, and the players have embraced his energy already in camp.

"I don't know how to say this without swearing. He's bloody crazy, that's for sure," transfer punter Paddy Turner said. "We're all very lucky how much he cares about us as people rather than just us as players. He's there for us outside of football, coaching us in life and in skills as well. It's been good for me mentally, especially not having family here to lean back on. As much as my teammates are my brothers, Coach Perry has definitely provided that outlet to lean back on and provide that guidance as well."

Perry's position gives him quality time with all the specialists while the offense and defense are going through team and individual drills in practice. He can be hands on with all of his specialists, which Turner likes, as the Australian has been in the states for about eight months and says he's still very much learning the craft transitioning from his background as an Australian Rules footballer.

And when the two practice groups converge on the field at once for special teams, Perry is extremely active in every nuance of what the Rams are teaching.

"He brings the juice. We always start out meetings with execute, attack, win," Francis said. "That's our motto, and that's his persona, so it trickles down to every player. That's a good thing for this team.

"It's real intense. It's going to be a big part of this team this year, just as a team to have him around. It's contagious energy; he's very hands on and he harps on the details a lot."

Perry believes he has to hold some sort of record, being named a special teams coach for five different head coaches entering their first year. He's been in the role at six universities and one professional team overseas, and he also spent time working with Alabama's units as a graduate assistant. This is his third consecutive stop where he hasn't also coached a position, and through it all, he's gathered multiple influences, leading him to a system which has a flexible base to meet the goals of the head coach and work well with the personnel on the roster.

Alabama coach Nick Saban was part of that influence for Perry, who said he watched him challenge his groups, especially when the Crimson Tide were at the pinnacle of performance, noting opponents were going to make adjustments and they had to be ready to move forward as well.

But the base of it all is what Perry counts on most, as they work well no matter what tweaks may be required.

"We say it as a special teams unit every day. We execute, because we have to know what we're doing," he said. "We have to attack, and that has to be our philosophy on special teams is to attack. Coach Norvell knew when he hired me here, I'm not just going to line up and get the ball off and that would be it and try to go under the radar the whole season. That's not our philosophy. We're trying to positively impact our offense, positively impact our defense, positively impact the game. And the last thing is to win. We're not results oriented, we're process oriented, and we have to win every play."

From the player's perspective, it says something about the emphasis Norvell puts on the units with just one man in charge of them all. In short, they feel like the units are once again being treated as something special and important.

Turner has no knowledge of what went on last year for the Rams, but he knows what Perry does works, having watched it close up as he was making his transition to sports last year at Nevada. He's also seen his new teammates latch on to what Perry is trying to convey to them.

"It means a lot. Coach Perry is really knowledgeable," Turner said. "He's been at a lot of successful schools and successful programs, and most programs he's been at, the special teams have been phenomenal. Trying to carry on that, you know what Coach Perry has to say is going to be worthwhile in the long run for all of us, and I think it will go a long way with everyone."

Adapting to his style has been easy for the players, in large part due to the passion he brings to the field. That, Perry said, is just him. He loves the game, he loves coaching special teams units, and he expects them to excel and be a major factor in team success.

Adapting to the system has been easy, too. Not that it's all in, but the Rams do have a grasp on his fundamental teachings and targets, and with one voice, the picture is so much sharper.

"It's pretty early in camp, but we have a sense of direction of what he wants to do," Francis said. "We're still honing in on some details, but when we get in full pads, we should be full go and knowing what we have to do. Right now, we're learning the whole concept of the main goal. I like it. It makes sense. It's easier when it makes sense to you. When you get it, you can just go, play faster and make more plays."

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Players Mentioned

Paddy Turner

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Colorado State University Athletics