By the fall of 1979, Pittsburgh was known as the "City of Champions." That October, the Pirates defeated the Baltimore Orioles to win the World Series, their second championship of the decade. Meanwhile, the Steelers had constructed a dynasty, boasting three world titles over the past five years. The fan base no longer hoped for victories. Now they expected them. So the standards were high for the '79 Steelers. But every player on the team was confident it could meet them. "Once you have the taste of victory, it's awful hard to give that up," recalled John Banaszak. "The attitude was: We're going to win this every year." Banaszak was one of several lesser-known Steelers who played a prominent role that year due to injuries. Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Franco Harris and Lynn Swann, all future Hall of Famers, were lost for parts of the season. But their backups capably filled in the gaps, and the Steelers went 12-4 during the regular season en route to a win over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl XIV. So join NFL Films as they retell the story of the '79 Steelers. America's Game uses exclusive interviews from Banaszak, John Stallworth and L.C. Greenwood to recount the finale of Pittsburgh's world championship run.Dehydration is an enemy to football success
Dehydration should never appear on the football field if both the players and coaches have good habits. Each athlete should bring or have a water bottle provided, and they need to use it often. Water should never be used as a motivational or reward type basis. Keeping everyone happy and hydrated will go a long way to a successful practice.
The importance of learning the Playbook
Practicing the plays is fun, and also very important. When you master your part of the play it will strengthen your team and yourself. Rule number one in starting out a new play is following your coaches instructions. As you start to practice the play make sure to slow it down, there is no sense in practicing errors. Remember that if you need help, you should ask for it. At times we have seen a player fail to advance or refine their techniques because they don't ask for added assistance. Don't let this happen to you Are you done with the play after practice? No way! One thing that you can do after practice is visualize your plays. Sleep on them, and you will learn them twice as fast.
Football tackling 101
Tackling is fundamental to football, and should receive proper attention at practices. Tackling can be fun and exhilarating, but done improperly and it can be dangerous. Some points to remember when tackling:
First, plant yourself in front of your opponent. Plant your cleats in the grass squarely in front and in the middle, bisecting the player in half. Also, at this time thrust your arms backward to prepare for the next step.
Second, thrust your other foot again squarely in front of your opponent and with all the momentum that you have brought to the tackle grab your opponent. At this point you are well planted in front and your head should be in direct contact. The one golden rule in making a safe tackle is to never, ever lead with or try to tackle with the crown of your head. Tell yourself, or your players to imagine that they are biting the football.
The third and last step is to bring your hips up and drive the opponent backwards and towards the ground. The squarer you are in the first step the easier it will be to perform the third step.
Catching the ball low
Making the plays means that you have practiced the less than optimal situation and know how to react to them. One situation that happens a lot in a game is catching the low passes. Here are some great techniques in coaching and learning the low catch. First, keep your hands down low in a scooping or shovel position; you can even cross your pinkies. First, keep your hands low and lock your pinkies. Locking your pinkies prevents the football from falling through your hands. Third, once the ball touches your hands scoop it up into your chest and tuck it away into a secure position. Third, once you have caught the ball, tuck it away as soon as possible. Always watch the ball through from the first time you see it in the air until it is in a secure ball carrying position. Last, concentrate on catching it first and then worry about the defense, and scoring some more yards.
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