1.

QBs: LEAD – 1ST & Foremost

a. Huddle: We will be a Huddle and No Huddle Team. That means your Huddle and Line
of Scrimmage Presence is imperative to our success.
i. Tell a Story: Be yourself in the Huddle. Have a personality. No Robots! Walk
in the huddle and believe everyone wants to follow you. Be a Dude!
ii. Study the Scripts More!! Spend more time on what we are going to call rather
than Generic Installs! Don’t just look at the pictures, speak the plays!
iii. Practice calling Plays in Meeting Room, Prax Field, & Hotel Room. Speak with
Volume. Enunciation & Volume is Critical for us to Succeed. It comes with an
Expertise. The more comfortable you are in our offense, the better chance you
will have to succeed.
iv. Be Assertive – There is no place for a QB who is afraid to correct his teammates,
hold his teammates accountable & Control the Huddle. The Staff will support an
Outspoken QB as long as you’re willing to share the blame.
b. LOS: 75% or More of our Offense at the LOS. We have to have a sense of confidence
and calmness about ourselves at the LOS. We also need to make sure that we have
answers to what we are seeing.
i. What are your Man Coverage checks?
ii. What are your Cover 2 Checks?
iii. Are we signaling with conviction and to both sides of the LOS?
iv. Are we signaling the Run Game
v. Why/How did we miss Fist Adjustments in the Weak Game.
vi. Our only checks have been to Gopher/Aggie??? Why is that. Slot has so many
answers, we need to find plays that handle the issues at hand.
vii. Coverage Indicators: Wide 9 is a pressure indicator from Over
viii. Mug A Gaps: Alert Tampa 2 in longer D & D.
ix. Training Camp will be about understanding the Offense not Memorizing it!
c. Footwork: We are not only going to rely on the QB to make plays in the pocket, but we
are going to run designed QB Runs and they need to make plays out of the pocket as
well. Peyton & TB rarely get sacked, not because they have a great Offensive Line, but
because they understand Offensive Football, they know their Reads, and they know how
to slide in the Pocket and make time for themselves.
d. Reads: Trust our Reads and Our completion % will go from 55% to 75% in Training
Camp. Control what you can control – If the gimme putt is there, take advantage!
Never go broke taking a profit! The Read Chart will be an important part of Spring
Football & when you master the Read Chart our Efficiency will go up.
e. Personality: Step up and control the group. When you do that, understand everything
you do is under a microscope. Decisions on and off the field affect everything we do!
Adam Weber quote to me last month, “I thought I knew how to lead, until I have been
around Peyton Manning.”

Telescope: “The Telescope Represents the Big Picture. It represents the greatness the best
strive for. ”
Eleven Traits of the Best of the Best

1. The Best Know what they truly want

2. The Best want it more
3. The Best are always striving to get better
4. The Best do ordinary things better than Everyone Else
5. The Best have Laser Focus
6. The Best are mentally stronger
7. The Best Overcome their Fear
8. The Best Seize the Moment
9. The Best Tap into a Power greater than Themselves
10. The Best leave a Legacy
11. The Best make everyone around them better

Jon Gordon
Training Camp
The Quarterback position is a very difficult position to play. The requirement both physically
and mentally are enormous. Then adding in the emotional demands and strains on your life, it is
not a job for the thin-skinned person, or one who cannot prioritize. The following 10
characteristics should be your guidelines, your goals, and your mindset throughout your playing
career.

Leadership……………We all say it. It is the most overused, but not overrated, word when it
comes to evaluating or discussing the position. However it is still very real and very true.
Webster defines it as the quality of character and personality giving a person the ability to
gain the confidence of and lead others. Simply put, do I want to follow him or not? Moxie,
conviction, self-belief, self-reliance, self-assurance, add to those words, Namath, Montana,
Simms, Bradshaw, Manning x 3, Brady. The quarterback must control the huddle, the meeting
room, the locker room, as well as be the man facing the media, facing our fan base and leading
the entire team. How to handle that is a challenge for even the greatest players. It comes with
the privilege of being the starting QB in the NFL. Live it, love it, enjoy every moment of it.
There are millions wishing they can trade places with you.

Leaders control the room, like a politician or head coach would. They traditionally can story tell,
make jokes, and quietly identify themselves to us coaches as a total leader. As a starting QB, or
one who aspires to be, be engaging, be enthusiastic, be excited, and without question, be
somebody who everyone wants to lead our football team. Exude confidence! Be a great
decision maker, and a great leader on and off the field!

“If your Team Leader isn’t also your teams Mr. Hustle, you probably don’t have much of either
– Hustle or Leadership.”
 10 Traits of Leadership

1. Ability to perceive, digest, and deal with many different personalities.

2. Ability to give appropriate guidance to those around him.

3. Ability to handle the pressure of any given situation.

4. Mastery of self-sacrifice for the good of others.

5. Awareness of Morale, Harmony, Chemistry of the team.

6. Ability to think positively in a negative environment.

7. Drive to be 1st in all endeavors requiring commitment to established goals.

8. Mastery of effective communication skills and the desire to continually develop them.

9. Desire to go out of your way to motivate others.

10. Knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of all aspects of the system of play,
personnel, and program philosophy.
Poise…….Quarterbacks must have poise. 2.2 seconds. That is how long a quarterback has from
taking the snap from Center, dropping back 3,5, or 7 steps, reading a defense, finding the Free
Safety, determining coverage, remembering where all 5 of his eligible receivers are running to,
deciding where to throw the football, and finally releasing it. 2.2 seconds, you can’t even get to
the letter c, when singing the A, B, C’s before 2.2 seconds is up. Or, for that matter, you can’t
even spell Mississippi. But, a Quarterback has to take his footwork, determine 2 safeties from 1,
man from zone, blitz from prevent, and see the same things as the Wide Receiver. That is why
poise, has to be a QB’s trait. Quarterbacks cannot be successful if they get rattled under
pressure, whether that be from the score, the situation, the fans, the pass rush, or fellow
teammates or coaches. Quarterbacks cannot be successful if the game does not feel like slow
motion all around him. There are going to be 300lb men, running as fast as they can to throw
you to the ground, as well as grown men, who just completed tailgating in section 375 yelling
and screaming dissecting your play. The Quarterback must have ice in his veins, with uncanny
patience, a relaxed mental state, and an ability to thrive under pressure.

Gym Rat…………… Quarterbacks must be gym rats. A gym rat is a player whose work ethic is
through the roof, and a player that never wants to leave the building. That person is what we
must have for this position. The quarterback must not just live in the gym; but the locker room,
the meeting rooms, the workout facility, and the coaches offices. The quarterback must be an
expert. There are no hours too many for the quarterback. There is no amount of at home study
too much to handle. Coaches are asked all of the time, why do they work such long hours?
What do we do in our office all hours of the night and morning? Simple answer, watch tape and
find specific ways to attack defenses, while balancing time for practice and meetings with our
players. How long does that take? Quarterbacks need that same work ethic. Peyton Manning
has that work ethic. A friend in coaching shared a story with me regarding Peyton Manning
which defines the word gym rat. One Thursday night, a night when coaches are supposed to go
home to their families; the night where teams traditionally don’t serve dinner, Peyton was in the
office. It was 9:30 at night and this particular coach got a phone call, while working for a
different team. Peyton was calling to see how that coach was doing. When the conversation
turned to Peyton, the topic was why he was there on Thursday night at 9:30. He was studying
his footwork from a 9 on 7 drill. That is the definition of a gym rat. Peyton stories can go on
forever.
Ambition………….. This applies to the desire for personal advancement. Ray Lewis once said,
“I play to be the very best, not just of today, but of all time.” So does Peyton, and hopefully, so
do you. When a Quarterback is named the starter, that player must have the ambition to equal
the Steve McNair’s, Peyton Manning’s, Tom Brady’s, and the Tony Romo’s of the world. They
should have an extreme desire to be the very best in their particular field, no matter the time,
effort, or work load it takes. Ambition in regard to quarterback play is very simple, be the very
best! If a starting quarterback ever says, if it takes the commitment of Peyton or Tom to be the
best, I’m not interested, we will get another quarterback.

Accuracy……………..A Quarterback must hit his target. The windows in the NFL continue to
shrink. The speed continues to increase. The size of Defensive Backs and the speed of
Linebackers make the position more and more challenging, but never has it rewarded the very
best as much as it does today. If a player can throw the ball harder than anyone else, but can’t
hit a receiver in full stride, sign him up for a Carnival Game, not an NFL game. Run after catch
is what makes WR’s, and the only way to get there is to catch the ball running full speed, not
half-speed or at a standstill. So often, coaches refer to throwing with timing. In order to do that,
you must be extremely accurate. The best example over the past 10 years of accurate, timed
passers is Kurt Warner. Kurt Warner does not have an extremely strong arm, when looking at
his velocity, but his accuracy is incredible. When Quarterback’s play for Mike Martz, they
throw to spots. They need to have pinpoint accuracy. As a matter of fact in the St. Louis Rams
meeting room, there used to hang a sign, “Be where you are supposed to be, when you are
supposed to be there, and never, ever, screw the quarterback.” Why did they have that sign?
Because of the amount of emphasis on timing and accuracy. The next time you have an
opportunity to watch a Mike Martz coached team, pause your TV right when the ball is thrown,
and try to notice if the WR has even turned to look for the ball. I guarantee he has not. That
accuracy is what can be the difference.
Personality……..You must carry yourself with confidence and moxie. It sounds simple, but
rarely does it occur. I expect you to have a mix of confidence, leadership, poise, and ambition,
and a true sense of calmness. You were groomed from an early age to be the big man on
campus. Whether it is from your gift of athleticism or your gift to take the room by storm, a
quarterback, similar to a head coach, has to have a big presence and must have personality.
Steve McNair fit that model. Everyone on the team must want to follow that leader. Todd Heap
said it best in June of 2007, when he was quoted as saying, "There's a look in his eyes that says,
everything is going to be fine. Everything is going to work,'" Heap continued. "An offense
reflects the Quarterback. We reflect his confidence and calm." Ray Lewis went on to say later, at
Steve’s retirement, “There is no greater warrior or player with a bigger heart than Steve McNair.
“He came into this game and gave it everything he had. He now can walk away with his head
held high.” Those accolades from Pro Bowl and Hall of Fame players demonstrate what we are
looking for at that position. When evaluating Quarterbacks, I believe this is one of the easier
traits to pick up on, but one of the harder to describe. It is hard to sit in a room and describe a
guy as cool, but if we were honest, we would. The players must feel comfortable around the
quarterback. They must be able to poke fun at themselves and at others. They must be the most
popular player on the team. Years ago, I saw Peyton Manning grab a microphone at a bar in
Louisiana and lead the entire bar in Rocky Top. I knew then that guy had personality. If you
ever wondered what position Steve Spurrier played, spend an hour with him, and it is easy to see
why he was a Quarterback.

Confidence………Quarterbacks are under an enormous amount of pressure. They are

constantly criticized and scrutinized. Then days later, they are complimented and worshipped.
You must have a personality to handle both the best of times, and the worst of times. The QB
must stand and defend the team, handle the pressure, not lose confidence and continue to lead. If
the QB wasn’t a guy with personality, the team might have a hangover this season. But, instead
he continues to challenge himself and his team, and competes every day to get better. Similarly,
you can look at Eli Manning, and all of the criticism he took in New York. He was not his
brother. He was always second fiddle. The commercials, the sponsorship, the draft pick, all
were more because of his last name then his perceived ability. His personality, where every day
he came to work focused and prepared, blocking out all of the distractions, allowed him to finish
on top of the world in the Superbowl, and be the eventual Superbowl MVP. Personality &
confidence are a driving force, for Quarterback play and more importantly Quarterback success.
Passion………Obsession, Enthusiasm, Zeal, Fervor, and Infatuation. How many different
words can we come up with to describe a love for this game? How important is it to you to be
great? How badly do you want to perform at the highest level? Are ESPN and the NFL
Network a staple at your house? When you are not on the practice field or in meetings, are you
at home thinking about better ways to perform? Many young QB’s don’t know what tape study
and extra meetings mean. They don’t understand why they are in the office, when their friends
and teammates are out for dinner. Passion to perform must add to your confidence, not add to
your arrogance. It must be a passion to be great. Thursday’s when most coaches leave early,
Peyton arranges a meeting with his QB coach. On Tuesday nights, when most QB’s come in
around 6, to get their first taste of the opponent and the Game plan, Peyton has already been
there 3-4 hours, so he can intelligently discuss the opponent and the plan. That is why he is one
of the very best. There is no request a coach asks of his player which is too much to handle, as
long as the goal is to be the very best in the world at their respective position

Intelligence…..You must be an expert in Football! Football acumen will separate you. Great
knowledge of the game, will help you succeed. Strive to understand not just the passing game,
but the running game. Strive to understand not just protections, but also Defenses. You have
unlimited resources at your disposal. It is your job to use them to the best of your ability. Take
Pride in being successful on and off the playing field!
Arm strength…….John Elway, Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Jay Cutler, Randall Cunningham, and
Dante Culpepper are all players who have tremendous arm strength. Arm strength is a
complement to the other 9 characteristics. Think of arm strength as the condiment on your
whopper. One could still have a great cheeseburger, with lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, on a
sesame seed bun, but without the ketchup and mayonnaise it won’t beat out the Big Mac or
Wendy’s classic, in a hamburger taste test. There is a difference in a Quarterback with great arm
strength, good arm strength, and one who lacks arm strength. The players with great arm
strength and great accuracy go on to be NFL players, the ones with great arm strength and no
accuracy, go on to sell cars. The balance between arm strength and accuracy leads to great
production and great wins. Why is arm strength important? Defensive Backs are extremely big
and fast. Linebackers have cat like quickness, and Safeties can play the run and pass better than
ever before. Therefore, it is critical that a QB coming out of college can throw the 18 yard
comeback, the 20 yard in route, and the deep corner throw. Steve Spurrier learned that first hand
with the Washington Redskins when trying to throw the football with Danny Wuerffel and Shane
Matthews, his well regarded and extremely successful passing attack struggled. The velocity on
the ball was lacking and therefore so was the production. Few realize, the plays are almost
identical, protections are almost exactly the same, and the largest difference is who is pulling the
trigger and who are running the routes. If the receivers can’t get open, or the QB cannot get the
ball to that player on time with speed and anticipation, the team can’t be successful on offense.

Success comes from the Quarterback position. Team success, Wins and Losses, Camaraderie, all
come from how much our team wants to follow you. Fundamentally you must be sound.
Intellectually, you must understand the game. Mentally, you must be prepared for the challenge
coming your way. Physically, you must be strong and stay healthy to guide us to success. It is
your job, as the quarterback room, to make the Jags improve each day. Take that challenge,
accept that challenge, and produce!!!