Announcing O-D Football College Prep Schools

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Offense-Defense announces opening of new college preparatory schools nationwide

Offense-Defense Sports (O-D.com) is proud to announce its latest initiative in the continued support of athletic development, academic excellence, and college recruiting support for high school athletes from around the country. Scheduled to launch in July, O-D is proud to unveil the very first of its kind South-West College Prep Football Conference - five schools organized from Texas to Oklahoma that will provide student athletes with an NCAA-compliant on-line academic curriculum customized to meet the independent needs of each prospective student athlete from remaining requisite course materials to much-needed testing improvements.

Athletically, each school and team will feature the nation's very best prospective football talent competing head-to-head in conference play while being coached by former NFL players and college coaches. Players will compete for an opportunity to play on a grand stage during Offense-Defense All-American Bowl Week.

“We know hundreds of talented young players over the years that only required a little extra academic and athletic support to attain their college football dreams,” said Rick Whittier, president of Offense-Defense Sports. “With this effort, we fully intend to provide that crucial support. Our longstanding relationships with coaches and coordinators from the SEC, B1G, Pac12, ACC, Big 12, Big East and others will serve as the college recruiting pipeline for many of these deserving young players.”

Prominent college football programs from around the country are in desperate need of a qualified and credible resource in the pursuit of academic eligibility for desired players. As South Carolina State University Offensive Coordinator Joe Blackwell put it, “The O-D College Prep Football program will quickly become a lifeline for every major college recruiting coordinator in the country.”

“In the end, it's very simple,” stated Founder and O-D Prep School Director, Randy Pippin. “We'll be ensuring excellent attitudes, preaching a commitment to improved academic performance, and establishing standards of athletic and programmatic excellence. Having academic support, top-of-the-line equipment, expert coaching, and a pipeline to the best college football programs in the country is an absolute dream come true for these esteemed young men.”

About Offense-Defense Sports

Offense-Defense Sports has been running full-contact football instructional camps for the past 45 years and currently operates in approximately 40 event locations nationwide every Spring and Summer. O-D currently operates the largest youth football event in the world, Offense-Defense All-American Bowl Week, every year in late December and early January. The Bowl Week event is currently in its 9^th year of operation.

Contact:

Randy Pippin

O-D Prep School Director

Offense-Defense Sports

(843)903-1888

randy@o-d.com

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12 More O-D Bowlers picked in the NFL Draft

Congratulations are in order for the members of the O-D Family who found new homes with NFL teams over the weekend! We announced the 1st-round selections of Brandin Cooks and Kelvin Benjamin on Friday - today we'll single out the 12 additional O-D All-Americans that went during the following six rounds of the Draft.

The 2nd-round saw Paul Richardson (2010) and Jeremy Hill (2011) picked up by the Seattle Seahawks and Cincinnati Bengals respectively.

More O-D Bowlers went in the 3rd-round than any other - the Chicago Bears selected Will Sutton (2009) here while the Arizona Cardinals chose Kareem Martin (2010), the San Franciso 49ers took Marcus Martin (2011), and the Indianapolis Colts obtained Donte Moncrief (2011).

In the 4th-round, Bashaud Breeland (2010) went early to the Washington Redskins, DaQuan Jones (2010) was announced by the Tennessee Titans, and Prince Shembo (2010) got swooped up by the Atlanta Falcons.

Shaquille Richardson (2010) got things started for Team O-D in the 5th-round when he was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Chris Smith (2010) went only 2 picks later to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The O-D All-Americans taken in the Draft were rounded out by Zach Mettenberger (2009) joining DaQuan Jones on the Tennessee Titans in the 6th-round.

Congratulations one and all! Good Luck on Sundays!

O-D Bowlers Cooks and Benjamin go in First Round of NFL Draft

Offense-Defense would like to extend heartfelt congratulations to wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Kelvin Benjamin for being selected in the first-round of the 2014 NFL Draft last night! Cooks played in the 2011 Offense-Defense All-American Bowl and was chosen as the 20th pick in the Draft by the New Orleans Saints. Benjamin was also a participant in the 2011 Bowl Game and was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 28th pick. We couldn't be more proud of these outstanding young athletes and wish them the best of luck as their professional career kicks off!

Shaon Berry Joins the O-D Family

Offense-Defense Sports is pleased to announce the hiring of Shaon Berry who joins the company in Marketing and Partnership Support capacities. Shaon is widely-recognized as one of the nation's premiere evaluators of football talent, both at the youth and High School level. He works personally with head coaches in every major football conference including those in the SEC, Pac 12, Big 10, and ACC in the early identification and scouting of up-and-coming student-athlete prospects.

Prior to joining O-D, Shaon served as President and CEO of Junior Rank Sports and in January of 2011, founded The Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl game and Proving Ground National Combine on CBS Sports. These nationally-televised events served as showcases for many of the nation’s best and brightest future football prospects.

Shaon attended college at the University of Pittsburgh (‘92) and graduated from Cornell University’s Executive Management program in 2000. 

Special Teams - Punter - Setting Up the Drop

Now that you've learned to properly secure and hold the ball, you're ready to proceed with the hand, arm, and drop action of the kick. When first learning these techniques it is best if you do not actually kick the ball. Without the actual kick you will be able to go through these movements a number of times in rapid succession.

Begin the drill with the ball held properly in both hands. You will not be stepping with your feet during this drill. The actual kicking movement starts with the removal of your hand away from your kicking foot.

This hand and arm should be allowed to swing back to the outside at waist height and serve as a balance for your kick. As the hand swings back:

1. Your hips should turn slightly to the inside in the direction of your arm swing
2. Your opposite shoulder should rotate slightly forward
3. Your ball hand and arm should be easily extended in front of your body

As the ball is extended in your drop hand, the hand on the side of your kicking foot, the following should be true:

1. The point of the ball should be rotated slightly to the inside and aimed in the same direction as your hips
2. The wrist of your drop hand should be locked
3. The ball should be level and pointing neither up nor down
4. The drop hand should be just above waist-height

Special Teams - Punters & Ballhandling

As a punter, its obvious that your job is to help secure field position for your team with well-placed punts. Often overlooked when it comes to the position is the importance of proper, secure ballhandling to make sure that a punt doesn't turn into a loss of yards AND a turnover or worse - six points the other way!

Even if sloppy ball management doesn't result in giving the ball away, proper technique helps your punt yardage and placement significantly.

Start with the laces of the ball straight up. The placement of the ball into the hand on the side of your kicking leg is most important.

1. The back tip of the ball should make contact with the palm of your hand
2. The tip should be located midway between your thumb and forefinger
3. Your thumb should be on the inside top panel of the ball
4. Your forefinger and your second finger should be on the outside top panel of the football
5. Your remaining two fingers - ring and little - will be placed on the outside bottom panel of the ball
6. The pressure from your thumbs and fingers of your drop hand should allow you to hold the ball comfortably and securely

Your other hand should be in a position on the front inside of the ball with your four fingers on the inside under panel and your thumb on the top inside panel just above the side seam.

One thing to remember is that you want to grasp the ball with as little pressure as is necessary. Holding the ball with a grip that is too tight will adversely affect the way the ball is dropped to your foot.

Special Teams - Receiving the Snap as a Punter

After assuming the proper stance, you should extend the hand and arm on the side of your kicking foot directly out in front of your shoulder. Move your arm so that your hand is near the center of your body. Next, turn the palm of your hand over so that it's facing the ground. This position sets the top part of the target for the center.

With your other hand and arm, reach out at a level even with the middle of your stomach. The palm of this hand should be facing up. This is the bottom half of the center's snapping target.

When you feel you are ready to receive the ball and that the center has seen the target you've presented, move your top hand down so that it is even with your bottom hand. At the point, the palms of both hands should be up and the little fingers should nearly be making contact.

To guarantee you see your hands and the ball when the latter is snapped, it's necessary to have your arms extended out away from your body. For now, we'll keep the ball out of your practice sessions. Without the ball, start with your normal steps. Both hands should remain in position with your first step. As you begin your second step:

1. The hand away from your kicking foot should drop off
2. This hand should swing behind your hip
3. At the same time, the hand on the side of the kicking foot should be pushed forward
4. This hand should be positioned slightly outside of the thigh of the kicking leg
5. Allow the extended hand to drop naturally to your side as the kicking leg comes through in a practiced kicking motion