The Tight-End position is pivotal to the success of an offense. You gain not only a large target for the quarterback to throw to in the passing game, but due to the nature of the position, your offense will gain unpredictability. The same formations that offer huge support for the run game can instantly become packages that highlight your best receivers (fig. 1). The NFL is currently loaded with possible Hall of Famers at the tight end position, including Jason Witten, Vernon Davis, Tony Gonzales, Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski, and Antonio Gates, just to name a few. These NFL superstars not only consistently contribute to offensive success in the passing game but in the run game as well.
At the University of Texas, tight ends coach Bruce Chambers is a veteran coach to say the least. Chambers is in his 17th season with Texas and in his 12th year as the tight ends coach; making him the only coach retained from Mack Brown’s staff. Chambers first solidified his reputation in the state of Texas by coaching the legendary Dallas Carter teams of the ‘90s (as seen in the movie Friday Night Lights). Chambers took over the head coaching position at Carter High for two years before he accepted the UT running backs coach position in 1998, Ricky Williams’ senior year. Coach Chambers now finds himself at the helm of an exceptionally deep group of tight ends. With four seniors and two JUCO All-Americans, leadership and effort will not be an issue.
Run Game:
Tight ends’ run responsibilities usually consist of reaches, and second level blocks. The Tight-Ends combination of size and speed allow him to ‘set the edge’ and get to the second level more quickly than offensive lineman. If you want a run game that isn’t limited to the interior (Isolations, traps, inside zones, etc), then you need a strong tight end like Jason Witten or Vernon Davis (fig. 2).
. These motions and unbalanced formations contribute to the unpredictability of an offense and force defenses to stay basic or ‘vanilla’. By forcing a defense to play vanilla, you gain the advantage because defenses with less movement are easier to block.</p>
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