Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO - In recent BYU games, JD Falslev and Cody Hoffman have become a productive kickoff return duo, putting the team in good field position to score points. This week, Bronco Mendenhall discusses how an effective kickoff return is executed.
"It's not just the returner," Bronco said. "The returner has a lot to do with it, but it's the mindset and diligence for every player to make sure they block whom they're supposed to."
The biggest key to an effective return is the deception used by the returning team.
"As the runners come down, we like them to take as long as possible to tell where the return may be going, with the fewest indicators possible," Bronco said.
The returning front line is responsible for the early deception, having their hips positioned in the opposite direction of where the ball is going to go. Once the kickoff team commits to where they think the ball is going, the off returner is responsible for shifting the play, creating a seam by blocking for the returning player.
If a small seam is created and all the players are blocking effectively, the returner has an easier run for significant yards or a touchdown.
