Lazy Tuesday Afternoon – Playbook Edition

After feeling a grand sense of accomplishment from cutting the grass this morning and getting the trash to the curb in time for pick-up, I felt the need to award myself.  So I have spent the last 3 hours combing through old playbooks from the University of Tennessee and the University of Kentucky as well as some other interesting stuff. 

The playbooks can be found here.  There is something strange in the website setup, you must have Mozilla Firefox to open the webpage.  This website is full of different playbooks from different programs as well as what must be notes from coaching clinics.  The playbooks are by far the most interesting.

If you don’t have an entire afternoon to waste here are some things to check out:

1. 2002 University of Tennessee Defensive Playbook

John Chavis still creates his playbook using a typewriter and an ink pen. (page 23)  It is no surprise to discover that his playbook is pretty simple, Tennessee defenses have been known for sound tackling and great linebacker play (11 draft choices since 1999) but never a gimmick type playbook.

2. 2003 University of Kentucky Offensive Playbook

This is a direct copy of the 2003 offensive playbook.  It has everything from team rules to the day-to-day fall camp schedule to the game day dress code.  It is worth the read if you want to get a small feel of what a player at UK must do.  Do not forget to check out the actual offensive playbook.  This playbook goes back to the Jared Lorenzen and Derek Abney days.  Just remember this was before the Joker Phillips era began.

3. 1998 Florida State University Defensive Playbook

If I were a 6′4″ 245 pound athletic stud, I would go play linebacker for Mickey Andrews in a heartbeat.  Here are some highlights from his defensive playbook the year they were National Champion Runner-Up to the University of Tennessee.

• Basics of FSU Defense #4 Runners and Hitters.  Force Turnovers or Take Aways. You can’t take a mule to the Kentucky Derby.
• #6 “Kill a fly with an axe.”  Confucius and Andrews not on the same page.
• Andrews, like Chavis, enjoys the typewriter.

4. 2002 Ohio State Offensive Playbook

Does anyone question Jim Tressel and his place among the top 3 coaches in the country?  If you’re skeptical of Tressel read the 2002 playbook, the man is a genius.  The first page is the best opening page of any playbook on the website.  Just reading it got me ready to play football.

Feel free to spend the rest of your afternoon thumbing through these and the other playbooks on the website.