What Is The Ideal?

Since the NFL combine is just around the corner, there will be lots of discussion about so-and-so having an ideal attribute of some sort. But wouldn’t it be helpful to know what ideal means?

I sure think so….

Today, let’s examine what the ideal defensive end looks like so we have some clue about what to look for when watching football.

First, think about who the greatest defensive ends are and what was so special about them? If you ask me, the greatest defensive ends to ever play the game of football were Reggie White, Bruce Smith, and David “Deacon” Jones.

Starting with the classic power rushing Reggie White- he was 6’5 ft. tall and weighed about 300 lbs. He was a technician with his hands, which enabled him to master the rip, swim, and bull rush moves. When combined with his  extraordinary lower and upper body strength, White could  knock over off-balance blockers with his massive arms. Additionally, he was given strong hands, powerful enough to throw a quarterback down once his fingers clasped a jersey.

Although his top end speed was only average, it is acceleration that helps linemen the most.  His initial burst was magnificent for a man his size.

But there physical talent can only take a player so far. Football is more than just strength and speed.

Football is a match of wills…

football is a measure of desire…

football is a battle of wits….

No player embodied those traits more than Reggie White. He gave his all in practice, on the field, and off of it, constantly trying to improve his craft. He was a  leader, a motivator, and mentor to his teammates.

Now, that is the ideal power rusher.

As for the speed rusher, none was greater than Buffalo Bills end Bruce Smith. Standing 6’4 feet tall and weighing 265 lbs, Bruce may have been the size of most of today’s speed rushers, but no current player can boast stats like his 200 career sacks, which stand atop the all-time list. His signature was a superior burst around the edge, mainly running around blockers instead of through them.  He prided himself on being the best conditioned player on the field, presumably to maintain his high energy style from the game’s start to finish.

Indeed, Smith possessed the same desire to win, and the ruthlessness to get to the quarterback that Reggie White did. He was an emotional leader for his embattled Bills, and he carried his team to 4 consecutive Super Bowl berths.

Now, that is the ideal speed rusher.

However, both White and Smith are indebted to their predecessor Mr. David “Deacon” Jones, the man who coined the term “sack.“  He stands 6’5 ft. tall and weighs 272 lbs, putting him somewhere in between the weights of latter players. And this befits his style of play, since it combined power and speed to pressure the quarterback. Jones wasn’t a power rusher, nor was he a speed rusher….He was both!

Yet, Jones is most unfondly remembered for his clever and resourceful, if not shady methods for “sacking” the quarterback, as he called it. Opponents tell of how he would smack the helmet of the blocker to force them to flinch. The purpose behind this was to distract opponents so he could blow by them uncontested.

Even more potent than the helmet smack was his ferocious demeanor. Every time Deacon came near the ball carrier, it was known that Jones would be giving them a hit they wouldn’t soon forget. He developed a mystique that struck fear into his opponents just from looking at him.

Now, that is the ideal resourceful end.

If you are still left wondering what the ideal defensive end looks like, look to those are great, and you will find the answer you were looking for. To look at the playing styles of three of the greatest players in history is to learn what makes a champion.