TK
August-17th-2006, 10:28 PM
http://www.roanoke.com/sports/profootball/wb/78493
LB: A study in being prepared
Redskins linebacker Marcus Washington uses flashcards to learn his defensive assignments.
Jim Ducibella
ASHBURN, Va. -- Dale Lindsey craved an answer, and the Washington Redskins linebackers coach wasn't above using extraordinary means to get it.
What makes Marcus Washington so special? Washington is rarely out of position and seems to have an almost unnatural grasp of his assignments.
In two seasons together, he has never done anything to raise the ire of a flinty old coach who rarely had trouble finding fault with other players.
In his search for clues, Lindsey once grabbed Washington's playbook.
He found flashcards, dozens of them, slightly larger than 3-by-5, not quite as large as a page in a stenographer's pad.
"He's got all of the formations, what the play is, where it's supposed to go," Lindsey said, a touch of awe to his voice. "And he studies them. Nobody works longer, harder or will do exactly what you want like Marcus. He's as good as you can come and get."
Washington, now in his seventh NFL season, first got the idea to use flashcards when he recalled the learning aids he used as a child in Alabama. When the subjects were spelling and math, flashcards helped more than anything else.
"When you take vocabulary tests, you put the word on one side and the definition on the other side," Washington said. "It's the same way with plays and formations."
Washington designs cards only for formations with which he is struggling, whether that's an opponent's or those of assistant head coach/defense Gregg Williams.
Sometimes, he'll draw a defensive formation on one side and on the other side write his assignment and the overall philosophy of what they're trying to accomplish. Sometimes, he'll draw an opponent's offensive formation and the defense necessary to counter it.
Where he goes, the playbook and flashcards go.
"I go over them when I'm not doing anything," he said. "It helps me learn."
That's not the only mental exercise Washington conducts. Each day after practice, he draws up a corrections page for every play he botched.
"I'll go back and write down the correct way to do it," Washington said. "You learn from your mistakes, and I make a lot of them. So I try to use them."
Washington has enjoyed the two most productive years of his career since coming over from Indianapolis. He's finished second in tackles both seasons, with 130 and 125, respectively. He's never missed a game, had double-figure quarterback pressures both years, and last year forced a career-high four fumbles.
He got off to a flying start in Sunday's preseason loss at Cincinnati with three tackles in as many series, plus a quarterback pressure.
"The only way somebody's going to beat Marcus is to be superior athletically with the same work habits," Lindsey said.
The flashcards represent a new level of sophistication to Washington's football education. When first with the Colts, he talked continuously to linebacker Cornelius Bennett, who played a vital role in Buffalo reaching three Super Bowls.
"I know he got tired of me as a rookie, because I had a bunch of questions," Washington said. "But that's the way you've got to learn. You ask people who've been through the fire. You can learn from other people's mistakes as well.
"When I got here, I really learned about football, why things really happen. Joe Gibbs is in the Hall of Fame. Gregg Williams is a perfectionist. Dale Lindsey played the game. It's the perfect situation for me."
Lindsey compares Washington to former pupils and modern-era stars Junior Seau and Brian Urlacher, each a supremely talented player who took extra steps to stay ahead of the competition. But his mood darkens when asked if the Redskins' other linebackers are emulating Washington's work ethic.
"If they are, they're hiding it from me," he said. "The guys I have work hard because they don't have a choice. But I don't know if they work as hard as he does at the other part of the game, the mental part."
LB: A study in being prepared
Redskins linebacker Marcus Washington uses flashcards to learn his defensive assignments.
Jim Ducibella
ASHBURN, Va. -- Dale Lindsey craved an answer, and the Washington Redskins linebackers coach wasn't above using extraordinary means to get it.
What makes Marcus Washington so special? Washington is rarely out of position and seems to have an almost unnatural grasp of his assignments.
In two seasons together, he has never done anything to raise the ire of a flinty old coach who rarely had trouble finding fault with other players.
In his search for clues, Lindsey once grabbed Washington's playbook.
He found flashcards, dozens of them, slightly larger than 3-by-5, not quite as large as a page in a stenographer's pad.
"He's got all of the formations, what the play is, where it's supposed to go," Lindsey said, a touch of awe to his voice. "And he studies them. Nobody works longer, harder or will do exactly what you want like Marcus. He's as good as you can come and get."
Washington, now in his seventh NFL season, first got the idea to use flashcards when he recalled the learning aids he used as a child in Alabama. When the subjects were spelling and math, flashcards helped more than anything else.
"When you take vocabulary tests, you put the word on one side and the definition on the other side," Washington said. "It's the same way with plays and formations."
Washington designs cards only for formations with which he is struggling, whether that's an opponent's or those of assistant head coach/defense Gregg Williams.
Sometimes, he'll draw a defensive formation on one side and on the other side write his assignment and the overall philosophy of what they're trying to accomplish. Sometimes, he'll draw an opponent's offensive formation and the defense necessary to counter it.
Where he goes, the playbook and flashcards go.
"I go over them when I'm not doing anything," he said. "It helps me learn."
That's not the only mental exercise Washington conducts. Each day after practice, he draws up a corrections page for every play he botched.
"I'll go back and write down the correct way to do it," Washington said. "You learn from your mistakes, and I make a lot of them. So I try to use them."
Washington has enjoyed the two most productive years of his career since coming over from Indianapolis. He's finished second in tackles both seasons, with 130 and 125, respectively. He's never missed a game, had double-figure quarterback pressures both years, and last year forced a career-high four fumbles.
He got off to a flying start in Sunday's preseason loss at Cincinnati with three tackles in as many series, plus a quarterback pressure.
"The only way somebody's going to beat Marcus is to be superior athletically with the same work habits," Lindsey said.
The flashcards represent a new level of sophistication to Washington's football education. When first with the Colts, he talked continuously to linebacker Cornelius Bennett, who played a vital role in Buffalo reaching three Super Bowls.
"I know he got tired of me as a rookie, because I had a bunch of questions," Washington said. "But that's the way you've got to learn. You ask people who've been through the fire. You can learn from other people's mistakes as well.
"When I got here, I really learned about football, why things really happen. Joe Gibbs is in the Hall of Fame. Gregg Williams is a perfectionist. Dale Lindsey played the game. It's the perfect situation for me."
Lindsey compares Washington to former pupils and modern-era stars Junior Seau and Brian Urlacher, each a supremely talented player who took extra steps to stay ahead of the competition. But his mood darkens when asked if the Redskins' other linebackers are emulating Washington's work ethic.
"If they are, they're hiding it from me," he said. "The guys I have work hard because they don't have a choice. But I don't know if they work as hard as he does at the other part of the game, the mental part."