Building a Violent Defensive Line with Coach Cason

In this episode of The Board Drill Podcast, Kyle sits down with Coach Clayton Cason, Defensive Coordinator at Mandarin High School, to talk all things defensive line play. Coach Cason dives deep into his core teaching progressions, how he builds violence into strike technique, and how Mandarin teaches their D-linemen to dominate one-on-one matchups. From laws of D-line play to dealing with double teams and striking like Simba, this is a clinic episode you’ll want to take notes on!

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⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Intro & Coach Cason joins the show
1:15 – The Laws of Playing for Coach Cason
2:45 – Alignment, Key, Assignment + “Six Seconds of Hell”
4:40 – Strike & Separate Philosophy
6:30 – Creating "Steel Beams" & Being the Train, Not the Tracks
8:10 – Do Your Job: Belichick-ian Buy-In
10:00 – Teaching the 3 Modes: Knockback, Playmaker, GTA
13:00 – Eye Discipline and the “Call of Duty Scope” Visual
15:20 – Game Situations and Cues
17:00 – Strike Technique Breakdown
20:00 – “Force the Flinch” Drill & Coaching Cues
25:00 – Visual Aids: Simba, Crocodile, and Shoulder Pad Targeting
30:00 – Offseason Violence & Reps Matter
32:10 – Teaching Separation and Playing Gap & a Half
34:30 – Popsicle Pad, Power Scoot, and Elbow Lockouts
37:00 – Shedding to Make Plays and Controlling the LOS
41:00 – Reach & Gather Footwork for Run Fits
44:00 – Power Scoot Technique for Long Armed Ends
46:30 – Block Recognition & Simplified D-Line Rules
49:00 – Double Teams: “Have You Ever Been Jumped?” Analogy
52:00 – Strike, Long Arm, and Split the Double
54:00 – Coach Cason’s Favorite Visuals & Inside Shade Philosophy
56:30 – Teaching Every Technique the Same Regardless of Front
1:00:00 – Final Thoughts on Simplifying for Violence and Results