Danny Crossman – June 5, 2024
Download PDF version
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(So do you have an open tryout for the kickoff job? I know some special teams coordinators have had safeties and linebackers. What’s your plan?) – “We’re still – as everybody is – we’re looking at a lot of different things, but to me, I still think that the advantage for the kickoff team where you can gain an advantage is to have a kicker. Because the advantage is the ball on the ground before it’s touched by the returner which enables the cover team to go, and non-kickers are going to have a little bit more difficulty trying to hit that ball consistently.”
(What have brainstorming sessions been like with something that’s so new to different special teams units across the league?) – “It’s been fun. There’s so many different avenues and aspects you look at and some things you think you’re really going to like, and then by the time you get out on the field and start looking at them, you’re like, ‘What was I ever thinking?’ And then there’s things that maybe you didn’t like and then once you’re out there, you’re executing and you’re seeing it live, you’re like, ‘Maybe that’s something we want to build on.’ But to me, the main part of this play is really two things: No. 1, it is going to be a play that starts unlike any play has ever started. It starts with the ball either being caught or the ball hitting the ground as opposed to every other play it’s either the snap or what we’re all used to – the ball being kicked, so that’s a completely different animal. Secondly, the space aspect – completely different; however, once all that stuff – you take all that out – you’re still doing the same thing. You’re still blocking, getting off the blocks and tackling, however that space differential may enable you to use and maybe look at some different players.”
(What type of body types are we talking about now since it’s mostly close quarters?) – “Honestly right now, we are looking at everything and anybody. We are not eliminating anyone when it comes to position groups that maybe weren’t part of that aspect over the last couple years. We’re back to looking at some of those people.”
(So do you want athletes? Do you want blockers?) – “Ideally your blockers are athletes, or your athletes are good blockers. But it’s a combination of are we saying could it be offensive linemen? Yeah. Could it be tight ends? Yeah. Could it be linebackers? Yeah. The numbers of eligible players that we have hasn’t changed. We’re still going to have the same active list, so you still are working off the same nucleus of these are the only bodies you have. But I do think that some of the aspects of the play may enable some guys that haven’t been part of the play now to become part of the play.”
(I’ve heard the theory that teams are basically not going to unleash what they’re doing during the exhibition season and they’re going to save it for the regular season. Do you think that that’s true or fair?) – “I don’t know and we’re not there. I haven’t begun to even think about that yet. We’re still weeding out what we like, what we don’t like, what we think can gain us an advantage, what are we going to prepare for that we think other teams may try. So right now this whole spring has been a real – it’s been a great experience because we’re looking at things and doing things that I never thought I’d be doing.”
(How does the XFL’s film come into play here?) – “It was a good starting point, but then everything changed. For them, everything was 10-on-10 within five yards and that was it. We have a little bit more maneuverability and flexibility in terms of upfront, being able to have two guys off, being able to have two returners, being able to move those guys wherever you want them as long as they’re starting inside the 20, to be able to take one of those guys and add them to the front and have no limitations on where you can put that guy to enable some more double teams and traps. So we have a lot more flexibility in what we do, but it was a great starting point to be able to put tape on him and say, ‘Wow, I never thought of that,’ or ‘Wow, that could be a real, real problem.’”
(What was your input on this whole process? Did you speak up to talk to all those guys?) – “Oh yeah, it was a great thing. That was probably the nicest thing about it. As special teams coaches, we’re the one group that has a great camaraderie and communication as a group, but then yet, on Sunday, we’re the only guys that go out there and try and beat the other guy. The offensive line group, they think they’re all the tight, but they don’t compete against one another. So to be able to sit there in a group, in multiple groups, small groups, big groups, and be able to talk about thought. There were some great things brought up, and there were some things that were brought up and people were – like anything else – ‘No, I don’t like that.’ It was a great seminar as a group.”
(On the returners, does it change the body type, the speed, power, breaking tackles?) – “Until you know what balls you get, I don’t know. Because we don’t know what we’re getting yet. We don’t know if people are going to – are they going to kick it high and deep down the middle? Are they going high and deep and outside? Are they going to kick line drives? Are they going to try and kick knuckleballs? Until you know what you’re getting, I don’t think you can answer that. I still think it’s going to be – you want talented guys. You’ve got to be able to make guys miss, you’ve got to be able to close space in a hurry, you’ve got to be able to make somebody miss in a phonebooth. And if you can do those, everybody wants more of those guys. So we’ll see.”
(What do you think Week 1 will be like ultimately? Will it just be a tremendous element of surprise?) – “I think it all depends on what game you’re watching. I really believe that. If you’re watching Thursday night, the opener in Kansas City, and then you watch all the games Sunday and then you watch what’s happening on Monday night, based on what games you’ve watched, you could see four or five completely different approaches both on the kickoff and the return based on what game you’re watching. If you sit there Sunday and you watch a 1:00 p.m., a 4:30 p.m. and an 8 o’clock Sunday night game, you could see a whole lot of different things.”
(And any indications early on what could be best alignment in the 20-yard receiving zone? I don’t know we can’t disclose what we’ve seen you guys do so far, but?) – “I know what I’m thinking, and it’s really based on where the advantages come from and trying to defend those advantages. I’m talking about the advantages of the kickoff team and how we want to try and help ourselves.”
