A Linebacker Essay

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A linebacker (LB) is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen. Linebackers generally align themselves before the ball is snapped by standing upright in a "two point stance". There are several different designations of linebackers: strongside, middle, and weakside. Usually the strongside and weakside are combined under the title outside linebacker, and the middle is renamed inside linebacker. In many formations and systems, teams do not use the strong and weakside designations, and merely play their outside linebackers consistently on one side of the formation and designate them either right outside linebacker and left outside linebacker.These terms are abbreviated ROLB and LOLB when appearing in lineup cards. Middle linebacker (MLB) The middle linebacker, often referred to as "Mike," was invented by the Chicago Bears in the early 1950's.. The middle linebacker is often referred to as the "quarterback of the defense". Often it is the middle linebacker that receives the defensive play calls from the sideline and relays that play to the rest of the team A jack-of-all-trades, the middle linebacker can be asked to blitz (though they often blitz less than the outside linebacker), cover, spy the quarterback, or even have a deep middle-of-the-field responsibility in the Tampa 2 defense. In standard defenses, middle linebackers commonly lead the team in tackles. The middle linebacker should be the toughest guy on the field.He should be able to keep the team calm when in adverst situations. Outside linebacker (OLB) The outside linebacker is usually responsible for outside containment. This includes the strongside and weakside: Strongside

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