Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Bubba Ventrone (8.5.24)
Bubba, did you take any notes from the Hall of Fame Game the other night on how they did the kickoff?
“Yeah, it was pretty much what I expected. I don’t anticipate a lot of, I would say, variety and scheme showing up in these games. A lot of young guys playing in that game as well. So, yeah, it was pretty much what I expected.”
But do you see a possibility of a lot of exotic and creativity in plays?
“Yeah, I think coaches and teams are going to save a lot of their schemes, schematics for the regular season. I don’t think you’ll see a lot of variety in the preseason games.”
From you, too?
“I don’t think I’ll show too much.”
Isn’t there a risk there not having any live game reps before the start of the season?
“Yeah, and I think also, it depends on your personnel who’s playing in the game. I think that you can get into using maybe using something maybe a little bit more complex in this game. If you have guys that can execute.”
As you’re going along, are you getting more creative, and the possibilities are sort of endless? Do you like lay awake at night thinking “Oh, geez. Maybe we could try this.”?
“Yeah, there’s a lot of thought that has gone into it, a lot of studying. We’ve gained a lot of information from the first week and a half of camp through the drill work that we’ve done with the timing and the spacing. So just trying to, I guess you would say, apply it to the next practice. Like yesterday, there were some things that I saw, like, in our practice period that I didn’t love, so I’m gonna try a few different things today. And especially, it helps whenever we’re working in pads to really get the feel for it. So we’ll be in pads today.”
You have eight different people working at returners, would you want to wiggle that down as you go through the season?
“We want to have depth. We want everyone to understand the play and how it’s ran. In the event that we would have to use one of the down-the-line guys that aren’t at the top, have to get in there. We want those guys that have experience. So, we’re just trying to train as many guys as possible at this point.”
Have you seen anybody sort of embrace this opportunity? I mean, I hear you, yell Sam Kamara’s name a lot, guys like that. Is there anybody that stood out with this kickoff opportunity?
“I think the best thing with our team right now with this play is that everyone is all hands-on deck. Everyone is willing to do anything asked, and that’s all you can ask for. Our team has bought into this unique change of a play that is going to be able to impact games. To me, that’s the biggest thing for us is our guys – we want to be a really good football team. So if we’re going to do that, you’ve gotta be willing to do whatever it takes for us to win. So if that means playing on another special teams unit or both, then that’s what it’s going to have to take. And I think to your question, yes, everyone has.”
With Dustin (Hopkins), not trying to kick it out of the end zone every time anymore. What kind of adjustment is that for him to, like, have to really place these kickoffs?
“Yeah, I think that, you know, we’re working out of some different approaches with him, whether it be a three step, a five step, or different ball placement. So we’re working a bunch of different things. There wasn’t a lot of times where I asked them to bring me touchbacks last year. But look, it is hard to kick in our stadium. There’s a lot of wind that factors into it. So yeah, the placement is definitely going to be a big point of emphasis for us.”
When you guys have talked about with the new rules, like possibly playing players in the preseason games that maybe wouldn’t play in years past, like just to get them reps in that you guys are thinking are going to use?
“Yeah, I think that we’re trying to gain as much information in our practice settings. So, if we’re not playing certain guys or certain guys are being stressed too much on defense that wouldn’t normally play as much, don’t have to play as many reps for me. Just trying to come to that, find that balance and go from there. But, yeah, you’ll probably see some different people that haven’t really normally played as much in a preseason, especially as we move along.”
When Justin Hardee came here, he was a big special teams guy. What have you made of him?
“I’ve coached against him for a number of years. Tough kid, hard worker. You know, I would say he is super competitive. I don’t know if anybody watched the one-on-one drills we did back at the Greenbrier but he is – he does not like to lose, he’s been great for our meeting rooms, he’s vocal, good communicator. I’m really excited to have him.”
Bubba, when you go with a couple of linemen on the kickoff, right, the blocking, the return unit, you had a couple of big bodies out there. Do you have to balance the benefit of, okay, I got this bigger guy that can block maybe can block like a James Hudson versus, you know, we’re in a little bit of space, it might be tougher for another guy.
“Yeah, and some of the things we’re doing we have guys out there to give a look. Maybe not necessarily that they’re going to be a part of that unit, things like that. But, yeah, whenever you’re trying, I guess you put, put pieces to the puzzle. You’re always taking into account the skill set of that player. Right? Ideally, you don’t want to have a guy that’s not good in space, in space. But unfortunately for them, the kicking game is about playing space, a lot of it is. So, yeah, we’re just trying to figure out who to play and where, who can play the techniques.”
Going back to Dustin and kicking in the stadium, because of the challenges that there are. How does he prepare?
“Yeah, I feel like it’s pretty windy here at practice still, especially with all the things that have gone down and the winds coming through. So, he’ll be able to adjust.”
At the Greenbrier, Kevin (Stefanski) said you and he discussed the possibility of a kickoff specialist, and you decided not to go ahead with it. So, explain why.
“Each roster spot’s pretty valuable. Look, we have a professional kicker that’s here to kick, so I don’t know if we need that roster two of them.”
Does that mean training of defensive player?
“Oh, you’re saying training of defensive player? Yeah, obviously, like, kickers kick, right? Kickers kick and position players play their position. There’s a lot more stress and strain on your body that kicking presents than a non-kicking player kicking. Like, last year, we end up playing when Dustin gets nicked up, Corey (Bojorquez) comes in. He doesn’t normally kick off and, you know, his quad tightened up. So, if you don’t kick all the time, it’s a foreign movement to your body that you’re not used to. It’ll be like going out saying like – say you have to bench press. If you haven’t bench pressed in five years, and you got to bench press, you’re gonna be sore.”
You can train them to do it.
“And in the same sense, yeah, at the end of the day, they’re not professional kickers. That’d be my biggest arguing point. I wouldn’t want to risk, you know, like, D’Anthony Bell kicking off because I need him to play. That’s my personal opinion, and, yeah, I’ll probably just stop talking.”
How much do you like the experiential learning rooms and how much do you wish as a player you would have had something like that to stand up and learn?
“Yeah, Jimmy and Dee (Haslam) did an incredible job with our complex. Our guys are very fortunate for the resources they have to use and to prepare with. I mean, yeah, it’s a great way to teach and a great way to learn. So, yeah, I would love to have something like that.”
I mean, you retired not long ago. Is it best and different now for a player with all the technology and everything else that might come with it?
“It’s a lot different. It’s a lot different. I mean, our guys, every movement they make, they’re being tracked at practice, you know; the yardage, speed, recovery, we didn’t have any of that. It was just go play two-a-days, full pads. I’ll joke with our players, ‘We actually used to play real football,’ like twice a day in full pads. I couldn’t even imagine having two full padded practices today. The guys would look at you like you’re crazy.”
I mean, since it was so normal, did you think that this is the job?”
“Yeah, I would say this. I’m a firm believer in, like, hard work and your body, like, builds a callus when you work, and you practice hard. I think that there’s something being said about how you practice, and I think that obviously you’re building in your conditioning as well. You don’t just want to get out of practice healthy. Like, you’re trying to get ready for the season. You’re trying to put your team in a position to play at a high level late in the game. You know, that’s how – the best teams are the teams that play the hardest and the longest. And typically, those are the teams that practice the hardest. Not necessarily the longest, but practice the hardest.”
I heard your group in particular likes the golf simulator and you guys have been using that. What can those different things, not super football oriented, do for your group?
“(Jim) Schwartz was giving our specialists a hard time about being in the golf simulator. Yeah, I think all those things are great. The Greenbrier was great for us to be, like, around each other and just to be almost, like, forced to hang out with one another. A number of guys said they have never spent that much time with their teammates. I thought that that was obviously, that’s a reason why we like going down there. So, I think that, you know, things like that around the building, when there’s time off.”
Do you have an idea if (Nyheim) Hines will be helping out?
“I hope soon. You know, he’s working hard, and he’s looked good in everything I’ve seen him do. So hopefully it’s not too much longer.”
What have you seen from Nyheim as he’s been out there helping and giving tips to the returners?
“Yeah, I mean, he’s been with me since 2018. Very good communicator. He started out, he didn’t get it right away, so there was a big learning curve. He had a couple months early in the preseason in his rookie year. He kept working at it, had an opportunity in the middle of his rookie season and then came along and ended up earning that job. Had a lot of production for us. But really good, really good hard worker that just trying to help those guys and educate them.”
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