So I now have a concussion..

I am "veteran" coach with about 30 years in the high school ranks as a coach and I have been the scout QB on a number of occasions for the last 5 years. Our conference has several teams and we see a large variety of offensive schemes each year. We do not have enough players to platoon effectively and the scout QB's are usually sophomores or freshmen. We run a one back spread scheme that is Jet Sweep based with very little option due mostly to the lack of athletic type QB's. Our scout Qb's are just barely functional running a scheme similar to ours and are worthless in the wing T, Veer, Zone Read, Double Wing or Air Raid type offenses. The other assistant coaches have never coached or played QB in any of those schemes and I am pressed into service out of default because I am the only one that has coached or been under center when the up coming opponent runs one of the fore mentioned systems. I have never been injured or injured another player (physically), although I have embarrassed a few over the years.

I still have fairly good quickness, although I have lost a step or two when it comes to flat out foot speed and can run the veer and zone read option with a pretty good level of success. We have had some pretty good scout RB's and I always tell them to stay with me in pitch relationship because I am going to pitch them the ball it is just a matter of when. This year we saw 2 Veer teams, 2 Zone Read option teams, 1 Double Wing team and 1 Air Raid team that forced me into service. I had several plays were I caught the DE cheating outside and gave a little head fake and got up field inside of him, then made the pitch 7-10 yards up field where the RB took it for big plays. The players really got a charge out of it and our DE's were "aggressively" coached to honor their assignments. I tried to coach up one of our scout Qb's to run the Double Wing, but he just could not match up the footwork and ball fakes well enough to give us a look and I was forced into running the DW for a week.

I still have a decent arm, a quick release, and the ability to look off a safety, so I give them a much better look against the pass than our younger scout qb's. I have never been much of a "trash" talker, even when I played, but had a new assistant this year that helped on Scout O that really dished it out when we were having some success. I had to get him under control a couple of times to stop the Varsity Defense from killing me, although they were under strict orders to not hit the "Old Man QB". On pass plays where no one was open I would just stop and yell out "SACK" to stop the pass rush or fire it into coverage and let my receivers try to make a play. I am sure I never held onto the ball more that 3 seconds before making a pass or calling "Sack" and only scrambled a hand full of times when I was sure I could safely break the pocket or leave the designated protection scheme.

I know that it putting a coach under center for scout is not the ideal situation, but our defense showed a marked improvement this year because we were able to give them a decent look as a Scout Offense each week. My son is an adult now and my Wife never attends a practice and my "little secret" was safe until the end of the year banquet where I was the co-recipient of the Scout Player of the Year Award. She did not participate in the standing ovation I received from the players and has made it clear that she will not be available to pick me up or visit me at any of the area hospitals should I break my streak of "no injury seasons". We currently have a varsity assistant opening for next year and I am pushing hard for a coach with some QB experience to take over my reign as the Scout QB for next season. So coaches, be careful out there, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do to help the team!

Sorry about the long post of bragging about my QB play and I want to thank anybody that reads this nauseating, self promotion ego stroke that a pathetic old man has shamelessly submitted. I promise to never do to it again!!!