with Jason Denton,
St. James Academy (KS) Defensive Coordinator;
2020 & 2021 Kansas 4A State High School Football Champions
Nothing rips the heart out of a defensive coordinator more than dialing up the perfect in-game situational call to stop an opponent only to have a missed tackle lead to a big, backbreaking play for the opposing offense.
Regardless of your talent level, or the sophisticated nature of the defensive scheme you’ve installed, if your defense is riddled with poor tackling, your defenses will always underperform. Yet, with limited practice time and a never-ending checklist of things that coaching staffs need to address, it takes across-the-board dedication, and an organized plan, to ensure that your team has the necessary reps and time to work on becoming a top-tier tackling team.
Jason Denton, the defensive coordinator at St. James Academy, knew that tackling was priority No. 1 in the big picture scheme of building a championship-level defense.
In this instructional coaching video, Coach Denton provides a step-by-step guideline for continual improvement on tackling fundamentals in-season without neglecting other key facets of your team.
Coach Denton pulls back the curtain to outline a real-world plan for transforming your defensive personnel into hard-nosed, physical tacklers who utilize safe, sound tackling techniques.
Hawk Tackling: Concepts & Creating a Plan
Coach Denton lays the foundation for effective tackling by focusing on essential elements like eye placement, footwork, and hip alignment. Denton showcases his proven process for teaching players the correct technique to avoid missed tackles, while minimizing defensive injuries.
Providing game film examples of poor tackling technique, Denton dedicates time to explain how and why good tacking begins and ends with a system based on continual teaching and a season-long emphasis geared toward improving technique.
Coach Denton lays out the details of his process for coaching and teaching Hawk Tackling techniques, as well as why this system stresses safety while simultaneously building ferocious, aggressive defenders who swarm to the ball.
Drill Work, Game Film Analysis
Coach Denton showcases 10 impactful tackling drills designed to reinforce proper technique, while building up your team’s strength and agility. The drills highlighted in this segment help coaches develop well-rounded tacklers who can make plays in a wide variety of in-game situations.
You’ll also receive detailed information and watch examples of practice-tested tackling drills, including ‘Wrap-and-Drive-For-Five Drill’ and the ‘Track-The-Hip Drill,’ as well as a slew of competition-based tackling drills that keep your in-season defensive practice segments lively, intense and fun for players.
Daily drills alone, though, aren’t enough to improve and sustain excellent tackling across the board. Coach Denton provides key information on an excellent system based on a season-long evaluation of tackling through game film analysis.
By analyzing game footage of both good and bad tackling, Denton explains how coaches can identify common mistakes and teach defenders how to correct them eliminating bad habits and leading to continued improvement in tackling performance as the season progresses.
Don't let missed tackles and poor tackling habits hinder your team's defensive success! In this riveting defensive video, Coach Denton arms defensive coaches at all levels with a master class of highly valuable tackling information.
The comprehensive approach to teaching tackling shown in this must-see video, equips you with the tools you need to teach your players proper tackling technique, while improving your team’s overall defensive performance!
46 minutes. 2025.
FD-06296I:
with Jason Denton,
St. James Academy (KS) Defensive Coordinator;
2020 & 2021 Kansas 4A State High School Football Champions
When St. James Academy head coach, Tom Radke and defensive coordinator, Jason Denton evaluated a variety of defensive systems that would best fit their program’s philosophy of playing ‘Physical, Fast, Fearless Football,’ they ultimately landed on the 4-2-5 Defense.
Coach Denton shares a detailed summary of a defensive mission statement that he crafted for the Thunder football programs and explains how the characteristics and flexible nature of the 4-2-5 system pairs perfectly with the objectives outlined in their philosophy.
Going a step further, Coach Denton explains the process you need to put in place to install a defensive culture that mirrors the talent and attitude of your program. Additionally, Denton showcases the importance of establishing key goals for your team defense and why the decision to incorporate a 4-2-5 scheme serves as an ideal system to achieve those predetermined benchmarks.
This must-see instructional coaching video showcases critical information on installing and teaching the 4-2-5 Defense, as well as providing a deep-dive look at tactics specific to this system that are ideal for aggressively ‘getting after’ opposing offenses while using a style of play perfectly tailored to fit the types of athletes commonly seen in Coach Denton’s football program.
4-2-5 Defense: Base Rules & Alignment
After explaining his team’s defensive goals and how the 4-2-5 Defense serves as the ideal system for his program, Coach Denton outlines the essentials you need to know about the 4-2-5 and why this system best plays to his team’s strengths.
Denton highlights the 4-2-5 Defense’s rules, objectives and base alignment in an informative, easy-to-follow overview. General player assignments in the 4-2-5 and position attributes are also covered in this highly valuable segment.
Using game film as a means of emphasis, Coach Denton reinforces the flexibility that’s built into the 4-2-5 Defense to support his team’s defensive goals and overall mission statement.
Stunts, Blitzes For Defensive Linemen & LBs
The ability to pressure quarterbacks and stuff runs while using a 4-man front can be a game changing attribute that transforms a good defense into a great and dominant defense that imposes its will on any type of offensive system.
Coach Denton explains the critical tactics he uses for getting pressure and winning the LOS with just a 4-man front. Showing game film examples paired with detailed explanations, Denton provides a concise look at his favorite stunts, line games and blitzes he uses up front in the 4-2-5 system.
Possessing an effective, disruptive 4-man front in a 4-2-5 system opens many doors for being creative with the back seven defenders. Denton does a masterful job of using diagrams paired with game film examples to highlight the linebacker blitzes and stunts he commonly unleashes on opposing offenses.
Coach Denton also provides a concise, yet valuable summary on how using heavy pressure concepts with defensive linemen and linebackers, opens a pathway for aggressive, swarming play by the five secondary defenders.
This is a must-watch video for defensive coaches at all levels of football. If you currently utilize a 4-2-5 scheme, Coach Denton provides terrific insights that you can use to energize your own defense. And if you are considering making the switch to a 4-2-5 Defense, the information uncovered in this presentation serves as the perfect tutorial to highlight a process that allows for on-the-field defensive success!
51 minutes. 2025.
FD-06296J:
with Jason Denton,
St. James Academy (KS) Defensive Coordinator;
2020 & 2021 Kansas 4A State High School Football Champions
When St. James Academy head coach, Tom Radke and defensive coordinator, Jason Denton evaluated a variety of defensive systems that would best fit their program’s philosophy of playing ‘Physical, Fast, Fearless Football,’ they decided on using a 4-2-5 Defense as it offers both in-game scheme flexibility, while being a great fit for the overall type of athletes that make up the Thunder football program.
Coach Denton, however, also felt that to truly take that next jump to becoming a championship level defense, his team needed a go-to alternative weapon that perfectly complimented his base 4-man front defense, while providing different looks and fresh tactics to bring heavy pressure on opposing offenses.
After analyzing the options, Denton opted to select and install a 3-4 package as another weapon in his defensive arsenal. Using an odd front, 3-man defensive line look as another means of applying heavy pressure opens new doors and unleashes an array of creative opportunities on opponents.
In this highly valuable instructional coaching video, Coach Denton provides a proven plan for installing and using a 3-4 defense to keep opposing offenses on their heels and guessing. In addition, you’ll also receive tips and game-tested strategies for switching back and forth between a 4-3 and 3-4 package.
3-4 Defense: Slant Coverages & Fresh Pressure Tactics
Using game film clips as examples that reinforce his reasoning, Coach Denton highlights the benefits and versatility derived from seamlessly switching from a 4-2-5 Defense to a 3-4 Defense.
Denton explains the different looks and challenges that an unexpected switch to an odd-front defense like the 3-4 can pose for opposing offenses.
With a sudden switch to a 3-man front, you suddenly possess four athletic linebackers on the field – bringing a new dimension that will confuse offenses. Denton explains the key role that LBs play in a 3-4 Defense, and how the switch from two to four LBs offer new coverage and pressure opportunities.
Coach Denton highlights the benefits of using slant coverages as a fresh concept to throw at opposing offenses. Slant coverages offer different gap responsibilities, which can disrupt an offense that is primarily concerned with keeping the base 4-man pressures, normally seen in a 4-2-5 Defense, at bay.
Interior and Perimeter LB Pressure Packages
The 3-man front also poses new problems for offenses when you begin to get creative with the four linebackers as a means of applying pressure. Coach Denton outlines how a 3-4 Defense becomes especially problematic when you call for inside twists and line games between the Inside LBs and interior defensive linemen.
On the outside, Coach Denton unveils how LB twists on the perimeter suddenly brings pressure from the outside, providing intense pass rush or run-stuffing tactics from a more athletic, faster linebacker defender. For an offense, the pressure coming from LBs poses a whole new set of protection rules that opposing teams must account for.
In addition to interior pressure and perimeter stunts/blitzes coming from LBs, Coach Denton also provides keen insight and valuable tips on the problems you can cause with 3-High Safeties.
Best of all, Coach Denton explains how you can install the alternative 3-4 Defense package in a simple and time-saving way that won’t negatively impact your practices.
This is a must-watch defensive video for coaches at all levels. Coach Denton provides an airtight case on why and how you can energize and empower your base 4-2-5 Defense with an occasional, unexpected switch to a 3-4 Defense!
58 minutes. 2025.
FD-06296K:
with Jason Denton,
St. James Academy (KS) Defensive Coordinator;
2020 & 2021 Kansas 4A State High School Football Champions
In modern football, the passing game has never been more explosive or prolific. The offensive objectives of today’s offenses stems from a desire to control tempo and spread defenses, both wide and deep, as a means to identify and exploit mismatches.
In many instances, defenses are often left on their heels and unable to substitute as a no-huddle, up-tempo passing attack slices and dices its way downfield.The best hope for most defenses is to slow down a pass-heavy offense by applying heavy pass-rush pressure on an opposing quarterback. Pass rush is especially effective in times where a defense can get home with just a 4-man front, which subsequently allows the back seven defenders the flexibility to cover and guard potentially harmful routes.
The evolution of today's game means that a defensive coordinator’s use of coverages and the ability to disguise effective coverages has never been more important.
James Denton, defensive coordinator at St. James Academy has achieved a high-level of success by utilizing a wide variety of pass coverages. Winning back-to-back state championships, the Thunder’s smothering defense and Coach Denton’s ability to mix in different pass coverages, has taken his defense to the next level.
In this highly anticipated instructional coaching video, Coach Denton pulls back the curtain to unveil his pass coverage system – laying out his tactical approach and philosophy for using different coverages in a variety of in-game situations.
Throughout the video, Coach Denton uses an effective combination of game-film clips, charts, diagrams and provides game examples to explain his favorite coverages and showcase the best drills he uses to teach secondary defenders.
Base Overview, Disguising Coverages, Cover-4 and Cover-6
Coach Denton begins with an overview of his base defense and uses an easy-to-digest chart that labels each coverage zone they use in his system – labeling areas such as ‘deep third,’ ‘deep half,’ ‘out routes,’ ‘curl routes,’ ‘flat,’ ‘swing’ and more.
With the table set, Coach Denton serves up an all-you-can-eat pass-coverage buffet that highlights a variety of important coverage topics, including the best strategies for disguising coverages, a breakdown of his Base Cover-4 and provides a detailed look at several game-film examples with diagrams that showcases both good and bad instances of Quarters Coverage.
Denton spends time examining the rules and responsibilities in his Cover-6 scheme, including detailed explanations of recent in-game situations that illustrate the optimum time to unleash this type of coverage on an opposing offense.
Change-Up Coverages (Cover-3, Cover-12) and DB Drills
After a thorough examination of his most-commonly used coverages, Coach Denton highlights his approach to using what he calls, ‘Change-Up Coverages’ – providing diagrams, game film cut-ups and examples of appropriate times to use them. Change-up coverages include an in-depth look at when and where you can use Cover-3 and Cover-12 to confuse opposing QBs and receivers.
Denton finishes his highly valuable presentation with an in-depth look at his favorite defensive back drills – each one designed to improve critical coverage skills essential for success in his use of several coverages.
This video is a must-watch, defensive master class for all levels of football and teaches viewers the best strategies within a proven system of pass coverages.
Coach Denton shines in this video – through his organized combination of using diagrams, clear explanations, technical coaching points and use of good game film – which all works together to cohesively boil down critical, high-level coverage concepts and breaks them into easily digestible information you can immediately use and/or install in your own defense!
58 minutes. 2025.