Elway Drill
Setup
Determine a starting location and set your Quarterback up in his typical formation alignment, whether it be under center or in the shotgun.
Purpose
Teach Quarterbacks the skill of the “Elway Drill” as a technique to escape the pocket when pressured from their blindside.
Drill Description
This drill is named after the famous way that John Elway would spin around and escape the pocket when attacked from his blind side.
Have Quarterbacks go through their normal 3-step, 5-step, and/or 7-step drop, and set up in the pocket in order to simulate a normal passing play. Optionally, simulate a blitz towards the Quarterback’s blind side.
After setting up in the pocket, the Quarterback should feel the (real or imagined) pressure from his blind side and should proceed to escape it using the “Elway Drill” technique. The proper technique is for the Quarterback to dip his back shoulder while extending his back foot straight back as if he is beginning to run completely backward. After turning his back completely away from the line of scrimmage, he should then continue and turn all the way around to turn it into a role out to the sideline.
This maneuver must be perfectly timed, because if the Quarterback waits too long, he is going to get blasted in the back by the defender, but if he leaves too early, the defender will have time to readjust and recover. Essentially the Quarterback is operating like a bullfighter who waits until the last second to get out of the way a bull, in an effort to keep himself, and the play, alive.
