Linebacker Key Reads: How to Read O-Linemen

Coach Nana breaks down the critical skill of reading your keys as a linebacker, explaining that your key player is most likely an offensive lineman. For an inside linebacker, the key is typically the guard, while an outside linebacker would key on the tackle. These key players signal whether the play is a run or a pass, and where a run is going. Coach Nana outlines four staple blocks to recognize: a passing block, where the O-lineman steps back, indicating a pass play; a down block, where the O-lineman steps down, signaling a run that follows their back; a reach block, where the O-lineman goes out to wall off the defender, meaning the run is going to the outside; and a pulling block, where a guard steps back and runs toward the outside, which usually means the run is following the puller. For a pulling block, Coach Nana suggests a "go-go call" to alert teammates.