Are quarterbacks coached differently now, too?
They have better tools for coaching with all the technology they have these days. In the era I played in, I was leading the nation in interceptions playing both ways. I played defense when I was in school (at Duke). I remember my coach saying, “Boy, he’s going to make a great safety in the pros.” I said, “You’ve got to be out off your mind; I won’t last a week back there.” All the technology has helped nowadays. We didn’t get to watch professional football. We only saw one team in North Carolina. There were only 16 teams in the league. You weren’t exposed to it as much as it is now. Now, you turn on the TV and every game is on every weekend. Q: How has the game changed? A: I had arguments with coaches about this at banquets and things. I remember with Dick Vermeil discussing this. He said the difference is, when y’all called your own plays, we couldn’t evaluate the play, why it worked and didn’t work, until you came to the sideline and told us (what play was called). Now, with all the
