Football WHITLOCK - DeBerg is a quarterback guru - Page 2

C-Mac · 01-30-2009, 08:32 PM

I searched and didn't find, so I apologize if its a repostis....
Former Chief DeBerg is a quarterback guru
By JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star

TAMPA, Fla. | Twenty minutes north of ground zero for Super Bowl XLIII, pop star Justin Timberlake unwinds, shortstop Derek Jeter prepares, quarterback Donovan McNabb recovers, and Michael Jordan plays a round of golf.

Tampa’s Saddlebrook Resort is the offseason home for the biggest and baddest entertainers America produces. The opulent paradise is a sanctuary for the wealthy. They flock here for the warm weather, the seclusion and the pampering.

Steve DeBerg comes here to work. He tutors quarterbacks. In the spring and summer he schools prep QBs in hopes of readying them for a college scholarship. This time of year, he prepares college QBs for the combine and NFL draft.

He’s paid handsomely. He’s developed a reputation as a QB guru. He’s the Butch Harmon of football. You know Butch Harmon, Tiger Woods’ former swing coach. DeBerg is the “fling” coach.

“The thing I teach the most is how to quick release the football with power, speeding up the delivery,” DeBerg said Thursday. “Why does Tiger Woods need a swing coach? He has the greatest swing there ever was. Sometimes you get a little out of sync and you can’t realize it yourself.

“A lot of quarterbacks don’t understand technique. Even most quarterback coaches don’t even know what the most advanced throwing techniques are. They teach. ‘This is who you’re supposed to throw it to and if you can’t do it, we’ll let Joe try it.’ At the NFL level there is so much strategy involved in preparing a quarterback to play that the technique part kind of gets overlooked.”

That’s where DeBerg comes in. Agents hire DeBerg to prep their clients. It’s why a kid might look like the second coming at the combine and look second fiddle at training camp. Kids are getting better coaching before the draft than after it.

You think Dick Curl knows more about proper technique than Steve DeBerg? Quarterback coaches teach assignments and read progressions. DeBerg teaches release point, peripheral vision, footwork, posture and follow-through.

DeBerg’s most famous client was Tony Romo, the Cowboys QB. DeBerg fell in love with Romo long before Bill Parcells. DeBerg thought Romo was worthy of a high draft pick. DeBerg taught Romo the high, compact, short-burst release that NFL analysts now love and compare to Brett Favre’s.

I drove up to Saddlebrook on Thursday because I wanted to talk quarterback play with DeBerg. Whenever the Chiefs get around to identifying a new coach, their next big decision will revolve around the QB position.

Is Tyler Thigpen a legitimate QB of the future? What should the Chiefs be looking for in a young QB?

DeBerg has spent most of his 55 years thinking about playing quarterback. He survived 17 years in the NFL because he mastered the little things about the position. He hatched an improbable return to the league at age 45, earning a spot on the 1998 Super Bowl Atlanta Falcons, thanks largely to his ability to help Atlanta’s other QBs prepare for games.

DeBerg knows the position. He’s played it at the highest level, most memorably as a Kansas City Chief in 1990, and coached the position for the New York Giants. He knows what the Chiefs should be looking for now.

“No. 1, you have to have accuracy,” DeBerg said. “You have to have a quick release. You have to have arm strength. You have to have intelligence.”

And then you have to get lucky.

“It’s just so hard to predict how a quarterback will handle the NFL,” DeBerg acknowledged. “Romo wasn’t drafted. How could everyone be wrong about him? Tom Brady, the best in the game, was a sixth-round pick. A lot of people were wrong about him.”

DeBerg said that within the last five years he nearly took a job with the Chiefs coaching quarterbacks. He remembers Kansas City fondly. In 1990 he threw 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions and led the Chiefs to an 11-5 record.

“Marty Schottenheimer is a great football coach,” DeBerg said without being prompted. “It would take a special situation for me to return to coaching. I just got married, and coaching is very hard on a marriage. It’s hard on a spouse.”

For now he satisfies his football fix training kids at Saddlebrook. His home is a 30-minute drive from Saddlebrook. He leaves each weekday at 7:30 a.m. and returns home by 5 p.m. A little later in the winter he starts working a double shift. He coaches high school kids at night.

It’s a good life.

“I’m off the entire fall during football season,” he said. “I get to travel and do whatever I want during the fall. I get to be a fan and follow the kids I coached. But I don’t get blamed for the losses.”

damaticous · 01-31-2009, 08:03 AM

Interesting reading the comments on the article.

I thought everyone hated Deberg, I was just getting interested in the Chiefs when he was playing. didn't he play his last game or a play off game with a pin in his pinky of his throwing hand?

JuicesFlowing · 01-31-2009, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greg63

DeBerg was pretty good with the play action fake.

I agree. The play action fakes these days are pretty sad. DeBerg used to fake out the cameramen with his fakes.

cardken · 01-31-2009, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JuicesFlowing

I agree. The play action fakes these days are pretty sad. DeBerg used to fake out the cameramen with his fakes.

Back in the day, I remember many a home game, DeBerg throwing a play action bomb first play. Man, those were the days. Marty, tried to bench him many times early on giving Vlasick and others opportunity but kept coming back to the cagey vetern. I remember Channel 9 doing a story on it, and DeBerg referring to himself as Marty's "Jason", that he "kept coming back." He was incredible in 1990, met him at Mission Center Mall, around Christmas one Saturday, he was taking "Santa" pictures, I stop them as they were closing and had my "Santa" picture taken with him, he was a good sport and we talked for a spell, still one of my favorite Chiefs.

cardken · 01-31-2009, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by damaticous

Interesting reading the comments on the article.

I thought everyone hated Deberg, I was just getting interested in the Chiefs when he was playing. didn't he play his last game or a play off game with a pin in his pinky of his throwing hand?

He was a warrior, played with that pin in his hand during 1990 playoffs with Dolphins. And while with the Dolphins in 1993, took a helmet to the chin and came back and finished the game. Gamer, you don't see that anymore.

milkman · 01-31-2009, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by damaticous

Interesting reading the comments on the article.

I thought everyone hated Deberg, I was just getting interested in the Chiefs when he was playing. didn't he play his last game or a play off game with a pin in his pinky of his throwing hand?

How did you reach that conclusion?

My impression is that DeBerg is among the favorite players for many Chiefs fans because of his toughness.

**rockymtnchief** · 01-31-2009, 08:52 AM

Nobody's come close to selling the play action before or since Deberg. If he doesn't want to be a QB coach, at least hire him to come to mini-camps and training camp.

ZootedGranny · 01-31-2009, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefaholic

Quite possible one of my top 10 favorite Chiefs.

Same here.

As a big fan of Romo, I wonder what he thought when Romo didn't play because of his pinky. When I think of DeBerg, I think of that giant soft cast on his finger still slinging the ball downfield.

dallaschiefsfan · 01-31-2009, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cardken

Back in the day, I remember many a home game, DeBerg throwing a play action bomb first play. Man, those were the days. Marty, tried to bench him many times early on giving Vlasick and others opportunity but kept coming back to the cagey vetern. I remember Channel 9 doing a story on it, and DeBerg referring to himself as Marty's "Jason", that he "kept coming back." He was incredible in 1990, met him at Mission Center Mall, around Christmas one Saturday, he was taking "Santa" pictures, I stop them as they were closing and had my "Santa" picture taken with him, he was a good sport and we talked for a spell, still one of my favorite Chiefs.

The guy was pretty confident in himself...almost arrogant. But he was always a nice guy in public from what I recall. Him, Neil Smith, Derrick Thomas and several others were regulars at Red Lobster on Noland Rd. on Friday nights before the game. I was working as a server there back then. Great days. They were basically a fun bunch of guys that seemed to enjoy being out in public. Deberg was always showing up late...usually with some form of alcohol scent in his wake. Oh the early 90's...

Kerberos · 01-31-2009, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockymtnchief

Nobody's come close to selling the play action before or since Deberg. If he doesn't want to be a QB coach, at least hire him to come to mini-camps and training camp.

Yup his fake moves and hard count were pretty fun to watch as the teams ran for him and the ball was 10 yards downfield with the running back or watch him get D-linemen to jump offsides.

**OnTheWarpath15** · 01-31-2009, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Otter

These articles are getting painful. I'm almost starting to hope the Chiefs throw them a bone soon.

Tuesday.

I'm calling it to happen on Tuesday.

damaticous · 01-31-2009, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkman

How did you reach that conclusion?

My impression is that DeBerg is among the favorite players for many Chiefs fans because of his toughness.

Interesting. I remember a few fans that I was around at the time thought he sucked, and I thought that I remember people on here saying he sucked too. Could be mistaken.

I never understood why anyone thought that way though. I was a HS QB and thought his level of play was amazing. Had a very nice release that I strive for and paid attention to details in the basics. That's why his bootlegs and fakes were so good and what my coach wanted me to do, so I watched his movements intensely.

I love his toughness.

When I was in HS playing QB I tried to be as tough and get the basics down of the fakes and passing mechanics, but tried to be a leader like Joe Montana. I likes the look of Joe's throwing motion, but knew Steve's was the way it should be.

Got me pretty far, but turned out my body wasn't as tough as I wanted to be...

7th-8th grade - broken and sprained ankles - played all games.
9th grade - broken and bruised ribs with torn cartilage played all but 3.
10th grade - Broken collar bone - missed whole season.
11th grade - Sub for varsity QB who didn't get hurt. played in 2 games.
12th grade - 5th game of the season broke my back - out for season.

I always wondered what would have been if I was 3-4 inches taller with stronger bones.

FringeNC · 01-31-2009, 10:25 AM

I wonder if something is in the works to bring DeBerg in as QB coach? Romo is mentioned as his star pupil, and Haley was passing game coordinator in Dallas...

milkman · 01-31-2009, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockymtnchief

Nobody's come close to selling the play action before or since Deberg. If he doesn't want to be a QB coach, at least hire him to come to mini-camps and training camp.

The play fake is a lost art, and yes DeBerg was the best at it in his time.

But you go back to the 60s and 70s, and guys like Unitas, Bradshaw and Staubaugh were very good at it.

And the one thing that Lenny Dawson did better than anyone else is the play fake.

Dawson was the master.

Everyone else is just a pretender.

**Manila-Chief** · 01-31-2009, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefaholic

Quite possible one of my top 10 favorite Chiefs. The man played the game with guts, heart, and determination. That's something 90% of the worthless rookies need a taste of because they're spoiled and overpaid befor they prove theirself on the field. I'de love to see him as a QB coach in KC.

Another overlooked favorite on mine was Greg Manusky because of a similiar drive and love for the game.

Yes, I like the way the man played the game. From the article it sounds like he is an excellent QB coach and as I read I was hoping he could become our QB coach ... especially if we draft a QB. But, then I read about him just getting married and not being interested in being a coach. Therefore, I wish they could get him to do the preseason practices and/or training camp.

From what Steve said, it really illustrates that Curl was a stupid choice as a QB coach. I guess it's amazing that Thigpen/Croyle did as well as they did, having him as a coach.

TRR · 01-31-2009, 11:50 AM

I would have loved to hear Deberg's answer on if he thought Thigpen has what it takes...

Thigpen really needs to improve his accuracy. That's a downfall with him. He let's the ball sail on numerous occasions, and you just can't do that in the NFL with how athletic defenders are.

The second thing Thigpen needs to do is make plays from under center. I don't believe any offense can be successful or an extended amount of time in the I-Gun. Play-action is too big of tool to not have that in your offense. It helps the running game, and gives you a legit shot at the home run ball.

If Thigpen would have shown these assets last season, it would be easier to pass up a Stafford or a Sanchez at #3.

01-30-2009, 08:32 PM
C-Mac Lurker Extraordinaire Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Wally World Casino cash: $-1096301	WHITLOCK - DeBerg is a quarterback guru I searched and didn't find, so I apologize if its a repostis.... Former Chief DeBerg is a quarterback guru By JASON WHITLOCK The Kansas City Star TAMPA, Fla. \| Twenty minutes north of ground zero for Super Bowl XLIII, pop star Justin Timberlake unwinds, shortstop Derek Jeter prepares, quarterback Donovan McNabb recovers, and Michael Jordan plays a round of golf. Tampa’s Saddlebrook Resort is the offseason home for the biggest and baddest entertainers America produces. The opulent paradise is a sanctuary for the wealthy. They flock here for the warm weather, the seclusion and the pampering. Steve DeBerg comes here to work. He tutors quarterbacks. In the spring and summer he schools prep QBs in hopes of readying them for a college scholarship. This time of year, he prepares college QBs for the combine and NFL draft. He’s paid handsomely. He’s developed a reputation as a QB guru. He’s the Butch Harmon of football. You know Butch Harmon, Tiger Woods’ former swing coach. DeBerg is the “fling” coach. “The thing I teach the most is how to quick release the football with power, speeding up the delivery,” DeBerg said Thursday. “Why does Tiger Woods need a swing coach? He has the greatest swing there ever was. Sometimes you get a little out of sync and you can’t realize it yourself. “A lot of quarterbacks don’t understand technique. Even most quarterback coaches don’t even know what the most advanced throwing techniques are. They teach. ‘This is who you’re supposed to throw it to and if you can’t do it, we’ll let Joe try it.’ At the NFL level there is so much strategy involved in preparing a quarterback to play that the technique part kind of gets overlooked.” That’s where DeBerg comes in. Agents hire DeBerg to prep their clients. It’s why a kid might look like the second coming at the combine and look second fiddle at training camp. Kids are getting better coaching before the draft than after it. You think Dick Curl knows more about proper technique than Steve DeBerg? Quarterback coaches teach assignments and read progressions. DeBerg teaches release point, peripheral vision, footwork, posture and follow-through. DeBerg’s most famous client was Tony Romo, the Cowboys QB. DeBerg fell in love with Romo long before Bill Parcells. DeBerg thought Romo was worthy of a high draft pick. DeBerg taught Romo the high, compact, short-burst release that NFL analysts now love and compare to Brett Favre’s. I drove up to Saddlebrook on Thursday because I wanted to talk quarterback play with DeBerg. Whenever the Chiefs get around to identifying a new coach, their next big decision will revolve around the QB position. Is Tyler Thigpen a legitimate QB of the future? What should the Chiefs be looking for in a young QB? DeBerg has spent most of his 55 years thinking about playing quarterback. He survived 17 years in the NFL because he mastered the little things about the position. He hatched an improbable return to the league at age 45, earning a spot on the 1998 Super Bowl Atlanta Falcons, thanks largely to his ability to help Atlanta’s other QBs prepare for games. DeBerg knows the position. He’s played it at the highest level, most memorably as a Kansas City Chief in 1990, and coached the position for the New York Giants. He knows what the Chiefs should be looking for now. “No. 1, you have to have accuracy,” DeBerg said. “You have to have a quick release. You have to have arm strength. You have to have intelligence.” And then you have to get lucky. “It’s just so hard to predict how a quarterback will handle the NFL,” DeBerg acknowledged. “Romo wasn’t drafted. How could everyone be wrong about him? Tom Brady, the best in the game, was a sixth-round pick. A lot of people were wrong about him.” DeBerg said that within the last five years he nearly took a job with the Chiefs coaching quarterbacks. He remembers Kansas City fondly. In 1990 he threw 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions and led the Chiefs to an 11-5 record. “Marty Schottenheimer is a great football coach,” DeBerg said without being prompted. “It would take a special situation for me to return to coaching. I just got married, and coaching is very hard on a marriage. It’s hard on a spouse.” For now he satisfies his football fix training kids at Saddlebrook. His home is a 30-minute drive from Saddlebrook. He leaves each weekday at 7:30 a.m. and returns home by 5 p.m. A little later in the winter he starts working a double shift. He coaches high school kids at night. It’s a good life. “I’m off the entire fall during football season,” he said. “I get to travel and do whatever I want during the fall. I get to be a fan and follow the kids I coached. But I don’t get blamed for the losses.”
Posts: 5,661

01-31-2009, 08:03 AM	#16
damaticous lurker Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: home Casino cash: $9959900	Interesting reading the comments on the article. I thought everyone hated Deberg, I was just getting interested in the Chiefs when he was playing. didn't he play his last game or a play off game with a pin in his pinky of his throwing hand?
Posts: 1,358

01-31-2009, 08:52 AM	#21
rockymtnchief Supporter Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Crazys of Montana Casino cash: $10018968 VARSITY	Nobody's come close to selling the play action before or since Deberg. If he doesn't want to be a QB coach, at least hire him to come to mini-camps and training camp.
Posts: 5,740

01-31-2009, 10:25 AM	#27
FringeNC MVP Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: NC Casino cash: $-1773986	I wonder if something is in the works to bring DeBerg in as QB coach? Romo is mentioned as his star pupil, and Haley was passing game coordinator in Dallas...
Posts: 10,234

01-31-2009, 11:50 AM	#30
TRR The Priest and I Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: CO Casino cash: $9420185	I would have loved to hear Deberg's answer on if he thought Thigpen has what it takes... Thigpen really needs to improve his accuracy. That's a downfall with him. He let's the ball sail on numerous occasions, and you just can't do that in the NFL with how athletic defenders are. The second thing Thigpen needs to do is make plays from under center. I don't believe any offense can be successful or an extended amount of time in the I-Gun. Play-action is too big of tool to not have that in your offense. It helps the running game, and gives you a legit shot at the home run ball. If Thigpen would have shown these assets last season, it would be easier to pass up a Stafford or a Sanchez at #3.
Posts: 7,370