Tom Landry - UT legend and football innovator

[Robert Gilbert]

Tom Landry was a football genius. He incorporated the shotgun formation into every down usage (the shotgun was probably created by a CFL coach named Frank Ivy but modernized and first used by 49’ers coach Red Hickey in the early 1960s). His defensive innovation, the 4-3 defense is still used by pretty much every team in America. More importantly, his usage of 4 DL and 7 DBs led to what is often referred to as simulated pressure today. The attached video illustrates that concept.

 

[Burnt Orange Horn]

Although he was not the best DB at a Texas in the 40s, to me he foreshadows DBU.  Blake Gideon, Bill Bradley and Jerry Gray are the only Great Texas DB of whom I can remember who followed him into coaching at college or NFL levels.

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