Players should jump for special teams roles

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Players should jump for special teams roles

By Giana Han

4 minutes

Anders Carlson practices his field goals during Auburn's open football practice on Saturday, March 20, 2021. (Photo by Giana Han)

It doesn’t matter if you’re the star running back, the best safety or an established linebacker, if you’re an Auburn Tiger, you should be campaigning hard for a spot on a special teams unit.

That is what being a part of this Auburn program is about, special teams coordinator Bert Watts said.

“We want the very best players on offense and defense, jumping and champing at the bit to say, ‘Coach put me in on this, put me in on that’ so we can have another chance to compete,” Watts said.

That’s really what special teams boils down to. It’s another opportunity for players to get on the field and make a difference. So the expectation is that every single one of them would want to contribute.

Establishing that mindset is the first step for Watts, who joined the Auburn program at the end of January as the special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach. He said it’s critical to start at the foundation, and for him the foundation begins with the mindset of “all in as an entire team.”

The next step in laying the groundwork will be making sure everyone is using the right techniques and is strong in their fundamentals. When interviewed at the beginning of spring practice, kicker Anders Carlson said there hasn’t been a drastic change there for him and some of the other specialists.

However, in addition to the specialists, the special teams also includes coverage units, which guys are moving in and out of. Just like the offensive and defensive line coaches are trying to figure out their best players as well as the best combinations, Watts and the other coaches working with special teams have to figure out who fits where and on what unit.

Every starting position, among both the coverage units and the specialists, is up for grabs. Nothing is guaranteed, so every player has to compete for his spot.

“So whenever that end result comes and whoever that guy is that becomes the starter, that they’re the best version of themselves that they can possibly be,” Watts said.

The players have been doing well with that. It helps that the specialists are a “really tight unit” with little animosity. Even at the punting position, where Aidan Marshall and Oscar Chapman are continuing the competition they started last season, the players are close. Watts thinks that means they’ll turn out a great unit when the time comes.

The third part of preparing the special teams for the season is getting the schemes in. That’s important, Watts acknowledged, but it’s not as critical as getting the fundamentals down.

“it’s those fundamentals and techniques that are going to carry you over once you get to the season and allow you to do different things week-to-week based on the opponents that you play,” Watts said. “The technique and fundamentals, that’s what’s going to allow you to have success and tweak things and gameplan once the season starts, so that’s what we’ve been focused on.”