1301:
31:
97:
237:, an assistant coach at the time. He says the Sooners were previously playing the 5–2 Eagle defense. Bud Wilkinson felt the linebackers were too far removed from the center of the action to effectively read keys. By moving the linebackers towards the center, and the defensive tackles on the outside shoulder of the
218:. The latter defense, also called the 5–2 Oklahoma, is supposed to have arisen from Bud's exposure to Earle Neale's 5–2 defense in a College All-Star game after the Philadelphia Eagles' first championship. Bud took the defense back with him to Oklahoma and adapted lineman and linebacker positions to better handle
203:
158:
Note that in this defense, if you pull the middle guard and replace him with a middle linebacker, you get to an early version of the 4–3 defense. Conversely, if you take a 4–3 defense and replace the middle linebacker with a middle guard, then you convert a 4–3 into a 5–2 Eagle. This latter switch
278:
The 5–2 (or 5–4, or 3–4, or Okie, or 50 defense) is a popular defense at all levels of coaching, in part because it has simple reads, is easy to coach, and allows coaches to concentrate on technique. By the 1990s, however, coaches were having issues with the demands of finding players who could
283:" players of exceptional size and power. Further, the "read then react" nature of the defense made it doubly difficult for teams of smaller size. As a consequence, teams began switching back to more
611:
135:
The 5–2 Eagle has a (passing) hole in the middle of the defense, usually dealt with by having outside linebackers jam the ends. Offenses countered by using
604:
296:
104:
Historically, there are two significant variations of the 5–2 defense in professional and college football. The first is the defense created by
160:
1325:
108:. This defense was prominent in the National Football League from the late 1940s through the middle 1950s and was a precursor defense to
1304:
597:
495:
1037:
1006:
948:
248:
that was still in use in college football in the 1930s. The ends of the 7–2 fell off and assumed more of a linebacker technique.
143:. Consequently, teams began to experiment, around 1954, with pulling the middle guard back a couple yards and putting him in a
938:
128:
was innovative at the time. By 1950, the base defense of NFL teams were five man line defenses, either the 5–2 Eagle or the
1250:
1180:
1077:
226:
grew wider in the
Oklahoma, and the linebackers were positioned a couple yards behind the line, and facing the opponent's
878:
206:
5–2 Oklahoma defense. Yellow triangles are linemen, yellow squares are linebackers, yellow circles are defensive backs
100:
5–2 Eagle defense. Yellow triangles are linemen, yellow squares are linebackers, yellow circles are defensive backs.
923:
620:
1058:
747:
288:
215:
171:
in a playoff game with his unexpected five man front, shutting down the
Packers' powerful rushing combination of
1270:
1203:
1063:
655:
280:
1245:
1215:
928:
245:
1198:
241:, they could then key on the offensive guards. This account dates the first use of the Oklahoma to 1949.
155:
led to a rapid conversion to the 4–3 in 1957. Almost all teams switched to the new defense at that time.
1145:
1105:
1027:
722:
1286:
1110:
953:
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264:
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644:
188:"If I contributed anything to football of an original nature," Dad said, "It was the Oklahoma 5–2."
76:
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168:
64:
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39:
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292:
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888:
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227:
148:
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176:
164:
125:
120:
describes the defense as having a tight five man line, and linebackers who were to jam
75:. This defensive scheme was employed with great success by Coach "Greasy" Neale of the
1319:
710:
279:
handle the nose guard and defensive tackle positions of this defense. These require "
211:
121:
1255:
943:
913:
908:
883:
825:
760:
670:
499:
268:
252:
222:. In particular, the split between the middle guard, or nose tackle, and the other
105:
72:
1100:
1095:
1085:
868:
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835:
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810:
755:
675:
129:
68:
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815:
805:
795:
780:
775:
770:
117:
113:
109:
84:
51:
589:
893:
863:
800:
790:
785:
515:
Total
Football II: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League
275:) were among the first to introduce the 3–4 into the NFL as a base defense.
140:
17:
251:
The 5–2 Oklahoma, with defensive ends given the ability to drop back into
210:
The second significant version of the 5–2 defense is the 5–2 defense that
136:
1120:
1090:
1011:
234:
219:
96:
30:
124:
as they came off the line. Brown goes on to say that the use of four
259:. It should not come as a surprise then that coaches from Oklahoma (
202:
67:, hold up offensive ends, and still cover their pass zones when the
163:
pulled his middle linebacker, replacing him with defensive lineman
201:
95:
29:
593:
513:
Carroll, Bob, Gershman, Michael, Neft, David, and Thorn, John,
244:
Bud
Wilkinson himself has said the defense evolved from the
159:
was historically significant in at least one game. In 1972,
571:
Bud
Wilkinson: An Intimate Portrait of an American Legend
422:
Bud
Wilkinson: An Intimate Portrait of an American Legend
195:
Bud
Wilkinson: An Intimate Portrait of an American Legend
485:, American Football Coaches Association, 2000, pp. 70–71
459:, American Football Coaches Association, 2000, p. 160.
536:
Forty Seven
Straight: The Wilkinson Years at Oklahoma
557:
Riddell
Presents The Gridiron's Greatest Linebackers
1279:
1179:
1076:
1046:
1020:
994:
987:
962:
849:
746:
663:
653:
627:
520:Halas, George, Morgan, Gwen, and Veysey, Arthur,
46:is a defensive alignment consisting of five down
186:
61:
605:
8:
585:The New Thinking Man's Guide to Pro Football
393:, Temple University Press, 2008, pp. 87–89.
991:
660:
612:
598:
590:
233:Another account of the origin comes from
322:, Temple University Press, 2005, p. 101.
587:, Simon and Schuster, 1984, Chapter 6.
311:
214:developed while he was a head coach at
538:, University of Oklahoma Press, 1984.
569:Wilkinson, Jay and Hirsch, Gretchen,
420:Wilkinson, Jay and Hirsch, Gretchen,
27:American football defensive formation
7:
517:, HarperCollins, 1999, Chapter 17.
318:Didinger, Ray and Lyons, Robert S.
193:Jay Wilkinson and Gretchen Hirsch,
89:Secrets of the "Split T" Formation
541:Kirwan, Pat and Seigerman, David,
531:, Prentice-Hall, 1957, Chapter 9.
527:Jones, Gomer, and Wilkinson, Bud,
468:Kirwan and Siegerman, pp. 110–112.
25:
63:Linebackers also may play on the
1300:
1299:
453:Using the Okie 5–2 to KO the Run
451:Norris, Rex and Walper, Warren,
255:, is indistinguishable from the
220:the college offenses of the time
287:, of the kind pioneered by the
564:Coaching Football's 46 Defense
1:
573:, Sagamore Publishing, 1994.
483:Defensive Football Strategies
457:Defensive Football Strategies
340:Brown, Paul and Clary, Jack,
285:modern four man line defenses
79:' professional football team.
1326:American football formations
580:, Sports Illustrated, 1973.
562:Ryan, Rex and Walker, Jeff,
479:Choosing the 4–3 over the 50
424:, Sagamore Publishing, 1994.
559:, Sports Publishing, 2003.
1342:
621:American football strategy
543:Take Your Eye Off the Ball
502:, retrieved July 22, 2013.
1295:
529:Modern Defensive Football
391:The Redskins Encyclopedia
344:, Atheneum, 1979, p. 197.
566:, Coaches Choice, 2000.
342:PB: The Paul Brown Story
151:in 1956 with their base
545:, Triumph Books, 2010.
331:Ryan and Walker, p. 10.
320:The Eagles Encyclopedia
496:Ode to the War Daddies
353:Carroll et al. p. 465.
267:) and Oklahoma State (
207:
200:
101:
94:
35:
552:, David McKay, 1952.
524:, McGraw-Hill, 1979.
433:Wilkinson, Bud, p. 95
205:
147:. The success of the
99:
33:
1287:Resting the starters
1181:Defensive formations
1078:Offensive formations
498:. February 3, 2012.
402:Carroll et al. p 463
265:New England Patriots
106:Earle (Greasy) Neale
550:My Kind of Football
77:Philadelphia Eagles
988:Defensive strategy
442:Zimmerman, p. 130.
389:Richman, Michael,
208:
102:
36:
1313:
1312:
1072:
1071:
983:
982:
929:Statue of Liberty
583:Zimmerman, Paul,
578:Football: Defense
380:Zimmerman, p 128.
371:Zimmerman, p. 128
239:offensive tackles
224:defensive tackles
169:Green Bay Packers
65:line of scrimmage
40:American football
16:(Redirected from
1333:
1303:
1302:
1054:Icing the kicker
992:
970:Clock management
924:Hook and lateral
859:Play-action pass
661:
614:
607:
600:
591:
576:Wilkinson, Bud,
555:Rand, Jonathan,
503:
492:
486:
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329:
323:
316:
293:college football
289:Miami Hurricanes
228:offensive guards
198:
173:John Brockington
167:, defeating the
145:two-point stance
92:
34:Base 5–2 defense
21:
1341:
1340:
1336:
1335:
1334:
1332:
1331:
1330:
1316:
1315:
1314:
1309:
1291:
1275:
1204:Seattle Cover 3
1175:
1166:Minnesota shift
1126:Single set back
1068:
1042:
1016:
979:
958:
954:Tackle-eligible
934:Halfback option
889:Fake field goal
845:
742:
706:Run-pass option
649:
623:
618:
534:Keith, Harold,
511:
506:
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450:
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261:Chuck Fairbanks
199:
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149:New York Giants
126:defensive backs
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83:
60:
28:
23:
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11:
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1171:Notre Dame Box
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522:Halas by Halas
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301:Dallas Cowboys
273:Houston Oilers
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177:MacArthur Lane
165:Manny Sistrunk
122:offensive ends
91:, 1950, p. 235
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723:Run and shoot
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711:Triple option
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548:Owen, Steve,
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494:Brown, Chris
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411:Keith, p. 55.
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297:Jimmy Johnson
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253:pass coverage
249:
247:
246:7–2–2 defense
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212:Bud Wilkinson
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53:
49:
45:
41:
32:
19:
1271:8-in-the-box
1230:
1028:Bump and run
914:Fumblerooski
909:Flea flicker
686:Buck-lateral
645:Play calling
584:
582:
577:
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556:
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512:
509:Bibliography
490:
482:
478:
477:Novak, Joe,
473:
464:
456:
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447:
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429:
421:
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385:
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367:
362:Rand, p. 36.
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349:
341:
336:
327:
319:
314:
277:
269:Bum Phillips
250:
243:
232:
209:
194:
187:
183:5–2 Oklahoma
161:George Allen
157:
134:
103:
88:
62:
43:
37:
1146:Pistol-Flex
1106:Single-wing
919:Hidden ball
869:Double pass
851:Trick plays
831:Stop-and-go
676:Air Coryell
640:Two-platoon
635:One-platoon
257:3–4 defense
153:4–3 defense
139:instead of
69:quarterback
52:linebackers
44:5–2 defense
18:5-2 defense
1161:Jump shift
1111:Short punt
1002:Man-to-man
939:Hard count
899:Fake spike
874:End-around
738:West Coast
728:Smashmouth
654:Offensive
307:References
141:tight ends
118:Paul Brown
114:46 defense
110:Buddy Ryan
85:Don Faurot
1199:Miami 4–3
1021:Coverages
894:Fake punt
718:Pro-style
500:Grantland
271:with the
263:with the
137:slotbacks
71:fades to
58:5–2 Eagle
1320:Category
1305:Category
1136:Flexbone
1131:Wishbone
766:Crossing
696:Multiple
691:Hurry-up
681:Air raid
656:strategy
295:and the
216:Oklahoma
191:—
82:—
50:and two
1266:Prevent
1251:7–1–2–1
1189:2-level
1156:Wildcat
1121:Pro set
1116:Shotgun
1091:Split-T
1012:Tampa 2
944:Pyramid
884:Spinner
879:Reverse
628:Systems
281:two gap
235:Pop Ivy
48:linemen
1261:Nickel
1141:Pistol
1033:Double
995:Scheme
826:Sluggo
811:Screen
761:Corner
748:Routes
733:Spread
701:Option
664:Scheme
197:, 1994
42:, the
1280:Other
1246:7–2–2
1216:3–3–5
1151:Trips
1059:Stunt
1047:Other
963:Other
841:Wheel
836:Swing
821:Slant
756:Chair
481:, in
455:, in
299:-led
130:5–3–3
1256:Dime
1038:Zone
1007:Zone
864:Draw
816:Seam
806:Post
796:Jerk
781:Flat
776:Drag
771:Curl
671:A-11
175:and
73:pass
1241:6–2
1236:5–3
1231:5–2
1221:4–4
1211:3–4
1194:4–3
1064:Spy
801:Out
791:Hot
786:Fly
291:of
112:'s
38:In
1322::
1226:46
303:.
230:.
179:.
132:.
116:.
87:,
54:.
1101:A
1096:I
1086:T
613:e
606:t
599:v
20:)
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