In American football, a blitz is a defensive maneuver in which one or more linebackers or defensive backs, who normally remain behind the line of scrimmage during a play, are instead sent across the line to the opponent's side in order to try to tackle the quarterback. The name of the play is taken from the Blitzkrieg, a German strategy of the "lightning war" during World War II.

The most common blitzes are linebacker blitzes. Safety blitzes, when a safety (usually the free safety) is sent, and corner blitzes, where a cornerback is sent, are less common. Sending a defensive back on a blitz is even more risky than a linebacker blitz, as it removes a primary pass defender from the coverage scheme.

History

Don Ettinger , a defensive tackle for the New York Giants, invented the blitz, or 'quarterback rush', during his brief NFL career (1948 to 1950). Larry Wilson, free safety for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1960 to 1972, pioneered and perfected the safety blitz, a play originally code-named Wildcat. Defensive coordinator Chuck Drulis is widely credited with inventing the safety blitz.

External links

• Don 'Red Dog' Ettinger
• Lawrence (Larry) Frank Wilson