Jeff Popovich interview

Jeff Popovich is a very well respected college football coach for Florida International University.
Take one look at his profile on www.fiusports.com and you will see why he can be considered a well travelled veteran of American Football .

Popovich has been the long time secondary coach for FIU but this season also marks the first time he will double as the special teams coordinator.
In 2011, this unit finished 13th nationally in pass efficiency defense as well as tying for 31st nationally in interceptions. In 2010, the secondary ranked 32nd in the country in passing defense.
Popovich played himself with the Miami Hurricanes, Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccanneers as a wide receiver, defensive back and special teams ace.
He also played in NFL Europe with the Barcelona Dragons before getting his first coaching gig with Miami working as a defensive backfield assistant.
He is also involved with the BAFCA coaching convention and I’m very pleased to publish my recent interview with him below.
A big thank you to Jeff himself and also to Joe Hornstein for arranging the Q&A.
Colan Lamont: Why do college teams have three men well behind the line of scrimmage on punts whereas in the NFL they only have one?

Jeff Popovich: The rules are different in college and in the NFL. In the NFL, only 2 guys can be downfield before the ball is kicked whereas in college there is no limitation. So college teams have moved to a “shield” punt to allow more players to release downfield more quickly. The assumption is that the punter can be protected by the “shield” if you have to run around them to block the punt.

CL: How do you manage the very large numbers of players on a college football team particularly when they have limited practice time.

JP: 1 head coach, 9 assistant coaches, 4 graduate assistant coaches and a football operations guy. The football operations guy deals with all the operations surrounding the team, ie. Meals, travel, etc. We have a group of people to assist with academic tutoring, class checks, etc. Every assistant coach is responsible for managing the players at his position.

CL: Is there any player you coached in college that stood out above all the others?

JP: There are always a couple guys who stand out. They are the ones that do anything and everything possible to be successful both on the field and off the field.

CL: How proud do you feel when one of your former players steps out onto an NFL field?

JP: It is very rewarding to see one of my former players playing at the next level, however I feel more satisfaction when they walk across the stage and graduate and then to see them move on with their lives and begin to raise a family. I hope every player I coach has the opportunity to continue his career at the next level however every single on will have to live a life after football. I hope my guidance and mentoring can help them to become better men, fathers, husbands, and people in society.


CL: Of the Tampa team you were a part of who was your favourite defensive back?

JP: John Lynch was a great person. He had already played a long time and was extremely helpful in helping me to become a better player.

CL: You have a fierce rivalry with FAU but who would you say are some of your other "enemies"?

JP: “Enemies” is a tough word in football. We line up to compete to the best of our ability week in and week out no matter who the opponent is. The funny thing is that when you see the coaches recruiting and in other areas of life

CL: How do the best players you played with whilst in NFL Europe compare with the college players you are working with now?

JP: As a whole the players in NFL Europe were a little more talented as all were NFL-cusp players so the bottom percent of college players were no longer there. That being said, we definitely have players that I work with now that can play at and above NFL Europe level.