Blitz (American football)

In American football, a blitz, or quarterback rush, 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.

History

Don Ettinger, a defensive tackle for the New York Giants, invented the blitz during his brief NFL career (1948 – 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.

Related Topics:
Don Ettinger - Defensive tackle - New York Giants - NFL - 1948 - 1950 - Larry Wilson - Free safety - St. Louis Cardinals - 1960 - 1972 - Chuck Drulis

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