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Football lingo questions

bamadws56

bamadws56

All-SEC
Sep 24, 2005
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Fort Benning, GA
There are a few terms out there that I do not know or understand and I was hoping some of y'all can shed some light on them.

1. What is MNC? I know its something national championship, but what does the "M" stand for?

2. Why do they call a duo of talented defensive ends "bookends"? I used to hear them call Copeland and Curry that and someone was talking about USC's ends being bookends.

3. Why are linebackers in the 3-4 scheme called mike, will, sam, and jack? I know what the positions are but why the names?

4. My final question has to do with recruits we have. I heard a lot about Ivan Machette before the season started, but I was in Army Ranger school for the summer/fall practices. Did he do anything? And what happened to Kerry Murphy?
 
bamadws56 said:
There are a few terms out there that I do not know or understand and I was hoping some of y'all can shed some light on them.

1. What is MNC? I know its something national championship, but what does the "M" stand for?

2. Why do they call a duo of talented defensive ends "bookends"? I used to hear them call Copeland and Curry that and someone was talking about USC's ends being bookends.

3. Why are linebackers in the 3-4 scheme called mike, will, sam, and jack? I know what the positions are but why the names?

4. My final question has to do with recruits we have. I heard a lot about Ivan Machette before the season started, but I was in Army Ranger school for the summer/fall practices. Did he do anything? And what happened to Kerry Murphy?
Click to expand...

1. M = Mythical because there isn't a play-off. I try not to use it though.

2. They're big and they're on the ends? You typically hear this with a pair of gifted DE's. Not so much with average players.

3. Mike, Will, and Sam are used because the first letters of the name correspond with the first letters of their position. I don't know when it started, but it's been that way ever since I started watching/playing football. Jack, as in, jack-of-all-trades, I believe.

4. Ivan Matchett injured himself before fall camp and will grayshirt (enroll in the spring)
 
And Kerry Murphy didn't qualify....again. The coaches are hopeful he will be able to by the spring semester.
 
bamadws56 said:
There are a few terms out there that I do not know or understand and I was hoping some of y'all can shed some light on them.

1. What is MNC? I know its something national championship, but what does the "M" stand for?

2. Why do they call a duo of talented defensive ends "bookends"? I used to hear them call Copeland and Curry that and someone was talking about USC's ends being bookends.

3. Why are linebackers in the 3-4 scheme called mike, will, sam, and jack? I know what the positions are but why the names?

4. My final question has to do with recruits we have. I heard a lot about Ivan Machette before the season started, but I was in Army Ranger school for the summer/fall practices. Did he do anything? And what happened to Kerry Murphy?
Click to expand...

1. The M stands for Mythical

3. In a 3-4 defense the Sam is strong side, Will is weak side. Mike is middle linebacker closer to the weak side and Jack is middle linebacker closer to the strong side.
 
bayoutider said:
1. The M stands for Mythical

3. In a 3-4 defense the Sam is strong side, Will is weak side. Mike is middle linebacker closer to the weak side and Jack is middle linebacker closer to the strong side.
Click to expand...

I think Will is Weak Inside linebacker. Jack is a hybrid OLB that sometimes plays on the line with a hand down, sometimes stands up as a rush end, sometimes plays run containment.
 
4. Ivan Matchett injured himself before fall camp and will grayshirt (enroll in the spring)
Click to expand...
It's Jermaine Preyear who is delayed . Matchett was approved late and is on the team RS'ing .
 
"Bookends" is usually reserved for a defense that has 2 good defensive ends (on each end of the line.) You rarely hear someone describe 1 good DE as a "bookend"; it's more like a matched set - and just like bookends on a book shelf, they serve as a barricade and prevent anything from sliding past them.
 
M=Mythical. As opposed to a REAL Championship like say.... The PNC, or People's National Championship. (or Pitiful National Championship, Take your pick.)

Bookends were these twin sisters in Wheeling back in the 70s, but that's not for this thread. Maybe not even for my book.

The Mike position is called that because it's usally a big ugly guy named Mike. And they don't necessarily have to be football players. EX: Mike Ditka, Mike Tyson, The Mike and Mike in the Morning guys.. and so on........

The Will position is the name of the guy on the team who's in Law School and who writes up all the last Will and Testament for opposing players that get beat up by Mike.

The Jack position is most often a player that may have great physical attirbutes but barely qualified academically. Meaning, this guy don't know jack. He can still jack you up and put out your lights if you wander into his area of the field. The name Jack Lambert comes to mind.

The Sam position is never a guy names Sam. It's always something like D'ontae, or Rolando or some Muslim name with an X after it. But rarely Sam. Don't think there's been a Linebacker named Sam since Sam Huff of the old N.Y. Giants. This is usually the guy on the field that flies around all over the place and lunging at other players headfirst. Cause he's Sam and he don't give a ....... You get the picture.

Hope this clears all that up for you...
 
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