How an app is helping this Chiefs rookie reach his top goal for training camp
Chiefs rookie defensive tackle Keondre Coburn said he was called out by Steve Spagnuolo in a defensive film session Thursday.
The Chiefs defensive coordinator not only asked Coburn what he was supposed to do on a particular play; he also wanted to know about the assignment for a D-line teammate nearby.
So did Coburn pass the test?
“It was a little shaky,” Coburn said Friday with a smile, “but I have to know that, because I’m on defense. They expect me to know that, and I expect the DBs to know certain things that I do.”
This has been the most prominent “Welcome to the NFL” change for Coburn, who spent the last five seasons in Texas’ system before getting drafted in the sixth round by the Chiefs in April.
Coburn made clear Friday that learning a new playbook is not the most difficult thing he’s ever done. Yet, this Chiefs playsheet remains new for him, which previously led to some “I’m kind of lost” moments during rookie minicamp and organized team activities over the summer.
“When we first got here and they just gave us the playbook, I’m thinking, ‘OK, I know what to do this day.’ The next day, it’s something like whole new. I’m like, ‘Man, I ain’t learned this yet,’” Coburn said. “So I think you’ve just got to be serious and just take all the time that you have — the extra time that you have — to make sure you get in the playbook.”
With help from a teammate, Coburn believes he’s found a more efficient way to study.
Fourth-year Chiefs defensive tackle Turk Wharton — he’s recovering from a knee injury and has worked off to the side of this week’s QB-and-rookie training camp practices — shared with Coburn this week that he often uses Quizlet. The phone app allows users to make digital flashcards to test their knowledge of a particular topic.
Coburn said he’s already utilized the service to break up plays into subgroups — like blitzes — so he can better piece together the entire defense.
And make no mistake: Coburn’s primary goal since arriving at camp has been to gain that particular knowledge.
“If I don’t know the playbook, I can’t go out there and be confident in playing,” Coburn said. “So I want to just know the playbook — best of my ability — to where I feel confident when I hear the play, hear those schemes, that I know it. So I think I need to worry about that to help the team.”
Coburn admits Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen is already pushing him. With only four D-linemen going through rotations in three practices this week, Coburn said Wednesday’s opening practice on a muggy day was “a little challenging.”
Cullen has also preached perfecting small details, giving pointers on things like first step, stance and hand placement.
“He’s not gonna sugarcoat nothing. He’s gonna tell you the truth. He’s gonna tell you what you need,” Coburn said. “They’ve been watching film since I’ve been in college to know what I’m good at, what I’m not and what I can get better at. It’s a different league.”
The 6-foot-2, 332-pound Coburn should have a chance to compete for immediate playing time. He joins a Chiefs defensive interior that includes Chris Jones, Wharton and sixth-year veteran Derrick Nnadi.
Though he hasn’t achieved perfect understanding yet, Coburn said he’s encouraged by how far he’s progressed since first receiving the Chiefs defensive playbook a few months ago.
And that, in turn, has helped reinforce the belief that he deserves this opportunity he’s earned.
“I’m most definitely confident. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t. I am,” Coburn said. “I’m blessed to be here, and I’m just going to keep playing like it’s my last.”
This story was originally published July 21, 2023 at 3:47 PM.
