After a healthy team stretching segment performed with some soulful tunes blaring from a nearby loudspeaker to get them in the groove, the Cardinals begin each practice on defense by running their players through a series of specifically designed takeaway drills.
“Reach, reach, reach!” linebackers coach Larry Foote shouts on a daily basis.
While Foote’s linebackers are busy swiping at the vinyl arms of tackling dummies, reaching to strip invisible footballs, defensive line coach Don Johnson has his tackles and ends taking turns diving at an overstuffed simulated quarterback, reaching to bat down real footballs and then gobbling them up.