The Birth of Football's Modern 4-3 Defense (BOOK)

[oldecapecod11]

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The Birth of Football's Modern 4-3 Defense: The Seven Seasons That Changed the NFL
Author: tjtroup
Started by james , Jun 02 2014 12:30 PM

13 replies to this topic


#1 james
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Location:San Antonio, Texas
Interests:Music(Iron Maiden & Heavy Metal), NY Giants, Otto Graham, Leo Nomellini, AAFC, Pro Football 1920's-1970's, collecting football cards, collecting and reading football books.
Posted 02 June 2014 - 12:30 PM
Found this on Amazon today. Coach Troup's new book is listed, due for a September release. I can't wait to get this book.
The Birth of Football's Modern 4-3 Defense: The Seven Seasons That Changed the NFL by T.J. Troup


#2 Reaser
Pro Bowler
PFRA Member-1,712 posts
Gender:Male
Location:WA
Posted 02 June 2014 - 08:46 PM
Also can't wait. Cool that it got a mention and graphic on NFL Network tonight.


#3 james
PFRA Member
Posted 02 June 2014 - 09:53 PM
It got mentioned on the NFL Network? Thats awesome. This book by coach is going to be absolutely amazing. While I love the history of the game, this book will have the why behind the history on how the game changed/evolved. I believe coach,s book should be on everyones bookshelf who study the game and the why of the game, just my opinion.


#4 Veeshik_ya
Forum Visitors
Posted 04 June 2014 - 02:28 PM
Looks awesome.


#5 JohnR
Starter
PFRA Member-184 posts
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Posted 01 September 2014 - 12:08 PM
I'd buy it for the illustrations alone.


#6 NWebster
Forum Visitors
Posted 06 September 2014 - 04:32 PM
Got it yesterday, too early to do a full review (I'm half way through 1955), but really like the player personnel evaluations. Really like the detailed break down of participation, particularly during this era where guy would play both ways, but not necessarily as 60 minute men, but for example - as coach highlights - Bednarik in 54 where coach points out that he started both ways early but then ended the season exclusively starting at center. Lots of those types of gems throughout this book.
And cool illustrations John!!


#7 MattMeuller
Rookie
PFRA Member-2 posts
Posted 14 September 2014 - 11:36 AM
Received the book earlier this week and have been thoroughly enjoying it since. Best in-depth analysis of the pro football of the 1950's that I've seen. 84 chapters discussing the evolution of the modern 4-3 defense over 7 seasons. The book covers the 1953 through 1959 seasons with a chapter on each team for every season. Each chapter discusses coaching, personnel, what the stats tell, the game of significance and a summary. Months of film study went into this book and result is outstanding! Congratulations Coach Troup!


#8 JWL
Pro Bowler
PFRA Member-1,841 posts
Gender:Male
Posted 16 September 2014 - 11:34 AM
JohnR, on 01 Sept 2014 - 10:08 AM, said:
I'd buy it for the illustrations alone.
The drawings are very nice.
To anyone who may be on the fence-
The book is very detailed and is excellent. Unless you are allergic to 1950s football, you should purchase it.


#9 JohnR
PFRA Member
Posted 16 September 2014 - 10:29 PM
Thanks JWL.
I'm not done w/ it yet, but I love the breakdown of each team. Like TJ's earlier 'This Day In Football', one is constantly surprised by little details/stats that find their way into the story line. I'm honored to have been asked to contribute to this.


#10 Eric Goska
Forum Visitors
Posted 19 September 2014 - 12:12 PM
Add me to the list of those recommending TJ's latest book with illustrations by John Richards.
TJ presents the clearest picture yet of football in the ‘50s, specifically 1953-1959. Superb insight (Coaching, Personnel, What the Stats Tell Us, Game of Significance, Summation) on every team over the course of those seven years. (Ron Jaworski could learn a thing or two about film study from Coach TJ!)
Here are a few nuggets:
Coaching
In 1953, “(Babe) Parilli and (Tobin) Rote both used the spread formation in passing situations with either a lone back or an empty backfield.”
In 1956, the Packers employed a “creative 3-4 defense” when playing the Lions on Thanksgiving Day.
Personnel
In 1958, “hard-charging, concussive-hitting rookie Ray Nitschke started at the beginning of the year at middle linebacker and also started at left linebacker, but this hustling young man of physical gifts was out of control and usually out of position.”
Game of Significance
Final game of the decade for the Pack. “Lombardi is going to test his team by asking them to run out the clock (final 8:30 of game). Fifteen well-mixed runs and pass plays later, Green Bay is on the 49er fifteen yard line as the gun sounds.” (Gee, you think GB might be on the verge of something?!?)
Excellent illustrations accompany the text. My favorite: Leo Nomellini (page 236) taking a short time out from what was a fascinating era of football.


#11 Reaser
PFRA Member
Posted 20 September 2014 - 02:36 AM
Agree with what's been said so far. A gold mine of information.
The writing is excellent, written in the language of football which is my preferred language.
More important than writing style is the information provided, and it's unmatched for this era. Every team from '53 through '59 is covered; the formations, schemes, personnel, and tendencies. Whether it was a bad team or that seasons champion, each team is covered with equal importance and given the same detailed treatment. The book doesn't just tell you that a team ran a 4-3, extremely important for this era it also explains the why.
The personnel section is the heart of the book, for me. Who played, who lined up where and how often, it's all covered. I also particularly like the detailed and complete breakdown of each teams coaching staff.
There's also a Joe Schmidt and the evolution of the 4-3 chapter that's a treat. Coach got it straight from the player on how Schmidt called the defensive alignment and what his keys and responsibilities were.
The book is a great read and expertly tells the story of each season, year-by-year through the seven seasons covered. If you're just interested in or just a fan of one team, you can even skip through and go team-by-team for those seven years which will give you great insight into the yearly evolution of that particular teams alignments, player personnel, as well as obviously covering what the team did or didn't accomplish on the field.
As educational and entertaining as the book was to read, as a book. The real treasure is in that it now becomes the go to reference book for the 50's, from now until I'm no longer interested in football (which will be when I expire.)


#12 Reaser
PFRA Member
Posted 20 September 2014 - 02:42 AM
JohnR, on 01 Sept 2014 - 10:08 AM, said:
I'd buy it for the illustrations alone.
Very nicely done, John.
McCormack - as a fan - is my favorite one. I'de love to make/get a copy of that to frame and put up.


#13 JohnMaxymuk
Second-Stringer
PFRA Member-72 posts
Gender:Male
Posted 25 September 2014 - 03:18 PM
Allow me to pile on the praise for Coach's book. The amount of research and film study that went into producing this essential reference is evident on every page. This book is nutrient-rich and one to savor slowly and then to refer back to later.
I love the details coach supplies here (redskins using the nickel in 53; 49ers trying the 3-4 in 56) and am continually surprised by how much shifting between offense and defense some of the big names did to meet the needs of their team in a particular season (john henry johnson as a fierce db, stautner as an offensive lineman etc.). What a great decade for innovation in the game and it is defined here. While coach's focus was the development of the 4-3, he also traces the outline of the offensive evolution from full house t and slot t to pro set.
I hope coach does a sequel on the development of the 3-4 in the early 70s.


#14 cdwillis
Second-Stringer
96 posts
Gender:
Posted 30 September 2014 - 04:51 PM
I concur with John. If you haven't checked out Coach TJ's newest book you should. Worth the read!
http://www.amazon.co...words=t j troup

[oldecapecod11]

The Birth of Football's Modern 4-3 Defense

Keeping tj's book on the 1st Page here... and wondering...

WHY it is not included in the Opening Page Section: "BOOKS" and sub-Section "Recent Books by PFRA Members"

since the first post concerning this fine work was made June 2 of this year?

It just seems strange...

[cdwillis]

The first page under Books is for the 2 PFRA books published by us. If you hit the second tab under Books
you go the page of NEW BOOKS by PFRA MEMBERS. They are all the books published in 2014.
TJ Troup's book is listed there. Will be added books each year by PFRA members in this section.

[oldecapecod11]

Really? This is what my screen shows... @ 7:18 PM 10/22/2014
What keystroke am I missing?

Recent Books by PFRA Members

America's Passion: How a Coal Miner's Game Became the NFL in the 20th Century
...and a dollar short: The Empty Promises, Broken Dreams, and Somewhat-Less-Than-Comic Misadventures of the 1974 Florida Blazers
The Canadian Pro Football Encyclopedia: Every Player, Coach and Game, 1946-2010
The Cookie That Did Not Crumble
Football in Italy: First Steps
Game Changers: 50 Greatest Plays in Buffalo Bills Football History (50 Greatest Plays in Football History)
Gridiron Gauntlet: The Story of the Men Who Integrated Pro Football, in Their Own Words
The Man Who Built the National Football League: Joe F. Carr
Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe
Nothing Comes Easy: My Life in Football
On Any Given Sunday: A Life of Bert Bell
The Original Buffalo Bills: A History of the All-America Football Conference Team
Outsiders II: Minor League and Independent Football 1951-1985
Pro Football Championships Before the Super Bowl
Pro Football's Most Passionate Fans: Profiles of Fans Honored at the Pro Football Hall of Fame With the Visa Hall of Fans Award
The Pro Football Playoff Encyclopedia
Quarterback Abstract

[Reaser]

Scroll over "books" and click on the drop-down "New Books PFRA Members"

[oldecapecod11]

Thank you. I guess I have to root for the Seahawks for the next two weeks. That's okay - dem Jints is ded.

This is about the third or fourth time I have seen you help someone lost here in the wilderness?
In addition to implementing some of the suggestions you have posted, I hope the bored will hire you as a Navigator while we float throught this sea of confusion without any help or direction.
I know of a couple of people that still can't get in here and have received no help at all.
Ahhh!!! The Age of Secrecy...
Thanks again.

By the way, as you probably also saw, tj's book is listed.

ODD Question maybe... but...
Why aren't the MOST CURRENT books on the first page which requires no additional manuevering?

[Reaser]

Thank youThis is about the third or fourth time I have seen you help someone lost here in the wilderness? In addition to implementing some of the suggestions you have posted, I hope the bored will hire you as a Navigator while we float throught this sea of confusion without any help or direction. I know of a couple of people that still can't get in here and have received no help at all.

ha! I wouldn't want to be a link one focal point on the new site.

re: help ... Seems like that's the type of organization we should be, help eachother. Anytime I ask for information/materials I've got it, obviously I return the favor. No different with helping on the forums, though I would have hoped more would have been done to get everyone over to these new forums more seamlessly.

I don't want to start a new thread (plus most of the questions haven't been responded to anyways) but amazingly I just received an e-mail notification saying I had received a PM on the OLD FORUM! Somehow a member was able to message me there, of course not knowing why he couldn't navigate the forums (clearly he didn't log in during the couple day notice we were given) and asked if I knew why he couldn't and what was going on. I sent him the link to here and told him he needed to create a new account and such.

Which hopefully that gets him signed up here, because there's another PFRA member who knows about the new forum but is having issues signing up and has contacted members of 'the board' but has still yet to receive a reply, after a week.

edit: and yes, you should root for the Seahawks, represent the best city and the best state in the country.

[DukeSlater]

I have been reading this book, and it is excellent.

Great job, Coach Troup!