Trench Lab · D-Line · Pass Rush · Coach Jay Freeman
The bull rush and speed-to-power
To bull rush, get off the ball fast and run your hands through the offensive tackle's chest plate, get full extension to keep him off your frame, sink your hips for leverage, and drive your feet to walk him straight back into the quarterback. Speed-to-power is the setup — sell a speed rush to get him opening and leaning, then convert to power through his chest when his weight is on his toes.
By Coach Jay Freeman · 32 years coaching the line · Updated May 31, 2026
The bull rush is leverage, not just strength
A bull rush isn't about being the strongest guy — it's about leverage and extension. Get off the ball, strike your hands inside the tackle's chest plate, and extend your arms to lock him out so he can't get into your body. Then sink your hips under his pads (low man wins, on this side of the ball too) and drive your feet. You're not pushing with your arms; you're walking him back with your legs and hips while your locked-out arms keep him off you.
Speed-to-power: the setup
The bull rush is twice as effective when you set it up. Speed-to-power sells the edge rush first: you burst upfield like you're going to run the arc, which makes the tackle kick and open his hips to cut you off. The moment his weight is on his toes and he's leaning out, you plant and convert — driving your hands through his chest and powering through the off-balance posture you just created. The speed makes the power free.
Finish to the quarterback
A bull rush that stalls at the line is wasted. Keep your feet moving and your hips low, and as you feel the tackle's anchor break, rip or club off to the side you've created and finish to the quarterback. The bull rush often isn't the sack itself — it's what collapses the pocket and sets up the move that gets there.
Common questions
- How do you bull rush an offensive tackle?
- Get off the ball fast, run your hands through his chest plate, extend your arms to lock him out, sink your hips for leverage, and drive your feet to walk him back into the quarterback. It's leverage and extension, not just raw strength — low man wins on the rush too.
- What is speed-to-power?
- A pass-rush move where you sell a speed rush to make the tackle kick and lean out, then convert to a bull rush through his chest when his weight is on his toes. The speed creates the off-balance posture that makes the power work.