Tom Clements’ process rooted in fundamentals

Tom Clements’ breakdown of the position sounds so simple.

“Successful quarterbacks are able to process information quickly and make good decisions consistently,” the Packers QB coach said. “If you can (do that), and you have physical ability and you’re fundamentally sound, you have a chance to be successful.”

There are several layers to those basic thoughts, but Clements certainly knows what success at quarterback looks like. He’s in the unique position of having worked with three straight franchise QBs in Green Bay – Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and now Jordan Love – in two different stints on the Packers’ coaching staff. All of which came on top of a playing career that saw him lead Notre Dame to a national championship, finish fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting, and earn induction into the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame by quarterbacking two teams to Grey Cup titles and winning CFL Rookie of the Year and MVP awards.

But Clements isn’t one to tout his own playing career or delve into how it impacts his coaching, other than to say, “I played the position, so I know what it’s like, and I know the way I like to be coached.” So, what are his secrets?

First and foremost, Clements is a stickler for fundamentals, and a key one is footwork. Building successful quarterback play starts, literally, from the ground up. Footwork drills are repeated, daily, over and over, for good reason.

“It’s a timing-based game,” Clements said. “The footwork, the drop and the route have to correspond. If everything’s in an ideal situation, you’re not getting a great rush, able to keep your feet underneath you and make the throw, great.

“But that doesn’t happen a whole helluva lotta the time.”

So the emphasis goes way beyond the drop-back. At any practice, the Packers’ QBs are hopping back and forth over bags, sprinting left or right out of the pocket, and having to hit specific targets, either after resetting their feet, or on the run.

“We’re trying to create drills that translate to the game,” he said. “You do drills designed to simulate what might happen, not just drills to drill.”

The four-time MVP career Rodgers enjoyed in Green Bay, and the rapid growth and progress Love is showing now, speak to the value of Clements’ methods. The rest builds upon the foundation via experience and film study.

Having come to Green Bay with former head coach Mike…