Daniel Skuta - The Role of Linebacker

Former Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Dan Skuta played defense in the National Football League for nine seasons – as well as for four different NFL teams. 

A constant contributor and hard worker throughout his career, Skuta consistently demonstrated the toughness, determination and speed necessary to shore up gaps, put pressure on the quarterback and make life miserable for opposing offenses.

As a former linebacker, Daniel Skuta knows well the responsibilities and demands that come with the position. Typically, linebackers like Skuta:

• Start each play lined up behind the defensive line, either in a 4-3 scheme (four defensive linemen and three linebackers) or in a 3-4 scheme (three defensive linemen and four linebackers).
• Are leaders on the field, responsible for communicating plays coming in from the sidelines and for making changes in the fly depending on offensive audibles.
• Stop run gaps or drop back into pass coverage, depending on the formation or situation they’re facing.

Daniel Skuta - Skills Essential to Football Success

Former Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Dan Skuta played football at the high school, college and professional levels – and achieved considerable success at each phase of his career. Throughout his nine years in the NFL, Skuta proved himself a contributor and devoted teammate each time he stepped out onto the field – someone with the skill and dedication needed to fulfill his role and help his team move that much closer to victory.

As a longtime football player, Daniel Skuta came to appreciate the skills key to success in any position on the field – those that equip the player with the ability to compete at the most basic levels of the sport. These skills include:

• Hand technique. Knowing how to move off of opposing players, create space, make tackles and avoid penalties all comes back to proper hand technique.
  
  
• Footwork. Football is fast-paced. Being able to move, pivot and work within a given situation quickly requires sufficient footwork ability.
  
• Awareness. Knowing where the ball, your opponents and teammates are at any given moment is key to reacting quickly and effectively during any given play.

Daniel Skuta - Gridiron Safety Tips

Former Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Daniel Skuta enjoyed success in the game at each level of the sport – proving himself a contributor and devoted teammate in high school, college and each year of his nine-season NFL career.

And as an accomplished player, Daniel Skuta came to know and appreciate the rules of football safety – those so critical to protecting the health and furthering the careers of everyone on the field.

Before marching onto the field and experiencing the thrill of competition, it’s important to:

• Know and wear the right protective gear – the helmets, pads, mouthguards, gloves and rolls essential to reducing injury and staying safe on the field. 
• Warm and stretch before game time. No matter how long you’ve played, it’s critical to engage in the stretching and warmup exercises essential to reducing stiffness, improving flexibility and avoiding strain and injury.
  
  

  
  
  
  
• Know the rules. Plays like tripping, blocking below the knees, grabbing the facemask and making helmet-to-helmet contact are illegal for a reason. Knowing those rules is key to protecting yourself and others throughout the course of play.

Daniel Skuta - Reasons for Playing Football

Former Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Dan Skuta appreciates the adrenaline rush of competing in a professional football game – having given his all at the highest level of the sport throughout his nine-year NFL career. 

A former Jaguar, 49er, Bengal and Bear, Skuta enjoyed the thrill of performing in front of thousands of devoted fans and challenging opposing offenses on the biggest stage each season he played – an experience truly unlike any other in the world of sport.

Though an often physically demanding and dangerous battle of wills, football offers players like Daniel Skuta a number of enduring benefits, including:

• Physical fitness – the enhancement of strength, speed, agility and flexibility that come with being on a football team.
  
  
• Greater self-discipline – that which is developed from the need to overcome and push through considerable physical and mental fatigue, and which results in greater concentration, mindfulness and the ability to prepare for the unexpected.
  
• A sense of humility – instilled over time as the result of facing and overcoming the challenges of defeat and vanity.