The trenches is where football is decided.
Hand-fighting. Leverage. Pad level. Position-specific training for offensive linemen and defensive linemen. Built by a former Alabama O-line captain who's now trained on both sides of the ball. If you play in the trenches, this is where you become non-negotiable.
Linemen aren't born. they're built.
Three years starting on Alabama's offensive line. Enough film watched to teach both sides of the ball. Enough contact taken to know exactly what leverage does — and doesn't — do. Coach Reeves lived the trenches. Now he coaches them.
"Standard"
Reeves
Alabama OL captain. Three years starting in the SEC. Learned the position from Hall of Fame O-line coaches. Then spent post-career watching D-line film every off-day for three years — because knowing what the pass rush is thinking is the fastest way to protect against it.
Trench Standard trains both sides. OL and DL learn each other's playbook — because the guys who understand the other side of the ball win their side of the ball. That's the pedagogy. It's rare in this position, and it's why our linemen show up to college camp already knowing what they're doing.
Since 2017: 19+ D1 placements, 2 NFL alumni, and the growing pipeline that SEC O-line and D-line coordinators call Birmingham for. If you play in the trenches and you want to keep playing after high school, come get the standard.
Four pillars. both sides of the ball.
Every trench rep — offensive or defensive — is measured against these four pillars. Master them and the position takes care of itself.
Placement. Recovery. Reset. Punch mechanics. Hand fighting is 60% of trench work. We drill it every session — 300+ reps per practice, filmed frame by frame for correction.
Pad level. Base width. Weight distribution. The lower man wins. Every rep starts from stance and ends in leverage — if the pad level is high, the rep is a loss regardless of contact.
Front reads. Blitz identification. Protection ID (OL) or pre-snap keys (DL). If the eyes are wrong the technique doesn't matter. Film work is baked into every session.
Play to the whistle. Second effort. Play four seconds past the point of decision. This is what separates college-level linemen from the ones who plateau at HS. Trainable, non-negotiable.
Same standard. different assignment.
Every trench athlete gets position-specific instruction. But the curriculum is designed so O-line and D-line understand each other — because the guys who know both sides win their side.
The Anchor.
Pass pro. Run blocks. Combo work. Second-level assignments. Protection IDs. The full OL playbook installed from stance up.
- Pass Pro Kick slide, jump set, vertical set, half-slide protections
- Run Blocks Down/reach, drive, combo-to-linebacker, base scoop, gap-scheme pulls
- Protection IDs Full slide protections, hot reads, blitz pickup
- Second Level Timing to reach LB, angle work, sustain blocks
- Position Tackle, guard, center — all three drilled separately
The Wrecker.
Pass rush moves. Run gap responsibility. Two-gap vs one-gap systems. Stunt/twist coordination. The full DL toolkit for edge, three-tech, and nose.
- Pass Rush Bull, rip, swim, spin, chop, cross-chop, stab-and-work
- Run Gap One-gap discipline, two-gap read, block-destruction technique
- Get-Off First-step reaction, stance-to-attack, ball-to-lift keys
- Stunts T/E games, tackle-end coordination, delayed loops
- Position Edge, 3-tech, nose — each drilled separately for the assignment
Every rep. accounted for.
Six ways to train with Trench Standard. Every session is filmed. Every correction is written. Progress is measured on film.
Private 1-on-1
60-minute session, either O-line or D-line focus. Custom drill work based on your last game film. 24-hour film turnaround with written correction notes.
Semi-Private (2–3 linemen)
Same curriculum as private, small group. Great for teammates or brothers. Live 1-on-1 pass-pro-vs-rush reps come naturally when we've got both sides in the room.
OL vs DL Live Reps
90-minute live 1-on-1 sessions — real pass rush vs. real pass pro. Rare in trench training. Book with a teammate on the opposite side. Bring your battles.
Camp Series
4-week Saturday camp. Separate tracks for OL and DL, brought together for daily 1-on-1s. Combine testing at end. Max 24 linemen (12 OL, 12 DL).
Recruiting Package
Full evaluation, HUDL edit, target-school list built to your body type and level, direct outreach to college OL/DL coaches. 3 private sessions included.
The Standard Group
Application-only. 10 slots per side (10 OL, 10 DL). Weekly training + monthly film + live 1-on-1 sparring. For linemen going D1 or beyond.
Trained here. playing there.
Selected placements. The list grows every signing day. Both sides represented.
"Jamal was 275 as a sophomore and had no hand technique. Two years of consistent reps, hit 305 and cleaned up the punch. Signed as a 3-star with 5 SEC offers."
"Deshaun's first step was elite — but his hand fighting held him back. One off-season of rip and swim work later he leads Ole Miss in TFLs as a redshirt sophomore."
"Terrell trained with us from high school through Draft prep. Still comes back off-season. Full circle for the standard we're setting."
Birmingham. the field.
Private turf in Birmingham. Off-season runs Tuesday through Saturday. In-season is Sundays only. Zoom film review available nationwide.
Address shared after booking
Remote film review available nationwide
Three ways in. one standard.
- 1-on-1 or semi-private
- OL or DL focus (or both)
- Film + written notes · 24-hour turnaround
- Book anytime · no commitment
- 4 private sessions per month
- Monthly live 1-on-1 sparring rep block
- Weekly film breakdown notes
- Priority booking window
- Text access · pause anytime
- Weekly private session + film
- Monthly live 1-on-1 combat block
- Direct recruiting outreach
- Combine prep + testing
- Alumni network access
The work shows up on Fridays.
"My son gained 30 pounds of good weight and doubled his HUDL views in one year. Coach Reeves didn't just train him — he taught him to think like a lineman."
"I've been coaching HS football for 22 years. Linemen who train with Trench Standard show up to camp already knowing hand placement. That's rare down here."
"The 1-on-1 live reps against real D-linemen are the closest thing to college practice. That's what got me ready to actually play as a freshman."
Real answers. no fluff.
Both. Every athlete gets position-specific instruction — but our unique advantage is that OL and DL work together in live reps. Understanding the other side is how you win yours.
Strength coaches build bodies. We build technique. Ideally you have both. Trench Standard is position-specific — hand fighting, leverage, footwork, film reads. Different discipline from weight room work.
Absolutely not. Technique + leverage beats raw size at every level except D1. And if he adds size (most linemen do between 15 and 18), the technique that's already there compounds. Undersized linemen with clean hand technique get looks.
Yes — for Weekly Track and Standard Group. That means HUDL edits calibrated to lineman-specific film needs, target-school lists tuned to body type, and direct outreach.
24-hour notice = full credit. Same-day = 50% credit unless game-related injury. Weekly Track can pause anytime.
In-person is Birmingham-only. Zoom film review works nationwide. Multiple Standard Group members are out-of-state and come in monthly for weekend blocks.
Come get the standard.
The field is booked in 60-minute blocks. Bring your last two games. Bring your hands. Let's work.