"The origination of that position was, you take a safety, who maybe wasn't as fast, and plug him into that position." - Al Washington
Linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs. For years, everyone from television announcers to pee-wee coaches has taught us to believe there are three basic positions in a football defense, allowing anyone who has ever played the game to start with one of those designations when asked, "what position do you play?"
But as has often been the case throughout the game's 150-year history, strategies and schemes have evolved over the past few decades, making such classifications feel antiquated for players in the modern game.