Full Transcript
Aaron King (00:00):
In this episode of the podcast we're coming from Nashville, Tennessee and the 2019 NFL draft, I was able to catch up with Chris Hixon, the founder of Trent Dilfer, QB IQ training system. We recorded this podcast right on the streets with all the fans in the middle of the draft action and talked about what quarterbacks are doing to train, to become elite and accurate at the pro level. You guys that don't know Chris six in QBQ, you have this pre-snap reading system is Trent Dilfer is QBE IQ. Now you're the founder CEO. Uh, you Trent, um, and John brink is from soul and science. Those guys obviously doing their thing, the sports science he's done in the past, but you're taking kind of this, this combination of everything you've done in your career. And I'll let you talk about that here in a sec. Uh, but then Trent, his experience, John, the science, and really the high level of quality content they put out and you've come up with a solution for quarterbacks that it fascinates me because I talk a lot about the mental side. So I trained long snappers, the speed training. We're all about quality reps, all about the mental preparation training, like a pro, you guys have put this pre-snap reading system. Can you talk a little bit about what QB IQ is, how you came up with it, and sure who can benefit from it?
Chris Hixson (01:14):
So well, first of all, QB IQ is a, uh, it's a pre-snap reading system by, at its essence. Um, it's basically the pro process. It's, it's going to be the quickest thing that gets Friday and Saturday guys to Sundays. That's really the difference in taking guys that progression read, which is Saturday and Sundays, we don't progression read at the pro level. That's not what happens. So, and there never was an organization, uh, you know, a thing that just takes everything and wraps it into a package where I can learn from, to get me to that level. And that's kind of what that pro process. It gets those younger guys, Friday and Saturday guys to figure out, Hey, wait a minute. All this information is in front of me and I'm not taking advantage of it. And then how does that work for me post-snap? And, um, I 'll tell you it's been insane.
Chris Hixson (01:58):
As you mentioned, Trent Dilfer and John breakers came on board and you look at guys like, uh, John Branca's, the science behind the game, statistical decision-making, uh, that guy studied over 2000, uh, athletes, number one, he's a six-time Emmy guy. I mean, it's insane to have gods like that on your team. And then Trent Dilfer, the Mecca of quarterback training, the Mecca of the quarterback analysis. So when you talk about gods like that, I think that serves a large, um, uh, message to people that, uh, want to be smarter than this position. Hey, these guys are on board credentials are there
Aaron King (02:32):
Right now for our audience there. There's kind of two parts. One. We have the quarterbacks that I honestly, obviously I want to benefit, but, for everyone else, that's not a quarterback. You know, I don't want to get a little bit into your journey and some of the sports, just the path, the career, the grind, right entrepreneurship, uh, we'll touch on that in a sec to kind of go back into the quarterbacks is this, and I think a Peyton Manning, I think of, of auditing at the line of scrimmage and some of the high IQ guys, how it's flashcards it's visualization. Can you kind of talk about the how's it package and what is it really doing? Pre-snap.
Chris Hixson (03:10):
Okay, so let's start off with Alvin right there. You brought up somebody's Peyton Manning, right? Think about these guys' best in the business ever. Historically, you might think Tom Brady, you might think Peyton Manning, you might think some old guys might even think Dan Marino never took one home. Joe Montana. Well, one of the main things, that's what I just mentioned. The average put them all together. They all threw for about 250,000, altogether, 250, 260,000 yards. They rushed if all those four guys that I just mentioned for 4,000 yards, it's not about the creative abilities. It's about the process. So we created a package forgot younger guys riding instead of Saturday guys, to learn a process, to take the information in front of them, and become closer to what those guys are using. That pre-snap information. Huh? One of my favorite things that Jerry Rice said, Jerry Rice said 98% of the time, Joe Montana knew where he was throwing the ball before the snap of the ball. That's key information. That's why he said that guy is the best. And so when you know, when you have that kind of comment, it's like, okay, well, what are we not doing in high school? Or in college? What are we not doing? We're not taking that information. Pre-stamped, we're always posting that progressing.
Aaron King (04:23):
Yeah. So you have covered too. And you know, which routes are there? You've covered three. You might've man, you have a blitz. How, how many kinds of combinations really are there? It, how quickly can someone pick this up? And what's kind of the depth that is, it really goes into
Chris Hixson (04:38):
One of the coolest things is to watch some of our videos online on social media at the QBIQ system. Uh, but I'm going to tell you if you watch these kids working with like the flashcards and the cover to the system. Okay. So cover to the routes that work are two, four, six, seven, bang nine, cover three. So one, two, three, four, five, six, bang, eight things, none on the hash. Wow. Well, that sounds somewhat complicated once you do it a couple of times and the flashcards are so green, yellow, it's like, that's the area I need to make. I need to put a heart hurt on the defense. All you gotta do is apply it to the play package that you're currently in.
Aaron King (05:11):
I even, know the route tree. So when you say those, you know, I didn't play, I played quarterback like seventh grade, which by the way, if you're a quarterback, you know, I'm trained to snappers. I have, I could try to train a guy to snap. Yeah. A quarterback, easiest person to train, to snap a ball. In fact, they can wait. They might not be accurate the first time, but they're going to wing it. They got the follow-through it's crazy. The technique kind of similar there. Um, but yeah, so the route tree, it's, it's funny how, how it's it's complex, but it's not that complex. It's complex. When you add defense, you have pressure, you have all those things, but at the end of the day, there's the route tree. There's some progression to it. Yeah. But it's, it's that quick thing, you know, thinking very quickly on the fly and you guys are able to just kind of limit the challenge there. Well, one is
Chris Hixson (05:58):
You look at it. If you can recognize the defense, right? That's the one, okay. Let's identify the defense and we have a great ID method. Uh, the ID method in our, in our book, our system book, it tells you exactly how to get through and process that defense like that. My coach used to tell me all the time, be able to take a picture, and make decisions from that picture. And even though we teach this methodical way of understanding, what's in front of you, you do it enough, you get ripe and ready with like sharp, like an edge. All of a sudden it becomes a very, very easy thing to do. Um, and it's nothing but practice, right? Some of our practice, I identified it. And then I applied the QBI cue concept, Hey, cover two, two, four, six, seven big nine. So let's say coaches running a smash on the, on this side. And he's running, you know, which is a corner in the hitch and on the backside, we've got our bread and butter of a, a curl flat. Well, there are only two routes in that against cover two that work, we said zero seven one four, well, two, four, six, seven, eight, nine says that seven in that four, the only routes at work. So if I can recognize priests tonight, then I already know which is going to work.
Aaron King (07:01):
Do you think that this is why the quarterbacks in the NFL lately have kind of come in? There's been less busy. I feel, at least from my observation, it seems like there's less unless you're Cleveland this past year, they did well. But these young quarterbacks are coming out more prepared with a lot of the stuff that trend's doing. You're, you're doing Palmers. Do a lot of the different guys that are teaching these guys. How to think. Do you think a lot of it is just attributed to seven pre-snap or just maybe there's the trickle-down maybe the more the structure we have?
Chris Hixson (07:33):
Well, I definitely think the nuance of the offense, there's a lot more passing in a high school. So it's getting guys ripe and ready. Yes, of course, with what Trent's doing. I had the culture he's building with elite 11 and the ethics camp. No doubt about it, that it's increasing the IQ already. It's increasing, uh, how to notice things quicker and be able to be on balance and throw accurately. Um, and I want you to, you know, everybody out there, you guys need to look at the top 20, top 30, even in all time, historical numbers of the most accurate guys. Now drew breeze is number one. Number two is Kirk Cousins. Real Joe Montana is not even until like 14 or 15. Uh, number 13 is, um, Tom Brady, you're talking about 67% is, is going to draw breeze. But then all the rest of the guys are young guys in that top 20 they're all young guys because of what you said, the nuances that the game of, of the requirement of pass earlier in high school,
Aaron King (08:32):
The crazy thing about that is the percentage of why they're, they're accurate. They're also throwing more. So it's harder to be accurate or statistically, they have more room for error. So it is fascinating to hear that I Kirk, cousins, I know, I think about it, you know, it's like, yeah, he's, he's been pretty, pretty efficient, but it's crazy to hear those names,
Chris Hixson (08:49):
Marcus Marietta, he's in it. Super smart. He's up in the, uh, I think he's like 11 or 12. So
Aaron King (08:56):
Doing keep the IQ now played arena. Can you talk a little bit about your journey through the quarterback world? Uh, because you know, I've shared my story enough with everyone. Just grinding it out, trying to try to make it bounce around, putting it all on the line, similar story, you know, talk about, you know, how you came up through the ranks and a little bit about your ex.
Chris Hixson (09:17):
Well, I, I, I've mentioned this many times, you know, I feel like it's a journeyman's type of, of a career. Uh, been around, love the sport I play for free. Okay. I played, uh, high school at Bellevue high school came out of Texas when I was younger, but Bellevue high school always in the top 10 in the country ran the wing T best in the country. And I'm going to tell you right now that was an awesome experience because we learned discipline
Chris Hixson (09:42):
Astro, baby. There, here we are too. So, um, anyway, just, you know, I was able to do that and it had a really good career for 72% and in high school, then it's not hard to do the wing T but then I went and played for a Floyd, Keith and at the University of Rhode Island. And, you know, he's had time with San Francisco, uh, Joe Montana, Steve Young, uh, Trent green at Indiana, you know, so he came with a lot of knowledge base and you got a guy wrapped around, you know, your development like that. You can only do things, but get better. And so that was an unbelievable opportunity for me. Uh, after that, you know, as you said, just bounced around, ground it out, try to stick your career in there had some great time in the arena league and the arena league was awesome because you got to drop, pass, read fast, throw, fast, drop that. I mean, your feet have to develop so fast that what you visualize and see from pre and post-snap, your feet are always changing depending on what the route timing is. And those routes are all adjusted. And I played for Danny Wright from Dallas Cowboys. He was my head coach and all of our route packages were adjustments. So the defense could never be right. And that was the big thing. So you had to adjust your feet had to change. And that was the big thing. I mean, you know, uh, recognition and reacting.
Aaron King (10:57):
Yeah. For the, for the young guys that, uh, on that recruiting, you know, they're going through the recruiting process for the coach is trying to help the guys recruit. What are some things just from your experience, obviously, you know, it's changed, we've got platforms for social, you know, sharing your video. We've got it, it's easier to reach coaches. What are you telling guys now, uh, for going from, you know, maybe not being recruited to getting, getting somewhere? Yeah. Uh, the guys preparing for them for maybe a legitimate opportunity at a big university. What are some things that you tell the guys or see that that has worked the guys that are really trying to make it
Chris Hixson (11:34):
Well, I'll tell you number one, everybody out there should be a lot more confident about, uh, whether or not I'm going to play college football or not. If you're in Georgia, you're really lucky because if you're playing at seven, eight, six, eight, five, eight, five, eight balls, and you're a starter, especially a two-year starter. And even if the size is an issue, there's a team that you can play for, right. Dethrone. Uh, you definitely can play. Um, and I'm going to, there's just so many different spots and opportunities to be able to play. Obviously, it's not the level. Sometimes the guys want to be able to play at, but I was on the other day and tip the side of it is, uh, guys that want to go, uh, Done, they get the best offer and they want to go to that, that offer that best offer. I typically tell them, go to your second best offer, because if you, if you go to a place that's so competitive, you might not be able to play. You might not get on that field till your senior year. I'd rather you be a part of the, Saturday's the reason why you win. And so, and I find that that's a much better development, uh, thing for, for younger kids. It's a hard one for them to swallow Ohio state off for me, but you'd have a better chance if you went to, uh, you know, ACC schools,
Aaron King (12:40):
Right? So what are you doing now for, you know, the this, this, you transition out of playing, but you've been coaching? So you're still in the game. But talk a little bit about the entrepreneur entrepreneurship side, where it's still ground. It's a hustle. The to-do list never gets done. You know, you're always, you're pulling everything. You're probably just adding every day more than you're taking off your to-do list. You gotta talk about that transition. And just, I guess what I'm asking is the passion, the new passion, you know, that once you're not, you're done playing
Chris Hixson (13:12):
The coolest thing for me is it never changed? Cause I'm still doing what I did when I was seven years old. Right. I started playing when I have organized football, you know, seven years old and I'm still in the game. I mean, I'm still a part of the game and the reason why other people, uh, you know, get better and progress. I know it better than anything than I then doing some corporate job. I knew it a lot better. And I don't mind doing all the different things from taking out the trash to mail and packages, to doing whatever I have to do to increase the business. And what's been great. Here is the business that has been compounding for us. So if you stay at it long enough, be consistent, be disciplined, just like football teaches you, then you're and you have a good methodology. You care about your result. You care about your kids' resilience. Well, I think there's nothing, but success is going to be following them.
Aaron King (13:56):
Have you seen, what about the recruiting process, putting out content, have you seen, obviously the advice would give guys about, don't be stupid on social media, but the way you cut up films, the way you put it out, the way you kind of market yourself, the way guys are putting their, their huddle link and their kind of bio and their Twitter, you know, description any, any, any pointers there from stuff you've seen that guys have done?
Chris Hixson (14:21):
Well, I would say, I'll tell you this, uh, bigger schools with bigger budgets don't utilize any of that. They watch you though. Yeah. If they're hot on your ticket and they like what they see on film, and they're going to start watching your, your social media. Right. Uh, but if we're talking about recruiting in terms of doing that huddle Lincoln and trying to create a promotion for yourself, uh, I don't think it's a bad idea. I think you probably have to do it, but in terms of what it really actually does for you, uh, at the D-1 level, I don't think it does anything. Yeah. Um, I think that there are some cool things you can do that are up close. I remember Austin Kirksey, I put one simple video of him catching doing a mess concept and then throwing the hit or the quick out to the outside.
Chris Hixson (15:06):
And I simply put on there, why does he have the best feet in the country? Just watch and listen, this Austin Kirksey's feet are unbelievable. And next thing you know is, uh, uh, coach Dickey from the OSI from Texas a and M was on a plane within a week to come to see him was in contact with him. Wow. So that's, you know when you look at things like that, so it does work, not so sure the huddle things are so significant, but again, on the other side of it is the smaller schools. They, they utilize as much information as they can get because they don't have the opportunity to come to see you. Right.
Aaron King (15:40):
Awesome. All right. So I'll be linking everything. If you're on YouTube, the description we'll have is obviously in the newsletter. Um, where can they find you? Where, where are we going for social media, for any of the videos, workouts working there?
Chris Hixson (15:52):
Well, for, um, our, our main thing is the website, you know, it's KBI IQ, system.com and then, uh, social media-wise, it's at QBI IQ system. That's the main thing, you know, all of our social media is at the QBIQ system. Right. And the same thing with YouTube. Do you want to check out the videos? Yeah.
Aaron King (16:09):
Lots of great videos. Yeah. Even LinkedIn, you got a lot going on that LinkedIn. So a ton of content, lots of value. Chris, Trent bronchus. I mean the whole crew. Can you beat that? It can't be, it's a pretty solid group of guys. So, well, I guess we'll get back to enjoying the draft and joining Nashville. Thanks for tuning in, man. Thanks for joining the show.
Chris Hixson (16:22):
Hey Aaron. Thanks, brother.
