Local startup 3rd and 3 aims to take football coaching virtual

CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) — Stationed securely behind a well-traveled desk, David Walker’s two and a half decades on the road coaching football led him to teach even more — at home.

“We could talk fundamentals, we could talk drills, we could talk overall concepts of style of play, anything from game planning to game management and everything in between,” Former Colts Running Backs Coach David Walker said.

After successful stints as an NFL assistant in Indianapolis and Detroit, Walker just started 3rd and 3 — the virtual, wide-ranging coaching seminars connecting coaches in their own living rooms from every corner of the country. 

Based in Carmel, Ind., 3rd and 3 launched on Mother’s Day earlier this year. 

With the help of Zoom, listen closely and you will hear former 17-year pro Rod Woodson detailing the latest tricks in the secondary. 

Watch as five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Robert Mathis breaks down a new way to attack the quarterback. 

Check in with top college coaches from Oregon to upstate New York, many of whom are speaking with each other for the first time — all thanks to the networking of 3rd and 3. 

“We have gone from having no coaches on a call to having 50 or so coaches on a call, and (at times) five or six NFL coaches on the calls with us,” Walker said. “You don’t have to be an advanced or expert coach. It is really for any coach, just trying to learn and get better and grow within the profession.”

Just how much can Walker translate from the NFL world to those who play under the Friday Night lights? 

For one, the days for high school coaches spending hefty hours traveling to clinics each year may be numbered.

“Now that there is an avenue for guys to grow, in their own homes, multiple times a week — I think this has a chance to be sustainable.”

“It is an unlimited client base.”

Are next generation of great football minds, ready to emerge…online? It’s officially time to find out.