"Gameplan in his hands" – Shoop’s trust in Clark

The Nordic Storm have written a strong story in their very first season in the European League of Football. With Head Coach John Shoop and Quarterback Jadrian Clark leading the way, the team has reached the Semi Finals and now faces the Vienna Vikings, one of the toughest opponents in the league.

What makes Clark special

Coach Shoop already worked with Jadrian Clark at Rhein Fire and knew exactly why he wanted him as the leader of the new Storm offense. "Jadrian is uncommonly competitive and extremely bright. It’s fun to gameplan with him because the volume of offense he’s able to process is significant," Shoop explained.

Coming from an NFL background, Shoop even compares Clark’s work at the line of scrimmage to the best quarterbacks he has ever coached: "Jadrian does as much, if not more, at the line of scrimmage than any quarterback I’ve coached. We certainly put the gameplan in his hands."

That is not only a huge compliment from a coach who worked for the Chicago Bears and Oakland Raiders in the NFL, as well as at major college programs like North Carolina and Purdue, but also a clear sign of Clark’s qualities as a quarterback.

Watch the Fire at Storm highlights here!

The philosophy of offensive football

Shoop’s idea of perfect offensive football is built on balance – not necessarily 50% run and 50% pass, but an effective balance that keeps defenses guessing. "We try to put defenses in conflicts of assignments and make the same things look different and different things look the same," he said.

Clark is the perfect fit for this system. Shoop compares him to a point guard in basketball, distributing the ball to his playmakers. "Each completion is an assist. This season we had a game with four players over 100 yards receiving. We have three players with double-digit touchdown receptions. These are really uncommon traits, and it’s because Jadrian distributes the ball so well."

A relationship built on trust

The connection between Shoop and Clark is strong, but also emotional at times. During the game against Rhein Fire, both were seen in a heated sideline discussion.

Shoop explained the moment: "One of the great things about our relationship is that we trust each other completely. We both make mistakes, but we have each other’s backs. This is an emotional game. Jadrian is intense, and I am intense. Our emotions boil over occasionally as we compete."

Staying calm in big games

With the Semi-Finals against Vienna coming up, Shoop’s focus is on keeping his quarterback and the whole team calm under pressure. "Just try to focus on the process," Shoop said."Each position has ‘particulars’ to focus on during intense times. As a play caller, mine is down/distance and tendencies and who needs to touch the ball."

This detailed approach has carried the Storm to success in their debut season, and now they will rely on it again as they prepare for one of the biggest challenges of the year - facing the Vienna Vikings.

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