Alignment in Action: Identity in Physicality | Hayden Mace, Derek Fulton, Sean Cronin - OL, Co-OC/TE, and DC, Central Michigan

In Episode 3 of Alignment in Action, the focus shifts from vision to execution—exploring how identity is built through the daily work inside the Central Michigan Football building. The episode examines how physicality, defined by Matt Drinkall as a trained mental skill, is taught, reinforced, and sustained throughout the program.

Through conversations spanning multiple positions and perspectives, the episode shows how standards move from philosophy to practice. Rather than relying on slogans or speeches, physicality is developed through habits, expectations, and shared accountability that appear every day on the field and in meeting rooms. Across offense and defense, a common theme emerges: simplicity, trust, and effort allow players to play fast, disciplined, and violent when it matters most.

The episode highlights how offensive line play sets the tone for the entire team, how tight ends and fullbacks often carry the cultural weight of the offense, and how defensive identity is built on effort, leverage, and collective trust. It also underscores that alignment must withstand fatigue, pressure, and constant evaluation—reinforcing the idea that identity only lasts if it can endure daily scrutiny.

This Alignment in Action episode is paired with the Alignment in Action AI Companion, a behavior-based evaluation and planning tool built directly from these conversations to help coaches assess alignment, ownership, and decision-making when responsibility moves beyond the head coach. For staffs looking to ensure standards hold under pressure and function without constant oversight, this series provides a clear lens and practical application.

⁠⁠Alignment in Action AI Companion⁠⁠

Topics:

• Physicality as behavior, not a slogan
• Training mental habits that consistently show up on the field
• How offensive line standards shape team-wide identity
• Simplifying technique to increase speed, violence, and discipline
• Why tight ends and fullbacks carry cultural responsibility
• Teaching unselfish roles and embracing work beyond statistics
• Defensive identity built on effort, leverage, and trust
• Building systems that are simple for players and difficult for opponents
• Eliminating ego to improve teaching, communication, and collaboration
• Alignment tested by fatigue, pressure, and daily work

Connect on X:

Matt Drinkall: @DrinkallCoach

Hayden Mace: @CoachHaydenMace

Derek Fulton: @CoachDFulton

Sean Cronin: @CoachSeanCronin

Keith Grabowski: @CoachKGrabowski

Episode 4 continues the series

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