What is a 'Tampa 2' defense?

What is a 'Tampa 2' defense?

Darrin Chiaverini (Football Coach and Professional Athlete) gives expert video advice on: What are the different defensive formations?; What is a '3-4' defense?; What is a '4-3' defense? and more...

Tampa 2, the reason why it's called Tampa 2, is Tony Dungy, when he was the defensive coordinator in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers, came up with this defense. Basically what it does is that it plays the two safeties off the hash and the middle linebacker runs down the middle of the field to control the middle and this defense has been around for a long time, but Tony Dungee kind of brought it back into form and that's where the nickname came from, Tampa 2. And basically it's not your traditional Cover 2. Your traditional Cover 2, the safeties stay on the hash and they try to make sure no one gets down the middle of the field or off the hash and in the Tampa 2, they get a little wider off the hashes and the middle linebacker, his job is to control the middle of the field so it allows those safeties to play off the hash and make plays down the field.