The 2 technique is an alignment and technique designation for an interior defensive lineman who is positioned head up over an offensive guard on the line of scrimmage. The two-technique defender is responsible for managing both the A Gap and the B Gap in most defensive schemes, making him a two-gap player. Because of this, he typically plays either the 1st or 3rd downline position. Two-gapping was originally used by Bear Bryant as a way to account for the fact that most guards were then played on the outside shoulder of their respective tackles. This allowed him to have his nose tackle play the 2-gap role, which is why this technique is also called "the nose" technique. In more recent years, several coaches have moved away from playing their nose tackle in this manner because it limits their ability to stunt or loop the end around the outside. Instead, they will have him stand up and play the one-gap center position while still having a hand placed inside the guard's face mask. This allows them to use more varied tactics on the field and gives them a better opportunity at stopping the run with just four players. While two-gapping was initially developed to be used by college football teams, today it is commonly seen in the NFL.