DO they even teach players how to tackle in the NFL?

[sabotai]

Doesn't look like it...this goes for basically all pro teams. I haven't seen such poor tackling in football since my 0-9 high school football team.

[Draft Dodger]

or, at least since Deion Sanders retired.

[sabotai]

Is it really that hard to teach a defensive back that you tackle with you arms and not your shoulder?

[vex]

Roy Williams seems to be able to tackle.

[GoldenEagle]

Originally posted by sabotai
Is it really that hard to teach a defensive back that you tackle with you arms and not your shoulder?

You dont tackle with your arms. I hate to see players 'Arm' tackle. Get low and drive your legs while placing a shoulder to push them down.

[Travis]

Actually, I was pleasantly surprised when the announcer's pointed this out during the Seahawks game. Anthony Simmons was their case in point, and it showed him tackling Lewis on his legs, wrapping them up while driving his own body in the opposite direction to Lewis instead of trying to wrap him up high and ride him to the ground, which is less effective because of Lewis' power. Then you watch Ray Lewis, who on countless occasions gets a mittful of jersey, then grabs the guy right under the throat, then throws them to the ground, relying on pretty much pure power and intimidation to stop players. Was also a pretty good matchup of hard hitting safeties with Ed Reed and Ken Hamlin.

Now, while the tackling in the game wasn't bad, we just won't mention the pass D...

[sabotai]

Originally posted by GoldenEagle
You dont tackle with your arms. I hate to see players 'Arm' tackle. Get low and drive your legs while placing a shoulder to push them down.

I should have been more clear.

Of course I don't me "arm tackle". To tackle someone, you do what you said and wrap your arms around him. So many times I see a player lower their head, drive their shoulder into the player only to have the offensive player bounce off and continue running. They can't bounce off if you have your arms around them.

[Leonidas]

I've read various articles about this. Everyone seems to agree tackling is really bad, and most people agree on the causes.

The biggest seems to be the NCAA has cut down practice time and the spring and summer training camps so much that they barely have time to teach the system and practice tackling technique has been virtually done away with in college. And less scholarships means fewer practice squad players to practice full contact against too.

The second thing is the pros have gotten so high in salaries that the coaches are afraid to run full contact practices for fear of injuring key players.

[JW]

But they are getting better and better at celebrations. I particularly enjoy when defensive players celebrate after tackling a runner or receiver who has just made a first down in a game the celebrants' team is losing bigtime. That is the height of NFL professionalism. Well, that and Keyshawn.

[Leonidas]

Originally posted by JW
But they are getting better and better at celebrations. I particularly enjoy when defensive players celebrate after tackling a runner or receiver who has just made a first down in a game the celebrants' team is losing bigtime. That is the height of NFL professionalism. Well, that and Keyshawn.

I think that guy at Texas A&M is a surefire firstrounder for that act against OU when his team was down 77-0. I bet the agents started calling his family the second they saw that play.

[JasonC23]

Originally posted by JW
But they are getting better and better at celebrations. I particularly enjoy when defensive players celebrate after tackling a runner or receiver who has just made a first down in a game the celebrants' team is losing bigtime. That is the height of NFL professionalism. Well, that and Keyshawn.

My favorite example of this phenomenon, but on offense, was a couple of weeks ago when David Terrell got up after making a catch and did a shoulder-shimmy thing.

The catch was for 4 yards. On first down. Making it second and 6.

You go, David!