Training Camp Confidential: Practice makes perfect
August 06, 2018 | Football, Mike Lucas
Tackling technique stressed in camp
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — The first padded practice always seems to raise questions about how much contact is needed to prepare a team for an opener and how that hitting (live versus controlled) should be managed.
To this end, practicing and developing good tackling habits may be integral to the way the game is now being officiated. But it won't necessarily eliminate all high speed, helmet-to-helmet collisions.
"There's obviously situations that come up (during practice) and you're going to kind of hit pause and make sure you discuss it," said UW defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.
"You're not necessarily live a ton and those are all split-second decisions … It's not something you can drill … As a former player, I understand that you can't control all of them."
Spoken from the heart. Leonhard is a three-time All-American safety and 10-year NFL veteran.
"It's about getting guys to understand that there are bang-bang situations that are going to arise," Leonhard said of honing an awareness to tackling techniques and high hits on the practice field.
The National Football League is in the process of implementing a helmet rule that is designed in principle to take the head out of contact plays, however vague the early interpretations may be.
For the past decade, college football has been reconditioning players to a safer way of tackling through enforcement of targeting fouls which can result in a 15-yard penalty and automatic ejection.
"Calling the penalty has been good for the game," Leonhard said. "Can you avoid them all? No. But you're seeing in a lot of those situations, maybe players making a better decision at times.
"I don't agree with kicking people out of the game. But I understand why. It's a point to show that it's serious. And it is something that we're trying to eliminate from the game.
Last season, UW linebacker T.J. Edwards was flagged for targeting after tackling Purdue tight end Cole Herdman. Edwards was ejected and sat out the second half of a 17-9 win over the Boilers.
It may have looked like a good football play.
But Edwards' facemask contacted Herdman's helmet.
"He (Edwards) lowered his shoulder, he brought his hands and it was not like he was leading with the head or anything," reasoned linebacker Ryan Connelly.
"Is there anything that he could have done differently? I don't think so. He was just trying to tackle him. It's something you think about. But it's such a blurred line.
"Obviously, everyone has to be a little more aware (of high hits). But there are just some situations that you can't avoid."
On his own tackling style, Connelly said, "I'm more of a wrap-and-roll guy. That's kind of naturally how I tackle. The amount of opportunities to have a clean shot like that are pretty rare."
During game weeks, he added, "We're not actually tackling, we're thudding up."
As such, players are wrapping and "thudding" but not taking anybody to the ground.
"If you're thudding up correctly, it can create good habits," said Connelly. "If you're not necessarily leading with your head during practice, you won't lead with it during games."
Edwards has discussed tackling techniques with his older brother, a rugby player. Lee Chiakas played collegiately at Southern Illinois and professionally in Scotland, Chicago and Houston.
"They don't involve the head at all when they tackle in rugby," Edwards said. "Growing up you want to be as physical as possible and make the biggest impact that you can.
"But you have to keep your head out of it. And I think most guys are really smart about not leading with their head and putting their head in the right spot because they don't want to get hurt.
"Most of the tackles we make out here during practice don't involve the head at all. So, you just get into a rhythm, especially during camp. When you're doing it every day, it becomes a habit."
Does the targeting policy make for a better game?
"It has the right intent," Edwards said. "There's a rule and you have to abide by it."
Especially since an ejection is so severe.
"I'm aware of the targeting rule because I always want to play," said safety D'Cota Dixon, a fifth-year senior. "I definitely try not to take myself out of the game.
"And the safest way to do it is sound tackling and wrapping up. That will be a big thing I'm focusing on in this camp ... I'll focus on running my feet and taking extra steps more so than anything.
"I'm not going to try and take someone's head off. I'm not going to think about it too much. You just have to play fast. When you practice like that, it usually ends up you're doing it the right way."
Game speed offers a different challenge, Dixon agreed.
"You have to play this game at one speed; you have to play it the way it deserves to be played," he said. "And you may get caught up in some situations where somebody ducks, and you hit them."
As NFL players will soon find out.
"It's one of those things that is inevitable in football just because of the high speed, high contact plays," Edwards conceded. "It's going to be interesting to see how it works in the NFL."
