James Harrison’s Tackling Technique

I was an above average football player. Not great- certainly not good enough to play professionally. But I was certainly good enough to learn how to tackle properly. In fact, tackling was the first lesson taught when I started playing.

I’ve watch James Harrison’s two hits from this weekend and I can tell you that he violates two rules of tackling on both of those plays.

First, I was taught to never put my head down. That leads to neck injuries. If you watch the video, Harrison clearly lowers his head and is looking at the ground when he makes contact.

Second, you’re supposed to wrap your arms around the ball carrier as contact is made. Harrison fails this own as well. Instead, he brings his hands together below his chin and explodes his arms up and out on impact. Watching the video, his arms come flying up and out on impact. I assume I don’t have to explain why wrapping the arms is considered a good idea.

I’ll also say, in my opinion, that it looked like he was headhunting in both tackles. His line is directly for the ball carrier’s head, where he accurately delivers a blow.

If Harrison is as great as he considers himself to be, both of those plays could have been made just as effectively without the blow to the head. If he’d kept his head up and wrapped up as he made contact, neither of those tackles would have resulted in concussions to the opposing player. What’s more, Harrison would have avoided risking his own neck.

If this is how Harrison was taught to tackle, then he was taught wrong. If this is all he’s ever known about tackling, then he’s been wrong his whole football career.

And while I’m at it, his attitude of “I’m trying to hurt people” is inappropriate. His job is to tackle people on the football field, not hurt them. He’s there to help his team win, but not at any cost. If he can’t play without trying to hurt people, then he should make good on his threat and retire.

Football doesn’t need him.