There's A Lot To Learn From Hardin's Mistake...............

A lot to learn from Hardin's mistake

Bad tackling form, like the injured Bear's, can lead to cervical trauma, concussions and opponent's touchdowns

http://www.trbimg.com/img-503aad70/t...120827-001/600 Redskins tight end Logan Paulsen is tackled by Brandon Hardin during the second half at Soldier Field. Hardin was injured on the play. The Bears won 33-31. (Dennis Wierzbicki/US Presswire Photo / August 26, 2012)

Dan Pompei On the NFL 6:12 p.m. CDT, August 26, 2012

Every youth football coach in America should show his team the video from a play in the Bears-Redskins exhibition game.

It happened at 14:37 of the third quarter.

Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins throws a short pass over the middle to tight end Logan Paulsen. He catches the ball and turns upfield.

Brandon Hardin, from a two-deep safety look, is set up for a kill shot. He closes on the 261-pound Paulsen after 19 yards, breaks down, ducks his head and rams Paulsen in the hip with his helmet.

And just like that, Hardin's season is over.

It was the kind of tackle attempt that can lead to cervical trauma, concussions and opponent's touchdowns. He risked hurting himself, the player he was trying to tackle and his own team.

The neck injury Hardin suffered was serious enough that doctors immobilized him and carted him off the field. They kept him overnight in a hospital and put him in a neck brace.

And this weekend he was told he wouldn't play again this year.

The Bears put their third-round pick on injured reserve Sunday.

I'm not judging Hardin's intent or implying he is a headhunter. I think Hardin probably is a good kid who has not figured out how to tackle. (Ding, ding ding, we have a winner folks)

Maybe it's from time off — he missed the 2011 season with a broken shoulder. Maybe it's because he is playing a new position. Maybe it's because he got into bad habits.

But he tackled with his head down in the previous exhibition game, too, and he has taken some approaches like that in practices while pulling up.

It did not escape the notice of his coaches. Veteran defensive teammates even warned Hardin about his style. (I rest my case. Some of these kids come in with no clue what they're up against in the NFL style of play)

It doesn't really matter now.

But it will matter if he gets back on the football field.

In the world he wants to live in, you have to see what you hit and lead with your shoulder. Take it from me, or take it from Roger Goodell.

In addition to being dangerous, Hardin's hit was illegal. He could have been fined for it. (How's that for a bitch. You break your friggin' neck and they can fine YOU for doing it, LOL)

Beyond all that, it was unsound, even if you take the potential for injury out of the equation.

Football players routinely bounce off such tackle attempts, or avoid the contact entirely. It can be easy for a skilled ball carrier to get away from a defender who doesn't have his eyes on him.

Hardin might have been able to get away with dipping his head more as a cornerback at Oregon than he could as a free safety with the Bears.

Being in space makes proper tackling form more important. At his new position, the angles have changed. So has the cushion between him and the ball carrier. And so has the speed of the game.

Any good mom will tell you football always is going to be a dangerous sport, but any good coach will speak this truth: Players can make it a lot safer by using proper form when tackling.

If Hardin overcomes his spinal injury and plays football again, he will be overcoming the odds. He will have had a two-year layoff from the game.

He had such a bright future. (There's a very bad 3 letter word in this sentence)

He is 6-3, 220, which makes him stand out even in the NFL forest. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds at the combine, had a vertical jump of 35 1/2 inches and bench-pressed 225 pounds 24 times. He's athletic enough that he usually played man-to-man in college.

So much potential, so much promise.

All risked with a dip of the head.

I wish Harden a speedy recovery.

And I also wish something good comes from what he did.

This is what you call a teaching moment.

dpompei@tribune.com

Brandon Hardin injury: How not to tackle

August, 27, 2012 Aug 27
9:25

AM ET

By Kevin Seifert | ESPN.com

Dan Pompei's column on the play that ended the season of Chicago Bears safety Brandon Hardin is smart and important, and I want to make sure as many people as possible see its message.

[+] Enlarge
http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2012/0827...din_bl_300.jpgDennis Wierzbicki/US PresswireSafety Brandon Hardin will miss the 2012 season after being placed Sunday on injured reserve.

As you know, Hardin suffered an unspecified neck injury Aug. 18 during the Bears' 33-31 preseason victory over the Washington Redskins. He attempted to tackle Redskins tight end Logan Paulsen, fell to the ground and was removed from the field on a stretcher. Hardin never lost consciousness or movement, but the injury was serious enough for the Bears to place him on season-ending injured reserve Sunday.

As the photograph shows, and Pompei reinforces, the injury resulted from the kind of poor technique that coaches and doctors warn against from the start of Pop Warner football. If you watch the replay, you see Hardin lower his head at the point of impact and smack the top of it on Paulsen's hip.

Lowering the head is a natural but dangerous instinct. Anyone who has played the game knows you're taught to keep your "head up" when you make a tackle. You're supposed to "see what you hit," and it's for an important reason: Violent contact to the top of your head, which is what you lead with when the head is lowered, increases the chance of a neck injury because it "jams" the spinal column.

We don't know the specifics of Hardin's injury, and he is far from the only NFL player to demonstrate poor technique. But if lowering his head didn't contribute to this injury, it absolutely could in other instances. It's an unfortunate but important reminder for anyone who plays the game, especially as high school seasons open across the country: head up.

The fact that this is not taught more in peewee, midschool, high school, and then heavily taught in College is beyond me. A CB/S shouldn't be allowed to see the field if he does this, end of story. You don't tackle w/your head up you're gonna hurt someone, most likely yourself.

Like I said before this was the play that made me throw my hands up in disgust and turn off the game.

I suppose I should be more sympathetic and thankful that he didn't break his fool neck but after I saw the replay I was pissed. He caused the injury himself with his own foolish act and now that I've read Pompei's column and learned that he'd already been cautioned about it I'm even more pissed off.

What happened to humble and I want to learn to do it right? What is there about kids like Webb and Hardin and others that you can tell them whatever you want but it goes in one ear, hits nothing that can stop it or even seemingly slow it down, and exits out the other side?

Not only are some of them not physically prepared for the rigors of the NFL but apparently they aren't very well mentally prepared either. The team brags about the incredible physical talents of guys like Webb and Hardin but these guys go right out and shoot themselves in the foot with their own gun! It's a .44 caliber stupid.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery Mr. Hardin and you should know that you owe it to the Bears that you do recover completely and play football again. While you were shooting yourself in the foot you also shot a perfectly good draft pick we could have used elsewhere right in the ass. You bonehead. :icon_smile_slap:

Rant complete. :badmood:

From what I remenber, isn't his head also to be in front of the HITTIE, not behind? Not that play , he should have his head up and hitting him with his right shoulder with his head in front of him. ESPN is suck a problem with this ( MY RANT ), never showing what a good tackle is but highlighting "Big Hits". But for every Big Hit how many whiffs happen and injuries too. Fundamentals!!!!!! All the kids see this and think thats what it takes to make it, Highlights.

Again, if these guys are allowed to see the field early in their careers playing inaccurate football, then they will never learn the right way.

PeeWee/MS/HS/College should not allow this type of play, but alas they do and once these guys get to the pros they are going to do what got them there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by soulman

and now that I've read Pompei's column and learned that he'd already been cautioned about it I'm even more pissed off.

yeah, as we said, these are old habits and just telling him to change when he has been trying to break his neck for the past 15 years is not going to change overnight. He really is a serious injury waiting to happen unless they can work on it this year. I am truly surprised that they didn't see this on tape and connected it with his past injury.

oh, I know. Tice said "I can fix this" and they drafted him anyway. LOL

Quote:

Originally Posted by yttocs

From what I remenber, isn't his head also to be in front of the HITTIE, not behind? Not that play , he should have his head up and hitting him with his right shoulder with his head in front of him. ESPN is suck a problem with this ( MY RANT ), never showing what a good tackle is but highlighting "Big Hits". But for every Big Hit how many whiffs happen and injuries too. Fundamentals!!!!!! All the kids see this and think thats what it takes to make it, Highlights.

Exactly. His head should cross the path of the ball carrier focusing on his belt buckle the whole time and his right shoulder makes the hit. The impact, if any, is on the side of the helmet not the crown of the helmet. The left arm then comes around to wrap up the tackle. How you gonna wrap up like that? The ball carrier will tear right through that left arm the way he's positioned.

Doug Plank used to hit all the time with the crown of his helmet but if you saw a pic of him from his playing days he had no neck to injure and I'll be even he's a little punch drunk from it these days. You can't even hit like Hardin is here anymore without risking a penalty for spearing with your helmet. What he's doing is about as effective as a batter going to the plate holding the wrong end of the bat.

If these guys don't understand the fundamentals of their position than sit their asses until the do. The entire pro game suffers from the lack of them as far blocking and tackling are concerned. Sweet Saint Vincent Lombardi!

http://www.trbimg.com/img-503aad70/t...120827-001/600

what we learned? Don't take injury prone players that injure themself by playing their position