M
mtnradioIt seems to me that BYU is suffering more concussions this year than in past years. We have watched as the stadium fell silent wondering how significant the injury was to Williams, Sorenson, Hague, and others.
Football is a game of violent collisions and we can expect to see some injuries. As players get bigger, stronger, and faster, the collisions can be expected to become more violent, leading to more injuries.
BUT, I haven't noticed as many injuries to other teams as are happening to BYU. My question to the forum is WHY?
One possible answer is that BYU players are not properly equipped. (I doubt that)
Another is that BYU players are getting hurt because they fly to the ball and play such an aggressive game (I submit that even if that is part of the answer, it is incomplete).
I propose that a contributing reason is that the team's tackling sucks. How often do you see a good form tackle? Too often our players are taking flying leaps and hoping that putting a flying shoulder pad on the opponent will knock them over. That leads to complaints about arm tackling because these guys miss with the shoulder and then have to try to grab something. Both Sorenson and Hague took knee/leg to the head while diving at the runner ... and it cost them. I'm not complaining about diving to stop a guy they can't otherwise get to ... but it seems to common. Once you, as a tackler, give up your feet, you have given up your most powerful ability to stop the runner.
Maybe I"m wrong ... What do you guys think? And is there a way to help protect our players from these injuries? They are fine men who deserve to be able to keep their wits about them!
Football is a game of violent collisions and we can expect to see some injuries. As players get bigger, stronger, and faster, the collisions can be expected to become more violent, leading to more injuries.
BUT, I haven't noticed as many injuries to other teams as are happening to BYU. My question to the forum is WHY?
One possible answer is that BYU players are not properly equipped. (I doubt that)
Another is that BYU players are getting hurt because they fly to the ball and play such an aggressive game (I submit that even if that is part of the answer, it is incomplete).
I propose that a contributing reason is that the team's tackling sucks. How often do you see a good form tackle? Too often our players are taking flying leaps and hoping that putting a flying shoulder pad on the opponent will knock them over. That leads to complaints about arm tackling because these guys miss with the shoulder and then have to try to grab something. Both Sorenson and Hague took knee/leg to the head while diving at the runner ... and it cost them. I'm not complaining about diving to stop a guy they can't otherwise get to ... but it seems to common. Once you, as a tackler, give up your feet, you have given up your most powerful ability to stop the runner.
Maybe I"m wrong ... What do you guys think? And is there a way to help protect our players from these injuries? They are fine men who deserve to be able to keep their wits about them!