Quote:
Originally Posted by gstelmack
Not soft, it's a lack of fundamentals. It's a focus on hitting the guy high and hard, which risks injury, on the off-chance you knock the ball loose, rather than focusing on making the tackle which involves wrapping him up much lower. No one wants to tackle anymore, instead they want to "Jack Him Up" to make the ESPN highlight reel.
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It's not a lack of fundamentals. You're taught to jack him up in practice and in games. That dislodges the ball, creates turnovers and gets into the mind of the WR. You don't earn a spot on a roster by letting the guy catch the ball and then wrapping him up. You earn a spot by hitting the guy so hard that he doesn't catch the ball in the first place. You learn this from playing Pee Wee football and it's reinforced when you're competing for a roster spot for the very first time (Jr. High/High School).
This is nothing new. I remember a reporter asking the question back to a pro DB in the 1970s which he'd rather have, an int or a hard hit. The DB said the hit, because he knew that his man would then short arm passes and run poorer routes after that. So again, this isn't anything new - your ESPN theory doesn't hold much water.
FYI, it's only a lack of fundamentals if you go for the kill shot and miss.
