The NFL is a billion dollar industry that is neck deep in peril. As players are growing increasingly larger than those that played before, and somehow getting faster, the amount of head-related injuries are alarming. Factor in the concussion lawsuits that the NFL is facing and it’s understandable why the league is emphasizing proper tackling techniques.
The NFL has a more enlightened viewpoint of the severe effects of brain-related trauma coming from collision after collision. Therefore, the league will harshly reprimand players that go “high” and lunge with the crown of their helmets.
Most players are adhering to the rules to improve safety. But, there are some that are taking a poor route to avoid being penalized, fined, and/or suspended.
Courtesy: Washington Post
As Dustin Keller was on the receiving end of a routing pass from Ryan Tannehill, the tight end was greeted by a helmet to his already bent knee and the result was a gruesome outcome and quite possibly a career ending injury.
Keller recently signed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins, looking to prove himself this season and cash in. But, he is now a victim to the heightened level of hits to the knee in turn to avoid reprimand from Roger Goodell’s office.
This wasn’t an accident nor was it on purpose. The form was simply ghastly.
Swearinger swarmed to the ball and made the tackle, his job. However, he lunged with his helmet and lowered his head without using his arms. This growing trend has allowed for ball carriers to break off massive runs but also break some limbs.
Diving at an opponent’s knee should be out of the question. As a child you are taught to attack face up and to the outside of the carrier’s body while wrapping with your arms. When a player such as Swearinger decides to lower his out and fly blind, dreadful results such as Keller’s are common.
My intention is not to criticize just Swearinger; the whole NFL should understand the severity of such terrible form. Every Sunday fans across the world bear witness to terrible tackling attempts.
Those defending Swearinger point to the difference in size between Keller and Swearinger. Keller tips the scales around 260 pounds and holds more than 50 pounds over Swearinger. Yet, this could have been avoided had the Houston Texans safety decided to wrap his knees or even his ankles instead of springing head first.
Swearinger has a history of bone-jarring hits, while at South Carolina he was on the giving-end of several hits that resulted in penalties.
In an interview with NFL.com, Swearinger offered up the below reasoning for his actions.
“I was making a hit playing football. In this league, you’ve got to go low. If you go high, you’re going to get a fine,” Swearinger told Andrew Abramson of The Palm Beach Post. “I’m sorry that happened. I would think you’d rather have more concussions than leg injuries. Leg injury, you can’t come back from that. A concussion, you be back in a couple of weeks.”
It’s obvious that Swearinger majored in football while playing for Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks. Retired players are suffering from their days playing the sport. Jim McMahon is suffering from dementia while some aren’t so lucky. Junior Seau and Dave Duerson committed suicide in part to a brain disease known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
Goodell has the right to micromanage the game; it’s his job as the commissioner. But, with the soaring amount of knee injuries, he needs to act quickly.
Brian Hartline, a receiver for the Dolphins, was highly critical of Swearinger’s tackle and response to why he hit Keller at his knee.
Via ESPN.com, “it’s crap,” Hartline said. “I think that, me personally, if you’re sitting there telling me ‘I’m worried about going high and for the head’ [and] you consciously went low, then [that] is what you’re trying to tell me.”
He added, “I’m not a defensive player. So I don’t sit here and assume right off the bat. But what I do know is that I have a lot of good pros on my team, and from what they have said to me is that there is no place for that in our game today.”
Hartline is right; lunging with your helmet at the knee of an opponent is reckless and should not have a place in the NFL. There are moments when such hits are inevitable but this is not one of those examples.
Goodell owes it to his players and their safety to make such hits illegal and warrant of a fine or suspension. As officials are on the look for dangerous and unnecessary tackles, the culprit should be players that use their helmet as a weapon. Not only to protect those on the receiving end of the tackle but also those delivering the blow.
Rob Komosa, Governor Quinn and DeAntre Turman are three individuals that are not household names to the average football fan. However, Komosa and Quinn were paralyzed while participating in a high school football game while Turman died on the field during a preseason game due to a neck injury.
Komosa and Quinn both passed away from their football-related injuries.
The sport is dangerous. To make matters worse, the proper technique is not being taught to younger players which allow them to develop bad habits, habits that could seriously injure themselves or an opponent, or even kill them.
You only have milliseconds to decide your next action while on the field. Mistakes happen. Imagine if the clocks were turned back and Keller was able to embrace himself for the impact. Swearinger’s neck was highly exposed and one wrong move could have killed him.
Goodell has received much scrutiny for his ways while in office. Most fans have not been keen of his changes to the game; they believe he is “softening” the sport. However, Goodell’s job is to monitor the sport and make the best decisions to ensure the best final product.
Hasty decisions need to be made, the players are in jeopardy and though this could be viewed as an isolated incident, it’s in the best interest of Goodell to be proactive rather than be in office when the first player dies on the field.
