So, a while back, the head coach at Donegal High cornered me after a game. Said their tackling was “like trying to hug a greased pig” – messy and ineffective. He wanted some drills specifically for linebacker form. My kid played on the team, so yeah, I figured why not? Always thought I could help kids learn safe, strong tackling. Plus, honestly, watching some games had me grinding my teeth.
Diving Headfirst Into the Mess
First thing I did? I just started watching. Went to almost every practice for two weeks straight. Not coaching, just sitting way up in the bleachers with a notebook like some weird scout. Saw a lot. Kids launching themselves head-first. Grabbing shoulders instead of wrapping up. Basically falling over instead of driving legs. It was brutal. Felt like a dad watching their toddler try to ride a bike for the first time.
Digging Out Some Basics
Knew I needed a super simple place to start. Went digging online, but man, so much garbage out there. Found this old video series focused purely on “Hawk Tackling.” Sounded fancy, but it was dead simple: Head Up, Wrap Up, Drive Feet. That became the mantra. Made little laminated cards with stick figures showing those three steps for the linebackers.
Getting My Hands Dirty
Next practice, coach let me run a 30-minute session just for linebackers. Started stupid simple. Didn’t even use pads. Just me and a kid facing each other standing still. “Alright Jimmy,” I’d say, “Don’t even think about knocking me down. Just step, head here (I’d tap my ear), wrap here (squeezing my own ribs), squeeze hard. That’s it. Let me feel that grip.” Did this over, and over, and over. Every single kid. Felt like teaching puppies how to sit.
- Did it slow.
- Did it with me holding a pad instead of tackling me.
- Made them freeze halfway through so I could check their head position.
- Ended every rep with them squeezing the life outta that pad while I yelled “DRIVE! DRIVE! DRIVE!” till their legs pumped.
Kids got bored stiff. I got hoarse. But they finally started feeling what a solid wrap felt like.
Adding Speed (And Watching Them Fall Over)
Ok, got the basic mechanics down? Time for some movement. Had them partner up. One kid walks holding a pad chest-high. Tackler shuffles a few steps sideways… then BOOM, put those steps together: head up, wrap hard, drive legs. Simple, right? HA! Half the time they’d collide and just crumple into a heap. Like watching bowling pins get knocked down. Lots of “Get up! Remember to SQUEEZE! Push him BACKWARDS!” Felt like groundhog day.
But slowly, slowly… the tackles started looking less like a chaotic pile and more like actual football. You could see the wrap happen. You’d hear the “oof!” as the pad got squeezed. See legs churning instead of buckling. Small victories, man.
Seeing It Stick (Mostly)
Took weeks, honestly. Felt longer. Kept showing up, kept yelling the same three things until I probably sounded like a broken record player. But last game? Man, their star linebacker, kid named Connor? Had a tackle near the sideline that was pure textbook hawk tackle. Head up. Wrapped tight. Drove his feet so hard the runner went sideways five yards before going down. Crowd went bananas. Kid popped up beaming.
Worth every second of boring repetition? Yeah. Yeah, it was. Did they all magically become all-pros? Heck no. Still saw some messy head-down crap. But man, the baseline shifted. They knew what a good tackle felt like now. That’s the win.