Spring game offers first live test for new tackling technique

When the Nebraska coaches first approached the team with the idea of switching to a rugby-style tackling method early this spring, the suggestion was meant with plenty of raised eyebrows. That includes senior Charles Jackson, long described by teammates as one of NU's best tacklers.

Jackson didn't openly question the move, but he wondered why, after spending the first 23 years of his life tackling one way, he now he had to switch for his final season.

A few weeks of touching up the new technique quickly showed Jackson its benefits.

"Once I saw it working after the first scrimmage, I was like, ‘OK, maybe we can really get good at this,’" Jackson said. "I feel like people have gotten really good at it, so I like it.”

The new style, popularized by Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks, is thought to be more fundamentally sound, as players are taught to lead with their shoulders instead of their head and aim more for the ball carrier's legs.

“I feel like it gives you a sure tackle and it helps you with your balance," Jackson said. "It’s allowing us to use more of our power the way we’re supposed to do it. We’re getting them off balance.”

The switch didn't come without its headaches. Linebacker Michael Rose-Ivey said it was initially difficult to think through the steps while trying to make a play, and that led to some players messing up mentally.

But as the spring progressed and repetitions increased, the defense began to get a much better grasp on what the coaches were asking for.

“We feel really comfortable from going over a whole spring of doing it," Rose-Ivey said. "And it’s not just saying, ‘This is how we’re going to tackle, so go tackle.’ Every practice we have at least a 10-to-15-minute tackle period where we’re breaking down the steps in certain situations. We’re helping to increase our knowledge and understanding of what the coaches are asking of us.

"If we can get that, that’s about 75 percent of the battle. The rest, you just have to go out and play.”

Despite all the positive signs, the Huskers clearly aren't finished products in the new style. Terrell Newby and Devine Ozigbo both averaged over six yards per carry, Tommy Armstrong had gallops of 44 and 37 yards and AJ Bush broke enough tackles to bring about semi-sarcastic Michael-Vick comparisons in the press box.

But the Huskers are still rookies in this new style and perfection can't be expected after just a few months. The summer period will be critical as there are individual drills the players can use to improve their technique.

The spring game offered a glimpse of what's to come, but if Nebraska improves as much as it did over the past month or so, the Huskers think they'll be where they need to be come August.

“I think we’re on a whole ‘nother level. I think we’re getting better every day as we progress in our tackling schemes," Jackson said. "We’re just learning different techniques and I feel like people have just gotten better at tackling, and we’re only going to keep getting better from here the more we work on it.”