Very nice, and very informative. Thanks for that link. Now that I know what I was looking at, I'm sure I saw Ohio practicing Hawk Roll tackles in some of the instagram posts from fall camp, but while I noticed it, I didn't think too much of it at the time. I remember in particular a drill where the tackler was tackling another player at the thighs, in front of a cushion, and then twisting and rolling.

Now that I know what they are, I'll keep my eye out for them in games. It wouldn't surprise me to find that Ohio was an early adopter, especially given that the focus of the off season was on trying to find safer ways, to keep the team healthy, and also since we know that Ohio State was one of the places that Solich visited.

Yes, an interesting and informative read.

I well recall the tackling technique we were taught, starting in 8th grade (there twarn't no peewee football back in them days). It was meant to do two things: assure a successful tackle and help assure safety.

Step 1: Focus on the ball carrier's belt buckle. Reason: a runner or receiver can fake with head and shoulders but not with his mid-section.

Step 2: When making contact, keep your head up. Reason: it would reduce chance of injuries to neck and head.

Step 3: Drive with shoulder pad at thigh level or below.

My own most memorable tackle came when I was a junior. On the kickoff team, I was the safety. We were leading a game comfortably and wanted a shutout. Late in the game, we again kicked off. The receiver bobbled the kick and, as sometimes happens, his muff led to our kickoff team members breaking away from their assigned lanes. The returner made a right to left cut and I began moving in the same direction. As he broke free, that tackling technique broke in: focus on his belt buckle, keep head up, drive with shoulder pad and wrap at or below thigh level. The returner made a sharp zig. I made the hit - not a 100% immediate takedown but enough to cause him to stumble and go down.

During the ensuing decades of watching football, I seldom see that technique used. I cringe when I see a head down tackle.

Proper tackling does not make ESPN or Youtube highlight videos, until they stop showing all the dangerous lead with the head "high" hits and making them out to be so glorious kids will not proceed with the fundamental form of tackling. Tackling is still taught, and drilled, but at the end of the day you want on the highlight reel.

I think it's semantics. To tackle with your shoulder, your head must first pass across the ball carrier's chest or waist.

My son's a HS sophomore this year and decided to go out for the football team. It's his first year of organized football -- ever. And he wants to be a WR, which is one of the more vulnerable positions for head and neck injuries. Obviously, my wife and I have a lot of trepidation about this. But I've been to some scrimmages and went to the varsity and JV games last week, and I've been impressed with the lack of really hard hits. Just about all schools teach rugby tackling, and what I've seen so far makes me somewhat less concerned. Of course, he's only been in on the kickoff coverage team, so we'll see what happens when he gets in at WR.

BTW, the varsity plays at Athens in a couple weeks so I might take part of the day off and get a SE Ohio refill.