How to Break Down & Make a Tackle as Linebacker

Video Transcript

"Hi, this is Sean Hobson, for Expert Village. What we want to talk about now is able to get through a gap and he doesn't pick up a block and is able to get good pursuit into the backfield. He wants to make sure to break down before he hits the running back. This can also happen if he comes outside and doesn't get a block and the running back is coming to the outside. He cannot run in so fast that he doesn't break down and he misses the tackle. You see this happen a lot. He's going strong one way and the running back is going strong the other way and they are not able to meet in the middle. This is what it would look like if he's coming and does it the wrong way (video demo). He's going to come screaming in through there, this guy will make a move to the outside and the linebacker will not have the balance to get the good tackle. So, he'll just have to throw an arm out there and hopefully try to make the stop. If he does it the proper way and we send this guy on a blitz and send him through and he goes through the gap, to make a stop he wants to break down once he gets there so he can make a good hit on the running back. Don't over pursue the play. Get there and break down so you can make a good tackle. You can do it the same way if he's coming out at an angle. You don't want him to run so hard this way that he can't make the tackle when he's running at an angle, either."