Everyone has a plan to tackle Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry, but actually putting that plan into motion and having success with it is far easier said than done.
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard recently revealed what his approach is to tackling the hulking back, who has become one of the most difficult runners to bring down in the NFL over the past few years.
Leonard sat down with Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar and explained why his “gator-roll” method is the way to go when trying to bring Henry down.
“I always tell him, man, he’s a defensive end playing running back. He’s huge. When I’m playing against him, I’m 215 or 220 pounds. But I know that you can’t run without your legs. If you notice the way I tackle, I’m not the biggest guy, so my technique is to squeeze, wrap, and roll no matter what,” Leonard explained. “Like I said, I’m blessed with these long arms, so I make sure that my shoulders are at his thigh level, and I make sure that I wrap up, and I roll him. Once I gator-roll him, there’s no way he can go anywhere if I have both legs trapped. He’s very powerful, but I’ve yet to see anybody run without their legs, so that’s my game plan when I go against him. Try to bring as much as I can from behind my pads, and squeeze, wrap, and roll from there.”
As effective as the “gator-roll” might be in theory and practice, the act of actually getting to Henry’s legs is a challenge in and of itself thanks to the long reach of his stiff-arm that can thwart any such attempt.
Darius Leonard couldn't tackle Henry either. pic.twitter.com/eCQvTw7OHa
— Titans Tape (@TitansTape) February 21, 2020
Leonard’s method didn’t do much to help the Colts against Henry in 2020, as the reigning AP Offensive Player of the Year totaled 281 rushing yards and three touchdowns in two games against his division rival last season, including a 178-yard, three score performance in Week 12.
We’ll see if the Leonard and the Colts can have more success against Henry and Co. in 2021 when the two teams meet for a pair of contests, one in Week 3 in Nashville , and another in Week 8 in Indianapolis.
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