Tomich preaches technique to high schoolers

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Updated: October 28, 2011 12:03PM

HIGHLAND — Picture this: you’re a linebacker for, let’s say Griffith. And a running back from Morton breaks past your defensive line and comes right at you, a scenario that could happen, considering the two teams open against each other Aug. 19.

Your first response: “I’ve got to tackle this guy.” But how do you get it right so that (A) you don’t injury yourself and (B) you don’t swing and miss in such a way that you wind up in coach Russ Radtke’s doghouse.

This explains why Griffith assistant coach J.R. Ford spent a beautiful 80-degree Saturday getting an early jump on the upcoming season.

Indoors.

“It can’t just start during the season, you have to start way before the season to do things correctly and to be successful,” said Ford, now in his third year as an assistant. “It’s good to have ex-pros here who will teach our kids to work hard.”

It also helps that one of those ex-pros is a region-born athlete who had some pretty good success in college and pro football. Lake Central and Nebraska product Jared Tomich — a seven-year NFL pro — was the organizer and one of the key speakers in Saturday’s football seminar in Highland, which was run by Fuel Fitness and Ignite Sports performance, which Tomich founded. It turned out to be more than your typical Xs and Os get-together.

Region football players: please give the sunshine, girls and video games a rest for a minute. Class is in session.

“One of the big things with football is concussions. Things have evolved since I played ball, so we’re trying to teach kids how to tackle correctly at a young age,” said Tomich, who was a two-time All American at Nebraska in 1995 and 1996 and was a part of two national championship teams. “We’re trying to show kids how they can limit risks, limit concussions and be able to enjoy the game more.”

Tomich’s passion comes from a few not-so-happy memories from his NFL playing days.

“I think it’s ironic that I have to say I don’t know,” Tomich said when asked how many concussions he had while playing in the NFL. “It’s hard to put a number on it, but I had a handful of big concussions thoughout my career.”

That would include one hit he made on special teams in 1999 that was highlight-film stuff. But, “When I got to the sidelines, I was out for the game. I lost some vision and for a short moment it was a little scary.”

Tomich said that one of the biggest problems in tackling goes back to when he was a player: dropping your head and closing your eyes before making contact. Professor Tomich’s remedy for that?

“It’s the natural, instinctive thing to do that before you make a tackle,” Tomich said. “It takes repetition, repetition, repetition to not do that, and we’re stressing practicing these things so that kids learn them over time.”

There were other things discussed during the summit, including a parent’s role in the success of a football player. Also, Green Bay Packers trainer Mark Lovat discussed the importance of teamwork. But football technique and, of course, the art of tackling was the main course with former Packers linebacker Chris Grizzi, showing so much passion in his talk that you just couldn’t wait to put on a helmet and find the first available brick wall.

Which plays into the theme of yesterday’s teaching: When approaching said brick wall, there is a way to finish the job effectively and safely.

“That’s what we really want,” Tomich said. “To have kids enjoy the game more for as long as they can with the least amount of injuries.”