Emmitt and Tony want Zeke to stop hurdling

I don't see him stopping it anytime soon.

Calvin Hill hurdled defenders early in his career before injuries got the best of him ... great running back

I worry about a second defender anticipating his jump over a first defender then laying a hit on him while he is "defenseless." It's fun to watch the Zeke Leap though.

It's a part of his game he probably feels comfortable with, I worry every time he doesn't pop right up off the turf, but it has been working for him for a long time. Let the kid play his game. Don't try and change his running style. Just my honest opinion.

negativecreep said:

It's a part of his game he probably feels comfortable with, I worry every time he doesn't pop right up off the turf, but it has been working for him for a long time. Let the kid play his game. Don't try and change his running style. Just my honest opinion.

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Bill Parcells made that mistake with Julius Jones.

Thomas82 said:

Bill Parcells made that mistake with Julius Jones.

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Running like a robot. Poor Julius.

gimmesix said:

How many times did he actually hurdle a defender? I remember three.

I think if he was doing it every game or several times a game, we'd need to be concerned about it, but it's really only a minor part of his game that everyone notices because of how many times he does it.

For instance, how many times did he lower the crown of his helmet into a defender? No one complains about that because that's what running backs do even though it is dangerous for them to do it.

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While risk can be an argument of numbers, I think what Dorsett, Smith, others and I are concerned about are possible negative consequences of ONE hurdle too many. ABQCowboy has already expressed my general thinking concerning running backs and impacts to the head earlier in the thread. All injury concerns are valid. Concussions sideline players. CTE can erode players' quality of life. However, it takes only an instant for running backs' greatest assets to take damage that could significantly shorten or end their careers. I'm certain that primary concern was uppermost in Smith and Dorsett's minds when they commented on the topic and it's a general assessment that I've always agreed with in regards to running backs.

superonyx said:

My post was actually light hearted and half joking. I found it ironic that Tony D is suffering from CTE while giving another player advise about contact.
Zeke only hurdles guys that are going low to take his legs out. So you either want him to take shots to the legs and risk injury or you want him to lower his head and take more blows to the head.
Now I am not saying Zeke should always jump....but just like he hammered Cam Chancellor to send the message that he will hit you, he is also hurdling to send the message that if you keep trying to take his legs out then he will jump you.
Leg injuries are a real concern. Just ask AP.

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Good post. I also like the hurdling because it's a good way to train and keep your explosiveness. I understand that's not what TD and Emmitt are alluding to, but if you train by hurdling it's likely to carry over into your running style. EE has done hurdling since HS, so I think he knows how to do it and land properly so he doesn't get injured.




YR

He has the instinct to do it; whereas, others may not. But hurdling is a young man's activity. He'll know when to let it go.

DallasEast said:

While risk can be an argument of numbers, I think what Dorsett, Smith, others and I are concerned about are possible negative consequences of ONE hurdle too many. ABQCowboy has already expressed my general thinking concerning running backs and impacts to the head earlier in the thread. All injury concerns are valid. Concussions sideline players. CTE can erode players' quality of life. However, it takes only an instant for running backs' greatest assets to take damage that could significantly shorten or end their careers. I'm certain that primary concern was uppermost in Smith and Dorsett's minds when they commented on the topic and it's a general assessment that I've always agreed with in regards to running backs.

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I do think it is important to pick your spots and so far, I believe Elliott has been smart about it. He has actually avoided defenders aiming at his legs and possibly knees by going over the top of them. It's not a move that you can use in every situation, but I really saw no danger in how Elliott used it last year. The closest he came was when he hurdled a defender and was contacted by another as he came to the ground. However, he regained his footing and actually churned out a few more yards.

Hurdling is an open-field, one-on-one move. It's not something you can do safely in traffic or if a defender hasn't committed to going low. If Elliott uses it carelessly, then I'll be on board with him needing to quit, but really it's safer in the situations he's used it to avoid defenders aiming at his legs than to let them hit him in the knees or below.

superonyx said:

My post was actually light hearted and half joking. I found it ironic that Tony D is suffering from CTE while giving another player advise about contact.
Zeke only hurdles guys that are going low to take his legs out. So you either want him to take shots to the legs and risk injury or you want him to lower his head and take more blows to the head.
Now I am not saying Zeke should always jump....but just like he hammered Cam Chancellor to send the message that he will hit you, he is also hurdling to send the message that if you keep trying to take his legs out then he will jump you.
Leg injuries are a real concern. Just ask AP.

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There are other ways to avoid players who are going low. Better ways and it always better to either deliver the hit or avoid the square shot the Defense is trying to deliver to you, as a back.

Leg injuries happen, it's a contact sport, but leg injuries don't prevent you from being functional in later years and leg injuries don't get the league sued.

It's a bad idea to put yourself in a position of such vulnerability, two of the greatest backs in the History of the game are speaking but you gotta be smart enough to listen.

Just leave him in the locker room, worst thing that could happen is he slips on a bar of soap.
He will be safe there.

I love Emmitt, but remember when he almost broke his damn neck leaping into the endzone?

CowboyDan said:

I love Emmitt, but remember when he almost broke his damn neck leaping into the endzone?

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The neck/endzone reference is a good one. Exposing the spinal column to injury is scary.

I'm sure there are more fitting examples that occurred during Smith's career but these aren't illustrations of what Smith (or Dorsett) discussed. The video example embedded in the article of Elliott avoiding a tackler is an example of Smith's concern. The examples shown are three leaps, not hurdles, over the top of the line of scrimmage, where potential tacklers have been mostly blocked and on their way to the ground before Smith leaps, and a single pic of Smith performing a sidestep/jumpstep avoiding an off-balanced and already falling Ricky Jackson.

Any time a running back avoids a potential tackler approaching head-on or at an angle and hurdles, the tackler (and his helmet) are aiming for the running back's legs. When the running back's legs rise during the hurdle, the tackler (and his helmet) will instinctively rise with the hurdling back. Unfortunately for the tackler, the hurdler (especially an experienced hurdler like Elliott) allows enough room for both bodies to avoid contact. Usually. What can and has happened to running backs hurdling in this situation is the defender's helmet impacting the running back's knee. The knee will always lose if the helmet catches the knee at the right angle and enough force to inflict severe trauma.

gimmesix said:

I do think it is important to pick your spots and so far, I believe Elliott has been smart about it. He has actually avoided defenders aiming at his legs and possibly knees by going over the top of them. It's not a move that you can use in every situation, but I really saw no danger in how Elliott used it last year. The closest he came was when he hurdled a defender and was contacted by another as he came to the ground. However, he regained his footing and actually churned out a few more yards.

Hurdling is an open-field, one-on-one move. It's not something you can do safely in traffic or if a defender hasn't committed to going low. If Elliott uses it carelessly, then I'll be on board with him needing to quit, but really it's safer in the situations he's used it to avoid defenders aiming at his legs than to let them hit him in the knees or below.

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...as long as the tackler guesses wrong. If a tackler thinks a running back might hurdle to avoid the tackle, he may guess right and adjust his tackle attempt a split second sooner. That's a conditional concern relevant to how a defensive player digests film of a running back's rushing techniques to avoid tackles but who knows? Perhaps Elliott's hurdling technique will serve him during his career as well or better than Barry Sanders stop-and-spin move.

DallasEast said:

...as long as the tackler guesses wrong. If a tackler thinks a running back might hurdle to avoid the tackle, he may guess right and adjust his tackle attempt a split second sooner. That's a conditional concern relevant to how a defensive player digests film of a running back's rushing techniques to avoid tackles but who knows? Perhaps Elliott's hurdling technique will serve him during his career as well or better than Barry Sanders stop-and-spin move.

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That could happen, but I don't see him using it enough for a defender to be thinking he's going to get hurdled. I think the instinct will always be to go for the tackle because if he is guessing hurdle, he is liable to get trucked.