Aaron Glenn's tackling drill on first day of pads sets a tone for Jets' identity
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn speaks to media during training camp on Monday. Credit: Getty Images/Ishika Samant
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The first practice in pads revealed what Aaron Glenn wants the Jets’ identity to be: a tough, physical team.
Glenn had the players do a one-on-one open-field tackling drill on Monday where the defender had to actually bring the ball-carrier to the ground. On Saturday, the Jets did that same drill, but the defensive player only had to tag or push the offensive player.
The actual hitting made this practice the most physical and competitive one to this point of training camp.
“You try to create an identity of your team and you start to figure out who's going to be a part of that identity,” Glenn said. “That's what the evaluation process is.”
Most teams don’t run actual tackling drills because of fear of getting players injured. Glenn said injuries are going to happen no matter what. There also were some intense offensive line-defensive line drills on Monday.
“Injuries are a part of this game and there's no way to hide from it and usually when you do try to hide from it, that’s when they usually pop up,” Glenn said. “This game is about running, blocking and tackling. If you don't practice that, me as the head coach, how am I giving our guys the chance to win? The only way to get better at something is to rep it.”
Glenn has been stressing being physical since OTAs. He believes coaches have to be “very innovative” in coming up with ways to make sure they have the players prepared for everything they’re going to have to do in games.
“We think constantly on how can we end up getting our guys better?” Glenn said. “How can we make sure that we go above board of not letting our players think that we're afraid of injuries — but also letting them know that we have to do this. Like, we have to.
“There's no way I can put you out on that field without prepping for these things that I know are going to happen in the game. You're going to be in a position where you have to elude somebody in space. You're going to be in a position where you have to tackle somebody in space. The only way to get better at that is to do it.”
The players enjoyed the open-field tackling drill. Many of them hadn’t done anything like that since high school or college.
Second-year running back Braelon Allen enjoyed the physicality. He’s a 240-pound bruising runner whose style of play fits the identity Glenn wants.
“That being a part of my game, that’s exciting for me,” Allen said. “People don’t got to pull me back. I can just go play ball.”
Glenn said the Jets have a locker room filled with guys who want to be pushed and want to play this style of football and are embracing this old-school approach to practice.
“They look forward to the physical part,” Glenn said. “They look forward to me stressing them mentally and physically, because they know it's going to help them, and they know it's going to help us as a team and as an organization get to where we want to get.”
Folk tries out
Former Jets kicker Nick Folk worked out for his old team Monday. The Jets have two rookie kickers in camp: Caden Davis and Harrison Mevis. Neither has impressed thus far.
Folk kicked for the Jets from 2010 through 2016. The 40-year-old has also played for the Cowboys, Buccaneers, Patriots and Titans. He spent the past two seasons with Tennessee.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
