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Houston Texans rookie said he hit Miami Dolphins’ Dustin Keller low to avoid a fine for hitting him too high

Jetfan13

By Jetfan13
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Jetfan13

Jetfan13

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By Andrew Abramson

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

HOUSTON —

Houston Texans rookie safety D.J. Swearinger said he was trying to avoid a fine when he went for a low tackle and his helmet hit Dolphins tight end Dustin Keller in the right knee.

Keller is out for the season after tearing three ligaments, a league source said. But Swearinger said he was just following the league rules against helmet-to-helmet hits.

“I was making a hit playing football,” Swearinger told The Palm Beach Post. “In this league you’ve got to go low. If you go high you’re going to get a fine.”

Keller was hurt in the second quarter of Miami’s loss to Houston on Saturday night.

Dolphins right tackle Tyson Clabo had some words for Swearinger after the tackle but said that he couldn’t recall what he said.

“If I did (talk to Swearinger) he wasn’t listening,” Clabo said. “He was doing his little dance or whatever he was doing.”

Clabo said the league needs to change its rules to better protect players’ lower bodies.

“If they can protect defenders from low blocks, they should be able to protect offensive players from that type of play,” Clabo said.

Clabo, who is in his ninth season, said he’s seen “a lot of guys get injured from that type of play” but he acknowledged that Swearinger made “a legal tackle.”

“It’s unfortunate,” Clabo said. “You can’t call it dirty because it’s not illegal.”

Swearinger, a second-round pick out of South Carolina, said the league should be more concerned about leg injuries than protecting players from concussions. The NFL has made concussion prevention a priority amid lawsuits from former players saying they suffered long-term damage from concussions.

“The rules say you can’t hit high so I went low and I’m sorry that happened,” Swearinger said. “I would think you’d rather have more concussions than leg injuries. A leg injury, you can’t come back from that. A concussion, you be back in a couple of weeks.”

Dolphins tight end Michael Egnew said he didn’t believe Swearinger’s hit was dirty.

“We’re all playing football out there,” Egnew said. “Sometimes hits are low, sometimes they’re high. Unfortunately this was a low one. You just have to deal with it.”

Dolphins coach Joe Philbin declined to say after the game whether he thought the hit was clean.

“I’m not going to comment on how the Houston Texans tackle,” Philbin said.

Swearinger said a tackle resulting in an injury is “a thing you never want to happen.”

“I’m playing football, bro,” Swearinger said. “I don’t know if anybody thinks I did wrong. But it’s football and at the end of the day. I pray for him.”

 

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nycdan

nycdan

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This could very well signal the beginning of the end of NFL football as we know it.  Not that it will go away, but rule changes may drastically alter the game over the next few years.  It might be more fun watching NFL Classics some day. 

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Integrity28

Integrity28

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Well that's good, now you won't be able to hit them high, and you won't be able to hit them low.

 

There will be a 6" strike zone in the mid section.  But not from the back

 

Tackling soon to be replaced by hugging.

 

Jetsfan80 is going to be psyched.

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flgreen

flgreen

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By Andrew Abramson

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

HOUSTON —

Houston Texans rookie safety D.J. Swearinger said he was trying to avoid a fine when he went for a low tackle and his helmet hit Dolphins tight end Dustin Keller in the right knee.

Keller is out for the season after tearing three ligaments, a league source said. But Swearinger said he was just following the league rules against helmet-to-helmet hits.

“I was making a hit playing football,” Swearinger told The Palm Beach Post. “In this league you’ve got to go low. If you go high you’re going to get a fine.”

Keller was hurt in the second quarter of Miami’s loss to Houston on Saturday night.

Dolphins right tackle Tyson Clabo had some words for Swearinger after the tackle but said that he couldn’t recall what he said.

“If I did (talk to Swearinger) he wasn’t listening,” Clabo said. “He was doing his little dance or whatever he was doing.”

Clabo said the league needs to change its rules to better protect players’ lower bodies.

“If they can protect defenders from low blocks, they should be able to protect offensive players from that type of play,” Clabo said.

Clabo, who is in his ninth season, said he’s seen “a lot of guys get injured from that type of play” but he acknowledged that Swearinger made “a legal tackle.”

“It’s unfortunate,” Clabo said. “You can’t call it dirty because it’s not illegal.”

Swearinger, a second-round pick out of South Carolina, said the league should be more concerned about leg injuries than protecting players from concussions. The NFL has made concussion prevention a priority amid lawsuits from former players saying they suffered long-term damage from concussions.

“The rules say you can’t hit high so I went low and I’m sorry that happened,” Swearinger said. “I would think you’d rather have more concussions than leg injuries. A leg injury, you can’t come back from that. A concussion, you be back in a couple of weeks.”

Dolphins tight end Michael Egnew said he didn’t believe Swearinger’s hit was dirty.

“We’re all playing football out there,” Egnew said. “Sometimes hits are low, sometimes they’re high. Unfortunately this was a low one. You just have to deal with it.”

Dolphins coach Joe Philbin declined to say after the game whether he thought the hit was clean.

“I’m not going to comment on how the Houston Texans tackle,” Philbin said.

Swearinger said a tackle resulting in an injury is “a thing you never want to happen.”

“I’m playing football, bro,” Swearinger said. “I don’t know if anybody thinks I did wrong. But it’s football and at the end of the day. I pray for him.”

 

 

 

Just went to the replays to watch it.  It was a good hit.  Clabo is full of crap,    “He was doing his little dance or whatever he was doing.”   Swearinger just clapped twice, because he broke up a play.  When he realized Keller was hurt he went right to him to see if he was all right.  He wasn't.  When Keller was carted off he went over to him again, and said something.   Thought he acted pretty classy actually.

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kay_gee

kay_gee

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This could very well signal the beginning of the end of NFL football as we know it. Not that it will go away, but rule changes may drastically alter the game over the next few years. It might be more fun watching NFL Classics some day.

People have been saying this for years. It's still fun to watch and is wildly popular. I don't see this changing, particularly because, although there's a quote that says otherwise in this article, you don't want head injuries over leg injuries.

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nycdan

nycdan

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People have been saying this for years. It's still fun to watch and is wildly popular. I don't see this changing, particularly because, although there's a quote that says otherwise in this article, you don't want head injuries over leg injuries.

 

I agree but the mounting liability claims by former players could be the straw that breaks the camel's back here.  One big class-action suit could end up being more than the owners are willing to deal with and a settlement could include substantial rule changes in the name of 'safety'.  It will still be a fun game, but it could start to look vastly different from the game we watch today. 

Do I think we're going to flag football?  No time soon.  But the days of watching LBs crush their enemies before them to hear the lamentation of the women are probably fading fast.

 

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JiFtheOracle

JiFtheOracle

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Just went to the replays to watch it.  It was a good hit.  Clabo is full of crap,    “He was doing his little dance or whatever he was doing.”   Swearinger just clapped twice, because he broke up a play.  When he realized Keller was hurt he went right to him to see if he was all right.  He wasn't.  When Keller was carted off he went over to him again, and said something.   Thought he acted pretty classy actually.

 

Agreed.  100%.  He made a good play, broke it up, probably the first play he's broke up in his career, gave a little fist pump.  The second he realized he was hurt you could see he made an attempt to go talk to Keller.

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shawn306

shawn306

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Tackling was just about trucking someone and destroying their will to go over the middle ever again. Now? It looks like soccer.

 

Yup

 

The days of destroyers like Lott, Brian Dawkins, Steve Atwater, John Lynch making receivers afraid to go over the middle will be all but gone in 5 years IMO.

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JoeKlecko

JoeKlecko

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People have been saying this for years. It's still fun to watch and is wildly popular. I don't see this changing, particularly because, although there's a quote that says otherwise in this article, you don't want head injuries over leg injuries.

 

Yeah, it sounds like the knucklehead (Swearingen, I think) who said that has already taken too many hits to the head.

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