ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) -
Former Atlanta Falcons linebacker and veteran youth football coach Buddy Curry has become a master trainer of USA Football's Heads Up technique.
Curry is one of 21 former NFL and college players, as well as high school coaches, who went through the training in Indianapolis March 2-3. The master trainers will teach other youth football coaches across the country to promote safer play.
"The Heads Up program is really education of concussion awareness, safety among kids as well as teaching proper tackle techniques. Let's teach them to tackle without the heads so we can maybe minimize some of the problems we're seeing," Curry said.
Curry said the technique starts with the right stance and continues with the arch of the back, bend of the knees and drop of the hands.
"Buzz, hit, rip. The 'heads up' technique is basically making a tackle with your shoulders, so the strike plate is no longer your face or what they call budding. Now it's under your chin, shoulder to shoulder," Curry said.
He thinks the technique should be taught when kids are 6 or 7, before they develop bad habits.
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