The positioning of the offensive tackles in a formation.

Baltimore Ravens' offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie

Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions.

Offensive tackle[link]

The offensive tackle (OT, T) is a position of the offensive line, left and right. Like other offensive linemen, their job is to block: to physically keep defenders away from the offensive player who has the football. The term "tackle" is a vestige of an earlier era of football, in which the same players played both offense and defense.

A tackle is the strong position on the offensive line. They power their blocks with quick steps and maneuverability. The tackles are mostly in charge of the outside protection. If the tight end goes out for a pass, the tackle must cover everyone that his guard does not, plus whoever the tight end is not covering. Usually they defend against defensive ends. In the NFL, offensive tackles often measure over 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) and 300 pounds (140 kg).

According to Sports Illustrated football journalist Paul "Dr. Z" Zimmerman, offensive tackles consistently achieve the highest scores, relative to the other positional groups, on the Wonderlic Test, with an average of 26. The Wonderlic is taken before the draft to assess each player's aptitude for learning and problem solving; a score of 26 is estimated to correspond with an IQ of 112.

Right tackle[link]

The right tackle (RT) is usually the team's best run blocker. Most running plays are towards the strong side (the side with the tight end) of the offensive line. Consequently the right tackle will face the defending team's best run stoppers. He must be able to gain traction in his blocks so that the running back can find a hole to run through.

Left tackle[link]

The left tackle (LT) is usually the team's best pass blocker. Of the two tackles, the left tackles will often have better footwork and agility than the right tackle in order to counteract the pass rush of defensive ends. Most quarterbacks are right-handed and in order to throw, they stand with their left shoulders facing down field, closer to the line of scrimmage. Thus, they turn their backs to defenders coming from the left side, creating a vulnerable "blind side" that the left tackle must protect. (Conversely, teams with left-handed quarterbacks tend to have their better pass blockers at right tackle for the same reason.)

A 2006 book by Michael Lewis, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, sheds much light on the workings of the left tackle position. The book discusses how the annual salary of left tackles in the NFL skyrocketed in the mid-90's. Premier left tackles are now highly sought after commodities, and are often the second highest paid players on a roster after the quarterback; at least one left tackle is almost always picked with one of the first five positions in the NFL Draft.^[1] Recent examples include Matt Kalil (2012, 4th overall pick), Trent Williams (2010, 4th overall pick), Jake Long (2008, 1st overall pick), and Joe Thomas (2007, 3rd overall pick).

Defensive tackle[link]

A defensive tackle (abbreviated "DT") is typically the largest and strongest of the defensive players. The defensive tackle typically lines up opposite one of the offensive guards. Depending on a team's individual defensive scheme, a defensive tackle may be called upon to fill several different roles. These roles may include merely holding the point of attack by refusing to be moved, or penetrating a certain gap between offensive linemen to break up a play in the opponent's backfield. If a defensive tackle reads a pass play, his primary responsibility is to pursue the quarterback, or simply knock the pass down at the line if it's within arm's reach. Other responsibilities of the defensive tackle may be to pursue the screen pass or drop into coverage in a zone blitz scheme. In a traditional 4-3 defensive set, there is no nose tackle. Instead there is a left and right defensive tackle.^[2] In some 4-3 defensive schemes, there is a nose tackle, which lines up against the opposing center. The nose tackle in a 4-3 defensive scheme can either be the left or right defensive tackle.

Nose tackle[link]

Nose tackle (also nose guard or middle guard) is a defensive alignment position for a defensive lineman. In the 3-4 defensive scheme the sole defensive tackle is referred to as the nose tackle. In some 4-3 defensive schemes, the nose tackle is one of two defensive tackles. The nose tackle aligns across the line of scrimmage from the offense's center before the play begins in the "0-technique" position. In this position, frequently taking on the center and at least one if not both of the guards, the nose tackle is considered to be the most physically demanding position in football.^[3] In five-linemen situations, such as a goal-line formation, the nose guard is the innermost lineman, flanked on either side by a defensive tackle or defensive end. The nose guard is also used in a 50 read defense. In this defense there is a nose guard, two defensive tackles, and two outside linebackers who can play on the line of scrimmage or off the line of scrimmage in a two point stance. The nose guard lines up head up on the center about six to eighteen inches off the ball. In a reading 50 defense, the nose guard's key is to read the offensive center to the ball. In run away, the nose guard's job is to shed the blocker and pursue down the line of scrimmage, taking an angle of pursuit. The primary responsibility of the nose tackle in this scheme is to absorb multiple blockers so that other players in the defensive front can attack ball carriers and rush the quarterback.

In order for a 3-4 to be effective, it needs a dominant nose tackle, which is very hard to find. Ted Washington, who in his prime weighed around 350 pounds, is considered the prototypical 3-4 nose tackle of his era. A few examples of nose tackles in the NFL are Vince Wilfork, Casey Hampton, Kelly Gregg, Jay Ratliff, Jamal Williams, Kyle Williams, Antonio Garay, B. J. Raji, Aubrayo Franklin, Marcell Dareus, Sione Pouha, Phil Taylor, and Terrence Cody among others.^[4]

The terms "nose guard" or "middle guard" were more commonly used with the five-man defensive line of the older 5-2 defense. Effective against the inside run but not the short pass, the 5-2 was phased out of the pro game in the 1950s, but was still used by some major college programs into the 1980s. In the 4-3 defense, the upright middle linebacker replaced the middle guard.

References[link]

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009)

Sam Allen (died 1 January 1946) was a long serving servant of Swindon Town football club.

A Swindon stalwart, Allen originally joined the club in 1895 as a member of the club's committee. Two years later, he joined the board of directors, before he took control of team affairs prior to the 1902-03 season, becoming the Town's first recognised manager. In an era where the board would have had control over team selection, Allen's job mainly involved assembling a capable team. Slowly but surely, it was a job he did well - turning a team who hadn't yet finished in the top half of the Southern League table, into championship contenders.

By signing Swindon greats such as Jock Walker and Harold Fleming, Allen led the club during one of the most successful spells in their history. Between 1908 and 1914, Swindon won the Southern League title twice, finished as runners-up three times, and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup twice - as well as winning the Dubonnet Cup.

Unfortunately, the First World War interrupted Swindon's success, and by the time football resumed in 1919, Allen again had to virtually recreate the side. After a disappointing first season following the hostilities, the Town joined the Football League in 1920, becoming a founder member of Division Three (South). Over the next eight seasons, Swindon finished in the top six in every season bar one - but with only one promotion spot, they failed to get out of the division. Allen again highlighted his eye for a player with his signing of Harry Morris - the club's record goalscorer, and over this period, the Town recorded their two biggest victories - 9-1 vs Luton Town in their first league match, and 10-1 vs Farnham in the FA Cup in 1925.

From 1929, Swindon fell into a gradual decline - not helped by the board's insistence on selling players to balance the books. Allen was obviously not pleased with this, and, after the Town were forced to apply for re-election in 1933, he willingly relinquished his team responsibilities, reverting to a secretarial position. This moved allowed the board to appoint Ted Vizard as the club's first full-time team manager, in the modern sense of the word.

Amazingly, Allen remained as Swindon's secretary for thirteen more years, taking his total length of service to 51 years. He received the Football League's long service award in 1941, as he kept the club alive during World War Two, when the Town, unlike other clubs, completely closed down for the duration. He died whilst still in office, on 1 January 1946 - the report of his funeral covering three columns in the Evening Advertiser.

Roman Dissake Oben (born October 9, 1972 in Cameroon) is an American football offensive tackle who retired in 2008. He co-hosts the New York Giants pre and post game show on WFAN in the fall as well as being a television color football analyst for MSG Varsity high school sports television network. In 2011 Oben left CBS Outdoor as an Account Executive to become Regional Director of Advantage3 http://www.advantagethree.com while still being actively involved in many charity, community,and civic organizations. Oben was formerly Vice President of Development for The Corporate Playbook, an on-line job board that matches former college and pro athletes with top companies for employment. In February 2009 Oben was appointed by Morris County, NJ to serve as chairman for the local Democratic Party in Kinnelon, New Jersey. The Head Start Program of Dover, New Jersey added Roman Oben as its newest board member in October 2009.^[1]

Hall of Fame[link]

Roman Oben has been inducted to the Athletic Hall of Fame at Gonzaga College High School, Fork Union Military Academy and the University of Louisville

Early years[link]

At the age of four he moved with his mother to the United States and they settled in Washington, D.C. In high school Oben played for Gonzaga College High School and spent one year at Fork Union Military Academy. His wife's name is Linda Claude-Oben.

College career[link]

A two-sport college athlete, Oben played college football at the University of Louisville, and was a four-year letterman in football and three year letterman in track and field. In football, he was an All-National Independent first team selection as a junior. In track and field, he placed at the Metro Conference Championship on the shot put. Oben was also Vice President of his collegiate chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

NFL career[link]

Originally selected by the New York Giants in the 1996 NFL Draft Oben was the first Cameroonian born NFL player drafted. Previously Oben has started over ninety percent of his games played in his twelve year NFL career for the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was also the starting left tackle on Tampa Bay's 2002 Super Bowl champion team.

San Diego Chargers[link]

In 2004, the Chargers traded a fifth round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft to the Buccaneers for the rights to Oben. Oben was used with the pick obtained from the Giants in the Rivers-Manning trade. Oben quickly became a fixture at the left tackle position and after bouncing back from a career threatening foot injury he spent the 2007 season as more of a player-mentor as a reserve on the Charger's young offensive line.

Community[link]

As a leader on and off the field, Oben has remained committed to helping athletes make the transition into the workplace. While serving as the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) team representative for three teams over seven years, Oben was integral in drafting a resolution that ensures NFL Player Programs pay for continued education for retired players and as an active team representative, Oben was a charter member of the NFLPA Benefits Committee that ensured future medical coverage for all NFL players. Oben has been honored for his outstanding work with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America in San Diego where he was recognized as the 2007 Man of the Year. Oben earned his bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Louisville in 1995 and was one of the only NFL players over a ten year year span to take graduate courses each off-season in order to earn his master's degree in public administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2001 when he played for the Cleveland Browns.

References[link]

External links[link]

• http://www.thecorporateplaybook.com/news_events.php?id=120
• http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/4035
• http://www.romanoben.com/

Michael Oher

Oher during training camp in August 2009
No. 74     Baltimore Ravens
Offensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: (1986-05-28) May 28, 1986 (age 26)
Place of birth: Memphis, Tennessee
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Weight: 313 lb (142 kg)
Career information
College: Mississippi
NFL Draft: 2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 23
Debuted in 2009 for the Baltimore Ravens
Career history
Baltimore Ravens (2009–present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
Consensus All-American {2008) First-team All-SEC (2007, 2008) Jacobs Blocking Trophy (2008)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2011
Games played 48 Games started 48 Fumble recoveries 0 Stats at NFL.com

Michael Jerome Oher (born May 28, 1986) is an American football offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Mississippi for the Ole Miss Rebels. His life through his final year of high school and first year of college is one of the subjects of Michael Lewis's 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game and the subject of the Academy Award-winning 2009 film The Blind Side.

Early life[link]

Born Michael Jerome Williams, Jr., in Memphis, Tennessee, he was one of twelve children born to Denise Oher. His mother was an alcoholic and crack cocaine addict, and his father, Michael Jerome Williams, was frequently in prison. Due to his upbringing, he received little attention and discipline during his childhood.^[1] He repeated both first and second grades, and attended eleven different schools during his first nine years as a student.^[1] He was placed in foster care at age seven, and alternated between living in various foster homes and periods of homelessness.^[1][2] Oher's biological father was a former cell mate of Denise Oher's brother and was murdered in prison when Oher was a senior in high school.^[1]

Oher played football during his freshman year at a public high school in Memphis and applied for admission to Briarcrest Christian School at the instigation of acquaintance Tony Henderson, an auto mechanic, with whom he was living temporarily. Henderson was enrolling his son at the school in order to fulfill the dying wish of the boy's grandmother and thought Oher might enroll as well.^[1] The school's football coach submitted Oher's school application to the headmaster, who agreed to accept him if Oher could complete a home study program first. Despite not finishing the program, he was admitted when the headmaster realized that his requirement had removed Oher from the public education system.^[1]

After the 2003 football season at Briarcrest, he was named Division II (2A) Lineman of the Year in 2003, and First Team Tennessee All-State.^[3] Scout.com rated Oher a five-star recruit and the No. 5 offensive lineman prospect in the country.^[4] Before that season and for his prior twenty months at Briarcrest, Oher had been living with several foster families. In 2004, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, a couple with a daughter and son attending Briarcrest, allowed Oher to live with them and eventually adopted him. The family began tending to his needs after becoming familiar with his difficult childhood. They also hired a tutor for him, who worked with him for twenty hours per week.^[1]

Oher also earned two letters in track and basketball. He averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds a game, earning All-State honors by helping lead the basketball team to a 27–6 record, winning the district championship as a senior. Oher was also a state runner-up in the discus as a senior.^[5]

Oher eventually increased his 0.76 grade point average (GPA) to a 2.52 GPA by the end of his senior year so he could attend a Div. I school by enrolling in some 10-day-long internet-based courses from Brigham Young University. Taking and passing the internet courses allowed him to replace Ds and Fs earned in earlier school classes, such as English, with As earned via the internet.^[6] This finally raised his graduating GPA over the required limit.^[1]

College career[link]

Though he received scholarship offers from the University of Tennessee, Louisiana State University, the University of Alabama, Auburn University, and the University of South Carolina, Oher ultimately decided to play for Coach Ed Orgeron at the University of Mississippi, alma mater of his guardians, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy.^[7] The decision sparked an investigation by the NCAA. The first issue was that Oher's grade-point average (GPA) was still too low to meet the requirements for a Division I scholarship at the time of the offer from Ole Miss. That difficulty was corrected by graduation, when Oher completed online classes through Brigham Young University.^[1]

The second issue was the Tuohys' preexisting relationship with the school and the fact that Oher's high school coach, Hugh Freeze, was employed by Ole Miss twenty days after Oher signed his letter of intent.^[1][8] Freeze asserted that his position with Ole Miss was not an example of quid pro quo for encouraging Oher to attend the school, but rather the result of his preexisting relationship with Ole Miss offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone.^[9] The NCAA did not close its case on its suspicions of collusion. However, it ruled that Ole Miss had committed no NCAA violations in its recruitment of Oher. Freeze was found guilty of secondary violations for contacting other Memphis-area recruits before joining the Ole Miss staff.^[1][8]

Oher started in ten games as a guard during his first season with the Ole Miss Rebels, becoming a first-team freshman All American. After shifting to the position of left tackle for the 2006 season, he was named to various preseason All-Conference and All-American teams.^[10][11] Oher was named a second-team Southeastern Conference (SEC) offensive lineman after his sophomore season and a first-team SEC offensive lineman after his junior season. Oher was also successful academically at Ole Miss, and his tested IQ score increased 20 to 30 points between when he was measured in the public-school systems growing up and when he was measured in college.^[1]

On January 14, 2008, Oher declared that he would be entering the 2008 NFL Draft.^[12] However, two days later, he announced his withdrawal from the draft to return to Ole Miss for his senior season.^[13] After the 2008–2009 college football season, Oher was selected for the AP All-American first team,^[14] made the honor roll for the second time (the first time being his sophomore year),^[15][16] and graduated with a degree in criminal justice in the spring of 2009.^[17]

College awards and honors[link]

• 2005 First Team Freshman All-American
• 2005 First Team All-Quad Freshman Chrome [AQFC] Tackle Letius
• 2005 First Team SEC All-Freshman
• 2006 Second Team All-SEC
• 2007 First Team All-SEC
• 2008 First Team All-American
• 2008 First Team All-SEC
• 2008 Shug Jordan Award as the Southeast Offensive Lineman of the Year
• 2008 Colonel Earl “Red” Blaik Leadership-Scholarship Award
• 2008 Outland Trophy finalist
• 2008 Conerly Trophy finalist
• 2008 Lombardi Award semifinalist
• 2008 SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy

Professional career[link]

2009 NFL Draft[link]

Already in 2008, Oher was projected as one of the top prospects for the 2009 NFL Draft.^[18] The Baltimore Ravens drafted Oher with the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. The Ravens had acquired the pick from the New England Patriots in exchange for their first- and fifth-round draft picks. The Tuohy family was there to witness his draft day selection.

Baltimore Ravens[link]

On April 26, 2009, he was assigned the No. 74 jersey,^[20] which was his jersey number at Ole Miss. On July 30, 2009, he signed a five-year, $13.8 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens.^[21] He started the 2009 season as right tackle, but was moved to left tackle after an injury to lineman Jared Gaither. In week eight, he returned to right tackle.

Oher started every game in 2009, 11 at right tackle and five at left tackle. He played right tackle in his first post-season game, January 10, 2010, against the New England Patriots, and did not allow a single sack as the Ravens won 33–14.

Michael Oher was second in the voting for Associated Press' NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, with six votes.

Prior to the 2010 NFL season, Oher was moved to left tackle.^[22] During the 2011 pre-season, the Ravens announced that Oher would be moving back to the right side.

[edit] The Blind Side

Oher is one of the subjects of Michael Lewis's 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. Before the book was published, excerpts appeared in The New York Times Magazine as "The Ballad of Big Mike".^[1] His portion of the book was adapted for film and was directed by John Lee Hancock.^[23] It was released in the United States on November 20, 2009. The movie stars Quinton Aaron as Michael Oher, alongside Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw. The movie was nominated for Academy Awards for both Best Picture and Best Actress for Bullock. Bullock won an Oscar for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy.

[edit] I Beat The Odds

Oher has written his autobiography, I Beat The Odds: From Homelessness to The Blind Side and Beyond.^[24] His coauthor, Don Yaeger, has co-written a number of other sports biographies, including those of Walter Payton, Warrick Dunn, and former Duke Lacrosse coach Mike Pressler.

His adoptive parents are also the co-authors of the book, In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving, which tells the story in their own words, and was released in 2010.^[25]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Profile of Michael Oher and an excerpt from Michael Lewis's "The Blind Side" at npr.org
• Baltimore Ravens bio