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Rugby is the closest sport to American football, which is why new Rams linebacker Nate Landman was drawn to the gridiron at a young age after his family moved from Zimbabwe to California.
Landman was born in Africa while his dad was playing professional rugby but after moving to the states, he quickly came to love football. That’s no surprise given the parallels between the two sports, particularly when it comes to playing a position like middle linebacker.
Entering his fourth year in the NFL, Landman still draws from his rugby roots when it comes to playing football, explaining how it helps him man the middle of the field.
"I think it creates a different instinct that some guys might not have, especially with tackling and the form of tackling,” Landman said this week of how his rugby background helps him. “Having my dad, who played professional (rugby), coach me when I was a kid throughout high school and even the tips and stuff along the way through college and the pros. I think it's given me an edge over some people and like I said, a different instinct and a different perspective. Playing rugby and having that experience impacts my game super positively and helps my skillset as a middle linebacker especially."
One of the main differences between rugby and football is the lack of equipment. There are no pads or helmets in rugby like there are in football, which makes proper tackling technique essential in rugby.
Landman seems to have used his dad’s rugby background to help him get guys on the ground in the NFL because tackling is one of his strengths. He has 191 tackles in the last two years with seven of those coming for a loss.
His 46 stops in 2023 were the third-most of any linebacker, according to Pro Football Focus, and he had just six missed tackles on run plays that year.
"The game has kind of moved on from keeping your head out of it into wrap and roll and those are the kind of fundamentals they teach in rugby when you're growing up and starting it because obviously, you're playing without pads,” Landman said of how rugby helped him improve as a tackler. “That translates to football really well especially in the open field, outside zone, or different schemes like that."
Landman will get the opportunity to start for the Rams next season after signing a one-year deal and given the defense’s weakness against the run last year, he could certainly help on first and second down when opponents are handing it off and picking up the hard-earned yards.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: NFL free agency: Rams LB Nate Landman brings rugby roots to football
Continue reading...
Landman was born in Africa while his dad was playing professional rugby but after moving to the states, he quickly came to love football. That’s no surprise given the parallels between the two sports, particularly when it comes to playing a position like middle linebacker.
Entering his fourth year in the NFL, Landman still draws from his rugby roots when it comes to playing football, explaining how it helps him man the middle of the field.
"I think it creates a different instinct that some guys might not have, especially with tackling and the form of tackling,” Landman said this week of how his rugby background helps him. “Having my dad, who played professional (rugby), coach me when I was a kid throughout high school and even the tips and stuff along the way through college and the pros. I think it's given me an edge over some people and like I said, a different instinct and a different perspective. Playing rugby and having that experience impacts my game super positively and helps my skillset as a middle linebacker especially."
One of the main differences between rugby and football is the lack of equipment. There are no pads or helmets in rugby like there are in football, which makes proper tackling technique essential in rugby.
Landman seems to have used his dad’s rugby background to help him get guys on the ground in the NFL because tackling is one of his strengths. He has 191 tackles in the last two years with seven of those coming for a loss.
His 46 stops in 2023 were the third-most of any linebacker, according to Pro Football Focus, and he had just six missed tackles on run plays that year.
"The game has kind of moved on from keeping your head out of it into wrap and roll and those are the kind of fundamentals they teach in rugby when you're growing up and starting it because obviously, you're playing without pads,” Landman said of how rugby helped him improve as a tackler. “That translates to football really well especially in the open field, outside zone, or different schemes like that."
Landman will get the opportunity to start for the Rams next season after signing a one-year deal and given the defense’s weakness against the run last year, he could certainly help on first and second down when opponents are handing it off and picking up the hard-earned yards.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: NFL free agency: Rams LB Nate Landman brings rugby roots to football
Continue reading...
