Is Jelani Jenkins mean enough? | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Is Jelani Jenkins mean enough?

kcbrown

kcbrown

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My 13 year old son (who plays middle linebacker) was at football camp this past weekend (FBU), and the linebacker coach (a former NFL pro) kept reiterating to the linebacking group, that linebackers - out of all the position groups need to be mean. Point blank, you can't be a nice linebacker. You have to want to hit, want to push, want to shove, want to toss guys around.

I have the same beliefs so I was smiling on the sidelines while listening to this guy scream at the kids about this topic.

I am 46 years old, my LB hero's include: Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Mike Singletary, Harry Carson, Hugh Green, AJ Duhe, Lawrence Taylor. All these guys were mean dudes in my opinion. Zach Thomas is also on my list but I would not consider him to be "mean".

Jelani Jenkins seems like a smart, athletic, talented kid, but is he mean enough to bang? Mean enough to force fumbles? Mean enough to inflict damage on running backs? I haven't seen it. To me, he's just a guy that makes tackles....another Morlon Greenwood. I believe that if you are a linebacker, you have to play with a mean attitude. There is no other way.

What do you guys think about this? Does a LB need to be mean to be a stud? Do you think Jelani has got what it takes to step his game up and be a playmaker at LB?

(slow news day)
 
I think it has nothing to do with the position as a whole, but speaks to a certain facet of what it takes to play the position. The NFL used to be a running league and linebackers are tackling machines and needed to be incredibly physical, so the linebackers that hit harder were praised and had higher value, but intelligence and play recognition as well as cover skills are just as important in today's game so now linebackers need to be able to have balanced set of skills to be effective. For these reasons, I feel a more level headed linebacker, who is not "angry" and simply waiting to hit something, is the best type of attitude for a modern linebacker. Most of the guys who are too eager to stop the run with devastating hits usually get eaten up in the passing game with play action.
 
illscriptures said:
I think it has nothing to do with the position as a whole, but speaks to a certain facet of what it takes to play the position. The NFL used to be a running league and linebackers are tackling machines and needed to be incredibly physical, so the linebackers that hit harder were praised and had higher value, but intelligence and play recognition as well as cover skills are just as important in today's game so now linebackers need to be able to have balanced set of skills to be effective. For these reasons, I feel a more level headed linebacker, who is not "angry" and simply waiting to hit something, is the best type of attitude for a modern linebacker. Most of the guys who are too eager to stop the run with devastating hits usually get eaten up in the passing game with play action.
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Good point, I can agree with that.
 
I wouldn't call Thomas Davis or Luke mean. Patrick Willis wasn't mean. Lavonte David isn't mean.

They're all just talented, smart and athletic..
 
Yes, Jelani comes across as extremely likable. However, don't underestimate his competitive nature. He is tough, physical, intelligent and loves his football - seems like a pretty good role model for your son.
 
I don't necessarily think all lbers have to be mean, but middle linebackers need to have a certain aura about them. Weather you call it toughness, meanness,or something else entirely, it's a don't shy away from contact, no nonsense, hit folks in the mouth, never met a quarterback he liked, get an injury and rub dirt on in mentality. Honestly, it's a mentality that cannot be taught, just like rb vision. You're either born with the desire to hammer offensive players into submission or you're an offensive player.
 
Its not jenkins, its the entire team. Leaders bring the fire to the team and this team has lacked leaders severely. I have seen some fire from jenkins, he'll never be a LT or Butkus but with the right guys around him to lift him up he should be just fine. Gang mentality is very real. Feed off the energy of your teammates. I'm far from an aggressive person, but I turned into an enforcer in basketball more than a few times because of the energy of my teammates.
 
kcbrown said:
My 13 year old son (who plays middle linebacker) was at football camp this past weekend (FBU), and the linebacker coach (a former NFL pro) kept reiterating to the linebacking group, that linebackers - out of all the position groups need to be mean. Point blank, you can't be a nice linebacker. You have to want to hit, want to push, want to shove, want to toss guys around.

I have the same beliefs so I was smiling on the sidelines while listening to this guy scream at the kids about this topic.

I am 46 years old, my LB hero's include: Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Mike Singletary, Harry Carson, Hugh Green, AJ Duhe, Lawrence Taylor. All these guys were mean dudes in my opinion. Zach Thomas is also on my list but I would not consider him to be "mean".

Jelani Jenkins seems like a smart, athletic, talented kid, but is he mean enough to bang? Mean enough to force fumbles? Mean enough to inflict damage on running backs? I haven't seen it. To me, he's just a guy that makes tackles....another Morlon Greenwood. I believe that if you are a linebacker, you have to play with a mean attitude. There is no other way.

What do you guys think about this? Does a LB need to be mean to be a stud? Do you think Jelani has got what it takes to step his game up and be a playmaker at LB?

(slow news day)
Click to expand...

KC, I know what you mean, when you talk about being mean, and Zach wasn't dirty, but when he hit you, I am very sure many of his victims thought Zach's kamikaze style of hitting people puts him up there on being mean...

[video=youtube;zTQOPcJWC4A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTQOPcJWC4A[/video]
 
I think the LB and most people confuse meanness with the alpha-dog personality. Ever hear the phase, "Hes got some dog in him?" It's not about pure athletic talent. It's about the will to win at any cost. It's also the hardness thing to find in most pro-level athletes. A lot of guy have the pro level talent but little to no dog in them so they never stick at the NFL level.

One thing about this years draft class was they all have the required talent and the required "dog".

Good question
 
Id say thats more of an old school model. Back in the 80's and 90's which is where you listed those players from, you had to be mean and those guys were big thumpers who lived to tackle in a run first league. Things have changed and we are no longer a run first league and a thumper is a thing of rarity now to be a three down linebacker.
 
I remember my first coaches playing football at Miramar optimist when I was ten. I came home crying every day and hated going to practice. They were actually worse than my High School football coaches.

Does Zack Thomas seem like a mean guy to you? Players demeanor off field is much different. I bet Jenkins is a scary dude on field as was Zack.
 
I personally think Zach Thomas was definitely mean enough. For the longest time (at least from my perspective) the top MLBs in the league were a close call between Brian Urlaucher, Ray Lewis and Zach Thomas. All three of those dudes were mean, tough and physical. I loved that era of NFL defense and the tough runners of the time like Bettis and Jamaal Lewis and Mike Alstott. Man I feel like an old dude remembering the good ole days...
 
utahphinsfan said:
Mean isn't the right adjective. Intense is.

LB's have to be cerebral/analytical... Much like... Batman
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agree. playing mean can easily be translated to playing dirty by young kids. coaches really need to be careful in what they say. stuff gets out of hand real fast if you start sending imprecise messages.
 
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