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Stiff-Arm Makes A Comeback

Tribune photo by JAY CONNER

Earnest Graham runs the ball in the 3rd quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium.

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By IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 17, 2008

TAMPA - By the time Earnest Graham covered 46 yards in the season opener at New Orleans, Tampa Bay's powerful back had rebuffed four defenders with his favorite assault weapon.

An extended left arm.

The stiff-arm has been a useful tool for runners throughout the NFL's 89-year history, but Graham and some contemporaries might be raising the bar - and the damage - to new heights.

"All of the great backs I've seen have a pretty good stiff-arm," Graham said. "Why not? The best way to get rid of a guy who comes up on the edge of you is to push him off. I'm not going to run around too many guys, so when I need the stiff-arm, I pull it out."

Against the Saints, Graham tucked the football under his right arm and left four would-be tacklers strewn across the field, all victims of his vicious stiff-arm.

When Graham clinched Sunday's 24-9 victory against Atlanta with a 68-yard scoring run, he avoided his first defender, end Jamaal Anderson, by using a quick pushoff with his left arm.

San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson and Marion Barber of the Cowboys also excel in the art of the stiff-arm, locking their elbow and utilizing straight-arm power in the same manner as martial arts masters.

Barber is only 25, but he already has developed such a reputation for delivering straight-arm force to defender's helmets that the league made blows to the head a point of emphasis in 2008.

It's all about ready, aim and fire.

Ready

Stiff-arms aren't particularly effective in cramped quarters.

"I try to prepare myself for the moment I find myself running in space," said Michael Turner, Atlanta's 240-pound back. "The stiff-arm is a way of throwing a blow by ducking your shoulder and making your arm real straight. A guy like Walter Payton had it down pat. I just do the best I can, but it's a weapon that every running back should be prepared to use at the right time."

Aim

Some running backs like to target a defender's chest area or the shoulder pads, while others prefer to focus above the neck.

"I've been doing it so long, I've got a pretty good idea where to aim," Graham said. "The helmet's a good spot for me, because a good stiff-arm can knock the guy off balance."

Fire

A properly timed stiff-arm can turn the running back into the aggressor. Instead of absorbing a blow, he can deliver a wallop that keeps him upright while the defender either stumbles or falls.

"You're aware of the guys who have the good stiff-arms," Bucs middle linebacker Barrett Ruud said. "When you go against those players, you shoot for the hip when you tackle them."

Even the Heisman Trophy figure displays a running back with the football tucked under his left arm and his right arm extended outward.

He's not saying hello.

"A good stiff-arm can be tough to deal with," Bucs defensive end Kevin Carter said. "From what I can tell, Earnest has one of the best in the business."

Reporter Ira Kaufman can be reached at (813) 259-7833 or ikaufman@tampatrib.com.

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