The Big Interview: Jets safety Jim Leonhard on eye black, punt returns and trying to tackle Adrian Peterson

New York Jets safety Jim Leonhard was gracious enough to sit down with my good friend Josh Zerkle and I on behalf of Farkas Eye Black, which has teamed up with Leonhard on their mission to get athletes to stop wearing useless stickers on their faces.

OTB: So you’re telling me all these athletes putting stickers on their faces are just doing something useless?

JL: Absolutely. It’s essentially like wearing a helmet that doesn’t provide any protection, like the old leather helmets. I know a lot of guys are throwbacks but I wouldn’t throw that on with today’s technology. This is something I’m very passionate about. I’m a big fan of eye black. You gotta wear the real thing. That’s kind of a joke to me.

JZ: What’s the proper way to apply eyeblack?

The messier you put it on, the better. The NFL is cracking down a little bit. John Randle always pops into my head where he had his whole face painted. They’re cracking down on that but you try to get away with as much as possible before the NFL stops us.

OTB: You’re a 5-foot-8 man. We have kind of the same story because in 8th grade I was 4-7 and all my friends played football, so I told my mom, if I die I die. I’m playing football this year. I spent the whole season without making a tackle. How does it feel to be one of the smaller guys in the NFL and still play at a Pro Bowl level?

I feel like I’m fighting for a lot of people. I meet a lot of people that are undersized and never got the opportunity to play. We’re always overlooked moving on to college or coming out of college, and being undersized means I’m kind of flying the flag for a lot of people. If you’re an intelligent football player who’s tough and physical with a lot of heart you can make a long career out of it.

JZ: At Wisconsin you were a walk-on and became All Big-Ten before they gave you a scholarship. Was it a lack of measurables?

It starts with my town, it only has 105 people. Obviously they aren’t going to send a lot of recruiting guys. The competition I played against, my measurables, it was all in question. I was able to come down there for a camp and open some eyes. It ended up being a case where going in I wasn’t supposed to start as a sophomore but all of a sudden the guy in front of me left so I got that starting job without a scholarship, and that year was pretty special. Leading the nation in interceptions, All-America. All that work played off.

OTB: When you’re on the field you have that playmaker ability where the ball always seems to come your way. How do you get that? Innate? Developed?

I think it can be developed. It’s amazing that the guys who really study the game and understand it are also the guys who are always around the football. They have that sense. I’ve always believed that if you put a lot of work in and understand the game it’ll pay off. I have teammates going through offseason workouts saying and I’m saying, “All I have to do is be close to you because when football starts the instincts kick in and I’ll be right next to you.” It can be taught, and you can learn. There definitely is a portion where you have it and you don’t though.

JZ: There has been some evolution in the safety position. Have you seen a shift in what safeties are being asked to do?

A big shift. With the safety precautions it’s tough to be that punishing safety who also gently puts receivers and running backs to the ground. It’s difficult. There’s a change. More spread offenses, more passing. You don’t see that true strong safety anymore. If you can’t cover people, your career in the NFL is going to be short. There’s been a trend to the more agile smaller safety instead of the big hitters. The safety position is a very bang bang every play situation in the passing game, and if you’re questioning how you’re going to hit somebody it probably won’t end well for you.

OTB: How do you guard Plaxico in practice?

You hold him (laughs). That’s the beauty of practice, they can throw flags all you want and you won’t get in trouble. It’s difficult. When you have a guy like that you have to approach it in a different way, especially with a guy of my size. I know if I get in certain situations I won’t be able to win them very often. Technique is very important, you have to have a little heart and holding never hurts.

JZ: Rex Ryan is quite the mouthpiece for the team. What’s he like with the cameras off?

Oh, Rex is the same person 24/7. A lot of people who don’t like Rex, they think it’s an act. A show for the cameras. He is who he is. That’s why he gets respect from the players and the organization. Very consistent, and very brash and outgoing. You respect the honesty that he has. He understands the game is about marketing and the fans, so he’ll let them into the organization more than other teams, who want to keep the dark cloth over the team and then bring it out on Sunday. Rex doesn’t care.

OTB: Plaxico is known for being one of the realest dudes in the NFL. Has he brought that coolness to the locker room? Have you noticed a shift in cool since he’s been in NY?

Plax has been great. When you go through what he’s gone through it can change who you are, and you can tell every day he loves being on that football field. You’ve always heard since he was a Giant how great of a teammate he was and how much of a competitor he was. He loves football, he always has a big smile on his face and you can tell he loves being around the guys, being in the locker room and putting in the work. That’s all you can ask for. Guys have different situations outside of the building, but when we’re in there it’s a release. We’re playing football, it’s a game, and we’re all loving it. He’s really enjoying himself.

JZ: Is it a big deal to be undefeated early on, and how has that effected the mood of the locker room?

It’s great for the locker room. We build that confidence early and it carries over. You realize there will be ups and downs throughout every season and you can’t give games away. We tried really hard to give that Dallas game away.

OTB: In the NFL the past two years, everybody’s been discussing the concussion problem. Do you see NFL players cutting their careers short to save their heads, like Tiki Barber, who retired two or three years before he could have. Do you see players retiring early because of concussion concerns?

I think it’s an individual thing. Guys know how their bodies feel. There is more research into concussions and head hits, and their eyes are being opened a little bit. It’s a very scary thing. You look at some of the legends of the game and the conditions they’re in now with brain issues and passing away too early, guys are taking it seriously. It’s a fast and physical game and we all know what we signed up for, but to have a shortened life out of it, is it really worth it? I know a bunch of guys who quit a year or two earlier than they could have and they’re extremely happy about it, and I’ve seen guys who went to the end and they’re happy about that as well. Once I get into that spot in the NFL, I’ll make my decision as long as the NFL doesn’t kick me out, because that’s what usually happens. Not many get to pick and choose when they’re done.

OTB: Who’s the toughest dude to tackle in the NFL?

Adrian Peterson. Not only is he big and physical and fast, he runs angry. Every time you try and tackle him you have to get him DOWN. He’s not going to go down easy or stumble and fall. He’s going to try and run you over and you have to be physical for 60 minutes. If you go on the other side of the spectrum, there’s Chris Johnson. It’s chasing him down that’s the problem. Both extremely difficult.

JZ: You broke your tibia last September. Peyton Manning said the lockout really hampered his recovery, did it effect yours?

It was really tough. We set up a great plan for when I couldn’t contact them so I knew what to expect, but how can you make a career threatening decision out of surgery when you can’t talk to your employer? Pretty difficult to ask someone to do. Peyton potentially loses a season because of it.

OTB: As a smaller guy, what is your tackling technique as it goes through your head? Get low? Drive through people? When I played football I couldn’t tackle anybody, and I don’t know what went wrong.

(Laughs) I like to call my tackling style, “By Any Means Necessary”. It might not be pretty sometimes. Sometimes you’ll have a small hole and get to do a nice pretty form tackle but sometimes it doesn’t have to be pretty, they just have to end up on the ground. Playing free safety, a lot of my tackles are on plays where somebody made a few mistakes in front of you and they bust for a long run and I have to chase him down. By any means necessary.

OTB: You’re also a punt returner. When you pick a pass off do you have an obligation to your team to be a superstar punt returner right now? You’re not going to be a guy who falls down, you’re going to be the guy who takes this thing back for a score like Ed Reed does.

Absolutely, oh yeah. As a defensive player you don’t get your hands on the ball that often. I’m lucky to return punts but you don’t get too many interceptions. You better try and score with it. Nothing worse than getting a pick and getting made fun of because you just fell down. You gotta gain some yards, you gotta make somebody miss. Just like a punt return. You have to make at least one person miss. And you cross your fingers that you don’t get blindsided by an offensive linemen.

OTB: How about getting hit by the quarterback? Is that worse?

You can’t get blown up. That’s the biggest thing. You can make a pick and have a great return but if you get blasted by a running back or a QB it doesn’t look so good.

JZ: What’s the protocol for punt returns now? It used to be, put your heels at the ten and if it’s over your head, forget about it. Now we see guys who do this at the five.

It’s a little different. Now we’re creeping to the eight or the seven because punters are getting better at that end over end ball that lands a bit softer and has the opportunity to stay in play. I go to the eight, give or take a step or two. Depending on the kick, teams are happy with that. Punters have practiced that a lot. It’s a big weapon.

OTB: Who are your NFL role models? You came up with the Bills but got to spend some time with the Ravens, with Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis.

It was great, my rookie year in Buffalo we had a lot of vets. Lawyer Milloy and Troy Vincent. Nate Clements. London Fletcher, Takeo Spikes. Eric Moulds. Some real, true professionals. Guys who’ve been in the league for a long time. I give them a lot of respect for teaching me to play the game. And when I got to Baltimore there were so many tremendous leaders, with Ed and Ray and Suggs who led in the locker room. I’ve had a lot of great role models around me, and that’s continued with the Jets.

OTB: Thanks Jim, it’s been a blast. I will never wear a sticker on my face again. 

(Laughs) Good, good! Thanks guys.