Interview: LaVar Arrington Talks About Orakpo's Pass Rushing & His Xtreme Procision Football Camp

LaVar Arrington has a free tackling football camp July 30th and August 1st-4th at Riverdale Baptist High School in Upper Marlboro, MD, using his Xtreme Procision training techniques. The details including registration and age groups can be found on his Xtreme Procision website. After the jump, LaVar and I talk about what appears to be Brian Orakpo's predictable pass-rushing, which opponents have seemed to get a grasp on.

A couple of interesting things about LaVar's tackling technology is that it's patent pending and he's used it with Aaron Maybin and Lorenzo Alexander.

LaVar: It's a simple technology. What it is - is taking the coaching and fundamentals of the game and making it easier to teach them and learn them. Placing targets on shirts and pads.

I remember as a kid, we were taught to: Keep square to the runner, head always up, and always keep your eyes on their hips...that's not good enough?

Yea, there's a lot of things that get lost. Like getting your chest on a guy's body as opposed to putting your head on them. Or, where you put your hands when you're taking on a block or trying to block. Or how to jam someone when they're trying to get off the ball. Whatever it may be. Anything that has to do with hand to hand combat or contact in general. The proper way to carry the football whether it be a running back or Quarterback. We provide clear aiming points for guys to get that instant gratification that they're doing it the right way. It serves as a constant reminder that they're doing it right.

Have you talked to Coach Shanahan about spending a day with the Redskins secondary using this?

That's so funny. You know how many people have said that?

I wont name names, but why are so many NFL corners and safeties bad tacklers? Is it the fear of getting injured since they're wearing such few pads?

I just think it's not ever learning it. That's the biggest thing. They just never had the opportunity to learn. If you make the process better for the people that are teaching it and the people that are learning it, I think you're going to have better results. That's why you don't necessarily see guys doing it correctly. It's not because they don't want to or they're scared, it's just that they're not educated on it. We set out to make them better educated and to increase the quality of their play.

OK, let's talk about Orakpo for a second. Charles Mann told me two years ago Orakpo needs to learn more than just a bull and speed rush....like the club, rip, swim, hump....but yet, here we still are.

In the league, when you've established yourself as a pass rusher, you got to have weapons for what you're bringing to the field because you're going to get the attention from opposing offenses to keep you from being able to do the things that you're trying to do. You got to have a counter and a counter to your counter. The speed and bull are not always going to be the ones that get it done for you. He does need to learn if he wants to go to the next level. Right now he's a really good ball player and shows the ability and potential to be a perennial All-Pro and Pro-Bowler, but he does have to get better with the way he views pass rushing. Pass-rushing is an art form. That's part of the program we teach as well. How to use your hands properly with the aiming points on the guy's arms or shoulders and wear to grab on the top of the shoulder. These are all things that if he learns those and how to execute them, he'll give himself a better opportunity to be successful.

I know he took some MMA classes last year but that doesn't automatically make you a better pass rusher.

He just needs to be able to apply them in a game. I'll tell you what, that's a good start. That's martial arts. Although you're not taking somebody down to the ground or making them submit, you do want to be able to use your hands and your hips and to use your body as a sling shot. Use your body as lever when you're getting double teamed and triple teamed. Those are ways to take your game to another level.

Hopefully as Skins fans we won't be having this Orakpo conversation in 2013 as well. Thanks again to LaVar for chatting with us.

• Related: Video of all Orakpo's 2011 sacks (and lack of sacks vs elite Tackles) validate the need for new moves.