Daily Madden: Tackle Football Isn't For Little Kids
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - A nine year old Salt Lake City girl is getting national attention for her dominant play in a pee wee tackle football league. John Madden told the KCBS morning crew that elementary and middle school kids of either gender shouldn't play tackle football.
"If you have to put a helmet on to play the game, you shouldn't do it until you get to high school," Madden said. "They talk about the brain of a kid and the development of the brain, and it's just not ready for it. And I think someday we're going to look back at that and say, 'isn't that something, we used to do that.'" Madden said flag football is an excellent alternative. "You still run the ball, you still catch the ball, you still throw the ball, even defensively you have to get in position...But you don't bang your head into another person's head or bang your head into the ground."
The 5-3 Indianapolis Colts are only favored by three points in Thursday night's game against the 1-7 Jaguars. The Jaguars beat the Colts early in the season and the game is in Jacksonville, but Madden said he likes the Colts.
"The arrow of the Colts has been going up and (quarterback) Andrew Luck is playing great," Madden said. "I could see them as a possible playoff team. Conversely, the arrow of the Jacksonville Jaguars has been going down." (6:55)
Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM. And catch John's extra report at 9:15 a.m. Mondays and Fridays during the NFL season.
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