Redskins rookie Landry drawing rave early reviews
By Jonah Schuman, USA TODAY
LANDOVER, Md. — Less than one month into training camp, it has become clear to the Washington Redskins that safety LaRon Landry thinks more like a veteran than a 22-year-old rookie.
Never was his maturity more evident than on a first-quarter, first-down play in last week's preseason loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Right before the snap, Landry crept to the line of scrimmage and slid to the right. It left him in perfect position to challenge oncoming Steelers ballcarrier Willie Parker. Landry took down Parker's lead blocker at the knees, and the tailback disappeared behind a tidal wave of Redskins.
It was almost as if Landry had been in the Steelers' huddle.
And while his teammates celebrated the one-yard loss, Landry, as if he had made the play a thousand times before, hopped up and walked directly over to fellow safety Sean Taylor for a brief post-play critique.
"All those guys really helped me out with formation recognition," Landry said of the teammates encouraging his development. "They coach me up after every play. Cornerbacks too. The whole secondary took me in with open arms."
Landry, a 6-0, 213-pound safety out of LSU with a reputation as a playmaker and a big hitter, has taken an all-business approach to his first NFL season, and it's paying dividends.
"My whole attitude is 'take it one day at a time,' " he said. "Working on the little things, whether it's technique, communication, formation recognition. I work on every little thing."
Despite a three-day holdout at the start of training camp, the sixth-overall pick in this year's draft has had little trouble adapting to the speed of the pro game.
Landry has started both of the Redskins' preseason games, and has helped solidify a defense that has yet to give up a touchdown. His rapid adjustment has caught the eye of his coaches.
"It would be hard for anybody to do better than LaRon's done since he's been here," Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said. "In the offseason he was all professional. He is dead serious about football. He's very, very conscientious. I think he's worked extremely hard."
Perhaps the most meaningful praise Landry has earned in his month-long career came from Redskins assistant head coach-defense Gregg Williams, who said the safety has had little problem making pre-snap calls and adjustments — something with which rookies at all positions struggle.
"He is more than sharp enough, more than vocal enough," Williams told reporters last week. "He has had to do that in his career, anyway. He was the guy that was looked upon to do that [at LSU] so he can surely handle it."
The coaching staff has also been impressed with how Landry has handled the pressure of being thrust into the preseason starting lineup.
"We threw him right in there," said Gibbs. "I think he's getting a real battle test here. He's only a rookie, but I can sure tell you this: I like everything that we know about him and that we're seeing him do."
Williams attributes much of the rookie's smooth transition to his work ethic. Landry attended every OTA practice and meeting in the offseason, and the results are apparent on the field.
"He put himself in a position so that everyone felt comfortable around him," Williams said. "The opportunities he has had have caused his teammates to notice that the team plays better when he is in there. He has built trust in a lot of people."
Landry — who could have come out of school after his junior year — earned All-America honors as a senior at LSU and notched 74 tackles along with three interceptions. He said the extra year in the Tigers' pro-style defense helped to an extent, but nothing compares with the NFL.
"It's a whole different ballgame," he said. "There are probably some rookies that didn't have that experience of playing in an NFL defense when they were in college, that probably made a better transition than me."
Landry knows his preseason success does not automatically translate into a spot with the first-team defense. Especially since Williams seldom starts first-year players in the season's opening weeks. Consider that he sat future Pro Bowlers Keith Bulluck and Taylor as rookies.
While Landry would like to be in the starting lineup for the Redskins' Sept. 9 opener against Miami, he remains occupied with improving his skills and the play of a Washington defense that ranked 31st in 2006.
"It would be good to step up and start with these veteran guys on the defense, but it's the preseason," he said. "The season hasn't come yet, and I don't know. [My focus is] just getting better and helping my team win. Whatever coach Gibbs and coach Gregg Williams want me to do, I'm going to do."
Taylor's and Rogers' game logs from their rookie years have them starting by week 3. They were both top 10 picks, like Landry. I imagine Landry will follow a similar route, so it certainly is prudent to remember you probably won't have a starter in Landry for a couple of weeks.
Taylor's and Rogers' game logs from their rookie years have them starting by week 3. They were both top 10 picks, like Landry. I imagine Landry will follow a similar route, so it certainly is prudent to remember you probably won't have a starter in Landry for a couple of weeks.
Taylor's and Rogers' game logs from their rookie years have them starting by week 3. They were both top 10 picks, like Landry. I imagine Landry will follow a similar route, so it certainly is prudent to remember you probably won't have a starter in Landry for a couple of weeks.
