Marcus's Story: Tackling Without Hesitation
A college linebacker overcomes fear after concussions took him out of the game.
The Situation
The physical nature of football demands toughness and trust in the body—but when that trust is shaken, even the most talented players can struggle. No one knew this better than Marcus. Marcus was a hard-hitting Division I linebacker, known for his speed, instincts, and relentless effort. He prided himself on being fearless at the point of contact. Even after a concussion in high school, Marcus’s play was unaffected, and his high performance earned him a scholarship.
But after sustaining another concussion midway through his sophomore season, everything changed. He followed concussion protocols, completed rehab, and was eventually cleared to play. Physically, his body was healthy. But when he returned to the field, something felt off.
“I’d see the play developing. I’d know exactly where I needed to be. I’d see the ball carrier and react quickly. But, when I closed in for the hit, right before contact, my body wouldn’t do what it’s done a thousand times before.
He said the following:
"Instead of exploding through the tackle, my brain would feel this panic, and I'd let up in the split second before contact. I kept thinking, 'What if I get hit in the head again?' So, I’d miss the tackle. Or, I’d get knocked backwards. Even though I’m afraid to get hurt again, my mind and body are doing the thing that’s going to get me hurt.”
No amount of reprimand, drills, or positive self-talk could override the fear he’d experience right before contact. His coaches urged him to “trust himself,” but his body wouldn’t listen. His nervous system seemed to take control, panicking in the exact moment he needed to be at his strongest.
The Breakdown
When we first met, I asked Marcus when he first remembered feeling that sense of fear. He didn’t hesitate to answer.
“It was the game after I came back,” he said. “A running back cut through the line, and I had him lined up. I wrapped him up, but instead of finishing the hit, I pulled back. He knocked me on my a__. I got chewed out after that possession. Even though there weren't obvious issues in the rest of that game.
"I played with that fear, and my body betrayed me."
That moment stuck—not just in his thoughts, but in his body. His nervous system had formed a neural network around the concussion experience, tying contact to danger. Now, each time he approached a tackle, his body “remembered” that fear and hijacked his response.
The Shift
Using a trauma-based approach to performance concerns, we revisited that moment. Through EMDR, with bilateral stimulation from a light bar and pulsators, Marcus’s brain accessed and reprocessed the experience.
At first, the fear was powerful. He felt tightness in his chest and weight in his legs as he recounted this first experience. The memory carried the same dread. But as we worked session by session, his brain began to shift. The memory lost its power, and his nervous system began to calm down. He no longer carried the same involuntary panic when picturing the collision.
We then installed new, grounded beliefs: "I am strong. I can trust my body. I am safe and in control." We repeated this process on the experience of having a concussion in college and in high school. We also prepared for future contact, rehearsing calm and confident nervous system responses to game-day collisions.
The Result
By the end of our work together, Marcus noticed the change. He was flying to the ball again, tackling without hesitation. The fear no longer hijacked his body.
“I feel like myself again,” he told me. “I’m not playing scared anymore. I trust my body. I’m just playing football.”
Marcus didn’t lose toughness. He lost a sense of safety.
CONTACT HAD BECOME THREAT
IMPACT HAD BECOME RISK
HESITATION HAD BECOME HABIT
When that association shifted, he played without fear again.