LaRon Landry watched tapes of Ronnie Lott as a kid, dreaming of someday playing like the Hall of Fame safety.
He loved Lott’s aggressive, hard-hitting style. It is what Landry now tries to bring to the Jets as the team’s new starting safety. And he seems to be doing a good job of it. Just ask his idol.
“I remember when he was in Washington I thought he had a lot of promise,” Lott said in a phone interview Thursday. “I thought he was a very smart, talented player and then he got hurt and went through a lot of emotions because of dealing with all the injuries.
“It looked like to me that having gone through that, it seems to me now that he feels healthy he can be a real productive safety again.”
That’s what the Jets banked on when they signed Landry as a free agent in March to a one-year contract. So far, it has worked. Landry was impressive in the season opener against the Bills last week, making a team-high seven tackles, forcing a fumble and even registering two quarterback hits on Ryan Fitzpatrick.
“We knew he would bring a physicality to our defense,” defensive backs coach Dennis Thurman said. “Our biggest concern was getting him to Sunday. We knew if he got to the games he would definitely have an impact on our defenseAre we surprised? No. Are we happy? Yeah, but it’s a long year.”
The biggest question the Jets had about Landry was his health. He has not played 16 games in a season since 2008. Achilles tendon and heel problems ended his season last year, and his decision to use alternative treatments instead of surgery scared off some teams.
The Jets felt that they could use a modified practice schedule for him to keep him healthy throughout the year. He was limited in training camp, what coach Rex Ryan called Landry’s “pitch count.” The in-season plan is for him to sit out one practice a week. He did not practice yesterday.
Ryan and the defensive coaches saw a player unlike any they’ve had at safety since they have been in New York. At 220 pounds with arms the size of tree trunks and 4.3 speed, they salivated.
“If you still believe in hitting people in this league, that’s the top-of-the-list guy,” Ryan said.
Landry’s hard-hitting style was on display against the Bills. He injured Bills running back Fred Jackson with a vicious blow to Jackson’s knee and was constantly around the ball.
“It’s something we haven’t had with this defense,” Thurman said. “When you bring that dimension to your team, it definitely can become contagiousWe’re all hoping that he continues to stay healthy and keeps playing the way he’s been playing. If he does, he’ll have a great year.”
Landry’s coverage skills were questioned when he signed with the Jets. Many people criticized the move, saying he was an “in the box” safety. The same criticism was heard when the Jets signed Yeremiah Bell two months later to play alongside Landry.
“All the outside negativity — he can’t cover, he goes for the big hit — I take it in and I use it to my advantage,” Landry said. “I work on those things, but as a whole? I’m my worst critic.”
Ryan compared Landry to Dick “Night Train” Lane, the hard-hitting defensive back of the Rams, Cardinals and Lions in the 1950s and ’60s. Landry had never heard of Lane when told of the comparison.
He will take being compared to Lott.
“I don’t know in terms of him hitting as hard as me,” Lott said with a laugh. “I do know he plays very hard and with a lot of intensity.”