The Titans veteran Wesley Woodyard said he believed every linebacker could benefit from yoga.
That does not quite seem to jibe, given that one of the tenets of football is to be aggressive and not back down.
Yet yoga has made impressive inroads in the N.F.L., and Woodyard is one of several players who are using yoga to help them physically and mentally prepare for and deal with the sport’s collisions.
“When you play linebacker and your job is to do nothing but tackle, you tend to have a few misaligned bones in your back and rib area, which can cause back pain,” said Woodyard, an eight-year veteran.