Steelers’ linebacker James Harrison refused to drill Mike Vick
Written by Adrian Gregory Glover // October 8, 2012 // NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers // 2 Comments
The return of linebacker/monster James Harrison was not as savage as it was predicted to be.
Going into the game that pit Harrison’s Pittsburgh Steelers against the Philadelphia Eagles, it was thought that a hungry Harrison would lay a few insane hits on the often-abused Michael Vick.
That did not exactly play out that way and now we know why.
Harrison appeared on a Pittsburgh radio show Monday morning and offered a reason as to why he did not do his Deebo routine on Vick.
“I was nervous. I thought he might duck his head, and I might hit him, and I can’t take no fines,” Harrison said on 105.9 The X. “I was worried more about the fine. If at the last second he ducks his head, ducks down and we make helmet-to-helmet contact, it’s the fault of the defender.”
If that is the case, what can a tamed James Harrison do for the Pittsburgh Steelers?
Fines or no fines, bad reputation or not, Harrison’s willingness to perform as the bad guy has carried an aging Steelers defense for the past two years.
If he becomes guilty of thinking too much, he won’t play to his natural instincts which will impact his ability to play at a high level.
Nobody is saying that he should play dirty but Harrison’s gig relies on him playing mean. Playing mean comes with the understanding that the bad guy gets some dirt thrown his way.
I hope what has not taken place is that the higher-ups have sent word down the pike that he’s looking at losing his livelihood from a suspension perspective.
Let’s see how he plays moving forward.
