Hard Hat Award (Game #2, vs. Buff)
Stiller LB Jamie Harrison is the winner of the weekly Hard Hat Award, given to the Stiller player who best embodies the iron-tough, hard-as-steel attitude of the steel workers inside the blast furnace of a still mill.
Harrison, who replaced the The Big He-Man, Joey Porter, at OLB this season, turned in another rock solid game, or in this case, a half of a game. He had a stellar first half, demonizing the Buffalo O-line with relentless pursuit and stoutness. He savagely bullrushed a blocker in the 1Q and steamrolled him back into the QB�s face, and then dropped the QB for a legitimate sack. Soon later, in the 2Q, he beat the LT on an edge rush and applied pressure, and then on 3rd & 2, he harassed the QB into an errant throw to force a punt.
With under a minute remaining in the half, Harrison covered a kickoff and jammed his neck. On the very last play of the half -- a meaningless, harmless plunge to run out the clock in which most players would have gone through the motions -- Harrison, as is his nature, went all out and ended up ramming into the backside of Fat Casey Hampton. These 2 successive plays gave Harrison a stinger of sorts, and he was carted off the field at halftime.
True to his fierce nature, Harrison shook off the stinger and came to the sideline and tried to play in the 2nd half. The Stiller coaching staff would have none of it, but one has to admire the willingness to shake off injury and the competitive fires that would cause Harrison to attempt to re-enter the ballgame. This, Stiller friends, is what Hard Hat football is all about.
Kudos to Harrison for winning the Hard Hat Award. Wear the Hard Hat proudly, Jamie!
Previous 2007 Hard Hit Awardees:
Game 1, @ Clev: Jamie Harrison and Danny Sepulveda