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Hard Hat Award (Game #5, vs. Clev)
Stiller QB Ben Roethlisberger 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.
Roth had a splendid outing in the whipping of the hated Pumpkinheads, but it was his sheer mental and physical toughness that earned him the Hard Hat Award.�
Roth was victimized by Randle El's volleyball set of a perfect pass by Roth, which was laid up quite softly for DB Chris Crocker to pick and then return for a tying TD.� Roth could have sulked or allowed the INT to bother him, but he quickly shook it off.� After 3 Staley plunger, Roth faded back to pass.� He eluded a rusher that seemingly had him dead to rights, and then spotted Burress open downfield.� Roth heaved a perfect strike, after which he was plastered by former Stiller Orpheus Roye, a shot so brutal that it left Roth groggy.� Undeterred, Roth shook off the grogginess and gathered the offense, and then handed off to Staley for a plunge.� On 2nd & goal from the 6, Roth faded back.� Feeling some blitz pressure, Roth scooted up the middle, and then made one cut before diving to the end zone for the go-ahead score!!�� Touchdown !!�� Some QBs, after the brutal hit from Roye, would have rather crawled naked through chards of broken glass before they'd even consider scrambling up the gut.� Not Ben Roth.� He took one on the chin -- literally -- for the big gainer to Plex, and then risked head and limb on the scramble that put the Stillers ahead for good.� This, my friends, is what Stiller football, and the Hard Hat Award, is all about -- sacrificing the bod for the good of the team.�
Kudos to Roth for winning the weekly Hard Hat Award.� Wear the Hard Hat proudly, Ben!�
Past 2004 Winners:
Week 1, vs. Oak: Casey Hampton and Clark Haggans
Week 2, @ Balt.: No one
Week 3, vs. Miami:�
Chris Hope
Week 4, vs. Cinci:�
Ben Roth and Troy Pola
(Note: Stillers.com will pay tribute to Justin Strzelczyk
this season by placing "73" on the Hard Hat each week.)�