NFL Hard Hits Reaction

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Oct 21, 2010

NFL Hard Hits Reaction

Brian Urlacher

"It's freaking football. There are going to be big hits. I don't understand how they can do this after one weekend of hitting. And I can't understand how they can suspend us for it. I think it's a bunch of bull [crap]. You know what we should do? We should just put flags on everybody. Let's make it the NFFL -- the National Flag Football League. It's unbelievable.''

Ray Edwards

"If we get fined, we get fined. But the suspension stuff? That's taking it a little too far. I mean, it is football. We all signed up to play this game. Things happen. You can't alter the way you play the game. Sometimes that's how you get touchdowns."

James Harrison

"I don't want to see anyone injured, but I'm not opposed to hurting anyone. There's a difference. When you're injured, you can't play. But when you're hurt, you can shake it off and come back. I try to hurt people."

Tom Brady

It's a dangerous game, it really is. I think we all signed up to this game knowing that it's dangerous. I know Rodney Harrison did too, and I heard some of Rodney's comments about the style of play. Nobody wants to see anybody get hurt. That's not why we play the game, but we also know that the physical nature of this sport is that people do get hurt. We all have gotten hurt, everybody in this locker room. I've had four, five surgeries. It's just part of what you're signing up for."

Andy Reid

"Will there be a big hit somewhere where the hat [helmet] gets involved? Yeah, because it's that type of sport. It's a bang-bang sport and sometimes the player can't help but use his hat. But I think it's important that you're leading with your shoulder as opposed to your head. Bring your shoulder and you're good. "I don't think it's going to take away from how physical the sport is, how exciting the sport is. I just think that you eliminate the helmet, which is a pretty sturdy weapon at times."

Trent Cole

"If a guy is coming at me and puts his head down, what am I supposed to do. Am I supposed to just let him go on by and wave to him while he runs into the end zone? I'm not out to hurt anybody, but big hits are part of the game."

Roddy White

"I don't know what the NFL is doing, man. They are making things so hard to play the game of football. They're fining defensive guys. That situation with Dunta (Robinson), to me is totally unacceptable. It wasn't like he was headhunting the guy. He hit him in the chest and still they're fining the guy. It was a big topic so they had to go out on a limb and make fines really, really high. I just hope it doesn't affect the game of football, because you can't hesitate in this game."

Josh Morgan

"I don't feel safer at all. You can say you're going to fine somebody, but they're still going [to] hit you regardless, right? The defense is not going to show you any mercy. They're going to try to run through you, intimidate you and inflict pain on you. That's their job." -- Josh Morgan, San Francisco 49ers receiver

Patrick Willis

"It's crazy. I mean, $75,000 for going out and hitting the guy. I thought that's what you're supposed to do. I thought as a defensive guy, you're supposed to hit, and as an offensive guy, you're supposed to avoid [being hit]. If your quarterback leads you right where the defender is, then you should take that up with the quarterback. Another guy shouldn't get in trouble or fined or get a flag for just playing football."

Mark Schlereth

"This is the same NFL that doesn't pay for your insurance after you're done. Taking $75,000 away from James Harrison for playing football is criminal. It's criminal to me."

Bradie James

"We're going to be playing flag football in about five years."

Carson Palmer

"The league is driven by big hits and fans want to see big hits and ooh and aah. Obviously fans don't want to see what happened to some of the players this weekend with the concussions. But I think it's a tough thing to stop because guys are trying to make plays and guys are trying to get off the field on defense, and they want to hit guys and get on highlight reels and things like that."

Ben Leber

"I don't think anybody in this locker room's going to change the way they play right now. I think it remains to be seen how they're going to judge these things and how picky so we'll see how everything plays out before anyone changes their mindset."

Nate Jones

"There might be a lot of missed tackles in the next couple of weeks. When you see a guy wide open, I'm pretty sure a few defensive guys around the league are going to be a bit hesitant. I think you can't slow down in this game, not at this level. Unfortunately, I think there will probably be some hits, because you can't slow down, or else you'll get hurt that way, too."

Roger Goodell

"There is no change in the rules. . . . We've identified certain techniques that we want to take out of the game. What we're looking to take out are those hits to the head against defenseless receivers."

Ray Lewis

"My opinion is play the game like that game is supposed to be played, and whatever happens happens."

Joey Porter

"There's no more hitting hard. That's what our game is about. It's a gladiator sport. I mean, the whole excitement of people getting hit hard, big plays happening, stuff like that. Just watch-- the game is going to change."

Charles Tillman

"What they're trying to say -- 'We're protecting the integrity' -- no, you're not. It's ruining the integrity. It's not even football anymore. We should just go out there and play two-hand touch Sunday if we can't make contact."