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Weekly Hard Hat Award (Game #2, vs. Oak)

September 18, 2002 by Still Mill

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Porter Wins Weekly Hard Hat Award (Game #2, vs. Oak)

Stiller LB Joey Porter is the winner of our 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.

In what may have been the easiest decision faced by the Hard Hat Committee since the inception of this prestigious award, Joey Porter was a hands-down winner in a vote that took about 15 seconds to decide.��

Porter had a stupendous game, making plays all over the gridiron in an effort that surely ranks among the top 3 all time in Stillers linebacking lore.Porter finished with a team-high 11 solos (and 1 assist), and set an NFL record with 3 sacks and 2 INTs in one game.�� Both INTs were on plays in which Porter astutely read the play; read the QB; and broke on the pass with adroit quickness.And, on both picks, Porter had excellent returns, including the 2nd one in which he ran most of the length of the field before smartly handing off to Chad Scott, who ran in for the TD.The play was incorrectly over-ruled, but nonetheless Porter set the team up for the easy score.Porter ferocious pass rushing versus Oakland showed a myriad of skills; at times he dashed, lightning quick, around the LT, and at time he combined power and quickness by knifing and bulling to the inside.He spent a good bit of the evening covering Hall of Fame WR Jerry Rice, as well as possible HoF'er Tim Brown.�� And not only was he assigned to cover these superb WRs, but he provided good, sound coverage on them, not stumblebum coverage like some OLBs are prone to provide.What Joy Porter displayed on Sunday evening was what Stiller fans have come to expect from their LBs -- heart, desire, intensity, athleticism, and the willpower to never give up.Despite what was otherwise a game for the Stillers and their fans, Joey Porter gave all of us an game to remember last Sunday evening.

Kudos to Joey for winning the weekly Hard Hat Award. Wear the Hard Hat proudly, Joey!!

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