The 2012 National Football League season has barely begun, but we may have already witnessed what will go down as the best hit of the entire year.
That play with 12 minutes remaining in the second quarter, when Cleveland Browns rookie running back Trent Richardson absolutely leveled Philadelphia Eagles safety Kurt Coleman on a nine-yard run.
Richardson’s hit knocked off Coleman’s helmet and sent it flying. The expression on Coleman’s face is one that could easily end up on the front page of either city’s newspapers on Monday morning.
Neither player was injured in the hit.
The irony of the play was that if it was Coleman who hit Richardson, there’s no doubt in my mind that the play would have warranted a 15-yard penalty, as well as a $50,000 fine, and talks about a suspension throughout the week.
But when it’s the offensive player who hits the defensive player, I guess it’s completely different.
Richardson came into the league with a lot of hype after he was drafted with the fourth overall pick by the Browns. If he turns in a Hall of Fame career, his hit against Coleman will be in every highlight reel video ever made. But even if he turns into a bust, his hit on Coleman is a play that will likely be aired on NFL Films for years to come.
Richardson finished the game with 19 carries for a very disappointing 39 yards. The Eagles used a last-minute touchdown to defeat the Browns, 17-16. Coleman intercepted two passes, including the game-winner in the final minute.
This article was written by Bryn Swartz, the top writer for the Philadelphia Eagles and a featured NFL columnist on Rant Sports. Bryn has written more than 1000 articles in less than two years as a member of Rant Sports. His blog, Eagles Central, was named the 2010 Ballhyped Sports Blog of the Year. You can follow Bryn on Twitter by clicking here and here. To read a portfolio of Bryn’s best work, click here.
