Drafted in the second round last year, Hardesty was excited to show what he could do for the Browns (and the fans were excited to see him in action). Unfortunately, the running back's first setback occurred during a pre-camp workout. An injury kept him from participating in training camp.
Finally, healthy enough to take the field, Hardesty got his chance to show his stuff in the final preseason game against the Chicago Bears. He certainly showed flashes of hope for Browns fans — he rushed for 25 yards and one touchdown on just seven carries.
On each of those seven carries, I remember thinking he reminded me of Eddie George. His running style was straight forward, he carries his body almost horizontal to the ground with legs constantly pumping, making it difficult to get low enough to tackle him or stop him.
Then, disaster struck.
He was removed from the game with a knee injury and, two weeks later, was placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the 2010 season. It was a devastating blow for him and for us.
Soon after the season started, Peyton Hillis emerged as the beast that he is and Hardesty was all but forgotten.
He hasn't forgotten, though. No, Montario Hardesty has been hard at work rehabbing his knee and getting ready to once again take the field.
“I’ve been doing (well),” Hardesty said in an interview with ClevelandBrowns.com. “That was a tough injury for me. Starting the year, you anticipate the season and are just in a great mood with the season approaching. That was tough for me, but once I got over that, everything’s good. I’m just really looking forward to getting back on the field. I’m really looking forward to the upcoming season."
I'm looking forward to it too. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of Peyton Hillis and love watching him play. But let's be honest, his effectiveness started to slow a little toward the end of the season.
It's not Hillis' fault — he was pretty much all we had. I said last season (and I still believe it) that for Hillis to continue to be a long-term threat at running back, the Browns need to get him some help.
Hardesty could fit that role perfectly. If healthy, Hardesty could be a legitimate running threat that would keep defenses on their toes whenever Hillis is out of the game.
I saw flashes of promise in that short amount of time Hardesty suited up for the Browns. And I can't wait to see more.
Go Browns!
No comments:
Post a Comment