Big Red
Well-known member
- Mar 16, 2019
- 1,355
- 0
Haason Reddick knelt at the Cardinals' bench following Sunday's win over the Giants, tears streaming down his face.
When he stood up and walked toward the MetLife Stadium field, it seemed only right that Steve Keim was there to give him a hug.
The first-round pick and the general manager who chose him were criticized heavily for the first three years of Reddick's career, after he failed to pan out as an inside linebacker. But a move to outside linebacker has not only rejuvenated Reddick's career – it has put him in in the Cardinals' record books.
The New Jersey native had the game of his life in the 26-7 victory over the Giants, registering a franchise-record five sacks and three forced fumbles. Reddick became the first player since Green Bay's Vonnie Holliday in 2002 to post such a ridiculous stat line.
"I'm still processing it, still taking it in," Reddick said. "I cried at the end of the game, filled with joy. I felt blessed. This whole year has been important to me, and to see things going the way I wanted them to go, to see today happen, it's just amazing."
Reddick had an early strip-sack and then single-handedly wrecked any hopes of a New York comeback by accumulating four sacks in the fourth quarter.
Coach Kliff Kingsbury was not around for the first two years of Reddick's NFL career but never saw the angst overwhelm him last season when it was clear inside linebacker was not going to work out.
"When a guy like that -- who's stuck with it, who didn't let the noise get him down, didn't let any sort of frustration get him down, he just kept working -- has a game like that, you couldn't be happier for him," Kingsbury said.
After five sacks in the first seven weeks of the season, Reddick did not register a sack or a quarterback hit in the five games leading up to this one. However, he arrived at the Dignity Health Training Center this week and told teammate Markus Golden a breakout against the Giants was upcoming.
"The look he had in his eyes rushing all week, I knew he was going to have a big one," Golden said. "I ain't know it was going to be that big."
Continue reading...