Steelers’ Linebacker James Harrison Fined $75K For Illegal Hit

October 19, 2010   ·   Charles Howe   ·   Jump to comments

By the letter of the law, James Harrison was in violation of newly revised rules relating to helmet-to-helmet hits on receivers when he hit Browns' receiver, Mohamed Massaquoi.  Harrison received a $75,000 fine for his efforts.
His post-game comments did not help him prevent a fine when he stated, "I don't want to injure anybody. There's a big difference between being hurt and being injured. You get hurt, you shake it off and come back the next series or the next game. I try to hurt people."
While many athletes from football and other contact sports understand the meaning behind those words, they were poorly though out and reflected negatively on the NFL and its players.
By rule, a defender is not allowed to forcibly hit a "defenseless player’s head, neck, or face with the helmet or facemask, regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him."
A defenseless player is defined as "(i...

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