PFT: Steelers want to change ways, Farrior says

AP

The list of players apparently ignoring coach Mike Tomlin?s gag order on the James Harrison suspension continues to grow.

Steelers linebacker James Farrior, in a Thursday appearance on The Jim Rome Show, addressed the situation arising from Harrison?s latest violation of the rules.? Projecting something less than the trademark defiance that has characterized the Steelers? reaction to recent emphasis on illegal helmet-to-helmet hits, Farrior explained that he believes Harrison and other players need to change the way they plays.

?James is a passionate player,? Farrior said.? ?He plays the game with a lot of emotion.? He?s an awesome player.? I know he said he?s not going to change, but I know in the back of his mind, he?s gotta be really conscious about what?s he doing out there on the field.

?I hope he?s not that stubborn that he?s going to keep doing stuff like that.? We see what happens when we do stuff like that ? we get suspended, we get fined.? You know, we?re just kind of tired of being a target for the NFL, being the poster boy for these type of hits.? We want to try to change the way we play.? We still want to play as aggressive as we can, but we gotta play within the guidelines of the game.?

Though Farrior doesn?t believe that Harrison should have been suspended, Farrior thinks it?s time to submit to the league?s rules.? ?I think we have to accept it,? Farrior said.? ?We?re putting ourselves in bad situations, getting guys suspended. The only thing that?s going to do is hurt the team in the long run.? That?s not what we want to do.? That?s not what we?re about.?

Farrior deserves a ton of credit not only for coming to that conclusion, but also for verbalizing it.? Even if Harrison doesn?t realize that the suspension serves as a wake-up call for change, if it has that effect on his teammates, it?s worth it.

But then there are men like Troy Polamalu, who believe it?s impossible to teach an old dog new tricks.? ?I don?t think any football player is going to go out there and change the way they?re playing.? I think it?s too late in our lives to really do that,? Polamalu said.

That?s a cop out, and it perpetuates the stereotype that football players are cement-headed goons.? Anyone can change anything they do, if they truly want to do it.? If they don?t truly want to do it, they simply say they can?t.

Polamalu doesn?t want to change; Farrior realizes that they have to.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/12/15/james-farrior-says-james-harrison-needs-to-be-conscious-about-what-hes-doing/related/

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