The Old Fella Still Has It, and His Teammates Have Taken Notice
K. Joudry
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At 34, Harrison Smith is getting toward the end of his career.
The old fella in Minnesota’s youthful secondary took over the second half of the Panthers game, consistently disrupting the Carolina offense. Josh Frey does a nice job of summarizing the sensational effort: “Smith recorded 14 combined tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and a forced fumble during the Vikings win, becoming the first player in NFL history with at least 14+ tackles, 3+ sacks, and a forced fumble in a single game.”
First in the history of the NFL? Not bad, not bad at all.
Smith’s teammates were sure to notice the effort from the one affectionately known as The Hitman. Plenty took to social media to express their praise while the press conferences following the game contained some more kind words for the veteran.
The Old Fella Still Has It:
A Tremendous Game from Harrison Smith
The year began modestly for Smith.
True, Brian Flores was finding more creative ways to deploy his safety, but the statistics weren’t always reflecting the more aggressive approach. From Week 1-3, Smith accounted for 14 tackles. He matched the tackle total in the Week 4 game while piling on 2 TFLs, 3 QB hits, 3 sacks, and a forced fumble. Again, not a bad day of work for Smith.
Several teammates made sure to let their thoughts be known when it comes to what Smith brings to the table.
Minnesota CB1 Byron Murphy chimed in: “All I gotta say is 22 is a goat !!!” Backup linebacker Brian Asamoah echoed the sentiment, “Harrison Smith HOF.” Truth be told, Smith faces an uphill battle when it comes to getting into the Hall of Fame, but that’s a take that people in Minnesota will disagree with. For more than a decade, Smith has been patrolling the skies while also making plays behind the line of scrimmage. That kind of dual-ability is coveted in a safety, and few are better than Smith in that regard.
Joshua Metellus — who has defended Smith in the past — said that he “aspire[s] to be just like” Harrison Smith. Not a bad goal for the younger safety.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell also had the chance to send some praise in Smith’s direction. “Harrison Smith,” O’Connell notes, “just unbelievable performance today. Does not surprise me one bit. He’s somebody who I lean on constantly, one of my all-time favorites. When we had to have it, he was at his best today.”
Fans, whether on their sofa or in the stadium, were blown away by Smith’s performance. Rest assured that players and coaches stepped away with the same feeling.
One day, the Vikings will be retiring #22. Until then, enjoy seeing The Hitman fly all over the football field. His next chance to leave a mark on a game will be on October 8th when Patrick Mahomes leads his Chiefs into U.S. Bank Stadium.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.