One of the guys that punched in a teriffic gameday performance was Steelers NT Chris Hoke. I gabbed with Hokie after the game, and we started talking about the first play from scrimmage, when Chris Johnson laid a fast 21-yard gain on the Steelers.
“Bro, i was panicking!” Hokie said laughing, because he got cut while trying to get playside. but after that Hokie had no problems busting the backside “A” gap and getting down the line to his run-gap.
Chris Hoke reminds me of a junkyard dog. You can beat on him, but he comes back stronger and meaner. He never quits. Not to mention he delivers his own beat downs.
When the O-Line opponent breaks the huddle and looks over, there’s Hokie waiting on them at the line of scrimmage…snarling, salivating with body language that says “Come and get some…” play after play after play.
Think about it. Hokie is 17-1 as a starter. How many teams can go that deep into nosetackle land and find performance like Chris Hoke delivers whenever he’s called on?
Pretty special guy, if you ask me…
