Friday, February 8, 2002
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Hearst made it It's the league's ultimate symbol of toughness. But no one wants to end up in a situation to be considered for it.
all the way back, again
The San Francisco running back
Class of 2002 ready for Canton
never believed those who said
that he was finishedBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.com
Garrison Hearst knows. He's won the NFL's comeback player of the year award.
Twice.
"I don't want to win it again," said Hearst, the San Francisco 49ers running back who tore up his left ankle more than two years ago and then made doctors tear up their prognosis of his career being finished.
They told Hearst he'd be able to walk normally and jog a bit after surgery -- if he was lucky.
Hearst didn't listen. Instead, he went to work.
"I didn't pay any attention to the people who said I couldn't do it," he said yesterday at Pro Bowl practice.
Yes, Pro Bowl practice. The guy who wasn't supposed to play again climbed back to the top of his profession. After two years of misnamed "inactivity," he rushed for 1,206 yards and four touchdowns this season, helping San Francisco to a 12-4 record and the playoffs.
Even if he hadn't played a down, Hearst's presence alone would have helped the 49ers.
"His perseverance, his hard work, his determination is all an asset to the team," San Francisco quarterback Jeff Garcia said. "He had to struggle so hard just to have a chance again. Without a doubt, it's inspirational and motivational to the entire team."
Hearst was selected to the Pro Bowl after the 1998 season, when he rushed for a career-high 1,570 yards. But before he could get to Hawaii, Hearst suffered the broken ankle, the bone snapping in a playoff game at Atlanta.
At first, it seemed routine, and that Hearst could return to football after normal rehab. But complications set in and the bone was dying. The only way to repair the injury was to put bone and cartilage from Hearst's knees into the ankle area. There were no records of a football player returning to action after such surgery.
But that didn't matter to Hearst, who had already come back from knee and shoulder injuries. Now he is finally at the Pro Bowl.
"This is very rewarding. I was blessed to be able to come back, but I knew I would," the former Arizona Cardinal and Cincinnati Bengal said. "The trainers, the doctors. A lot of people. Too many to mention their names. Everybody helped me."
Hearst isn't on vacation. He never is. He must continually work hard to maintain the ankle's strength. At 31, he's old for an NFL running back. The two years away from being pounded doesn't make up for all the injuries.
"He continues to put in a lot of hours in rehab. It's never finished for him," Garcia said. "It's something he's going to have to deal with over the next few years.
"He's definitely a leader on our team. I tip my hat to him every day. How can you miss two complete seasons and play so well?"
Other players from around the league know the story, and they all respect what Hearst has gone through. The game is hard enough and the clock short enough without having to overcome serious injuries.
"I'm proud of him," said Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward -- who, like Hearst, played his college ball at Georgia. "We had a chance to hang out some in the offseason. The way he's come back is amazing. That determination to play when everyone is saying you're done. Knock on wood, but if I'm ever in that situation, knowing Garrison will make me fight hard."
Who: AFC all-stars vs. NFC all-stars. Pro Bowl
When: Saturday, 11:30 a.m.
Where: Aloha Stadium
Today
10 a.m.: NFC practice at Aloha Stadium
1-10 p.m.: Topps NFL Experience, Hawaii -- Fort DeRussy
3-5:30 p.m.: Military Day & NFL Military Challenge -- Topps NFL Experience, Hawaii at Fort DeRussy (Special price for any military and a special competition among the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines and Navy)
7-10 p.m.: Pro Bowl Bash at the NFL Experience -- Fort DeRussy
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Dan Hampton is still enormous, still looks like he could split double teams to splinters, looks like he still could play both tackle and end -- at the same time. Class of 2002
ready for CantonBy Kalani Simpson
ksimpson@starbulletin.comDave Casper, Jim Kelly, John Stallworth look like, in a pinch, they might have just one more play left in them.
And you just know that George Allen is using his unique view from above to spy on the Dallas Cowboys this very minute.
And yesterday, they made their first public appearance as the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2002 at Fort DeRussy.
"To be associated now with people like George Halas, Paul Brown, Vince Lombardi and those legendary names -- Don Shula -- would mean everything to him," Bruce Allen said on behalf of his deceased father, the coach. "Because he wanted to be a winner."
The elder Allen was a winner, coaching 12 years in the pros with the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins, making 131 trades with his "the future is now" philosophy, and never suffering a losing season.
Kelly, who led Buffalo to four straight Super Bowls as the last modern quarterback to call his own plays, was moved by the honor, dedicating it to his young son.
"This year when I go up, this is for my son, Hunter. This is something I'll cherish for the rest of my life," Kelly said.
Hunter was born with Krabbes disease, a rare nerve disorder, and wasn't supposed to live past 14 months. He will turn 5 on Valentine's Day.
Casper, known for crushing blocks and miracle catches with Oakland and Houston, was calm and plain-spoken. But it was he who perhaps best summed up all the honorees' credit to coaches and teammates.
"I played on a couple of teams without good coaches and good players," Casper said, "and I didn't do very well on those teams."
Stallworth, the Steelers receiver who won four Super Bowls with Pittsburgh, spoke last, and said he could only echo what the other honorees had said. With one exception: "Jim Kelly said he was watching me when he was growing up, but I'm not that old."
Hampton, a rock on the great 1985 Chicago defense, basked in the familiar spotlight, rolling through a humorous monologue. But in the end, he, too, got misty about his ticket to the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
"I didn't want to go to Chicago when I was drafted in 1979," Hampton said, "and now, in retrospect, I was the luckiest guy in the world."