DG175

Dread Gallery #175 features more photos from the 2017 NFL season and includes a variety of things - some odds and ends followed by several shots to remind you just how painful playing in the NFL can be.

1. Everybody, including the game officials, thought that RB Andre Ellington scored his 1st TD of the season on this play early in the 2nd quarter in Week 4. CB Rashard Robinson knocks Ellington out of bounds, but not until after Andre gets both feet inbounds and has control of the ball for a 12-yard reception on 3rd and goal ..... but then the replay official nullified the TD, ruling that Ellington lost control of the ball when he hit the ground. The ruling was dubious, because the video was inconclusive; and in those cases whatever the game officials call is supposed to stand. But not this time. So instead of the Cardinals taking a 7-3 lead, they settled for a FG on the next play to tie it 3-3. Despite having the TD taken away Ellington made the dread stars list for the only time all season, finishing with 104 total yards (18 rushing, 86 receiving) on 14 touches as the Cardinals defeated the 49ers 18-15 in overtime.
http://arizonasports.com/story1263650/cardinals-andre-ellington-overturned-touchdown-catch/



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2. RB Todd Gurley led the league with 19 touchdowns scored in 2017 ..... but he should have had 20; and he would have had 20 had he held onto the ball on this play that ended the Rams' opening drive against the Seahawks at the Coliseum in Week 5. On a run around left end on 2nd and 5 from the 12-yard line Gurley, one stride away from the end zone, switches the ball from his left hand to his right and reaches for the end zone; but S Earl Thomas, at the last second, grabs Gurley's arm and causes him to lose control of the ball, and the ball hits the pylon for a touchback instead of a touchdown. Actually the game officials ruled it a TD; but after further review it was obvious Todd didn't have the ball when it made it into the end zone. It was the first of 5 times the Rams turned the ball over. Gurley finished with a season low 50 total yards on 16 touches. Despite outgaining the Seahawks 375-241 in total yards, the Rams lost 16-10.

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3. Sometimes you have good coverage and it just doesn't matter at all. That was the fate that befell Vikings CB Trae Waynes on the 7th play of the Redskins' opening drive in Week 10, as WR Maurice Harris, running a go route on 1st and 10, sticks his arm out and makes a one-handed catch for a 36-yard TD. So unbelievable was the catch that the official, standing just a couple of feet away from Harris, didn't give him credit for it, ruling he made the catch out of bounds. But after a review it was obvious he was in bounds and in the end zone when he made the catch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Yt0jPI5NM ..... In 28 career games (including 2018) this remains the only TD Harris has ever scored. Waynes played 72 (of 75) snaps on defense finished with 1 tackle (1-0) in this game, which the Vikings won 38-30.

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4. Seahawks RB J.D.McKissic thinks he's going to score a TD against his former team on a carry around left end on 1st and goal at the 1-yard line midway through the 2nd quarter at Seattle in Week 11, but the Falcons aren't having it. Despite having a full head of steam McKissic gets stonewalled by S Kemal Ishmael (#36) and LB Vic Beasley at the 1 for no gain. Three plays later the Seahawks finally got the TD when QB Russell Wilson ran it in from the 1 on 4th down, cutting the Falcons' lead to 21-17.
McKissic, who spent most of his 2016 rookie season on the Falcons' practice squad before being picked up by the Seahawks near the end of the season, had a productive game - but just not on this play - finishing with 53 total yards (30 rushing, 23 receiving) on 12 touches. Ishmael finished with 4 tackles (2-2), including his 1st career sack, in the Falcons' 34-31 victory.

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5. DE Cameron Jordan gets his 287 pounds up off the ground and just high enough to dunk the ball over the crossbar as he celebrates his 1st NFL TD during the 4th quarter in Week 6. Jordan's rare 0-yard pick six (he was already in the end zone when he intercepted the pass by QB Matthew Stafford) upped the Saints' lead to 52-38 and ended a 28-0 run by the Lions that had turned a Saints laugher into a nail-biter. The play helped Cameron earn NFC defensive player of the week honors. It also earned him a 15-yard penalty and a fine of more than $12,000 because the NFL no longer allows this particular kind of celebration: https://www.nola.com/saints/2017/10/nfl_fines_saints_defensive_end.html ..... Earlier in the game Jordan was involved in an even more unusual play, and we'll take a look at it a little later.

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6. WR Travis Benjamin winds up and fires the ball against the wall beyond the end zone as he celebrates his 2nd TD of the game during the 4th quarter in Week 7. Benjamin much more peacefully tossed the ball into the stands after scoring on a 65-yard punt return to begin the scoring in the 1st quarter; but after catching a short pass on 3rd and 11 and taking it 42 yards to the house to up the Chargers' lead over the Broncos to 21-0 with 5:42 to play, he decided to show off his fastball. Fortunately for Travis the NFL allows this type of celebration. Benjamin totaled 131 all-purpose yards on just 5 touches in the game and became the first Chargers player in 20 years to have a TD catch and punt return TD in the same game. He was named AFC special teams player of the week. If you want, here's a look at his two touchdowns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGmRsB_O2es ..... The Chargers' 21-0 victory was their first shutout of the Broncos in 39 years.

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7. S Walt Aikens (photo above) and RB Damien Williams (photo on right, before he cut his dreads off later in the season) cannot contain their joy after a missed 44-yard FG attempt by Chargers rookie K Younghoe Koo with :05 on the clock gives the Dolphins a 19-17 road win in their Week 2 season opener. The (inactive) player Williams is running next to is (I think) G Isaac Asiata. After the Dolphins kicked a FG to take the lead with 1:05 remaining, the Chargers quickly drove into FG range, only to lose for the 2nd straight week on a last-second missed FG. Aikens played 22 snaps and Williams 16 - both almost exclusively on special teams - and neither had any stats as the Dolphins' picked up the first of the two road wins they had in 2017.


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8. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names? .... Well, names apparently take Bengals WR A.J. Green to a whole 'nother level, especially when the names are coming out of the mouth of Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey. Don't look for any dreads in these shots; there aren't any. But I decided to add them anyway. I thought it was astonishing that some harmless trash talk would actually cause Green to lose his cool and resort to fisticuffs. Tired of hearing Ramsey calling him 'soft' throughout the 1st half at Jacksonville in Week 9, Green was already on the edge; and when Ramsey decided to shove him after the play on what was going to be the final play of the half, that was the last straw for Green. He wrestles Ramsey to the ground and (stupidly) tries to punch him. Ramsey lets Green be the aggressor and doesn't retaliate, hoping that only Green will be ejected from the game; but the officials weren't having it. So, two of the best players in the league had to sit out the 2nd half of this one. Leading 13-7 at the time of the fight, the Jaguars went on to win 23-7.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCZJOeMjGcQ 

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9. The second runner-up for the longest undershirt stretch of the year (that I have photos of) on a play involving players with dreads features RB Marshawn Lynch in his first game in a Raiders uniform. On the last play before the 2-minute warning at Nashville in Week 1 the only thing Titans DT Jurrell Casey can do is grab onto Lynch's undershirt after Marshawn pancakes him at the line of scrimmage on a run up the middle on 2nd and 8. S Da'Norris Searcy ends up making the last of his 3 tackles (2-1) at the 23-yard line after Lynch gains 6 yards: https://www.raiders.com/video/marshawn-lynch-bulldozes-305-pound-lineman-to-turf-19345798 ..... Lynch was tackled for a 2-yard loss on the next play, but then the Raiders kicked a FG on 4th down to increase their lead to 26-16 with 1:09 remaining and held on to win. Lynch nearly made the dread stars list, finishing with 76 yards rushing on 18 carries and 1 reception for 16 yards .....

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10. ..... The first runner-up for the longest undershirt stretch of the year on a play involving players with dreads is from the Week 12 game between the Seahawks and 49ers. On a carry in the 1st quarter (I think) DE Ronald Blair grabs a hold of the undershirt of RB Eddie Lacy to prevent him from breaking away. Lacy was tackled near midfield three times in the 1st half, twice by Blair; but I can't tell for sure which of those times this one was. Lacy had a season high 61 total yards in the game (46 rushing, 15 receiving) on 20 touches in the Seahawks' 24-13 road victory ..... 

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11. ..... And the winner, in a landslide, for the longest undershirt stretch of the year on a play involving a player with dreads comes from, as advertised earlier, the game between the Saints and Lions in Week 6. On 1st and 10 on the first play from scrimmage in the 4th quarter DE Cameron Jordan penetrates too deep into the backfield but is still able to get a hand on the undershirt of RB Ameer Abdullah. And while Abdullah slips away from Jordan, his shirt does not, somehow stretching to this incredible length without tearing. At least a 2-yard length, as Jordan is on the Saints logo in the middle of the field while Abdullah is outside the right hash mark. After Cameron gets up, he is blocked by TE Michael Roberts (#80), forcing him to let go of Abdullah's shirt; but Abdullah goes down anyway as he cuts back to the middle, so Jordan, along with LB Craig Robertson (#52), got credit for the tackle for a 6-yard loss. The Lions punted two plays later. This was the last of 5 tackles (4-1) by Jordan. Later in the 4th quarter he scored his 1st career TD (see photo #5) to help the Saints to a 52-38 victory, victory #3 during their 8-game winning streak.
I couldn't find a video of just this one play; but it did make ESPN's C'mon Man segment for Week 6 and begins at the 1:28 mark of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK71fjOZeBg

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12. You don't ever convert a 3rd and 33, but the Rams did on this play in the 2nd quarter in Week 9; and the blocking of WR Sammy Watkins was a big reason why they did. The Rams led the Giants by only 3 points and, thanks to a pair of penalties, were facing a hopeless 3rd and 33 when WR Robert Woods caught a screen pass to the left. Over on the right side of the field Watkins immediately blocked S Nat Berhe, causing him to stumble and fall. It seemed insignificant at first but soon became very significant after Woods cut to the right on his run after the catch. After getting up, Berhe (#29) arrives too late as he dives trying to stop Woods at the 25-yard line; and Watkins meanwhile is making his second block on the play, on CB Eli Apple, clearing the way for Woods to take it all the way to the house. Actually though, it looks like the photographer has caught Sammy red-handed, or at least Apple-handed, as he briefly but clearly is clamped onto Apple's arm instead of blocking him legally and should be called for a penalty; but none of the officials caught him. The 52-yard TD stood and made the score 17-7. Then 2 minutes later Watkins' 67-yard TD (on his only reception of the game) made it 24-7, and the rout was on. The Rams ended up winning 51-17.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7aCPS7b_ac 

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13. In case you're wondering, I intentionally waited until photo #13 to post these shots.
Casual fans at Bills games either may not have noticed, may not have been paying attention, may have been too far away from the field to see it, or may have been too drunk to see it, but the WR with dreads in jersey #13 early in the season wasn't the same as the one during the second half of the season. During the first 5 games 5-foot-10, 195-pound Kaelin Clay wore #13 for the Bills. He played only 83 snaps, making 1 reception (left photo) for a 28-yard gain to set up the Bills' first touchdown during their 26-16 win over the Broncos in Week 3. 8 days after Clay was released on Oct. 23 the Bills traded for Kelvin Benjamin, and the 6-foot-5, 245-pounder moved into the #13 jersey vacated by Clay. Benjamin played 220 offensive snaps in 6 games for the Bills and had 16 receptions for 217 yards, including this one (right photo) for a 13-yard gain on 2nd and 21 as he is hit by LB Kiko Alonso late in the 3rd quarter of a 24-16 victory over the Dolphins in Week 15.
Oddly enough Clay, after being released, signed with the Panthers, Benjamin's former team, and the season ended for both of them on the same day with road losses in the 1st round of the playoffs.

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14. Falcons fans had to take the bad with the good from RB Devonta Freeman during the final game of Week 15, adding even more to their anxiety while watching a must-win road game vs. the Buccaneers. The good: Freeman rushed for a season high 126 yards. The bad: his two fumbles that could have, but luckily did not, change the outcome of the game. Here early in the 2nd quarter Devonta, who earlier in the drive had gains of 15 and 29 yards, should score easily on 2nd and goal from the 1-yard line; but the ball gets poked out of his hands before he crosses the goal line. He still has a chance to get the touchdown, but with S Justin Evans (mostly hidden by Freeman in this shot) diving in and about to beat him to the recovery, he bats the ball away from Evans, and TE Levine Toilolo eventually falls on it in the end zone for the TD that gives Atlanta a 14-7 lead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGTE-IX874o .....

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15. ..... Then early in the 4th quarter, on the first play after a punt by the Buccaneers and with the Falcons clinging to a 17-14 lead, Freeman fumbles again as he is hit by S Chris Conte, ruining a run on which he had gained 9 yards. This time OT Ryan Schraeder comes to the rescue, recovering the ball at the Atlanta 20-yard line to save the possession for the Falcons .....

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16. ..... After finishing the drive 9 plays later with a 32-yard TD run on 3rd and 2, a very relieved Devonta returns to the sideline, where Coach Quinn is able to give him a hug him rather than having to strangle him.
If the Bucs recover either of those fumbles, they probably win the game. But instead, with Freeman racking up 194 total yards (the third highest total of his career) the Falcons escaped Raymond James Stadium with a 24-21 victory that improved their record to 9-5.

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17. WR Golden Tate doesn't have dreads, but that didn't stop him from making an appearance in DG175.

It's not unusual to see players give away some of their gear after games - gloves, wrist bands, even cleats; but it's not every day you see someone give away their pants. Following the Lions' 35-11 rout of the Packers in a meaningless Week 17 game, Tate figures that, since he's wearing full length tights underneath his pants, there's no harm in shedding his pants and handing them to a lucky fan, with towel still attached. Tate must have been in a good mood after topping the 1,000-yard mark in receiving for the 3rd time in his career. Needing 101 yards to reach 1,000, he got only 33 on 6 receptions in the 1st half before scoring a 71-yard TD on his only reception of the 2nd half.

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OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD

It doesn't take a special report from the Surgeon General to know that playing football is hazardous to your health. Players appearing in all 16 games during an NFL season should get a medal because it is so hard to make it through an entire season without being injured. And having dreads on your head doesn't make you immune to the carnage. Here in the occupational hazard section we'll take a look at a few of the injuries suffered by players with dreads during 2017.

18. What was going to be his first full season with dreads ended almost before it started for Chiefs S Eric Berry. I didn't welcome Berry to the house in 2016 because his freeform dreads hadn't fully formed into dreads yet when the season began. But they certainly looked like dreads at the start of 2017. Unfortunately his season lasted only 70 snaps. Eric, a 1st team All-Pro choice in 2016, is despondent after tearing an Achilles tendon early in the 4th quarter of the Chiefs' 42-27 road win over the Patriots. He finished the night (and the year) with 7 tackles (4-3) and 1 TFL. Even worse, Berry was not fully healed after surgery and ended up missing most of 2018 as well.

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19. Rookie LB Reuben Foster's NFL debut didn't go exactly as he had hoped. While making his 3rd tackle of the 1st quarter during the 49ers' season opener at home vs. the Panthers Foster suffered a high ankle sprain and missed the rest of the game. Despite vowing to "be back soon. Very, very, very soon", he didn't play again until Week 7.

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20. TE Temarrick Hemingway didn't even make it to the season opener. As S Jahleel Addae and DE Melvin Ingram of the Chargers look on, Hemingway is carted off after breaking his leg (fibula) during the 1st half of the Rams' 21-19 home loss during Week 3 of the preseason. He went on IR and missed the whole season. Hemingway did not make the Rams' roster in 2018, but late in the season he played in 5 games for the Broncos. A rookie in 2016, he's still looking for his 1st NFL reception.
Some might say that being injured was poetic justice for something he did a little earlier in the game. We'll take a look at that a little later in this DG.

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21. Seahawks CB and special teams ace Neiko Thorpe gives the home fans at CenturyLink Field a good look at his unusual-looking dreads, but not in a way that he wants. Thorpe leaves during the 2nd quarter of the Seahawks' 12-9 victory over the 49ers in Week 2 after spraining his ankle on his 7th snap of the game. He also missed the next 2 games before returning to action in Week 5.

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22. LB Todd Davis is down and then out after a play on which he helped tackle RB Matt Forte for a gain of 3 yards early in the 4th quarter of the Broncos' 23-0 home win over the Jets in Week 14. Back in the day they would have said Davis had his "bell rung" and he would have been taken to the sideline and given smelling salts, then would have waited for his "head to clear" and been sent back into the game. But in today's concussion-conscious NFL he had to be removed from the game and evaluated for a possible concussion. He did not return (and didn't need to) and finished with 5 tackles (3-2) in 35 (out of 50) snaps on defense. It turned out that Davis did not suffer a concussion. He was in the starting lineup 4 days later for the Broncos' next game on Thursday night at Indianapolis.

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23. WR Robby Anderson's season comes to an end a little earlier than he wanted, as he leaves the Jets' game at New England in Week 17 early in the 4th quarter after taking what the New York Daily News described as a "cheap hit" from CB Stephon Gilmore on an incomplete pass on the first play of a Jets' drive. Gilmore was penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness. Anderson suffered a concussion. Before knocking Anderson out of the game Stephon shut him down. Needing 61 yards to reach the 1,000 mark for the season in yards receiving, Robby finished with just 1 catch for 2 yards on 3 targets. The Patriots won the game 26-6. 

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24. Three different injuries cost CB Adam Jones of the Bengals 6 games in 2017. This one, the second one, during the 3rd quarter of a 24-20 road loss the Titans in Week 10, came when he hit QB Marcus Mariota just after Mariota dumped the ball off to CB Adoree Jackson (playing on offense) on an option play on 1st and 10. Jackson (#25) gained 13 yards on the play. Jones missed the rest of the game with a concussion. Before leaving Adam made 3 tackles (2-1) and had punt returns of 11 and 23 yards. He also missed the Bengals' Week 11 game vs. the Broncos.

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25. The Redskins' Week 2 game vs. the Rams was looking like it was going to be the best game of RB Rob Kelley's career. But after his 12th carry of the 1st half, he doesn't get up after suffering what, as you can see, is a very painful injury to his ribs while gaining 2 yards on 2nd and 1. Rob had already rushed for 78 yards in the first 21 minutes of the game, and there's no telling how many more he would have gotten; but he was unable to continue. The Redskins ended up with 229 yards rushing in their 27-20 road win over the Rams. Kelley suffered damage to the cartilage in his ribs, not broken ribs, and missed one more game before returning to action in Week 4.
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26. CB Ronald Darby no doubt will never forget his first game in an Eagles uniform ... but for all the wrong reasons. After his 18th defensive snap of the game early in the 2nd quarter in Week 1 he is consoled by Coach Pederson and the medical staff before being carted off after suffering a not-as-bad-as-it-looked injury to his ankle. While covering TE Jordan Reed on 3rd and 2 Darby stepped on Reed's foot, causing his ankle to dislocate. He finished with 1 tackle (1-0) in those 18 snaps as the Eagles won their opener 30-17. Ronald missed the next 8 games before returning in Week 11 and making a significant contribution to the Eagles' championship. But unfortunately this was the last time (so far) that he's let us see how wonderful his dreads look when they're flowing at full blast. For every game (in 2017 and 2018) since this one he's kept his dreads horribly reduced.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSfPvxo6qaQ

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27. WR Kelvin Benjamin didn't miss any games for the Panthers before being traded at midseason; but that's not to say he didn't endure some painful moments. During Week 2 (photo above) Benjamin remains down - his pride probably hurt more than anything - after a hard hit by Bills S Jordan Poyer separated him from the ball and prevented him from making what would have been a 16-yard TD catch on the game's opening drive. The Panthers settled for a FG two plays later, and he was back in the game on Carolina's next possession.
Things got a lot more serious the next week however, as on a tackle by Saints CB Ken Crawley on a 4-yard reception on the last play of the 1st quarter Benjamin's knee bends back and almost gets pinned underneath him(photo on right). His day was finished after just 7 snaps in the Panthers' 34-13 home loss to the Saints. However, KB somehow avoided a serious injury, and he was in the starting lineup when the Panthers played the Patriots in Week 4 .....

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28. Things didn't get any less painful for Benjamin after his trade to the Bills. On the 4th play from scrimmage of his 2nd game for Buffalo in Week 11 - on one of the few passes thrown by QB Nathan Peterman in the 1st half that wasn't intercepted by the Chargers - Kelvin makes the reception for a 20-yard gain but doesn't get up after being hit on his right knee by S Adrian Phillips. Benjamin, who suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in 2015, admitted that he was worried his right ACL was torn, but fortunately it turned out to be "only" a torn meniscus. He missed the rest of this game (which the Bills lost 54-24) and the next two before returning to action in Week 14.

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Benjamin was not the only player with dreads to be injured during a particularly rough Week 11 ..... 

29. After making 2 catches each in back-to-back games in Weeks 8 and 10 (Week 9 was a bye), WR Sammie Coates leaves the game vs. the Jaguars after injuring his knee while covering a punt by the Browns on his 4th snap (all on special teams) of the 1st quarter at Cleveland. I didn't find any details of the injury; but he missed the rest of this game (a 19-7 Browns L) as well as the next two. He made only one more reception the rest of the year .....

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30. It wasn't really an injury that caused CB Stephon Gilmore to miss action during the Patriots' game vs. the Raiders, instead it was dehydration. Gilmore here heads to the locker room at Estadio Azteca during the 2nd half for a much-needed IV. Evidently the 7,300+-foot elevation of Mexico City took more of a toll on his body than he expected. Stephon claimed he "hydrated a lot" while the Patriots (who played at Denver in Week 10) spent the week before the game practicing at Colorado Springs to try to get used to the high altitude, but even that didn't save him. He missed only 16 snaps though, playing 58 of 74 and finishing with 5 tackles (5-0) and 1 PBU in New England's easy 33-8 victory .....

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31. Arguably the worst injury suffered by anyone (with or without dreads) in Week 11 was the torn left Achilles tendon suffered by rookie RB D'Onta Foreman. Injured on the final step of his 34-yard TD run (his second biggest gain of the season) that upped the Texans' lead to 31-21 over the Cardinals midway through the 4th quarter, Foreman is comforted by Coach O'Brien as he lies on his back in the end zone before being carted away. Achilles injuries are devastating for pro athletes, and especially so if you're a running back. D'Onta missed the rest of the season and didn't play in 2018 until Week 16. Thankfully it looks like he is fully recovered, and hopefully he'll show that he is in 2019.

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More season enders .....

32. It wasn't a Merry Christmas for RB Travaris Cadet. His 1st season in a Bills uniform ends on Christmas Eve (Week 16) after a tackle by DE Trey Flowers breaks his ankle on his 1st carry of the day late in the 2nd quarter of a 37-16 road loss to the Patriots. The injury caused Cadet to miss the Bills' first playoff game in 18 years, and it eventually cost him his roster spot. Not at 100% for training camp in 2018, he was released just before the start of the regular season and wasn't with any team until the Panthers signed him in November.

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33. RB Dalvin Cook is in so much agony that he's already holding his knee, and then he fumbles the ball too after S Tavon Wilson's helmet knocks it out of his hands on his 2nd carry of the 2nd half in Week 4. Cook had already run for 10 yards on the play and was trying for more until tearing his ACL while trying to juke Wilson, a non-contact injury. The Lions recovered the fumble and then drove 29 yards for their only TD of the day in their 14-7 road win over the Vikings. The injury ended what was shaping up as an outstanding rookie season for Cook. Dalvin recovered fully and was on the field and touching the ball 22 times in the 2018 season opener.

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A few hours later in Week 4 .....

34. If the officials hadn't blown the call on Andre Ellington's touchdown-that-wasn't (photo #1) earlier, then maybe the 49ers-Cardinals game wouldn't have gone into overtime .... and then LB Markus Golden never would have suffered a torn ACL after colliding with teammate Budda Baker while they both rushed QB Brian Hoyer on 3rd and 8 on the 8th play of the 49ers' first drive in OT. Golden, who led the Cardinals with 12.5 sacks in 2016, finished 2017 with 0. He didn't return to action until Week 3 of the 2018 season .....

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35. Rounding out a trio of season-ending injuries to players with dreads in Week 4 ..... about an hour or so after Golden went down, so did rookie C Deyshawn Bond, who tore a quadriceps in his left leg on the 2nd play from scrimmage of the Colts' Sunday night game at Seattle. He went on IR the next day. Bond, an undrafted player who wound up in the starting lineup when the players ahead of him on the depth chart were injured during the preseason, played every snap on offense during the first 3 games before going down himself. A concussion he suffered early in 2018 training camp hindered his chances to make the team, and he ending up not playing at all last season .....

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36. ..... Like Bond an undrafted rookie, and also like Bond a native of Indianapolis, WR Krishawn Hogan joins Bond on IR one week after Bond was injured after tearing an ACL in Week 5. Trying to tackle WR Victor Bolden on the kickoff return after a FG gave the Colts a 9-6 lead over the 49ers in the 3rd quarter, Hogan planted his left leg in the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium, went down and did not get up. Not ready for the start of 2018, Hogan - one of the WRs on my 2017 Dread All-Pro team - was cut by the Colts then brought back to their practice squad once he got healthy in mid-October .....

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37. Rounding out a trio of season-ending injuries suffered by Colts rookies with dreads ..... If losing the game 27-0 at home to the Jaguars isn't bad enough, the Colts also lose S Malik Hooker, their 1st round draft pick, in Week 7. Hooker was nearly at top speed while pursuing WR Allen Hurns on the run after a catch and was about to make the tackle when WR Keelan Cole came in low and hit his right leg with a blindside, borderline cheap-shot block, causing him to tear his ACL and MCL. Refusing to be carted off, Hooker limps off instead, his promising rookie season all over. I doubt it was much consolation but Hooker did get credit for the tackle on the play, as he bumped Hurns just enough to cause him to go out of bounds 10 yards further downfield for a 50-yard gain (instead of 79-yard TD). Like Dalvin Cook, Malik was well on his way to making the Pro Bowl in his 1st NFL season before going down. He was back in the starting lineup for Week 1 in 2018. 

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38. Uh-oh, Rob Kelley is down again; and this time he's down for the count. Late in the 1st quarter in Week 10 vs. the Vikings Fat Rob is injured after losing 2 yards on a carry on 1st and goal. He was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain and an MCL sprain in his knee. With the normal recovery for a high ankle sprain being 4-6 weeks, the Redskins went on and put him on IR, ending his season. He had already been on the injury report for 5 of the team's first 9 games; so it was more like the Redskins were putting him out of his misery. After a strong rookie season in 2016, he finished 2017 with just 194 yards rushing (in 7 games) on 3.1 yards per carry.
And, even sadder, this was the last we would see of Kelley's wonderful, long dreads, which were all cut off by the time he showed up for offseason workouts the following April.

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Now here are a few action shots that make you hurt just by looking at them.

39. WR DeAndre Hopkins was thankful he wasn't one of the Week 11 casualties after being clobbered by S Antoine Bethea on this short route over the middle on 1st and 10 late in the 1st quarter at NRG Stadium. The pass was incomplete, but the unnecessary roughness penalty on Bethea moved the ball to the Cardinals' 23-yard line, and 4 plays later the Texans scored a TD for the first points of the game. As for Hopkins, he kept on ticking, playing 65 of the Texans' 70 snaps on offense and finishing with 4 catches for 76 yards and his 9th TD of the season in a 31-21 win.

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40. I guess the Lions-Saints game in Week 6 was just loaded with strange stuff. Here rookie LB Jarrad Davis apparently not only wants to tackle rookie RB Alvin Kamara, he wants a piece of Kamara's nose ring too; but Alvin's too smart for that. The clear visor attached to his helmet prevents Davis' unwelcome fingers from doing any damage. Davis, who tackled Kamara at least a couple of times during their two meetings in college (Florida vs. Tennessee), doesn't get credit for this tackle because Alvin actually breaks away from him on this carry on 3rd and 12 early in the 4th quarter and picks up the 1st down. But an offensive holding penalty offset the facemask penalty on Davis and nullified the play. Two plays later the Saints punted, and the Lions returned it for a TD to cut the Saints' lead to 45-31. On plays that counted Kamara did well, but he didn't get enough touches to make the dread stars list, finishing with 87 total yards (75 rushing, 12 receiving) on 13 touches in a 52-38 Saints W. 

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41. When the Ravens lined up to punt on 4th and 7 midway through the 1st quarter in Week 9, CB Brice McCain thought his job was going to be to block WR Chris Moore, lined up outside as a gunner. But after he gets fooled and allows Moore to be open for a 16-yard reception on a pass from P Sam Koch, he instead ends up grabbing Moore's facemask and yanking his helmet off of his head: https://www.baltimoreravens.com/video/highlight-punter-sam-koch-fakes-titans-throws-for-1st-down-19704027 ..... The facemask penalty moved the ball to the 13-yard line, but the Ravens settled for a FG 4 plays later to tie the game at 3. In 49 snaps on the field this was the only time Moore touched the ball. He also had 1 tackle (1-0) on special teams in the Ravens' 23-20 loss to the Titans.

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As usual there were several instances where a player trying to tackle a player with dreads used his dreads to make the tackle. Unfortunately I couldn't find very many good photos of them; so I guess you'll have to use your imagination a bit while looking at these next few photos .....

42. LB Matthew Judon (#99) and DT Willie Henry (#69) both tackled RB Marshawn Lynch more than once in the Week 5 game between the Ravens and Raiders, so I don't know what play this photo is from; but It looks like Henry might have a hold of a couple of Lynch's locks as he reaches in with both hands trying to make the stop. Henry had 5 tackles (3-2), 1 TFL, and 2 PBU in the game. Judon finished with 4 tackles (3-1), 1 TFL, and 1 PBU. Lynch rushed for 43 yards and 1 TD on 12 carries. The Ravens won 30-17.

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43. With LB Patrick Onwuasor (his dreads too short to be seen) wearing black gloves, it makes it hard to see; but I think there's no doubt he has a handful of RB Chris Ivory's jersey with his left hand and a fistful of Ivory's locks in his right hand while trying to drag him down during Week 3 at Wembley Stadium. Assuming Ivory didn't break the tackle, this would have to be his 3-yard run to the Ravens' 40-yard line on 1st and 20 early in the 2nd quarter, because of his 7 tackles (6-1) only once did Onwuasor tackle Ivory. The Jaguars kicked a FG three plays later to up their lead to 13-0. Ivory had 42 total yards (17 rushing, 25 receiving) on 8 touches as the Jaguars crushed the Ravens 44-7.
For real I think Ivory gets his dreads grabbed more than any other player in the league; but he doesn't get discouraged easily, does he? No matter what happens his dreads keep getting longer every year.

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44. Falcons CB and Tacoma native Desmond Trufant would have liked nothing more than to score his 1st career pick 6 in front of family and friends at CenturyLink Field in Week 11, but Russell Wilson isn't having it. After stopping the Seahawks' opening drive with his 2nd INT of the season on 2nd and 1, Trufant has his sights on a 78-yard return for a TD; but the Seattle QB, the only man with a chance to stop him, reaches out and briefly grabs his dreads before throwing him down at the 38-yard line. The tackle also causes Desmond to fumble, but he recovers it himself. The 40-yard return (his career longest) set up a 35-yard TD drive that put Atlanta ahead 14-0 midway through the 1st quarter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw1Za5QrtTU ..... Trufant finished with 5 tackles (5-0), 1 TFL, and 2 PBU in addition to the INT as the Falcons won a big one over the Seahawks 34-31.

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45. It didn't take long for RB Jay Ajayi's dreads to come under attack. On the 9th play and his 4th carry of the Dolphins' first drive of the season against the Chargers in Week 2 Ajayi cuts to the outside after taking the handoff on a draw play on 2nd and 17, and to prevent him from breaking away for a big gain DE Joey Bosa lunges at him, gets a hold of a couple of his locks and yanks him down at the LA 32-yard line after a gain of 6. Ajayi was fortunate to not get his legs trapped underneath him while being dragged down and was not injured. Bosa was (erroneously) hit with a 15-yard horsecollar penalty. The Dolphins settled for a FG 4 plays later to take a 3-0 lead. The Jay Train rushed for over 100 yards just twice in 2017. This was one of two times, as he finished with 122 yards on a season high 28 carries in a 19-17 road win over the Chargers.

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46. The most vivid case of a player getting his dreads grabbed actually occurred during Week 3 of the preseason. Back in photo #20 I mentioned that Rams TE Temarrick Hemingway's injury could be considered punishment for something he had done earlier. Well, this is what he had done. After turning the ball over on their opening drive, the Rams turn it over again on the 3rd play of their second drive, as CB Jason Verrett intercepts a pass intended for WR Sammy Watkins at the Chargers' 46-yard line and heads across the field on the return. But as he encounters Hemingway near the sideline at the Rams' 35-yard line Verrett, instead of going out of bounds, comes to a stop and cuts back trying to get a few more yards. And then ..... 

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47. ..... Hemingway, after Verrett ducks under him trying to avoid the tackle, ends up with not one but two handfuls of Jason's long dreads. Apparently feeling guilty for his blatant misconduct, Temarrick shows a little mercy to his fellow dreadhead, letting go right away rather than yanking Verrett down; and RB Malcolm Brown makes the tackle a couple of yards further downfield. All of this was for naught, however, as the return was overturned after a replay review. Verrett was ruled down by contact as Watkins put a hand on him just before he got up off the ground to begin his return. I'm going to go ahead and include the link to the video of this play; you can look at it if you want but it doesn't really show Hemingway grabbing Verrett's dreads at all. You're better off clicking on the second link, a sequence of photos catching Hemingway dread-handed.
https://www.chargers.com/video/jason-verrett-intercepts-goff-s-pass-152431
https://www.shutterstock.com/editorial/search/temarrick-hemingway-jason-verrett

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Sad to say, I haven't spent much time doing anything on College Football the last few years. But I haven't been totally ignoring it. To finish off DG175 here are a few shots I saved from College Football 2017 that I might as well post rather than let them go to waste.

 

48. Miami WR Darrell Langham is at the center of this shot of the Hurricanes' sideline celebrating after the final play of their 24-20 win over Florida State at Tallahassee in Week 6. Langham is especially happy because it was his 23-yard TD catch with :06 remaining that gave the Hurricanes the win (rather than having to attempt a FG to tie the game on the next play had he not scored). Here's the video of the TD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcsPlzFQnfg ..... Up to that point Langham had played only one snap the entire game. The win snapped the Hurricanes' streak of 7 straight losses to the Seminoles.

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49. Way back in 2017, before reduced dreads became the norm, the Miami Hurricanes had a pair of safeties with sick dreads that would have gotten serious consideration for the Dread All-America team if I had done one. These aren't a couple of their better moments, but their dreads look great. On the right sophomore Robert Knowles defends as WR Nyqwan Murray goes up to make a 18-yard reception at the Miami 47-yard line on the first play of a Florida State drive early in the 4th quarter. It was one of 4 tackles (2-2) Knowles made in the game. And on the left junior Sheldrick Redwine gets beat by WR A.J. Taylor for a 16-yard TD reception on 2nd and 8, completing a 71-yard drive and putting Wisconsin ahead (to stay) 17-14 with 5:49 remaining in the 2nd quarter of the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30. Redwine finished with 6 tackles (3-3) as the Hurricanes lost 34-24. Knowles and Redwine wouldn't have made the 2018 Dread All-America team (if I had done one). Knowles decided to reduce his dreads, while Redwine cut his shorter. In 2019 Knowles is set to play his senior season for the 'Canes; and you can look for Redwine at an NFL stadium near you after he was picked by the Cleveland Browns in round 4 of the 2019 Draft.

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50. Western Kentucky's defense of a last-play Hail Mary by ODU in Week 8 includes three players with dreads. On the left, with his hands ready but not making the INT, is the sophomore CB with the long dreads, Ta'Corian Darden. On the right, with the longer dreads and losing his balance, is S Drell Greene. And in the middle, making the leaping interception to seal WKU's 35-31 road win and with the longest dreads, is senior CB Leverick Johnson. It was the 1st INT of the season for Johnson and the 4th and last of his career. Let's go back to 2016 and watch the only one of the four that was a pick 6. Johnson first has to break an attempted tackle of his dreads (at the :31 mark of the video) before taking the return 61 yards to the house, upping WKU's lead to 28-7 in the 2nd quarter of a 49-21 home win over FIU.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7M0uwq7cpw

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51. Here's a close-up shot of the reduced dreads of Alabama WR Cam Sims as he holds his daughter on the field during Senior Day ceremonies on Nov. 18. A couple of hours later Sims made his only TD catch for the Crimson Tide, an 8-yard yarder that made the score 42-0 in the 3rd quarter of a 56-0 win over Mercer. Cam went undrafted the following spring but was signed by the Redskins as a free agent. Here's what the Hogs Haven blog had to say about him before the start of OTA practices last May: https://www.hogshaven.com/2018/5/19/17347788/washington-redskins-udfa-profile-cam-sims-wr-alabama
As you may recall Sims, despite that somewhat gloomy outlook, played so well in training camp that he made the team and was in uniform on opening day - only to have the injury bug bite him again. On the very first play of the season he suffered a high-ankle sprain while blocking on the opening kickoff return. The Redskins put him on IR and, even though he was healthy one month later, they never activated him. He'll try again next season. 

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52. Sophomore WR Tyrie Cleveland gets the hero's welcome after his 63-yard TD catch on the final play of the game gives Florida a 26-20 win over Tennessee in their SEC opener in Week 3.
The game was a drab affair, with Florida leading 6-3, until a wild 4th quarter. Tied at 20 with :09 on the clock, the game looked like it would go into overtime; but instead Cleveland somehow gets behind S Micah Abernathy and catches a perfect pass in stride in the end zone from QB Feleipe Franks that travels nearly 70 yards in the air: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pLZrs2rkwM
It was Cleveland's 1st TD catch in a Florida uniform; and to say he was overcome with emotion is an understatement, as you can see by watching his reaction in this video of the play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSgKjwgjVXA
It was the 7th straight home win for the Gators over the Volunteers, a streak they'll try to extend in Week 4 in 2019. This was the first of 5 touchdowns Cleveland has scored for the Gators, as he gets set for his senior season.

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53. There's no abundance of sick dreads in the Pac-12; but it's not totally a lost cause. Fans attending California and Washington State games  have been treated to a look at these dreads these last two seasons, both worthy of inclusion on my Dread All-America team. On the right freshman LB Jahad Woods makes the tackle after Stanford WR Connor Wedington makes the catch for a 7-yard gain on 3rd and 6 during the 3rd quarter in Week 10. Woods led WSU with 8 tackles (2-6) and had 1.5 TFL in the Cougars' 24-21 home win over Stanford. In the photo above junior LB Alex Funches of Cal tries to sack UCLA QB Josh Rosen during Week 13. 2 of Funches' 3 tackles (3-0) in the game were sacks; but I don't know if this was one of them (there was no caption). UCLA won the game 30-27. Woods was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team in 2017 and made honorable mention All-Pac-12 last year. Very possibly he could be drafted next year. Funches, a junior college transfer, totaled 74 tackles, 18.5 TFL, and 9 sacks in his two seasons for the Bears; but he wasn't drafted and Sunday football does not appear to be in his future.
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54. Continuing with the awesome college dreads section of DG175, dreads didn't come any more awesome in 2017 than those on the head of South Carolina senior CB Jamarcus King. King's dreads were pretty much a highlight reel every minute he was on the field, including some plays that were actually highlights. In Week 7 King catches Tennessee WR Brandon Johnson looking the other way on the run after a catch late in the 4th quarter and emphatically ends his progress at the South Carolina 22-yard line (photo on left) after a 39-yard gain with :41 on the clock. King nearly caused a turnover on the play, but it was ruled Johnson hit the ground before King took the ball away from him. Tennessee eventually got to the 2-yard line; but after incomplete passes on the final three plays of the game, the Gamecocks held on for a 15-9 road win. On the right JaMarcus gets the last of his 5 interceptions in a South Carolina uniform, picking off a pass in the end zone intended for WR Donovan Peoples-Jones on 3rd and goal to maintain the Gamecocks' 23-19 lead over Michigan midway through the 4th quarter in the Outback Bowl at Tampa. The Gamecocks held on to win 26-19.
NFL scouts usually drool over cornerbacks who stand 6-foot-2 like King; but JaMarcus followed a shaky performance at the Senior Bowl by running a very slow (for a CB) 4.70 40-yard dash at the Combine, and that soured a lot of teams. He went undrafted, and although he got looks from the Raiders and Redskins, he never officially signed with them or any other team last year.

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55. From the CB with slowest 40 time at the Combine we go to the CB with the fastest 40 time. Maybe Donte Jackson's dreads are a little less awesome than JaMarcus King's; but his bank account certainly isn't. Jackson, a junior in 2017, comes in unblocked on the blitz and gets the first and only sack of his career (left photo), dropping QB Austin Allen for an 8-yard loss on 3rd and 7 to end an Arkansas possession during the 1st quarter at Baton Rouge in Week 11. Starting at safety for the first time, Jackson had 8 tackles (6-2) - one short of his career high - 2 TFL, and 3 PBU in LSU's 33-10 victory. Two weeks later in what would be his final home game Donte gets back to his feet (right photo) but by (dumb) rule isn't allowed to make a return after getting his 1st INT of the season and the 4th of his career at a key point in the game against Texas A&M. The Aggies had cut LSU's 20-0 lead to 20-14 early in the 3rd quarter and had forced the Tigers to punt; but on the first play of their drive Jackson's pick at the A&M 39-yard line turned the game back in the Tigers' favor. The Tigers scored a TD 7 plays later and went on to win 45-21.
Jackson decided to skip his senior season for LSU; and after running a blazing 4.32 40-yard dash at the Combine, he was picked by the Carolina Panthers in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft last year.

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56. Maybe his bank account isn't as fat as Donte Jackson's; but I doubt Parry Nickerson is complaining too much. Like Jackson, Nickerson is a CB with awesome dreads (when he doesn't have them reduced, that is) who went to high school and college in Louisiana; but since he wasn't drafted until the 6th round, his contract is worth a piddling $2.6 million, roughly half of Jackson's. In Week 11 Nickerson wins this dread duel with senior WR Davon Grayson, picking off a deep pass at the Tulane 11-yard line on the first play of an East Carolina possession during the 3rd quarter - not that the ECU cheerleaders care. Grayson finished with 4 catches for 43 yards, while Nickerson had 6 tackles (5-1) and 1 PBU in addition to his INT. Tulane won 31-24 OT.
After totaling 16 INT in his 5 seasons with the Green Wave (second most in school history), Nickerson didn't have any last year in his 212 defensive snaps during his rookie season with the New York Jets. Grayson, who had 13 career TD catches for ECU, went undrafted but was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs after the Draft. He was released shortly after that due to injury, but the Chiefs brought him back after the season to give him another chance.

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57. In the category "WR with the best dreads in the SEC" the trophy for 2017 goes to Tennessee sophomore Marquez Callaway; and in his first season as a starter he had his share of dread duels with opposing DBs. In the final game of the season Callaway caps the Volunteers' 85-yard opening drive with a highlight-reel, one-handed 2-yard TD catch against the coverage of senior CB Tre Herndon (photo above) on a fade on 3rd and goal for an early 7-0 lead over Vanderbilt. It was a quiet game for both Callaway and Herndon. This was the only reception for Callaway; while Herndon, who played 285 snaps (mostly on special teams) for the Jacksonville Jaguars as a rookie in 2018, had 0 tackles and 1 PBU in his final game for Vandy. In a battle of 0-7 teams starving for their 1st (and only) SEC win Vanderbilt whipped Tennessee in Knoxville 42-24. In the Vols' first home game of the season back in Week 2 (photo on right) Callaway encounters an opponent with the same number as his and with dreads as sick as his, junior CB Rondell Green of Indiana State. The caption says that this play was a reception by Callaway; but on the only reception he had, which went for a 37-yard TD, Green had coverage on the other side of the field and was nowhere near Callaway. More likely Marquez here is eluding Green on one of his 4 punt returns, one of which went for 36 yards. Green finished the afternoon with 3 tackles (3-0) and 1 INT. Tennessee won easily 42-7. 
Green was not the only #1 with dreads to oppose Callaway .....

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58. In case you were wondering ... yes, Tennessee did play LSU in 2017 (one of their infrequent meetings) and yes, Marquez Callaway and Donte Jackson often lined up opposite each other. Here late in the 2nd quarter Callaway gets the better of Jackson on back-to-back plays, first making a catch in front of Jackson on the sideline (photo above) for a 26-yard gain to convert a 3rd and 7 and then after beating Jackson again on the next play (despite being interfered with by Jackson), taking it 46 yards to the house (photo on right). The Vols obviously declined the penalty and took the touchdown, which cut LSU's lead to 17-10. It was a forgettable night for both. Earlier in the game Callaway fumbled twice on punt returns deep in Tennessee territory to set up LSU's first 10 points of the game. These 2 catches for 72 yards were his only two of the game. Jackson, who finished with 3 tackles (3-0), was last seen showing the back of his middle finger to fans behind the end zone early in the 4th quarter and was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct: https://twitter.com/valleyshook/status/932078844231766018/photo/1 .....
4 of the game's 5 touchdowns were scored by players with dreads (Callaway, Derrius Guice, and Darrel Williams 2) as LSU defeated Tennessee in Knoxville 30-10.    

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59. After catching only 1 pass during his 2016 freshman season, Marquez Callaway began 2017 with a bang. This is his 3rd catch of the season opener against Georgia Tech, on which he gains 40 yards while nearly being decapitated by CB Step Durham at the 27-yard line. For some reason Durham was not called for a facemask penalty. Two plays later the Vols scored a TD to tie the game at 28 with 1:29 remaining in the 4th quarter. Earlier in the 2nd half Callaway's first 2 catches both went for touchdowns, both cutting GT's lead to 7. And Marquez's 4th catch of the night went for 15 yards and converted a 2nd and 9 on the Vols' possession in the 2nd overtime. Here is a video of all four: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APZH73QtAC8 ..... The Vols scored a TD two plays after Callaway's final reception and held on to win 42-41 when Tech followed with a TD but failed on a 2-point conversion attempt. Callaway finished with 115 yards on those 4 catches. But the rest of the season didn't go as well for him and his teammates. He led the Vols with 5 TD catches but for the season had only 24 catches for 406 yards, and the Vols finished 4-8 overall, 0-8 in the SEC.
I don't know if I would have named Marquez to the Dread All-America team; but if I had, he would have lost his place on the team in 2018, because he stifled his dreads something awful last year, looking just like Cordarrelle Patterson did when he played for UT in 2012, with his dreads wrapped together with tape for most of the games.

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60. While I'm not sure about Marquez Callaway, there's absolutely no doubt that Michigan State junior WR Felton Davis earned a spot on the Dread All-America team. Much to my delight Davis had his long dreads completely loose for every game (well, almost every game) he played for Michigan State. Here against Penn State in Week 10 Davis hits the ground in the end zone after making a sensational diving catch for a 33-yard TD and then gets up to celebrate the score, which tied the game at 14 with 3:54 remaining in the 2nd quarter. In case you're wondering why all the empty seats ... many fans went home during a weather delay that lasted nearly three and a half hours (which is nearly unheard of in Michigan in November). Those that stayed saw Davis' career best game, as he finished with 12 catches for 181 yards in the Spartans' 27-24.victory over #7 ranked Penn State. Felton finished 2017 with 55 receptions for 776 yards and 9 TD and was on pace to do even better in 2018 before he tore his Achilles tendon midway through the season. The injury doomed any chance he had of being an NFL draft choice. He signed as a free agent with the Chiefs, where he'll be a longshot to make the team, along with Davon Grayson.
I know it's a bit much to ask you to spend 10 whole minutes watching an interview; but please take the time to watch this interview Davis did for Spartans All-Access about a week after he suffered his injury. You'll be glad you did. And by the way, this touchdown vs. Penn State can be seen at the 3:15 mark of the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAFm6wQHTJ0