The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing and expecting a different result, right?
It that’s the case, Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been insane since he’s been in the NFL. His latest act of insanity has him suspended for the first three games of the 2016 season. The multiple offender of the player-safety policy’s hit Pittsburgh on Steelers receiver Antonio Brown in the AFC Wild Card game resulted in a concussion.
And it hurt his team, giving the Steelers 15 of the 30 yards they got on penalties to kick an easy field goal to win the game. Perhaps it took a moment like that in such a big game to get Burfict to want to stop the insanity. He told ESPN’s Josina Anderson on Monday that he knows his style of play has to change now.
He said, “Like I told coach (Marvin Lewis), I wish I could take that play back because I probably would’ve hit him low. I don’t like hitting low, but I have to change because it’s getting flags because I hit him high or hit him in the helmet, and it’s so hard to determine where to hit the offender because they’re gonna tuck their body, and you have to pretty much tuck with them.”
“I tried to pull up at the last second, but it was obviously too late, it’s a bang-bang play. I play hard. Sometimes it gets me in trouble,” he said. “My style of play is aggressive, and the game has changed, and I have to change with it, and that play right there, I think if I wasn’t number 55, I wouldn’t have got flagged.”
Burfict believes he’s being picked on as he was fined for twisting the ankles of both Cam Newton and Greg Olsen after the play in 2014. Burfict entered the NFL with red flags that dropped an early-round talent completely out of the draft in 2012, costing himself a lot of money. And his multiple fines and suspensions were expensive as well.
So he finally realizes it’s time to stop the insanity!