LeGarrette Blount Flashes That Willingness to Fight

LeGarrette Blount flashes that willingness to fight
By Neal Coolong
http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com...-training-camp

It's too easy to pair Blount's role in a training camp fight Friday with the punch he threw at a Boise State player in college. What it really shows is Blount isn't one to hold back his competitive side.
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The easy narrative regarding the involvement of running back LeGarrette Blount in a skirmish between Le'Veon Bell and Vince Williams during the Steelers' night practice Friday is to point out the punch he landed on an opponent while he was in college.
Although not participating in the drill and not even in pads, Blount went after Williams, leading to the involvement of Steelers defensive assistant coach Joey Porter.

Blount and Porter then proceeded to bark at each other after being separated.
Porter was brought in to help the Steelers' outside linebackers work on their technique as well as be something of a lightning rod for the players; a perfect firebrand for these kinds of situations. Porter has instigated fights with plenty of running backs, perhaps Blount is no different.
Then again, veteran Steelers beat reporter Jim Wexell suggests Blount may just be wired a bit differently than most.
James C Wexell @jimwexell
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"In talking to Blount, I felt like I was talking to James Harrison. There's an edge there, and a line between player and reporter that ...

James C Wexell @jimwexell
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"... you think can be breached at any time. Violently." ... The dude's kinda unhinged.

That's sort of frightening.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin didn't act upset or pleased over the event. It was more like there was both pleasure and disappointment in his mind, choosing not to give either power over anything.
"It’s an emotional game and they do lose that element of it sometimes, but those things are growth opportunities and opportunities for us to teach," Tomlin told Dale Lolley. "At times you’re going to feel like you’re wronged, but at the same time, you’ve got to keep your wits about you because we step into stadiums with one goal in mind, to win. Obviously 15-yard penalties and things of that nature don’t help with that cause. When do you get an opportunity to talk about that, except in training-camp-like settings when tempers run a little hot?"
If anything, the involvement of Blount into Bell's fight should serve as a reminder of the strength of the bond developing between "LeBackfield." Blount doesn't want to see his guy in a fight he can't help with. He takes exception to the loud coach who's yelling quite vigorously for the other side. Blount takes exception to all of it, and loses his temper.
It happens.
Wouldn't you rather that than Blount distancing himself from the fight completely? Tomlin's point about not drawing penalties is certainly fair, but there are no 15-yard penalties at the night scrimmage. One would hope a more reasonably-minded Blount won't attack Browns head coach Mike Pettine in Week 1.
Practicing how you play is important but the fleas that come with Porter's loud, barking dog is players fighting back against it. Perhaps that, in and of itself, is a good thing.