SmashMouth

Deke Bellavia Reporting
After being out of the game for over a year, the Saints gave a young man a chance to prove to others and most importantly himself that he belong in the National Football League. "I was very grateful that the Saints gave me a second chance and I am taking advantage of it."

Those are the words of Saints defensive linemen Anthony Hargrove. Anthony was suspended for the entire 2008 season for violating the substance abuse policy a second time. But since he got that call from the Saints in the spring of 2009, Hargrove has been moving in the right direction.

"I'm proud of him from his personal habits and the way he is living his life," said Saints Defensive Line Coach Bill Johnson. "We are very excited about the way he has been working. He missed a year and a half of football and for him to come out and play the way he did last year, I'd hate to know where we would be without him."

In 2009, Hargrove played in all 16 regular-season games with six starts. Anthony recorded 63 tackles (29 solo) and he became a force inside as he help the Black and Gold D-Line put pressure on opposing teams by posting five sacks. Hargrove finished the season with a forced fumble and three fumble recoveries, and he returned one fumble for a touchdown in the Saints win over Carolina.

"You have to compete on every play," Hargrove told us. "You can't take plays off on Sundays and to see a team come out here and do that (compete) every day, day-in and day-out every play, it's amazing and it is a great thing to be a part of."

In the Saints win over the Panthers, Hargrove had arguably the best game of his five-year career in the NFL. Hargrove went off on the Cats from Carolina as he made four tackles, forced a fumble, recovered two fumbles and returned one for a touchdown to seal the Saints win and he was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

The versatile linemen can play inside at defensive tackle or he can line-up at defensive end and put some heat on opposing quarterbacks. But whatever the position, Hargrove just wants to go out each week and help his team win football games.

"You know my role really has not changed that much...I'm still playing inside. I think coach (Williams) is a little bit more confident in my play inside so they are giving me some shots in different personnels and different sets to see what I can do. But my role hasn't changed much - it's to be explosive and make plays."

The Saints defense forced thirty-nine turnovers in 2009 and led the league with seven defensive TD's scored. But the goals have been raised and the 2010 Black and Gold Defense wants to become more aggressive this season.

"We're just trying to be a better defense. We are not focusing on just one thing. I mean numbers can lie. I thought we were very solid against the run last season. We might have given up one big run but if you look at the whole season we were good against the run," Hargrove said.

The Saints Defense was 25th overall in 2009 and 21st against the run, allowing over 122-yards per game. However, Hargrove says stats are one thing, but the game is all about winning.

"We played against a lot of great running backs and even though some may have gotten one hundred yards, our final statistic that matters is points on the board...and as long as we are winning I really don't care what our stats say," according to Hargrove.

Hargrove not only earned the respect of his teammates and coaches but he also got good reviews from the rest of the league. Hargrove was a candidate for the 2009 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, and he was the only defensive player to earn a nomination for that award.

Anthony has found the right home, and he has coaches that know his strengths that also know how to make him fit into the game plan. "Greg (Williams) knows how to play to the strengths of every guy on our defense, and he is consistent day in and day out of what he wants us to do and he does not change by schemes or what other teams do. It's always predicated on what we do and what we do best," Hargrove said.

The excitement that beams from his eyes is as bright and vibrant as his smile when he's asked about the potential of how good the Saints defense can be in 2010. The soft-spoken, hard nosed, aggressive defender is poised to have a breakout season.

"One thing I love about Greg (Williams) is that he is not always trying to scheme guys. It's about us. That's the way we play and that is the way we love to play football. You know it's about us. We make the offense adjust to us not us adjust to them."

With another year like the one he had in 2009, Hargrove will continue to climb the list of top interior defensive linemen in the NFL. His position coach, who knows a thing a two about good defensive linemen, thinks that #69 could make that jump to elite status in 2010.

"He had a great year (2009). He must continue to get better and if he does, then he will have arrived in my mind," said Bill Johnson.

So as this feel-good story continues to develop, the guy who is making all Black and Gold fans feel so good about his role is ironically doing so by making those who line up against him on the field feel so bad!

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Ashley

Good read, keep it up big man