Peyton Hillis

jcolec02

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Nice avatar snow, never thought about Hillis being like the X-Men villian Juggernaut but it definitely fits!
 

white lightning

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My congrats to Mr. Hillis as well. Peyton has had a season to remember. I hope he finishes strong and the Browns can improve going into next season!
 
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There are no white starting cornerbacks in the NFL out of 64 players who start at that position. In fact, there are no white cornerbacks in the entire league. Thereis only onestarting white tailback. Only onewhite running back has been given the opportunity to rush for a1,000 yards in the last quarter of a century. Only about five percent of starting wide receivers and safeties are white!


Fixed!!! Congrats Peyton Hillis
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JReb1

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Hillis's 1,000 yards are even more impressive since he didn't start until
game 3 and was seriously limited by a thigh injury for a few weeks. If
Hillis cant stay healthy for a full 16 or 18 game season and the Browns
surround Peyton with more offensive talent (especially at WR and a OL)
then I think Hillis can become the 1st White RB to surpass 2,000 yards
rushing.

Congratulations on this milestone Peyton, we are all so proud of you!
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foobar75

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Here's a good article from the Plain Dealer, but be sure to read the comments. The fans, almost in unison, have rallied around him, and not blaming him for the loss or anything else. Same with his teammates, so this is good. Most of the fault is being rightfully placed on the coaching staff for the terrible play calling. All Hillis needs to do is have a couple of good games without fumbles to get back on track.

They also make some good points that Hillis should start to take care of the ball better, and also, stop his hurdling move. It's a serious injury waiting to happen, and looks like defenders around the league are taking notice. Like the Bills LB says, they are going to bait him into the hurdle, and it won't be as effective going forward.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2010/12/what_milestone_peyton_hillis_s.html
 

Colonel_Reb

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Peyton Hillis now has 5 100+ yard rushing games on the season. That is more
than any White RB has had since John Riggins (also 5) during the 1984 regular season. </span>


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backrow

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similar article to the one posted before:

Hillis' day: Good, bad and ugly

Filed by Scott Petrak December 13th, 2010 in Browns Notes.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. â€" Peyton Hillis was in no mood to celebrate. He couldn't even muster a smile.

Hillis became just the ninth Brown to rush for 1,000 yards in a season Sunday on the first drive. He finished with 108 yards and a 5.1 average. All impressive statistics.

But the Browns lost 13-6 to the Bills, and Hillis accepted a large share of the blame.

He was stopped twice short of the goal line on the opening possession, lost a fumble in scoring position when he tried to hurdle safety Jairus Byrd and fumbled two more times. He and fullback Lawrence Vickers recovered those, but they affected Hillis and the game plan.

"We lost,"Â Hillis said quietly against a stall in the corner of the locker room. "One thousand yards is 1,000 yards. A ballgame you win, that goes on for days on end and it makes your teammates excited and your coaches happy.

"That's what means more to me than 1,000 yards."Â

He didn't have an explanation for his struggles.

"It was clearly on my shoulders and I messed up and I take full responsibility,"Â he said. "I wasn't like myself today. I let myself down in a lot of ways."Â

Hillis didn't blame the wet ball and near-constant rain. He's fumbled eight times this year in 297 touches, losing five. He had a critical one in the third quarter in an opening loss to Tampa Bay.

"Some things happen,"Â he said. "You run the ball hard and you try to get that extra yard and things just happen, especially in weather games.

"You know you've got to be mentally prepared and knowing that you can't run like you usually do and not expect the ball not to be a factor. That was my mistake and I will get it fixed."Â

Hillis has been the team MVP in his first season with the Browns. He has 11 rushing touchdowns, 13 overall and 1,070 yards rushing. He also has a team-best 57 catches.

So despite an imperfect day, his coach and teammates were quick to ride to the cowboy's defense.

"He shouldn't feel bad at all,"Â Vickers said. "Peyton's a warrior. He's a part of the team.

"So he has no reason to be ashamed. Peyton is good, and I'm behind him 100 percent."Â

"He's a guy who we want to have around here for years to come,"Â receiver Joshua Cribbs said. "We have his back on everything, on how he plays.

"We're just gonna get better as a team. We're gonna block for him better. He told us he's gonna run it better. Everybody's gonna work on trying to do a better job."Â

Coach Eric Mangini despises turnovers, but said he didn't really consider sitting Hillis for a spell. Hillis ran 21 times and caught four passes.

"Peyton's been outstanding the whole year,"Â he said. "I have confidence in him, we all have confidence in him, he has confidence in himself. I feel strongly about him."Â

Mangini didn't blame the hurdle attempt for the lost fumble, which came at the Bills 20-yard line with the Browns up 3-0.

"He's done it a lot successfully,"Â Mangini said. "Whether you hurdle or not, you gotta protect the football."Â

"It's something that they keyed on,"Â Peyton said of the hurdle, one of the reasons fans love him. "It didn't work out. And the ball popped up, no excuses, it's just what happened. It's something I need to take care of."Â

Hillis had 49 yards on his first six carries (8.2 average), then slowed to 59 on his last 15 attempts (3.9). He appeared to be making a more concerted effort to protect the ball â€" despite the two more fumbles â€" which conflicts with his fight-for-every-inch instinct.

"I don't think it drastically affected his style,"Â Mangini said.

Hillis was held to a yard on third-and-goal from the 2 on the first drive, then stoned on third down. Mangini settled for a field goal, and Hillis thinks the lack of a touchdown changed the game.

"The first drive was nice, but at the end of the day we didn't punch it into the end zone and in my head I think that's why we were unsuccessful,"Â he said. "We have a great line and a great fullback and I wasn't there for them today like I should've been."Â

Vickers didn't think the Bills defense did anything to stop Hillis. He said the Browns got away from running it right at Buffalo's last-ranked run defense.

"Different plays,"Â he said of the difference from the first drive. "I'm still in a state of shock. I don't think nobody can stop us."Â

Hillis has five 100-yard rushing games, the most for the Browns since Jamal Lewis' six in 2007. He's the second-fastest Brown to reach 1,000 yards (13 games) since the league went to a 16-game schedule in 1978. Reuben Droughns did it in 12 in 2005.

Hillis is the only player in team history to rush for 1,000 yards, catch 50 passes and score at least 10 touchdowns in a season.

He's the first white running back to hit 1,000 since Craig James in 1985.

But the party's on hold.

"This is a heckuva time for his first year to go over 1,000 yards and not get the victory. That's bad,"Â Vickers said. "That's something he can't celebrate, so he has to wait till next year to celebrate him getting 1,000 yards and winning. The loss takes everything away."Â
 

backrow

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few comments from Browns fans after the game:

kingchainz84 December 12, 2010 at 8:44PM
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I love that we have a back rush for 108 yards on 21 carries I love that is a down day. Way to go Hillis our offensive coordinator seldom puts u in the best position but u do a lot considering while delhomme is on the field teams stack just about every defender in the box. U are a 1000 yard rusher which is good the best part is u still have 3 games left. On top of that their have been a couple games where u have been very limited due to injuries u still may go over 1500 but u woulda crushed 1500 yards if it wasn't for things being the way they are. Lets just pray mangini gets a brain and realises delhomme and daboll are killing our offense.

Jason29 December 12, 2010 at 9:45PM

Hillis don't blame yourself... The game was doomed from the start with that idiot Daboll and has been Delhomme in there. It was obvious from the first drive of all running plays then failing to get a TD that this game wasn't going to end well. I blame all of today's absolutely disgusting performance on Brian Daboll and Jake Delhomme. Daboll needs fired immediately. He doesn't deserve to finish the season. His inept play calling has ruined this entire season. HE is the main reason we loose games. I don't know why people don't see this. Jake? Well he's a has been who's time is up. He should be released before the end of the season with Wallace starting until Colt is healed.

None of this loss I blame on the defense. Only giving up 13 points is acceptable. The offense however going against one of the worst defenses in the NFL only scoring 6 points on two FIELD GOALS is a disgrace.

mellowdawg December 13, 2010 at 1:48AM

Relax Peyton. Everyone (front office included) sees you getting run into the ground as you're forced to carry the weight of the offense. You're not losing any fans.
In fact, since you've attained your personal 1000 yard goal now, why don't you throttle back a bit these last few games. Guard against injury and concentrate on your ball security technique. Save the leaps and bounds for next year.

Jimmy DiDago December 13, 2010 at 1:58AM

From the demeanor Peyton has shown thus far, expect him to work on his ball handling diligently in the off season. He's worked hard, got lucky and suprised many. He'll not let that go without a fight.

maplehill December 13, 2010 at 5:10AM

Whoever decided to kick a field goal from the six inch line needs to be fired.I was with mangini until then;but we need a coach with nads.
 

jaxvid

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Nice to see Hillis at 1000+!!!! It's a big milestone and something we can all enjoy. Maybe we here had some small part in it all, even if it was only just the power of positive thinking. We have all been bragging on this guy from the start and it's really heartening to see a kid that we have supported for so long to get a chance and succeed. It's one of those things that make being a pro-sports fan enjoyable.
 

white lightning

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After his 5th 100 yard game of the year, Hillis moved up to the 9th leading rusher in the NFL. He is only 4 yards away from being in the 8th spot. He has far fewer carries than most of the top ten guys. Let's hope he can continue to move up with 3 weeks left. A top 5 rusher in his first season would be fantastic but with the Browns lacking a qb, I'm not holding my breath. What he has done with defenses stacked to stop him is amazing.
 

Freethinker

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jaxvid said:
Nice to see Hillis at 1000+!!!! It's a big milestone and something we can all enjoy. Maybe we here had some small part in it all, even if it was only just the power of positive thinking. We have all been bragging on this guy from the start and it's really heartening to see a kid that we have supported for so long to get a chance and succeed. It's one of those things that make being a pro-sports fan enjoyable.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
 

Westside

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Good News! Colt McCoy according to ESPN is taking snaps with the 1st team. Finally, a team will have to focus on something other that Peyton stacking the box with 9 players.
 

FootballDad

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Yah, that's a start. Too bad that all McCoy has to work with are the "good hands people" like Brian Robiskie, Mohamed Massaquoi, and Ben Watson.
 

backrow

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an article on Peyton from creveonline.com

Spotlight: Peyton Hillis, 'The Albino Rhino'
The Cleveland rusher sets milestone with 1,000 yard season.
by James LeBeau
Dec 15, 2010
Any discussion of race can be a slippery slope, no matter in what medium or what avenue of life it revolves around but I feel like I would be remiss not to stand up and applaud the efforts of Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis. This past Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, Hillis eclipsed the 1,000 yard rushing mark for the season and, in what I found to be an almost shocking stat, became the first white rusher since Craig James back in 1985 to do so.


Hillis's rise to NFL dominance isn't your typical story. In his college days at Arkansas, Hillis was stuck behind two 1,000 yard rushers in Darren McFadden and Felix Jones and forced into the role as a blocking fullback. When the draft came around in 2008, both those backs in front of him were first round choices while he fell to the Broncos in the seventh round.

He was able to crack the Broncos starting lineup in his rookie season, the last year that Mike Shanahan coached the team, thanks to numerous injuries in the backfield and was immediately productive. Unfortunately, the injury bug struck him as well, as a slight hamstring tear prematurely ended his season. Even with limited duty that year, he finished the season as the Broncos leading rusher with 343 yards and 5 tds and fully expected to be a major part in the Broncos offense in the coming season.

Sometimes, though, things don't go as planned and that was the case for Hillis who became buried yet again on the depth chart under new coach Josh McDaniels. McDaniels brought in a running back via free agency as well as drafting one, thus dooming Hillis's chances to establish himself in the eyes of his new coach.

After a disappointing 2009 season that say him rush for only 53 yards on 13 carries, Hillis was traded in the offseason to the Cleveland Browns for quarterback Brady Quinn. With this trade came a fresh chance to make an immediate impact on a team desperate for any reason to cheer. It also placed him with an organization that believed in his abilities, something that he wasn't receiving in Denver.

'It was the Lord's way of telling me to stay patient and learn how to take adversity and take it well,'' Hillis said of his time with the Broncos. ''It was a rough time for me. But early in the season I prayed for a new beginning and He gave me Cleveland.''

Hillis is a hard downfield runner who also has receivers hands, an all around back, and it didn't take long for him to earn the starting job and the respect of his teammates. Besides becoming the first white running back in 25 years to eclipse 1000 yards, he became only the 8th Browns back to reach this feat and the first since Jamal Lewis did it in 2008.

''[Reaching 1,000 rushing yards] is a huge milestone in the NFL,'' left tackle Joe Thomas said. ''It's the measure that everyone gauges themselves against, that 1,000-yard barrier. To have Peyton there earlier in the season than the last game is great. It's a testament to the way we've been blocking up front but also what Peyton has done.
''He's fought for a lot of extra yards and done a great job setting up our blocks all year. It's a testament to his character, too, because he's a guy who kind of came out of nowhere.''
Despite the strides this country has made over the past 100 years, race is still a focus point for many but that doesn't mean it has to be shone in a negative light. Hillis is an example of a man overcoming stereotypes and is an example of what you can achieve through dedication, belief, and hard work.

And that's an example anyone can get behind.
 

DixieDestroyer

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BR, great article on the Juggernaut Hillis...thanks for posting it sir.
 

Don Wassall

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The author could stand to take a class in rudimentarygrammar and spelling skills, and hesignificantly underestimates Mike Alstott's skill set, but his exasperation has been shared by everyone at Caste Football.

NFL Rage: Why is the Media Still Stuck the Color of a Players Skin?

It's time for some therapy. Every week in the NFL, players, coaches, media, fans, and etc, say or do something that ticks me off. I'm sure that I'm not the only one. So, after all of the games are played from the previous week I give myself and the people that read this article a little therapy. I do this by venting about some of the things people or saying or doing in the ford of NFL football. I just can't give a pass to some of these individuals and somebody has to argue the other side. Let's dive right into some of the topics that people seem to be giving a pass.



Hmmm, it seems as though my suggestion that the New England Patriots football team may be cheating againhas struck a nerve! Oops! Hey, no one ever said that Bill Belichick &amp; Co. were themost honest fellas in the room...


BTW why aren'tTim Tebow &amp; Dan Lefevour starting NOW??


Ignorance isn't bliss, it's ignorance!
In this country, race plays too much a factor on way too many decisions. When I was younger, I played basketball and my favorite player was Magic Johnson. I patterned my game around the way he played. I passed first just like him, I shot like him, everything I did on the court was meant to be the way he did it.


When I got good and people started noticing, they would say that I played like Toni Kukoc. What the &amp;@*$! Kukoc was the best player at that time, so that was my complexion? I had to be him because I was white? I couldn't me Magic Johnson? This was always the most ignorant thing to me and I used to think that it was just because I was in high school in Florence, SC.


As time has gone one, I see that it wasn't where I grew up or my age and it's still that way today. Why is it that the mainstream media and analyst on the NFL pregame shows seem to only be able to compare players to whatever race they are? This weekend I heard one say that Peyton Hillis is the next Mike Alstott. Are you kidding me? Alstott is nothing like Hillis! Alstott was a fullback that would run one direction as hard as possible. Hillis is a true NFL running back. He makes cuts at full speed, he can run over players, and he can catch the ball out of the backfield. Hillis is more like Stephen Davis or Christian Okoye; or Earl Campbell (as long as you understand that he's not that level, but has same type of game.)


Any time a white receiver is drafted into the NFL now, he's labeled as a Wes Welker type of receiver. It doesn't matter their size, their skill set, their speed, or their hands. He's a young, talented, white receiver...must be the next Wes Welker. Julian Edelman = Welker, Eric Decker = Welker, Jordy Nelson = Welker, congrats to the Colts, they have two Wes Welkers, Austin Collie and Blair White.


Are we still that shallow that we can't get pass the color on the skin to be able to evaluate the talent of two like players? I may be the only one that's raging on this this week but I had to let it out. Ignorance isn't bliss, it's ignorance!


Well that's another week of football therapy in the books. I hope I hit on some of the issues that raised your blood pressure. If you have something that bugs you, shoot me an email, if it set me off too we'll talk about it here. After all, this is your therapy as much as mine.See you next week, where I'm sure someone will have done something stupid and I'll beat it into the ground until I feel I've vented for everyone who was upset by it.


Look for NFL Game Day on Sunday mornings, bringing you the match-ups and what to look for in each of that week's games.- Jayson Braddock
Jayson appears on Sports Radio 790 AM in Houston, TX, every Thursday morning at 11:19 am CST as the football insider on the Dylan Gwinn show. He's a graduate of the Sports Management World Wide Football GM &amp; Scouting Course and has been mentored by former NFL player / executive John Wooten and Sporting News.com NFL Draft Expert Russ Lande. His work is mostly appreciated by die-hard fans interested in every little detail about their team and not just watered down mainstream talk. - Listeners NOT in the Houston metropolitan area can hear Jayson on iheart radio or sports7910.com.
Email Jayson at jaysonb.mc3sportsmedia@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at DatDare
http://www.xtrapointfootball.com/20101217871/2010-archives/december/nfl-rage-why-is-the-media-still-stuck-the-color-of-a-players-skin.html



 

snow

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overall good article, but yes the part about Alstott is ridiculous, the only time Alstott ran straight ahead without any moves was in short yardage/goal line situations when the box was stuffed, even then in goal line situations he would cut, twist, turn, even reverse field to make it in, and still run you over even if he was in. Plenty of runs from 20 yard line where he made td runs that showcased ability to make people miss. He didn't get the ball much unless it was closer to the endzone, and if it wasn't then it was usually short yardage. I just don't get why people feel the need to put Alstott down just to prop Hillis up. Yes they are different and I see the point of the ridiculous comparisons, but that doesn't make Alstott any less of a great player, he couldve been a feature back if given the opportunity. He avged 3.9 the year he almost hit 1,000, thats with poor qb play, lots of short yardage and goal line attempts that bring down your ypc, He couldve avg a little over 4 for his career. Hillis is in a similar situation with qb play, and gets carries like this that bring his ypc down, but Alstott didn't get that many carries that would raise your ypc up. Overall I think he couldve avged like 4.1, 4.2 as a feature back.

and being compared to another white player is not always a bad thing, many have incredible power, balance, agility and most are versatile, go watch every single white skill player, most can catch as well as run, and throw with accuracy. Most could probably kick a field goal if you asked them to. Some black backs can't even catch, so then you have a guy that can do one thing, whats the point in having someone so one dimensional. White players being more versatile is another reason why there should be more in the league. But yes, a white receiver who is best suited on the outside shouldn't be compared to Welker, and the comparisons are getting ridiculous, like Edelman being Welker part 2, when I think Edelman is better suited for outside receiver. I guess the problem I have is some people don't like a white player being compared to any older white player, as if that player wouldn't be good enough to play in today's NFL.

but good article overall besides that

Edited by: snow
 

ToughJ.Riggins

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I was so happy to see the quarter century drought on white tailbacks rushing for 1,000 yards end- and wish I could have been here to post last Sunday. What better player to do it than Hillis. Hillis is probably the 4th most talented back in the entire league behind Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson and Jamal Charles! And Hillis is the best power running back!

And just think how this thread started:
backrow: Peyton pulled his hamstring and is out at the moment, if he doesn't get back soon enough he might have problems making the team, with Sapp and now Pittman seemingly locked as fullbacks.

Leonardfan: I have been reading that Hillis has been impressive. I am hoping he has a shot. He is already more versatile than any other FB on the roster. The Broncos might want to give Cutler another receiving option out of the backfield.

And the third post on Don's dream ended up being the situation that came true!
Don Wassall: Mike Shanahan is well-known for playing musical chairs at running back. . . so, I have a dream. I dream that Selvin Young is too small and lacks the durability to be an every down back. I dream that rookie Ryan Torrain is found lacking in running ability and in picking up the offense. I dream that 33 year old Michael Pittman is washed up. I dream that little Andre Hall is never considered as feature back material.

I have a dream. . . that Shanahan is forced to turn to a rookie "fullback," one who is 240 pounds with 4.6 speed and who is an excellent runner, receiver and blocker. I have a dream that this rookie "shocks the world" by excelling in the Broncos one-cut run-blocking scheme and rolls up big yards as the team's starting tailback.

I can dream, can't I?
 

ToughJ.Riggins

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Just to add another thought. I think at least 3 of Hillis' fumbles were almost inevitable for any player. On one the ball hit an elbow when he was running full speed and on another the ball hit a helmet- even though he had the ball tucked firmly away. On one of his fumbles last week I think it was actually a bad call and he was actually down.

Still, 5 fumbles on the season would still put him up among the top 5 RB leaders in the category on the season, so it's something he'll have to work on. I just hope that he doesn't overprotect the ball and have it affect his creativity as a runner and willingness to run tough and bring down his YPC.

Also, I think it's about time Hillis cut down on the hurdling. It worked for a while, but the players are catching on and will now try to bait him into hurdling and it is VERY tough to protect the ball when you jump high and put your upper body in a vulnerable position (on the fall) when hit in the air.

I think it's about time I get 4 RB jersey's for Christmas: Hillis, Woodhead, Toby Gerhart and my "token black player" jersey C.J Spiller lol!
 

backrow

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i would get Hillis' jersey in a heartbeat. my only one to this day is Alstott's original jersey from their Super Bowl winning season.
 

Colonel_Reb

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I won't be buying any jerseys, but I'm thrilled that Peyton Hillis is doing so well. He does need to work on ball security and I think he'd be better off staying on the ground. Peyton is the reason I've watched more NFL football this year than I can remember.
 
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Colonel_Reb said:
I won't be buying any jerseys, but I'm thrilled that Peyton Hillis is doing so well. He does need to work on ball security and I think he'd be better off staying on the ground. Peyton is the reason I've watched more NFL football this year than I can remember.

Col Reb I haven't bought any NFL jerseys from NFL.com but have bought some on deep discount on the clearance rack. I absolutely agree with the ball security, something Gerhart needs to work on too, yet Danny Woodhead seems to have mastery on this issue.

As far as going into the air I'm mixed on that. It's something that puts Hillis in the realm of superstar status. It's something that even makes a ghetto black dude say "Day-ammm!" Lol. I wish he would maybe do it half as often, when he can successfully land on his feet before being hit has I've seen him do a number of times.
 
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I love the hurdles. I know there risky but taking risks is part of life. Like electric slide was saying its like the "WOW" factor. Every time peyton jumps over a guy its punching the caste system in the face
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