The Redskins Blog

Vote Helu-copter As 2011 NFL Play Of Year

Redskins running back Roy Helu has gotten more coverage out of his slash-dash-hurdle-hammer-dash 28-yard touchdown run against Seattle, than any other play this year.

It was named the SportsCenter’s No. 4 Top Play of the Week.  It was named the ESPN No. 4 Top NFL Plays of the 2011 Season.  Redskins cartoonist Ben Ceccarelli even made a sweet comic, coining the term “Helu-copter.”

Now you can (and should) vote for this play as the inaugural “National Football League Honors: 2011 Play of the Year.” That is the premise of this particular blog post.

But as a bonus for your entertainment, it’s time for a fresh perspective on Hurricane Helu, who established his ability to take flight as a Nebraska Cornhusker.  Here’s a recap of His Airness from his time with Big Red:

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As a double bonus, I found the ESPN coverage of Helu’s draft selection from April.  Aside from a dose of nostaligia, pay special attention to Todd McShay’s criticisms of Helu for why he’s not a fit in Washington:

Can he keep good pad level and run through contact?  I don’t think he does that.  And the second thing is, is he tough and can protect in protection.  And I don’t think he’s great in that area.

Judging from Helu’s performance this season, he answered the first question with good durability as the top back.  His pass protection was also something that improved as the season went on, and as the coaching staff pointed out, he wouldn’t take the field if he couldn’t pass protect.

So with that being said, I think Helu showed great performance and improvement from his April draft stock.  But for 10 seconds against Seattle, I think he showed some of the best moves I’ve ever seen.  Don’t forget to vote.