The NFL is desperately trying to rid the game of these kinds of brutal hits, but apparently they're still alive and well in the Canadian Football League.
On Saturday, Saskatchewan Roughrider Diamond Ferri, who stands just 5-foot-11 and weighs 200 pounds, picked off Edmonton QB Mike Reilly. After Diamond makes a few defenders miss, 6-foot-11 offensive lineman Matt O'Donnell obliterates Ferri on the sideline.
Ferri left the game and afterward was
described as being "very loopy."
College football fans might recognize Ferri from his days at Syracuse where he played running back for his first two seasons, but the Orange turned him into a defensive back for his final two seasons. He's best known for the "Diamond Ferri" game where he prevented Boston College from winning an outright Big East title in 2004.
Due to injuries to multiple running backs in the final game of his college career, Ferri played nearly every down on both sides of the football. He rushed for 141 yards, scored two offensive touchdowns, and returned an interception for as score in Syracuse's 43-17 victory.
Ferri signed with the
Giants out of school, but never played a down for New York. He would later play three games for the
Cardinals before playing overseas in NFL Europa and in Canada.
Because of O'Donnell's size, the Boston Celtics worked him out in June of 2011 despite the fact he hadn't played organized basketball since high school. Later that summer, the Bengals signed O'Donnell to their practice squad.
