Craig Wolfley: Club Kimo

SteelersLIVE Xtra
Sunday, October 30, 2005

It’s not a place, destination or an ultra-chic night club that’s opened. It happens to be the favorite pass rushing technique of a man that Bill Cowher described in his Tuesday press conference as “playing at a Pro Bowl level.

"He is having a heck of a year.”

The man Bill Cowher was referring to was Steelers defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen. He is having one heck of a year, and the circumstances under which he performed on Sunday are worthy of a closer look.

The club technique is used on pass rushes where you sell a move up-field to your opponent, then club back to the inside swinging your forearm like a Barry Bonds homerun swing. Usually Kimo connects and like McCovey Cove where many of Bonds’ HRs have landed, many Kimo opponents have splashed down on the seat of their pants.

Kimo hurt his shoulder when a Bengal O lineman drilled him in the back of the shoulder while throwing the club in the first series or two of the game. The arm dangled lifelessly by his body as he trotted off the field, his face contorted with pain. Docs gave him the once-over with what I call the circuitry test. This consists of a series of pushes and pulls testing the muscular strength of the arm. Back in, Kimo whacks a few opponents, knocks down a couple of others, then zappo! Out he comes again. Same pit stop action with the Docs, back in, make some plays, and off to see the Docs. This happened again, and again, all through the first half.

Kimo comes out in the second half sporting a new look, a harness on his shoulder and arm to keep it from being able to stretch behind his chest. When his shoulder and arm start searing with pain from another hit, instead of coming out, he gets teammate Joey Porter to pull on his wrist in the huddle in between plays to stretch out the nerves in his shoulder and douse the flambé action going on in his shoulder. Or Aaron Smith. Whoever and whatever it took to clock-out with the rest of the boys at the end of the game.

Kimo finished with a sack and a deflected pass that boomeranged to Aaron Smith. That kicked off the stampede of Steeler scoring three plays later as Willie and his jets cashed in from 37, crushing Cincinnati’s hope of a win.

Just thinking out loud here, but that was one of the greatest tough guy performances I’ve ever witnessed in my life. I’ve been fortunate to play alongside the likes of guys such as Jon Kolb, Joe Green, Mike Webster and Larry Brown, to name just a few. Guys that really put the “tuff” in toughness.

Understandably so, due to free agency and wanting to protect their investment in themselves, many players will take a seat rather than chance further injury to themselves by playing through the pain. Kimo played that game hacking, whacking, and sacking all the while doing a great imitation of a one-armed bandit. Tip of the cap to you Kimo, from the brotherhood of old retired guys.

Old School lives.

Craig is co-host of "In The Locker Room with Tunch and Wolf" which can be heard weekdays from 7-10 a.m. on Fox Sports Radio 970. Wolf is also the sideline reporter for the Steelers Radio Network and played for the Steelers from 1980-89.