Let the Madness Begin...

Making it to the Big Dance involves more than just a talented squad. Don't believe us, ask Syracuse...Punching your ticket to the tourney happens one of two ways, you either play your H.E.A.R.T out all season long, presenting the committee with a resume of hard fought wins; or you win your conference tournament and get an automatic spot.

Either way, the Dance is filled with teams of players who leave everything out on the court. They have to to prepare them for this moment. One loss and you're done. Finished. Finito. It takes a boatload of H.E.A.R.T to walk onto a court and know, not think, but know, that if you lose that's it. There is no running it back. No do overs. No nothing. That's it.

As difficult as it is to get into the tournament, there are two games that allow a few extra teams into the mix. Knowing how hard it is to make it and the chances of them moving on aren't that great, these teams still show up and ball out because they know it's about Having Enough Attitude Resilience and Toughness. And when you play with H.E.A.R.T, nothing else matters. Not how big, fast, smart, game ready etc. The  only thing that matters is the name on the front of your jersey and what's inside your chest.

Don't forget to watch the play-in games March 14th.

Mount Saint Mary's vs. New Orleans

Kansas State vs Wake Forest

#PlayWithHEART

New H.E.A.R.T Helmet Hoody Logo Design

We at H.E.A.R.T Athletics LLC have created a new logo that will be incorporated into all of our Helmet Hoodies. The concept is simple. We have outlined it above, in 4 simple steps. The 3H's will start in production on 17JAN01. We will continue to use our original logo.


Don't forget to checkout our new website at www.hearthelmethoody.com.


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#PlayWithHEART

Chris Polk

Chris Polk

      Like any other football junkie, I was enthralled with the NFL Draft.  Well, the Draft has come and gone and like every year, there are guys who were taken too high, too low, or didn't get selected at all.  A lot of people think that not being selected is a testament to how good they (the player in question) "thought" they were.  Others think it's an oversight on scouting.  I tend to think that most scouts, GM's, coaches and owners fall in love with "numbers" and not the PLAYER who's putting up those numbers.

     While yes, it is true that some guys put up gawdy numbers because of the system they played in and it's easy to fall in love with stats...Sometimes you have to actually LOOK at the stats and see HOW they were put up!  I was told in my college Stats class that there are 3 kind of lies...lies, damn lies and STATS.  Statistics tell part but not the entire story.  Behind every statistical gain, there is a player behind them.  Whether these stats are system generated, roster induced (lack of quality players behind the starter) or basic workings of the team (i.e. Nebraska under Tom Osborne), there is a player that has worked their tail off to achieve them (college football is really hard...)

     This brings me to Chris Polk.  I've watched this young man ball his H.E.A.R.T out for the University of Washington over the past 4 years (he Redshirted his Frosh year because of injury).  He carried the team in 2009 when Jake Locker was getting all the love in the Great NW.  Everybody knows that every great Quarterback NEEDS a running game.  Without a running game, the defense just "sits back" and waits on every pass.  Needless to say, when Jake was struggling in 2010, it was Polk who picked up the pieces and gained over 1,400 yards rushing on 260 carries (yeah, you read that right...260).

     In his final year at the University of Washington, the school once again leaned heavily on Chris until first year starter Keith Price got his feet wet.  If you don't believe me about Polk's contribution to the Program, check out his bio for yourself...-----> Chris Polk stats. 

     All of this, his leadership, playing through pain, getting very little recognition lead him to what...?  Not getting drafted?  Are you kidding me?  This guy played his ass off for 3 years!  But you know what?  That doesn't matter to Chris.  Chris now has an opportunity to play for the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL and it's not his "Stats"that got him there...it was his H.E.A.R.T. 

     So the next time you think that stats prove a player belongs, or how many accolades he/she has gained or how many Twitter followers they (you) have.  You need to look into their eyes and analyze what's beating in the chest.  Because there is nothing worse than competing against someone who still thinks they have something to prove and has one big ass chip on their shoulder...