Panthers silence Bucs, keep pace with Falcons
By JOHN VOGL News Sports Reporter
11/7/2005

It was a statement game between the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. All the talk came from the Carolina side of the field. --football gambling--

The first-place showdown between the NFC South combatants was no contest Sunday, with the Panthers silencing the Bucs and their Raymond James Stadium patrons, 34-14. Carolina remained in a tie with Atlanta atop the division at 6-2, while the Bucs fell a game back at 5-3.
"What's disappointing for us is we had an opportunity to make a statement and we didn't do it," said Bucs defensive tackle Anthony McFarland. --football gambling--

The start of the season is a distant memory for the Panthers and Bucs. Carolina won for the fifth straight time, diminishing a 1-2 start. Tampa started 4-0 but has lost three of four. --football gambling--The Falcons kept pace by putting their game in Michael Vick's pocket and leaving Miami with a 17-10 victory. San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson continued to run away with the Most Valuable Player race. He scored on three runs and one reception in a 31-26 victory over the New York Jets, becoming the first Charger to have four TDs in a game since Chuck Muncie against Denver on Nov. 29, 1981.--football gambling--

Top dog
Panthers 34, Buccaneers 14Closing line: Panthers (-11/2). --football gambling--
The scoop: Carolina scored the first three touchdowns of the second half, widening its 17-7 halftime lead. . . . The Panthers held the Bucs to 44 yards rushing, forcing Chris Simms to throw 42 passes in his second start for Brian Griese. Simms was picked off twice and sacked five times.
Play of the Game: Simms attempted a sideline throw to Michael Clayton, but Chris Gamble stepped in front of it and returned it 61 yards to make the score 24-7 in the opening minutes of the second half. --football gambling--

Quote: "The thing they have that we don't have is a championship, and that's what we're trying to get," said Panthers receiver Steve Smith. Next: The Panthers host the Jets. Tampa welcomes Washington.--football gambling--

Best of the rest --football gambling--

Chargers 31, Jets 26Closing line: Chargers (-61/2). --football gambling--
The scoop: Tomlinson almost had to take a back seat to, of all people, Brooks Bollinger. Chargers quarterback Drew Brees fumbled with 3:06 to play, and the host Jets had just 30 yards to go for the go-ahead touchdown. But a fourth-and-goal pass from the 3 by Bollinger, who replaced Vinny Testaverde (strained calf) in the third quarter, was swatted away by Quentin Jammer with 53 seconds left. . . . The Jets' Curtis Martin became the 16th player in history with 100 touchdowns, scoring on a 1-yard run on the first play of the second quarter. --football gambling--
Play of the Game: Ty Law had a chance to stop Tomlinson's 25-yard TD reception, but L.T. made a juke move that Law couldn't even react to, and Tomlinson burst by the frozen corner.
Next: The Chargers (5-4) take the week off. New York (2-6) goes to Carolina.Falcons 17, Dolphins 10Closing line: Falcons (-21/2). --football gambling--

The scoop: The Falcons used Miami as a test subject. They kept Vick in the pocket, and he went 22 of 31 for a season-high 228 yards. . . . Atlanta went 11 for 17 on third downs and held the Dolphins to an 0-for-9 showing. . . . Miami gained just 208 yards. --football gambling--

Play of the Game/Buffalo buzz: Former Bills cornerback Keion Carpenter dived to intercept Gus Frerotte's pass on third-and-2 from the Atlanta 8, thwarting Miami's comeback with 2:41 to play. Quote: "People say I can't throw the ball from the pocket. I had to show them," Vick said. "From here on out, I don't want to hear that question." --football gambling--

Next: The Dolphins, tied for second with the Bills in the AFC East at 3-5, have division-leading New England in town. Atlanta hosts Green Bay.Redskins 17, Eagles 10Closing line: Redskins (-3). The scoop: Washington running back Clinton Portis closed the scoring with a 6-yard run late in the third quarter. . . . Pro Bowler Brian Westbrook, who signed a five-year contract extension reportedly worth $25 million, had 24 yards on 17 carries for the visiting Eagles. . . . Receiver Terrell Owens, suspended without pay Saturday, was involved in a locker room fight with Eagles "ambassador" and former teammate Hugh Douglas on Wednesday. --football gambling--

Play of the Game: On fourth-and-4 from the Washington 7 with 1:25 to go, a hurried Donovan McNabb threw an interception to safety Ryan Clark. Next: The last-place Eagles (4-4) host bye-rested Dallas (5-3) next Monday night. Washington (5-3) goes to Tampa.Browns 20, Titans 14Closing line: Browns (-3). --football gambling--

The scoop: The only thing Reuben Droughns took in Sunday was the applause from the Cleveland crowd after snapping the Browns' three-game losing streak. The running back, arrested on a charge of drunken driving Tuesday, had 116 yards rushing and 73 receiving. . . . Tennessee had a chance to win after Cleveland kicker Phil Dawson missed a 39-yard field goal with 39 seconds left. Steve McNair drove to the Browns' 28 with two seconds left, but his desperation pass to the end zone was picked off. . . . The victory came on the 10-year --football gambling--anniversary of owner Art Modell announcing he was moving the Browns to Baltimore. --football gambling--

Play of the Game: Droughns caught a short screen pass over the middle and weaved 51 yards to set up Jason Wright's 6-yard TD run in the third quarter - Cleveland's first rushing touchdown since Nov. 28 of last season. --football gambling--

Next: The Browns (3-5) travel to archrival Pittsburgh for a Sunday night game. The Titans (2-7) have a bye.Steelers 20, Packers 10Closing line: Steelers (-4). --football gambling--

The scoop: The Steelers became the fourth team in history to win 11 straight road games, earning the edge in the defensive battle. The Packers had only 65 rushing yards. The Steelers, with Charlie Batch playing for injured Ben Roethlisberger, had only 59 passing yards.
Play of the Game: Bryant McFadden's cornerback blitz forced quarterback Brett Favre to fumble, and safety Troy Polamalu scooped up the ball for a 77-yard return to give the Steelers a 13-3 lead early in the second quarter. --football gambling--

Buffalo buzz: ReShard Lee, cut by the Bills in training camp, started at running back for Green Bay, fumbled on his second carry and didn't touch the ball again except on kickoff returns.
Next: The Steelers (6-2) will try to tie Cincy for the AFC North lead when they host Cleveland. Green Bay (1-7) goes to Atlanta.Bears 20, Saints 17Closing line: Bears (-3). --football gambling--
The scoop: The few Saints fans who did show up in Baton Rouge, La. - and that group didn't include owner Tom Benson - saw Robbie Gould kick the game-winning field goal with six seconds to play. . . . Running back Thomas Jones injured his ribs in the first half, but Bears backups Cedric Benson (79) and Adrian Peterson (58) combined for 137 yards and a TD. . . . Only 32,637 showed up in LSU's 93,000-seat Tiger Stadium, which Benson said he would not return to because he feared for his safety. --football gambling--

Play of the Game: Gould's 28-yarder completed a 10-play drive over the final four minutes.
Quote: "The owner has to make some decisions on this football team, and where this football team needs to be," Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks said, referring to Benson's reported desire to leave New Orleans. --football gambling--

Buffalo buzz: The Saints' Antowain Smith rushed for a game-high 110 yards on 17 carries.
Next: The Bears (5-3) host San Francisco. The Saints (2-7) are off.Jaguars 21, Texans 14Closing line: Jaguars (-131/2). --football gambling--

The scoop: It took perfection for the Jaguars to come back against Houston. Byron Leftwich treated the home crowd to an 11-for-11, 162-yard performance in the second half, creating a pair of touchdowns in the final quarter to erase a 14-7 deficit. . . . Jacksonville tied the NFL record for consecutive games played without scoring 30 points, matching Cleveland's mark of 58 games set between 1995 and 2002. --football gambling--

Play of the Game: Greg Jones, who replaced injured starter Fred Taylor (ankle), scored the winning TD on a 12-yard run with 2:53 to play. Next: Jacksonville (5-3) hosts Baltimore. The Texans (1-7) go to Indianapolis.--football gambling--

One-sided wins
Seahawks 33, Cardinals 19Closing line: Seahawks (-4). --football gambling--
The scoop: While he trails Tominlinson in the best player category, Shaun Alexander picked up votes as best rusher, getting 173 yards on 23 carries with two scores. He has an NFL-best 949 yards on the ground this season. . . . Kurt Warner replaced Josh McCown as Arizona quarterback and was booed by the home crowd. He threw for 334 yards and a touchdown, but he also had three interceptions and was sacked four times. --football gambling--

Play of the Game: Alexander, who went to the locker room late in the second quarter with a stomach ache, opened the third quarter with a franchise record-tying 88-yard touchdown run.
Next: Seattle (6-2) has bye-rested St. Louis (4-4) in town. The Cards (2-6) welcome Detroit (3-5).Vikings 27, Lions 14Closing line: Vikings (-1). --football gambling--

The scoop: Minnesota dropped Detroit for the eighth straight time and moved into a tie with the Lions for second place in the NFC North at 3-5. . . . With Daunte Culpepper out for the season, the Vikings turned to quarterback Brad Johnson, who made his first start since Week Four of last season with Tampa Bay. He tossed two touchdown passes in front of the home crowd. . . . The Lions gave Joey Harrington the start in place of ailing Jeff Garcia, and he was sacked four times and threw two interceptions. --football gambling--

Play of the Game: Rookie Ciatrick Fason made the score 17-0 with a 3-yard touchdown run, the first of his career. Buffalo buzz: Former Bills cornerback Antoine Winfield had a second-quarter interception, and the Vikings converted it into a touchdown and 24-0 lead. --football gambling--
Next: The Vikings travel to face the New York Giants. The Lions are home against

Arizona.Giants 24, 49ers 6Closing line: Giants (-11). --football gambling--
The scoop: Brandon Jacobs put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter, rushing for two 1-yard TDs. . . . Eli Manning earned his first win outside Giants Stadium, improving to 1-5. . . . The 49ers extended their streak without a TD at home to 13 quarters. --football gambling--
Play of the Game: Tight end Jeremy Shockey made the score 10-0 just 13 seconds before halftime, stretching to catch a 32-yard pass from Manning. --football gambling--

Next: The NFC East-leading Giants (6-2) host Minnesota. The 49ers (2-6) go to Chicago.
Dog game of the day --football gambling--
Bengals 21, Ravens 9Closing line: Bengals (-3). --football gambling--
The scoop: Cincinnati kept Baltimore out of the end zone, forcing just three field goals by Matt Stover. . . . Ravens running back Jamal Lewis was held to 49 yards on 15 carries, the first time in eight games against Cincinnati he failed to run for at least 100 yards. --football gambling--
Play of the Game: Carson Palmer sealed it with 6:05 to go, capping a 91-yard drive with a 3-yard pass to Chris Henry. --football gambling--
Next: The Bengals (7-2) have a bye. The Ravens (2-6) go to Jacksonville.News wire services contributed to this report.--football gambling--

Barber Runs Into Running Back Mix

Erin Bolen - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
October 30, 2005 6:43 PM

IRVING, Texas - The Cowboys will face the best kind of dilemma at running back when Julius Jones is ready to play again. -NFL Football-

Jones, who has missed the past three games with a high left ankle sprain, came into the season as the Cowboys' starter after exploding onto the NFL stage with 819 yards in eight games last season. -NFL Football-

And in Sunday's 34-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals, rookie back Marion Barber had a coming out party of his own, racking up 127 yards on 27 carries and scoring his first two NFL touchdowns. -NFL Football-

"I thought he played well," Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells said of Barber's performance. "He came in and did a good job . . . His father was a player, and I think he came in knowing a lot of things, but it is still a big adjustment." -NFL Football-

Even with his pedigree, Barber struggled through training camp, due in part to a foot injury that turned into an infection requiring surgery. That surgery put Barber behind the curve in terms of learning the Cowboys' offense, and he was scratched for three games early in the season. -NFL Football-

When Jones first went down with his ankle injury in a Week 5 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, Barber wasn't the first choice to fill in for him. Fellow rookie Tyson Thompson had 20 carries for 75 yards in the second half of the game against the Eagles, while veteran Anthony Thomas got the majority of the carries in the following week's win over the New York Giants. -NFL Football-

But Barber was the featured back in last week's loss to Seattle, carrying the ball 22 times for 95 yards. And on Sunday against the Cardinals, he became the first Cowboys back to rush for 100 yards since Jones gained 149 yards in a season-ending loss to the Giants in 2004. -NFL Football-

"He's been through a lot with training camp and injuries," Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe said. "But Bill and the staff were patient and now he's really stepped up. He can run but also does a great job in pass protection, which is impressive for a young running back." -NFL Football-

Thompson spelled Barber for brief periods Sunday, but Parcells said Thompson once again had some mental errors, which made him reluctant to leave him in the game. The errors limited Thompson to four carries for 19 yards. -NFL Football-

Barber wouldn't comment on what he thought would happen when Jones returns, saying the coach would decide who plays. -NFL Football-

But his performance the past two weeks may have at least earned him the right to spell Jones for extended periods of time, if not more. -NFL Football-

NFL NOTEBOOK

Mara, 89, helped shape NFL

HE WAS `MORAL CONSCIENCE' OF LEAGUE

Mercury News Wire Services

Wellington Mara, the face of the New York Giants' franchise for more than a half century and the patriarch of the NFL, died Tuesday. He was 89. -NFL Football-

Mara, who joined the Giants as a ballboy the day his father purchased the team 80 years ago and became co-owner as a teenager, died of cancer at his home in Rye, N.Y., the team said. -NFL Football-

The last of the NFL's founding generation, Mara was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997. -NFL Football-

``He shaped nearly every rule and philosophy we have in our league today,'' said Ernie Accorsi, the Giants' general manager. ``Most of all, he was the moral conscience of the National Football League.'' -NFL Football-

Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said: ``Wellington Mara represented the heart and soul of the National Football League. He was a man of deep conviction who stood as a beacon of integrity.'' -NFL Football-

One of Mara's greatest contributions came in the early 1960s when he and brother Jack agreed to share television revenue on a league-wide basis soon after Pete Rozelle became commissioner. That deal allowed the NFL to thrive. -NFL Football-

``Wellington Mara was a true pioneer who understood what it took to make the National Football League great,'' said Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Association. ``History will show that his vision, integrity and willingness to share with small-market clubs paved the way for economic success.'' -NFL Football-

Mara became a Giants ballboy at 9 on Oct. 18, 1925, after his father, Timothy J. Mara, bought the team. He stayed fully involved in New York's operation for almost 80 years. -NFL Football-

In 1930, when Mara was 14, his father made him co-owner with older brother Jack. -NFL Football-

Mara ran the club until several years ago, when his son John took over day-to-day operations. -NFL Football-

Mara is survived by wife Ann, 11 children and 40 grandchildren. -NFL Football-

• The 49ers re-signed cornerback Willie Middlebrooks and sent center Norm Katnik to the practice squad. -NFL Football-

Middlebrooks was acquired from the Denver Broncos before the season in a trade for defensive end John Engelberger. He was among the 49ers' final cuts but was re-signed Sept. 28. -NFL Football-

Middlebrooks hurt his groin and was released before Sunday's game against Washington so Katnik could be elevated from the practice squad to be a backup lineman. -NFL Football-

• With Pro Bowl kicker David Akers still recovering from a hamstring injury, the Philadelphia Eagles claimed Jose Cortez off waivers from Dallas. They released Todd France, who had been doing the kicking for them. -NFL Football-

Cortez was waived by the Dallas Cowboys on Monday after missing a 29-yard field-goal attempt in a 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. -NFL Football-

• The Arizona Cardinals re-signed wide receiver-kick returner J.J. Moses. The move came one day after the surprise release of wide receiver Charles Lee, who was the team's No. 4 receiver with 11 catches for 152 yards. -NFL Football-

Copyright 2005 Knight Ridder. All Rights Reserved Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the express written consent of Knight Ridder is expressly prohibited.

Vikings hire retired FBI agent as security director
October 17, 2005

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) -- The Minnesota Vikings hired a former FBI agent as their new security director after NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue told the team to tighten its discipline following accounts of a wild boat party attended by some players.

Retired agent Dag Sohlberg has been the team's liaison with NFL security for five years but was not a full-time employee.

Vikings owner Zygi Wilf had asked to see Tagliabue, and they met Sunday at a private airfield near Chicago before the team's 28-3 road loss to the Bears. Tagliabue flew back to New York after the meeting.

``The commissioner emphasized to me that I inherited an organization that was inadequately structured and staffed,'' Wilf said, ``and that we must correct that to ensure the highest standards of team operations, including discipline, accountability, strong oversight and internal communications.''

The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office is investigating accusations of player drunkenness and sexual misconduct on a charter cruise on Lake Minnetonka on Oct. 6.

The security director probably will be the first of several additions to the front office. Wilf said he also is looking for a ``senior executive with deep NFL and outside experience.''

Wilf said the commissioner's trip to Chicago for the meeting underlined the NFL's concern about this matter, and ``how important it is that this organization be directed in the proper manner for the future, and I really appreciated his advice.''

Focus on Football: Rodgers preparing for his moment
By Pete Jackel

Taking yet another phone call from NFL scouts who can never know too much, Ron Souza patiently answered questions from someone representing the Atlanta Falcons last spring.

As offensive coordinator for Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, Calif., Souza had worked closely with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, projected by many to be the first overall selection in last April's NFL draft. - NFL Football -

What perplexed this personnel man was how the potential first pick in the draft just seemed to emerge out of nowhere. How could he have not been recruited out of high school? What was a bright kid like this doing at a junior college his first year out of Pleasant Valley.

It must have been drugs, right? And or alcohol? "I told the guy, `No, he doesn't drink. He's very religious. He might have one beer, but he's a very, very religious kid,' " Souza said. "He said, `We do research and most kids with the ability Aaron Rodgers has are identified by the time they're 16 or 17. And for this guy to pop out of nowhere, there's got to be some baggage. What is it?' "I talked to him until I was blue in the face. I said, `No, we're not hiding anything. He is what he is.' " And Aaron Rodgers is shaping up to be someone extraordinary. - NFL Football -

An impending transition We're seeing it happening right before our very eyes this fall, another once-in-a-lifetime talent losing out to the undefeated reality known as time.

When did the enthusiastic kid who came out of nowhere to heave that clutch touchdown pass to Kittrick Taylor seemingly yesterday take on that grayish tint in his hair? When did he become that lumbering old man, physically reduced by both so many thousands of vicious hits and the silent ravages of age? Is that really the same the same Brett Favre back there, heaving desperation passes for an 0-4 team behind a substandard offensive line? Oh, he can still break receivers' fingers with that bazooka arm of his, but the all-too-brief intersection of peak mental and physical prowess for any elite athlete is slipping away for him.

The Favre of 2005 is the Mickey Mantle of 1967, the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of 1986 and the Michael Jordan of 2002. There's obviously still something there, but we're seeing it more in sporadic spurts rather than reliable gushes these days. - NFL Football -

More and more, his aging body is not able to cash the checks that his mind writes.

Time is running short for the last man who will ever wear No. 4 for the Green Bay Packers.

Dressing inconspicuously 10 or so feet to the left of Favre's empty locker - the main entrance into the Packers' dressing room separates their two lockers - is Aaron Rodgers. Projecting an aura of studious, businessness-like efficiency, a kid who was 8 years old when Favre took his first snap for the Packers, realizes the awesome weight that has been placed on his shoulders.

He is the chosen one.

For better or worse, he gets to be what Jay Leno was to Johnny Carson. What Don Horn was to Bart Starr. What Dan Rather was to Walter Cronkite.

It's a unique opportunity that only a select few can handle. Some take the ball and run with it. Others stumble and skin their knees, the weight of the legend they're trying to replace keeping them on the ground. - NFL Football -

So just what is it like to be all of 21 years old and be burdened - there's no other word for it than that - with the responsibility of replacing one of the most popular athletes ever to play professional sports? Just how much pressure do you feel, Aaron Charles Rodgers, better known to friends as "A-Rod?" "No much right now,'' said Rodgers, his eyes aimed mostly away from his interviewer as he speaks. "I know my role on this team and it's to be the backup and study and learn from Brett and try to get better each day in practice. Obviously, when my time does come, be it next year or two or three years down the road, I'm going to be expected to play well.

"But the expectations people put on me are not going to be able to exceed the ones I put on myself. I'm a perfectionist and I expect to play well.'' It sounds good, to be sure. Still, talk is cheap. When the time comes when Favre finally doesn't get back on his feet after another hit or when his internal clock strikes midnight, just who will be that kid snapping on his chin strap as he trots onto the field? Let's face it. During the last half century, the Packers have rolled snake eyes with a franchise quarterback exactly twice and both Starr and Favre could be regarded as fluky strokes of luck. - NFL Football -

The other men who dared to try to become franchise quarterbacks for this team didn't for any number of reasons.

Don Horn, personally chosen as Starr's successor by Vince Lombardi, was betrayed early by creaky knees, followed by a clash with the Packers' hierarchy.

Lynn Dickey, personally chosen by Starr to lead the Packers back to prominence under his watch, saw a few years of excellence, but was constantly victimized by lead feet and a propensity for interceptions. - NFL Football -

And Rich Campbell, Starr's second attempt to find the right man, was a disaster from the onset. A story still circulates that the first time Packers coaches saw him throw wobbly passes at a mini camp after he was made the sixth overall pick in the 1981 draft, they looked at each other with shock and distress. - NFL Football -

And now comes Rodgers, ironically from the same University of California-Berkley program where Campbell played.

Will he develop into a reasonable facsimile of Starr or Favre? Or will he get the people who drafted him fired? An impending moment Let's guess that Favre, shell-shocked from something like a 5-11 record and a few too many hard hits, decides to call it quits after this season. And let's guess that Rodgers is anointed his replacement for the 2006 season and spends the entire offseason cramming for the biggest test of his life.

Exactly who will be wearing the No. 12 jersey that Dickey once wore? What will his thought processes be? With how much passion will his heart beat? Exactly what will he be able to make happen during the precious few seconds every quarterback has before 300-pound linemen are bearing down on him? Ask those who have known Rodgers and it's almost impossible to believe that the Packers' future won't be in such able hands.

No, he almost certainly won't be another Favre, understand. But as far as replacements go, what's wrong with being what Carl Yastrzemski was to Ted Williams? "He just has the intangibles, which you really can't describe,'' Souza said. "He has a feel for the game, but he has a burning desire to be successful and a complete knowledge and understanding of why something athletically works and doesn't work.

"At the same time, he can motivate people around him. He has that aura and when he steps into a huddle, he just has the command and the respect and he just makes everyone better around him. - NFL Football - - NFL Football -

"He's not a rah-rah, loud type of guy. He's kind of a quiet leader. He can be. Don't get me wrong. He can wear many hats - whatever it takes to motivate people around him.'' Work your way behind Rodgers' natural defenses - a 21-year-old kid in the position he's in certainly is going to watch what he says when so many reporters are sticking microphones in his face - and you'll find such an enticing blend of motivations.

It starts with his father, Dr. Edward Rodgers, a chiropractor in Chico, Calif., who learned so much wisdom at an early age and passed it on to Aaron, the middle of his three sons.

From 1973-76, Edward Rodgers was a gifted, yet less-than-passionate offensive lineman for Chico State. Always vulnerable to the party life that is so available to kids in his position, Edwards Rodgers never passed up a night of drinking. Marijuana used to be appealing to him on occasion in those days, as well.

One day, at the end of his career, Chico State assistant coach Pete Reihlman pulled Rodgers aside and told him something he remembers to this day. Something that haunts him.

"He told me I could have been the best offensive lineman in Chico history if I would have worked at it and I just didn't work at it in the offseason,'' Rodgers said.

As time passed, Edward Rodgers married Darla, and became the father of sons Luke, Aaron and Jordan. Stung by the realization that he had wasted so much at an earlier age, Edward Rodgers regularly made time for his sons, counseling them to make the most out of what they had.

He threw footballs to them in the backyard as the Rodgers family relocated from Chico to Ukiah, Calif., to Beaverton, Ore., and then back to Chico. He talked to them. He warned them.

And as he spoke, Aaron Rodgers listened.

"I had a great upbringing with two awesome parents,'' Aaron Rodgers said. "I was raised in the church and understood right from wrong right away. I think just watching my friends and seeing the stuff they were dealing with and the problems they got into made me not want to do it.

"Growing up, my dad told us that drinking in college kind of prevented him from becoming the player he wanted to be. That kind of scared me into not doing any of that stuff.'' And then there was the environment in which Aaron and his two brothers were raised. The house was clean. Food was always on the table. And there was always love. But as Edward Rodgers struggled to make ends meet before finally becoming a chiropractor, there was never anything much.

From that environment, Aaron Rodgers developed a strong work ethic.

"I think my greatest motivation is making my parents proud and seeing the sacrifices they made,'' Aaron Rodgers said. "We grew up without a lot of money and dad moving from job to job and doing different things and going shopping maybe once a year for clothes and wearing the same pair of shoes for basketball that I wore for school. - NFL Football -

"Growing up and not having a lot I think taught me a lot about life. And I saw how hard my dad worked. Now he's doing real well and that just showed me that hard work pays off.'' The whole package So far, this Rodgers' kid is shaping up pretty well, wouldn't you say? Still, there's so much more.

So bright is Rodgers that he had a 4.0 grade-point average at Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, Calif., scored a 1400 on his SAT and academically advanced out of Butte Junior College in California after just one year.

"He knew the offense probably better than I did and I was the one calling the plays,'' Butte coach Craig Rigsbee said. "I guarantee you he knows that Packers' offense inside and out and this is his first year there. And he's not getting any reps because the first guy takes them all and he understands that.

"But he knows that offense pretty good and if he got into a regular-season game, I think he would be well-prepared.'' Just as Rodgers was as Pleasant Valley's quarterback as a junior and senior in 2000 and '01.

"We have an offense that's pretty complicated,'' Souza said. "It's a college offense with the ability to audible. He could check at the line of scrimmage and call a play audible. A lot of times he would just put a hand up to me, like, `I got it.' "He'd literally run a series of plays down the field. When he was a JV player, we were playing Grant High School. Now Grant is where Onterrio Smith and Dante Stallworth played. Year in and year out, it's the top school athletically in Sacramento.

Facing an undefeated team as a JV, he single-handedly beat Grant just by audibiling down the field. That's the first thing that jumps out at you about him - his very analytical mind. He could see what people could and couldn't do and create his own match.

Arm strength? Surely he isn't on a Favre level here, but who is? At the same time, there is a more than adequate arm with which to follow through on what Rodgers sees on the field.

"He's got a great release and a great arm,'' Rigsbee said. "He gets rid of the ball fast. I laughed at some of the reports I read, that his arm was only average. His arm is not average. He's got a great arm.'' More than anything, Rodgers has an attitude. An angry attitude that nevertheless shapes up as a positive attitude. After slipping all the way from the first pick in the draft to the Packers' 24th selection, Rodgers has plenty to prove.

Through in that attitude with everything else and there doesn't seem to be anyway he won't be a worthy successor to Favre.

"I've kind of been the underdog story my entire career, passed over out of high school, passed over at junior college, didn't start my first four games at Cal and that stuff just makes me work that much harder,'' he said.

"And then going No. 24 in the draft when I think I'm a top-five value pick just makes me have that much bigger of a chip on my shoulder and that much more to prove.'' The time is rapidly approaching when Rodgers will have so much to prove.

The Aaron Rodgers file NAME: Aaron Charles Rodgers.

BORN: Dec. 2, 1983 in Chico, Calif.

HEIGHT, WEIGHT: 6-foot-2, 223 pounds.

HIGH SCHOOL: Pleasant Valley in Chico, Calif.

COLLEGE: After playing for Butte Junior College near Chico, Calif., in 2002, Rodgers signed with the University of California-Berkley. During the 2003 and '04 seasons, he completed 424 of 665 passes (63.8 percent) for 5,469 yards with 43 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. At Butte, he passed for 2,408 yards, with 28 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
- NFL Football -
DRAFTED: Rodgers was drafted as the 24th overall selection in the NFL draft last April. He was largely expected to be the first player taken in the draft, but the San Francisco 49ers passed on him in favor of Utah quarterback Alex Smith.

Super Bowl record-holding RB Smith arrested
NFL.com wire reports

DENVER (Sept. 30, 2005) -- Timmy Smith, who set a Super Bowl rushing record when he played for the Washington Redskins in 1988, has been arrested after allegedly trying to sell cocaine to an undercover drug agent. - NFL Football -

Smith, 41, of Denver and his brother, Chris, of suburban Lakewood, were in custody and due in court Oct. 3, U.S. attorney's spokesman Jeff Dorschner said. They could face charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine.

Bond had not been set. - NFL Football -

Authorities said the investigation has resulted in the seizure of about 2.8 pounds of cocaine and unspecified assets worth about $100,000. Search warrants were executed on houses in Denver and Lakewood, authorities said. - NFL Football -

Smith rushed for a Super Bowl-record 204 yards and two touchdowns in the Redskins' 42-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in 1988. He gained weight the following season and never performed at the same level. He last played in the NFL in 1990 with the Dallas Cowboys.

He worked this summer as a youth counselor and participated in several youth football camps, authorities said. - NFL Football -

He was in custody and had not yet been appointed an attorney, Dorschner said.

© 2005, NFL Enterprises LLC.

Broncos CB Bailey practices, says he'll play

DENVER (Sept. 15, 2005) -- Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey, who hasn't missed a game in his seven-year NFL career, practiced in pads and said he expects to keep the streak going Sept. 18 against San Diego despite a dislocated shoulder.

"If I'm in pads during the week, I'm probably going to play," Bailey said. "So, there's no doubt that I'll probably be out there. As long as I don't have any setbacks, I'll be fine."

Bailey has started all 97 regular-season games since he entered the league in 1999. Last week against Miami, he dislocated his left shoulder making a tackle in the third quarter.

He was listed as questionable and coach Mike Shanahan said he figured Bailey might miss a week or two.

But after checking with trainers, Bailey decided to put on pads and practice with his arm in a harness to support the injured shoulder.

"They always give you the things that could happen, the risks you take," Bailey said. "At the same time, I'm aware of that and I don't really care. I just want to play football and help us win."

Early in the workout, he tried to jam receiver Ashley Lelie, who hit back hard, but didn't cause Bailey any pain.

"It was nonexistent, most of it," Bailey said of the pain. "There were moments where I turned certain ways, or put my arm certain ways where I could feel it, but nothing real extreme."

Shanahan said Bailey "looked pretty good" on the practice field and that he was surprised the All-Pro cornerback could return so quickly.

"It gives you an idea of how tough he is," Shanahan said.

Nobody was as surprised as Bailey himself.

"I was a little shocked with the recovery I made so fast," Bailey said. "I didn't think I'd be able to do anything today. I thought maybe tomorrow, but not today."

Running back Mike Anderson, who left the Dolphins game with a rib injury, attended a funeral and did not practice. He was listed as questionable and will return to practice Sept. 16.

AP NEWS
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