Nfl Football - Football Betting

2005-11-07T13:31:00.000-08:00

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--

2005-11-02T05:58:00.000-08:00

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-

2005-10-26T12:21:00.000-07:00

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.

2005-10-18T18:02:00.000-07:00

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.''

2005-10-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

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.

2005-10-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

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.

2005-09-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

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
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2005, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

2005-09-14T15:14:00.000-07:00

Tagliabue visits Baton Rouge, Atlanta

NFL.com wire reports

ATLANTA (Sept. 12, 2005) -- Considering he began on a 6 a.m. flight from New York to Louisiana, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue already had put in more than a full day by the time he arrived at the Georgia Dome for the season's first Monday night game. - NFL Football -

agliabue was in Atlanta for the start of the game -- but not much longer.

"I hope to catch the second half at home on TV," he said.

Tagliabue called the Atlanta-Philadelphia game "obviously the marquee matchup of the weekend," but missed a fight that broke out during pregame warmups because he was chatting with reporters. The scuffle led to the ejections of Atlanta's Kevin Mathis and Philadelphia's Jeremiah Trotter. - NFL Football -

But the game was hardly Tagliabue's top priority of the weekend. He spent most of the day in Baton Rouge, La., where he met with New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson and LSU officials to work out a schedule for the New Orleans Saints' home games this season.

"It was a really good and thorough discussion today," Tagliabue said. "Everyone was very well prepared." - NFL Football -

Tagliabue said he was happy the plan agreed upon will allow the Saints to play four consecutive home games in Baton Rouge late in the season, beginning with a game Oct. 30 or 31 against Miami. The Saints also will play home games on LSU's campus against Chicago, Tampa Bay and Carolina.

"Right now they are trying to deal with the aftermath of Katrina, and it was clear that should be the priority in October," he said.

The other three home games will be played at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The Saints' first home game, against the New York Giants, was moved to Sept. 19 at Giants Stadium.

Tagliabue said the issue of giving the Giants an extra home game was overshadowed by the severe conditions in New Orleans. - NFL Football -

"It's sort of inconsequential because we're dealing with a national disaster," Tagliabue said. "In that context another home game is unimportant."

Tagliabue said no definite plans were made for potential Saints home playoff games.

"Now that the team is 1-0, they're convinced they are going to the postseason," Tagliabue said with a smile. - NFL Football -

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2005, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

2005-09-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

The new NFL season: Who wins, who loses

With the start of the NFL season only two days away, the preseason predictions are in. With not many changes in teams, there will not be not many changes in the standings. The only difference between this year and years past: the New England Patriots will not win the Super Bowl.

Starting in the AFC East, not much will change. The Patriots will win by a longshot and get a bye-week in the playoffs. The Jets will get close, but will be one game short. The Buffalo Bills will groom J.P Losman, but will fall short. As for the Miami Dolphins, Gus Frerotte is not the answer.

In the Central division the Baltimore Ravens, led by their defense, will rule. Pittsburgh will get a wild card berth thanks to big Ben Rothlisberger. The Cincinnati Bengals will improve, but not enough. The Browns will have to wait until next season to have a run at this division.

In the South will lay the team to beat, the Indianapolis Colts. The Jacksonville Jaguars will steal the last wild-card spot thanks to a much-improved defense. The Houston Texans will finally get a winning record, but it won’t be enough. Tennessee needs to rebuild drastically next for next season. - NFL Football -

Finally, the West will become the Wild, Wild West. With stellar offenses all throughout the division, the team with the best defense will prevail. That will be the Denver Broncos, followed by the Chargers, then the Chiefs. In last place, the Oakland Raiders have one of the best offenses but a sub-par defense.

In the NFC East, the Eagles are the team to beat. Dallas will attain their best record in years, but Parcells will just miss the playoffs. Washington will again not play to their potential. The Giants still need to address their defense. - NFL Football -

The NFC Central will be the toughest division in the league. The Packers will come out on top one more time for Favre. The Lions are the sleeper that will grab the last wild-card spot. The Vikings’ offense will shine, but they have no defense. Chicago will let their season falter with Kyle Orton behind center.

The South will be won, barely, by the Carolina Panthers, as long as they stay healthy. The Falcons will be led back to the playoffs solely by Michael Vick. Tampa Bay will falter behind a weak offensive line. New Orleans will have the tragedy to deal with much more than football this year. - NFL Football -

The West will again be won by the Rams, who no longer have the greatest show on turf. Another sleeper team will emerge in Arizona. Seattle cannot keep up the speed now in the division. San Francisco’s positive for this year will be that they will get the number one draft pick again next year.

In the playoffs is where changes will happen. The NFC will see the Eagles and Rams in the championship game, played in Philadelphia, won by Philadelphia. In the AFC, a new champion will emerge thanks to home-field advantage. The Colts will beat New England in the championship game. The Super Bowl will be between the Indianapolis Colts and the Philadelphia Eagles, with the Colts coming out victorious on the arm of Peyton Manning, 27-17.

Look for the NFL to start Thursday night as the Patriots take on the Raiders, and let’s get ready for some football. - NFL Football -

2005-08-30T07:38:00.000-07:00

NFL Death Raises Local Concern

The death of an NFL football player one week ago has brought renewed concern over the size and health of current football players. Thomas Herrion, an offensive lineman for the San Fransico 49ers died after an exhibition game last Saturday night. It's a game played by giants. But are the players putting their health at risk? Registered dietitians say as long as the player is more muscle than fat they should be okay.
Dietitian, Mary Steffensmeier says, "There is a lot of people who can weigh high weights and be very healthy because a lot of it is muscle mass. Being big doesn't make you unhealthy, but having a high percentage of your total weight as fat does make you unhealthy." To find out more on how these football players become so big we decided to come to Aplington-Parkersburg, a school known for producing big athletes. Many have been known to go on and play collegefootball and several continue to play in the NFL.
Ed Thomas, the head football coach for Aplington-Parkersburg, has seen a lot of changes over his 34 years of coaching. In the past few years he's seen more kids hitting the weights. Thomas says, "The kids are getting involved in a weight program year round. They're in season and out of season programs where I think it was justfootball that use to lift now all sports lift. If they want to compete they need to lift."
Four of Thomas' former players are currently in the NFL. He's seen each grow both physically and in talent. As for the future of football, Thomas says there is no turning back. Players will only become bigger and stronger. The NFL has said there is no proof Thomas Herrion's weight played a role in his death. But the league does monitor its larger players' weight.

© Copyright 2001 - 2005 WorldNow and KWWL

2005-08-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

Phillips faces seven counts of assault with deadly weapon

LOS ANGELES -- Former NFL running back Lawrence Phillips was charged Tuesday with multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon, two days after prosecutors say he drove into three teenagers who argued with him following a pickup football game.
Phillips was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon, the district attorney's office said. He was charged with seven counts of assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of child abuse and one count of hit and run. - NFL Football -
If convicted, Phillips faces up to 13 years and four months in prison.
Phillips, a star at Nebraska before the St. Louis Rams made him the sixth overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft, got into an argument with several young men after the pickup football game Sunday in Exposition Park, Los Angeles police officer Sandra Escalante said.
He left the park, but returned and drove a black Honda onto the field, allegedly running into a group of young males. Three were hit, including two aged 14 and 15, the district attorney's office said.
The teenagers were taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said. The car Phillips was driving had been reported stolen in San Diego earlier in the week, Escalante said.
The district attorney's office said a bench warrant was issued for Phillips in 2003 after he allegedly failed to appear for a probation hearing at the Airport Court. He had pleaded no contest to one count of making a criminal threat in 2000 after he allegedly attacked a girlfriend in Beverly Hills. - NFL Football -
Police in San Diego had been seeking Phillips since earlier this month for allegedly attacking his girlfriend twice, once choking her into unconsciousness.
Phillips, 30, was arrested Sunday and held on the domestic violence felony warrant and held without bail, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's website.
San Diego police had offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to Phillips' whereabouts, and said he had indicated he wouldn't surrender peacefully. - NFL Football -
The first domestic assault, in which police say Phillips' 28-year-old girlfriend was choked, allegedly occurred Aug. 2 at her San Diego home. Police said the second assault allegedly took place 11 days later when Phillips confronted the woman at a party.
In both cases he left the scene before officers could arrest him.
Phillips has a history of high-profile trouble with the law going back a decade to his time as one of the nation's top college football players at Nebraska.
The Rams released him for insubordination in 1997 after he played 25 games with them. Phillips signed with the Miami Dolphins later in the 1997 season, but was released after pleading no contest to hitting a woman in a nightclub. - NFL Football -
He was the top offensive player in NFL Europe in 1999 after setting league records for rushing and touchdowns with the Barcelona Dragons.
He signed with the San Francisco 49ers later that year, but was released for missing a practice. He also has played in the Canadian Football League.

Associated Press News Service

2005-08-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

NFL notes: Marino, Young highlight Hall

CANTON, Ohio — He licked his fingers, a trademark of his 17 seasons as the NFL's most prolific quarterback, then turned to one of his favorite receivers, Mark Clayton, in the audience.
"Go deep, Mark," Dan Marino commanded. - NFL Football -
Clayton sauntered up the aisle, turned and latched onto — what else? — a perfect spiral.
"Of course, in the end, every quarterback wants one more Sunday with a football in his hands and going deep," Marino said.
And that's exactly what he did, wrapping up his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the best way possible: with a long completion. - NFL Football -
Thousands of fans clad in No. 13 Dolphins jerseys shook Fawcett Stadium with cheers, remembering how sweet it was to see Marino setting all his records.
"I'll remember this day for the rest of my life," Marino said. - NFL Football -
Marino joined Steve Young, Fritz Pollard and Benny Friedman in the shrine.
"This is a proud day not only for me but the entire Marino family, and I'm blessed you are all here," he said. - NFL Football -
Young suggested it was the first time only quarterbacks entered the Hall in one class, and he was partly right. Pollard was a running back who sometimes played QB.
While Marino and Young had diverse styles, they both spent years at the top of their profession. Marino set NFL marks of 4,967 completions, 8,358 passes, 61,361 yards (nearly 35 miles) and 420 touchdowns. His record of 48 TD passes in the 1984 season, when he was MVP, was broken by Peyton Manning last year. - NFL Football -
The only achievement Marino didn't reach that Young did was winning a title. Young, the 1992 and '94 league MVP after taking over for Montana in San Francisco, and the career passing efficiency leader, guided the 49ers to the '94 championship. He also is the first left-handed QB in the Hall. - NFL Football -
"I can taste the pride I felt to be able to put on a 49ers jersey and represent the great city of San Francisco," Young said. "In San Francisco, I found football in its newly enlightened form. I found heaven on Earth for football."
Young began his career in the USFL with the Los Angeles Express, followed by two seasons with the Buccaneers before Bill Walsh acquired him in 1987. It wasn't until Montana was injured in 1991 that Young became the starter.
He never looked back. - NFL Football -
"I just remember him being an outstanding football player," said Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, who first coached Young at Brigham Young. "I mean, he had it all. He was the total package."
Pollard, like Friedman, was a pro football pioneer and the first black NFL head coach.
Pollard is among the most important minority figures in football history, a man who seemed to open the door for black athletes in his sport, only to see it slammed shut from 1934 until 1946.
Friedman, who died in 1982, probably was the first great pro passer, and his 20 TD throws in 1929 were considered phenomenal because the ball he threw barely resembled the modern football. The record stood for 14 years. - NFL Football -

Seattle Times news services

2005-08-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

Touchdown! 'Madden NFL 06' shuts out the competition and runs up the score

Joey Harrington is no Peyton Manning, and the new "Madden NFL 06" -- which comes out this week -- makes this plainer than ever. - NFL Football -
When Harrington drops back to pass in this game, his eyes can view a small wedge of the football field. When Manning gets ready to fire the ball, he can see half the field.
This is quarterbacking control at its most sensitive level. This year's version of "Madden" gives you more of it. If your receiver is not in the wedge of the quarterback's vision, you most likely won't complete the pass. And better quarterbacks have better eyes.
They call it "Vision and Precision," fancy descriptors for this game's biggest two new features: shifting the quarterback's viewpoint and dropping a pass in perfectly behind a defender.
It works pretty smoothly, and it adds another layer of strategy and button-pushing to a game that already was ridiculously detailed. Now that game maker Electronic Arts recently spent all that money to lock up NFL licensing, there is no other game to rival "Madden" 's realistic look and play. - NFL Football -
You can make the quarterback eyeball his intended receiver in a number of ways. I found using the right thumbstick most useful, adjusting it after the ball was hiked. This gave me a new way to fake defenders: I shifted my eyes away from my target until the last minute, then looked back and zipped in a bullet. - NFL Football -
The other new control allows you to direct your pass after you release it, hitting the receiver high, low, behind and in front, using the directional keypad.
"Madden" has all the other perennial goodies, and there are tons, including expanded online play and more defined hot routes for receivers. - NFL Football -
There's also an overhauled single-player superstar mode, which allows you to create a player or import your saved player from "NCAA Football 06" or "NFL Street 2."
Truly, my only nit with this title is the announcing. Al Michaels, who coanchors the games with John Madden, still sounds robotic after all these years. I now believe it's a problem with him, not the game, because the announcers sound great in Electronic Arts' collegiate counterpart to "Madden." - NFL Football -
I still miss this game's big rival from last year, "ESPN Football," whose demise came when Electronic Arts bought up everything.
But if you want the best pro football game out there, "Madden" is the only choice now. And make sure Manning's at the helm, not Harrington.

JIM SCHAEFER
FREE PRESS GAME MASTER

2005-07-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

Camp's heat good fare for NFL Films

here to make a movie.
With the same dramatic music and narration that accompanied the recap of the 1967 Ice Bowl between Dallas and Green Bay, the piece could have chronicled the Bears' efforts to make it through Sunday's practice. - NFL Football -
The opening shot would be the silhouette of safety Mike Brown, kneeling on the sideline with sweat pouring off his face and arms. The voice of pro football, John Facenda – if he were alive – would intone, "These are the times for the men to show they are men and for the boys to head for the nearest water tent."
Or something to that effect. - NFL Football -
OK, so the first practice of the season is not up there with the Ice Bowl. All I know is the elements were similarly severe, albeit on the opposite end of the thermometer.
The Bears kicked off their preseason with a temperature of 100 degrees and heat index of 112 cooking the Olivet Nazarene University field and everyone who set foot on it.
Highlights were scarce, even for a first practice. The problem was not just rust, either.
Even these athletes, some of the best-conditioned in the world, struggled mightily. No wonder I counted 40 fans walking out of the complex during the first half-hour.
"My mind was raring to go," cornerback Charles Tillman said. "My body just wasn't always listening." - NFL Football -
Coach Lovie Smith said afterward the heat was not a significant issue. As far as not completely disrupting what the Bears wanted to do, perhaps Smith was right. - NFL Football -
Rex Grossman still threw the ball, although not always accurately. The receivers still ran their routes with the cornerbacks providing coverage. Tailback Thomas Jones still darted through holes in the non-contact practice, in which players wore helmets but no shoulder or leg pads.
The heat nonetheless was a factor. Instead of focusing on the beginning of a new season, with all the promise such an occasion entails, everyone just wanted to survive.
By everyone, I mean fans and reporters as well as players, who worked hard but mostly seemed to be wondering when the next water break would come. - NFL Football -
"Things were kind of sluggish out there," Brown said. "Don't worry, we'll get it going."
Maybe not today – the temperature is expected to remain well into the 90s, and practice is at high noon. - NFL Football -
The Bears have not worked out in these conditions for a number of years. They apparently had a few – I did not attend them – during the glory seasons.
Mike Ditka talks about loving those sessions. He made his players practice in full pads, although the team reportedly provided man-sized vats of ice for players to jump into afterward.
There were no such ice bins Sunday. Players spent the previous 24 hours hydrating themselves. They took three water breaks during the 2-hour practice.
And so everyone made it through without any noticeable problems. The players will not tell the story of this day to their grandkids the way the Ice Bowl participants probably do.
But they could. - NFL Football -

NICK HUT

2005-07-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

Flutie draws crowd
Dwight camp returns

Football and a friend brought NFL veteran quarterback Doug Flutie to Iowa City on Friday.
Flutie appeared at Tim Dwight's annual youth football camp at City High. He stayed throughout the steamy day and capped his appearance by throwing a touchdown pass to Dwight during a 7-on-7 scrimmage. - NFL Football -
The three-day camp, which concludes today, has drawn a record 492 participants. Dwight credits Flutie for attracting more kids to the camp.
Dwight said the number of applicants increased dramatically after he announced several weeks ago that Flutie would attend the camp.
"I think another 140 kids signed up," said Dwight, who graduated from City High in 1994 and now is a member of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, along with Flutie. "We were at the 325 mark or so and then it was like, Flutie's coming in. The next thing you know it was 401, and then it was 450. - NFL Football -
"And then we had 30-some kids walk in Thursday morning."
Dwight and Flutie became friends while spending the past four seasons as teammates with the San Diego Chargers. - NFL Football -
They both have since moved across the country after signing as free agents with New England, which has won two of the last three Super Bowls.
"I love him as a receiver," Flutie said of Dwight. "When I was in San Diego, I had more trust in him than anybody."
Flutie said his reason for attending Dwight's camp was simple: He wanted to help a friend.
He and Dwight have much in common, including being among the shortest players in the NFL -- both are shorter than 6-foot. - NFL Football -
"I think I've got him by a half inch," Flutie said.
Dwight said Flutie might have been selling himself short.
"I think he's got more than a (half inch) on me," said Dwight, who has been listed at 5-9 throughout his career. "But I squat real heavy, and that crushes the vertebrae."
The fact that Dwight and Flutie both defied the odds by lasting in the NFL has made them closer. Flutie, 42, has played professionally in Canada and the NFL for two decades while Dwight, 29, is entering his eighth season in the NFL. - NFL Football -
"Him and I are kind of attracted to each other because we've always been the small guys and stuff," Dwight said. "We kind of have the same obstacles that we've fought over our careers.
"Plus, we don't screw around. We like to get to business. We like to get to work. We like to get things done. We like to win." - NFL Football -
Flutie said the NFL puts too much of an emphasis on a player's height, especially with regard to receivers.
"They get so excited when they see a 6-4 receiver come into camp, they really do -- coaches, I'm saying," Flutie said. "The first thing out of their mouths when they talk about Tim is, 'He's not great at this or he's not great at that.' - NFL Football -
"OK, that's not his strength. Put him in the slot and nobody is going to cover him."
Flutie thinks Dwight can help New England as a return specialist and as a receiver.
It should help that Dwight finally is healthy after struggling with injuries in each of the past two seasons. Dwight said Friday that he was about 90 percent recovered from a toe injury that hampered him last season.
"I think these next three week are going to put me over the top," said Dwight, who played at the University of Iowa from 1994-97. "My training keeps getting better and better.
"Straight ahead, I'm good. It's some certain cuts that puts a lot a strain on it."
Dwight is careful not to take any credit for New England's recent success. He still has to compete for a roster spot, whereas Flutie is expected to back up Tom Brady.
"It's been great, but everyone's like, 'Oh yeah, good job, world champions,'" Dwight said. "I'm like, 'Listen, I wasn't a part of that team.'" - NFL Football -
Having Flutie in New England has made the transition easier for Dwight. Flutie grew up in Massachusetts and won the 1984 Heisman Trophy while playing for Boston College.
Dwight also has gained inspiration from the atmosphere in New England. Fans have reason to be pumped with the Patriots and Boston Red Sox both coming off championship seasons.
"It's exciting just seeing the whole town of Boston and getting back to a community that's like Iowa is," Dwight said. "That was one of the reasons why it was neat to go there because all the people are fired up about what you do." - NFL Football -
Dwight sometimes has to remind himself that Flutie is over 40 years old. In fact, Dwight was only 9 when Flutie threw his now-famous touchdown pass that beat Miami (Fla.), on the final play of the game in 1984. - NFL Football -
"You watch him run around making guys miss and throwing the ball and being young and working out, and you're like, 'OK, I won't be playing pro ball when I'm over 40, but I hope I'm looking like that,'" Dwight said.

Pat Harty
Iowa City Press-Citizen

2005-07-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

Line of duty: Donny Allen may not have been the biggest on the football field, but his plays certainly were

The large, leather-bound scrapbook that sits on the desk of U.S. Probation Officer Donny Allen's desk is filled with mementos of his football playing days - and that is only from his senior season at Tattnall.
It couldn't hold his accomplishments with the Georgia Southern football team, those are captured in another, equally large capsule.
But both objects tell the same story - Allen was a standout football player who could be relied upon to make the "big play." He showed that as he played wide receiver for the Trojans, and again as he continued on to college. - NFL Football -
While the pictures are faded, and the stories two decades old, it doesn't diminish what Allen did during his solitary year at Tattnall, and during his five years at Georgia Southern.
"The ride was fun," said Allen, now 38 and working in the Macon probation office.
With the stories coming from both the scrapbook and Allen, it's easy to tell why he had so much fun. He was unable to play his junior season with the Trojans after breaking his arm, and was in for a change heading into his senior year.
After playing at tailback his entire life, Tattnall coach Barney Hester made Allen a wide receiver.
But his running skills continued to help the Trojans - especially on Nov. 17, 1984. It was the first year Tattnall made an appearance in the GISA Class AAA playoffs under its third-year coach, and the Trojans were embroiled in a battle with Calvary Christian. - NFL Football -
"It was a good, physical game," said Allen, whose wife Susannah teaches at Tattnall. "Those guys were big. They were one of the biggest teams we played."
Calvary was also strong enough to take a 13-point lead before Tattnall even scored. It was Allen who caught a 10-yard pass during the Trojans' comeback to force overtime.
"They got the ball first, and they went in and scored," Allen said. "When it was our turn, we ended up scoring, and then I remember coach Hester calling time out. He came out there and looked at us, and he said, 'Do you want to go for two?'"
Going for the win meant all the pressure was on Allen's shoulders, who doubled as the holder. It was Tattnall's "fire play" and if it was a two-point conversion play, Allen was either supposed to throw the ball, or run it in. - NFL Football -
When the ball was snapped, Allen yelled "fire," but only saw Calvary's white jerseys in the end zone. His only option was to roll right and bear down on the end zone.
"I didn't realize how high I jumped until I saw it," Allen said. "I don't know how I got in because there were several guys around me."
Tattnall won 21-20, and advanced to the second round where it lost 14-6 to Southland.
But when the season ended, it appeared Allen's career would too. He was told he was too small by several colleges, including Valdosta State. He got a break, however, when former Georgia Southern coach Erk Russell gave him preferred walk-on status with the Eagles.
"Coach Hester was a graduate assistant at Georgia Southern, and was instrumental in getting me there," said Allen, who has two children, Jake, 10, and Jordan, 8, at Tattnall, and a third, Wes, 4, on his way. "I ended up earning a scholarship my senior year, and I started and led the team in receptions." - NFL Football -
But Georgia Southern, like Tattnall, ran the triple-option, meaning Allen's job was more to block the cornerbacks than catch the ball. Allen estimates he had 20-25 receptions for nearly 500 yards his senior season.
Still, the criminal justice major won three NCAA Division I-AA national championships with the Eagles - including during the 1989 season when he was a starter.
On the wall of his office are two plaques, one representing that 1989 season when the Eagles went 15-0, and the other commemorating a play Allen had made during the semifinals against Montana.
"It was close at halftime until that play," Allen said. "We were going in at halftime, and our offensive coordinator talked Erk into running the play."
It was a downfield Hail Mary pass to Allen, which almost landed in the arms of a Montana defender before a Georgia Southern running back knocked it out of his arms, and straight into Allen's. - NFL Football -
"The next week was the championship game at Stephen F. Austin, and we won by three (points)," said Allen, who wears the championship ring from that season on his right hand, while his other two are on display at the Macon Sports Hall of Fame. "They said it was the only team in that decade in the NCAA that went undefeated and won the national championship."
Allen only caught three touchdowns his senior year, but caught the eye of NFL scouts after clocking a 4.3 in the 40-yard dash. In 1990, he signed a free agent contract with the New York Jets, and was close to making the cut before he broke his wrist in the final practice.
Allen earned free agent tryouts with the Miami Dolphins and the Detroit Lions, but failed to stick. With his football days over, Allen settled in Macon and began his law enforcement career.
"(Getting injured) was devastating, because I knew I'd never play again," said Allen, who along with Matthew Etheridge are the only Tattnall football players to have their jersey retired. "But I wouldn't trade (career) for anything."

Sarah MeineckeTelegraph Staff Writer

2005-07-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

Truth and Rumours NFL

With Philadelphia set to open training camp at the end of the month, the chances that Terrell Owens and Greg Lewis will remain teammates are unknown. Owens, who wants his contract restructured, skipped a mandatory minicamp and may skip training camp. The possibility exists that he will not play without a new contract. The Eagles seem unlikely to offer him one. As long as Owens remains AWOL, his replacement is likely to be the 25-year-old Lewis, who proved reliable in the playoffs last season but who is largely unknown and who has built a football career from repeated instances of being ignored and unappreciated. --New York Times
Paul Tagliabue is backed by many Packers who believe the NFL's problem with steroids is minimal. They feel they do not need outside regulations from the government. Though those random tests are a pain to Na'il Diggs, he and others think they work in deterring athletes from using steroids. "The major leagues can handle this on their own. There's no reason to bring paid politicians into this," Diggs said. "The economy, that's what (the politicians) need to be worried about. We have the strictest policy on steroids in the world, probably. The NFL penalizes the most, as far as steroids go. "I mean, you can go smoke coke, get caught with cocaine and still be able to play. But you get caught for steroids once? You're done for four games, unpaid. And it's been that way for years."-- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Hank Stram made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a coach, but to many NFL fans he was equally well known for his work as the adroit analyst on "Monday Night Football" radio broadcasts. Stram worked for CBS alongside play-by-play announcer Jack Buck, for 16 seasons - from 1978 to 1995, minus two years NBC had the package in the mid-1980s. That gave them a longer run than any team ever to broadcast "MNF" on radio or TV. They mixed like apple pie and ice cream, with Stram having the uncanny ability to correctly predict the coming play, then Buck following through with his description of what was transpiring. Many people, especially those who didn't like Howard Cosell's presence on ABC's telecasts of the games, would turn off the volume on their television set and turn up the sound on the radio.-- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Washington Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs recently decided against retaining Larry Hill, who was hired before last season as a full-time replay official, according to two sources with knowledge of the development. Hill's one-year contract expired last month. According to a league source, new Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban intends to hire a replay official with similar duties to Hill's. But Saban -- who has contacted the NFL for a pool of retired officials -- is seeking someone to handle a bigger workload.--Washington Post
On May 6, 1993, owners and players of the National Football League entered into a new collective bargaining agreement. Labor peace has been a constant in the NFL since, making the NFL a model for other North American professional sports league either to be followed or envied. If the league and the NFL players association don't extend the CBA by February 2007, that model will begin to crack. The current agreement runs through the 2007 season, but if no extension is signed before that February the 2007 season becomes an uncapped year for salaries. The league hasn't operated without a salary cap since 1993 and has reaped the benefits of greater popularity and financial worth because of it. --Cinncinati Post
While San Antonio's NBA Spurs have captured the attention of much of South Texas -- if not a more global audience -- during their latest championship run, an effort to bring the NFL to Texas' border region has gone mostly unnoticed. But those pushing hardest for a plan that would have Texas and Mexico share an NFL franchise have quietly continued their march and may have picked up some important momentum. In November, the Business Journal first reported that McHenry T. Tichenor, former CEO of the Hispanic Broadcasting Corp. (which later merged with Univision), had teamed up with business leaders in the Rio Grande Valley region in an effort to attract an NFL team.

San Antonio Business Journal

2005-06-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

Long distance shooting helps Indiana All-Stars to victory

The Indiana All-Star team got revenge Saturday against its Kentucky counterparts.

Recovering from a disheartening June 18 loss to the Bluegrass State All-Stars in Bowling Green, Ky., the Indiana team handily outshot its rivals during Saturday's game at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Kahla Roudebush was named the game's MPV, with Purdue junior guard Katie Gearlds, herself a former Indiana All-Star, presenting the award.

In a game where neither team could accomplish much near the basket, Roudebush's outside shooting, which included going 5-for-5 from outside the 3-point line, helped carry Indiana into a 65-49 victory over the Kentucky All-Stars.

"I don't like losing, especially to the Kentucky All-Stars," said the 5-foot-8-inch guard, who said her performance in the Bowling Green game spurred her to be better prepared.

An especially memorable Roudebush moment was the graceful last-second 3-pointer that put the Hamilton Southeastern High School graduate's team up 10 points at the half.

There was little else to call graceful on the court that day. With both teams fumbling mightily in the paint, the game was a story of rough turnovers and scrambles for the ball.

Jack Campbell, head coach for the Indiana team, emphasized how his team improved in the week between games.

Explaining an improvement in defense that helped keep Kentucky to the outside, where its reduced shooting percentages ruined its chances, Campbell said, "We were able to work more this week against a zone, man-to-man and the press offenses, which helped."

Although Roudebush's 25-point game, tying her personal record, was the game's top scorer, her teammates weren't slacking. Miss Indiana Basketball 2005, Jodi Howell, put in 11 points, and Cathedral High School graduate Kim Roberson snagged eight rebounds.

Putting in a less high-profile performance than her teammate, No. 2 Cassie Kerns had only four points but six rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Kerns, her team's tallest player at 6'3", said that she felt that the All-Stars, many of who have competed against each other during their high school careers, had worked well together during their final game as a team.

"We have great team chemistry," she said. "I'm so proud of that."

By William Hughes
Summer Reporter

NFL FOOTBALL

2005-06-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

NFL FOOTBALL NFL
European imports? Six who could make it over here

No, I don't know much about what happened in NFL Europe this year, either, other than the only team located outside of Germany won the World Bowl. But it's not the league or Amsterdam Admirals that concerns me.

It's the players.

The pros you failed to notice overseas earlier this month are the same guys making plays for your playoff-bound clubs in January. At last year's Super Bowl XXXIX, there were 15 alums, including New England kicker Adam Vinatieri, and before this spring there were 27 NFL Europe quarterbacks who started in the NFL, including Kurt Warner and Jake Delhomme.

So the league is good for job placements. The only question is: Who are the best candidates? We're here with six of this year's most attractive, beginning with Berlin quarterback Dave Ragone.

Now, I bet you recognize his name, and you probably know that he started a couple of games for the Texans, too. What you don't know is where he fits in, other than behind David Carr. He's one of several NFL Europe stars who could make an impact in the months ahead.

And the others? Keep reading.

1. Dave Ragone (Houston Texans), QB, Berlin. The league's offensive MVP, Ragone was accurate and productive -- completing a league-best 63 percent of his passes for 13 touchdowns and only two interceptions. But that's just the beginning: His streak of 174 attempts without an interception was an NFL-Europe record; he won seven of 10 starts; and he led the league with a 97.5 passer rating and 1,746 passing yards. Ragone never looked better than in the World Bowl where he completed 30 of 48 for 328 yards and came this close to completing a last-second comeback from a 24-7 deficit. He has an above-average arm and adequate mobility, but he doesn't have the slingshot of, say, his Texans' teammate David Carr. "He absolutely knows where he's going to go with the ball," said one AFC scout, "and he's going to beat you with timing." His poise in the pocket reminds you of another NFL Europe graduate, Jake Delhomme, and it may be as hard for Ragone to get a crack at starting in the NFL Football as it was for Delhomme, who sat for five years in New Orleans. "The flaw in this guy's game," said another scout, "is that he plays behind David Carr. He won't get a chance until he leaves Houston."

2. Ruvell Martin (San Diego Chargers), WR, Amsterdam. An all-league choice, Martin led the league with 12 touchdown catches -- tying an NFL Football-Europe record -- and 679 yards receiving. His 37 catches ranked third, but here's what you like most about the guy: He made big plays, averaging a league-best 18.4 yards a catch. He was also consistent, with one touchdown catch in each of his first seven regular-season games and five in his last two. A former star at Saginaw Valley, Martin uses his size (6-feet-4) to his advantage -- with a remarkable ability to out-position you for the nfl football. He also has good hands and is physical. What he's not is fast. Scouts described his speed as little more than adequate. Nevertheless, he could be a factor in San Diego where the Chargers try to sort out a passel of receivers -- including Reche Caldwell, back from a season-ending knee injury. Few would have considered Martin a candidate to make any roster before this spring, but the undrafted free agent was far better, far more confident, in Europe than he was with the Chargers a year ago in training camp.

3. Joe Smith (Tennessee Titans), RB, Rhein Fire. He wasn't an all-league choice, but he should have been. Smith finished with a league-best 1,027 yards rushing, only the third time a back reached four digits in NFL-Europe history (Lawrence Phillips and Mike Green were the others), and produced a league-record six 100-yard performances. And he did it with a club that won only three times. He's a big back (6-2, 224) in the Eddie George/Chris Brown mold, so he's a perfect fit for the Titans. Maybe they find something in him that Jacksonville and Tampa Bay could not. Smith spent time on the practice squads of both NFL clubs. He's a powerful, instinctive runner who can break tackles and move a pile. Plus, he can catch the ball out of the backfield. Scouts complain that his speed isn't what you'd like and that he won't run away from defenders. But look at this year's numbers: Smith had a 59-yard TD, averaged 4.6 yards a carry and led the league with 1,111 yards from scrimmage -- 239 more than his closest pursuer.

4. Jarrett Payton (Tennessee Titans), RB, Amsterdam. He had almost half as many yards rushing (578) as Smith and wasn't the most productive back on his own team; Jonathan Smith was. Nevertheless, Payton was the choice over both Smiths for the all-league team, largely on the strength of his seven TDs (more than anyone but Martin) and gaudy average of 5.6 yards a carry. Running comes naturally for Payton, the son of Hall of Fame great Walter Payton, but a job in the NFL Football won't. He's on the same NFL club as Chris Brown and NFL-Europe rushing leader Joe Smith. Built like Smith (he's 6-0, 220 pounds), Payton has more speed to make it to the corner. Scouts like his quickness, his hands and his toughness but wonder about his overall skills. "I'm not sure that he hasn't 'maxed' out on his ability," said one. "He will never be a No. 1 back for anyone." He doesn't have to be; he simply wants to make a club. Remember, this is a guy who sat behind Willis McGahee at the University of Miami and who sat for two of every four series in Amsterdam.

5. Jonathan Smith (Kansas City Chiefs), RB, Amsterdam. Smith sat for two of every four series, too, but he managed to run for 711 yards, score twice and average 4.8-yards per-carry. He was the league's third most productive player and second most productive back, and he did all that while sharing the position with Payton. Smith is smaller (5-8, 196) and quicker than Payton, but he runs with power and has a nice change of direction. He also has decent hands, with 48 receptions in 25 games at Washington State. One scout said he reminded him of "a poor man's Dalton Hilliard," and that's not bad, folks. Hilliard is the third most productive rusher in the history of the New Orleans Saints. "He has the same start and stop that Hilliard had," said the scout. "He knows how to break tackles, and he knows how to avoid defenders." The problem for Smith is twofold: his size and his situation. At Kansas City he's not going to play ahead of Priest Holmes or Larry Johnson, but his build probably makes him as more of a situational back anyway. He can return kicks -- in fact he returned 19 of them for Amsterdam, averaging 19.8 yards a try -- but he's on the same team with Dante Hall. He's not playing ahead of him, either.

6. Rich Scanlon (Kansas City Chiefs), LB, Berlin. The league's defensive MVP, Scanlon tries to parlay this experience into a roster spot with the Chiefs -- much as linebacker Mike Maslowski did when he played for Barcelona in 1999. A middle linebacker, Scanlon didn't miss a start and rarely missed a tackle. He not only led the league with 94 stops, he led his team in each of its 10 regular-season games. He's smart. He's tough. He's determined. He knows how to play angles. He has good speed. He plays special teams and doesn't leave the field on third downs. And he can attack the pocket -- with his three sacks the evidence. Where scouts question his abilities are in pass coverage, with Scanlon called on to improve his skills. Still, he knocked down five passes this year. Look for him to make the Chiefs and contribute to the club's special teams.

Nfl Football

By Clark Judge
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer