SF Head Coach Mike Nolan Q and A From Niners Website

Coach Mike Nolan's Notebook: Sept. 3
Q&A

RE: Injury update:

“Delanie Walker has a shoulder and he is out. Vickiel Vaughn was out here today watching practice but he is on injured reserve. Shawntae Spencer practiced today. He is under control but we just wanted to get him out here. He should be ready for the game. Parys Haralson just went through some individual and group, but he is still questionable. Really Spencer is actually questionable as well.”

RE: Roster moves:
“We claimed Roderick Green off the waiver wire from Baltimore. I was with him for one year. This would have been his third year with them. He is about 6-2, 265 pounds. He is about 15 pounds more than when I was there. He is a good football player. He is strong, tough and a good pass rusher. He will play on the outside.”

RE: Do you think Green will play in the game?
“We will see how it goes. I haven’t seen him in a year and a half. It is still up in the air. He has a chance though.”

RE: Is Delanie Walker questionable for the game?
“For the game yes he is. We have until Wednesday. Right now he is listed as out. He has a shoulder injury.”

RE: Who are the practice squad guys?
“C.J. Brewer, Bobby Iwuchukwu, Tavares Washington, Gibran Hamdan and Zack Keasey. There will be three guys we add from the outside. Hopefully, we can add a defensive lineman, linebacker and wide receiver.”

RE: How concerned are you about the lack of pass rush in the preseason?
“Anytime you aren’t getting sacks you have to concerned, but it is something you have to work through. I would hope Roderick might add something to it. Sacks have never been a telling tale for wins and losses. They are probably the last thing that really tells how good a defense is. There were a couple of years in Baltimore where we weren’t really good in sacks, but we had a very good defense. The most important thing with sacks is that you can hit the quarterback. You are hitting a guy that is the most important player on the field. A tackle for loss usually gives you the same distance. I don’t think they indicate who wins. Turnovers and third down efficiency are two areas that are very important.”

RE: Who is your best pass rusher?
“Right now, probably Manny. Bryant Young is a pretty good pass rusher where he rushes from.”

RE: What are Roderick Green’s strengths?
“Physically he is a gifted guy. Very strong and he has been a good pass rusher. Those are his strengths.”

RE: Would you like to put him in as a situational pass rusher?
“He could. I would like for him to be an every down player, but we will see what he gives us.”

RE: Where did he play at Baltimore?
“They moved him all around. He was an outside linebacker when I was there. Since I have left he has played defensive end and linebacker. When I spoke with their coordinator, he said Roderick had gained 20 pounds, so I am curious to see him I want to see how he carries that weight”

RE: Why weren’t you more active today in adding players to the roster?
“We have been extremely active in looking at other teams and players. I think if the practice squad additions go right I will be pleased.”

RE: Eric Johnson:
“He has been hurt the last few years, but I think he is going to have a helluva year.”

RE: Have teams inquired about Eric?
“They have been interested in all of our tight ends. I would think someone would sign Terry Jones in the next week or two.”

RE: Do you think a team will sign Terry Jackson?
“That’s a good question. I don’t know. He is a very good special teams player.”

RE: Did you tell Keith Lewis he would assume the role as special teams leader?
“I did tell him that. I called him yesterday and spoke with him. I told Terry wasn’t on the team anymore and he would have to step up his presence. I told him he would have an opportunity to really stand out as a special teams player and make a name for himself.”

RE: Did you practice at all today for Arizona?
“We cut a lot of things back, but it was mostly geared towards Arizona.”

RE: What were some of the hard cuts you had to make?
“There were some tough cuts yesterday. I didn’t anticipate cutting draft choices from last year like Rasheed Marshall and Derrick Johnson. Terry Jackson and Terry Jones were tough.”

RE: Have you been on a team this healthy going into the season?
“I haven’t been in this situation before, but I am pleased. Our off-season program is a direct correlation of that as well as the type of guys we brought in.”

DE Ryan LaCasse To Indy Colts From Baltimore Ravens - Colts.com

Colts Obtain Defensive End LaCasse from Ravens - from Colts.com

INDIANAPOLIS – Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy believes a team can never have too many quality defensive linemen.
On Saturday, the Colts made a move to add another.

Ryan LaCasse, a defensive end from the University of Syracuse, was obtained by the Colts on Saturday from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for an undisclosed future draft selection.

LaCasse (6-feet-2, 257 pounds), a seventh-round selection in this past April’s NFL Draft, started 15 of 46 games at Syracuse, where he is 10th on the team’s all-time sacks list with 16.5 for 93 yards.

LaCasse became the third defensive end from Syracuse on the Colts’ roster. Three-time Pro Bowl selection Dwight Freeney played for the Orangemen, as did third-year veteran Josh Thomas.(6-feet-2, 257 pounds), a seventh-round selection in this past April’s NFL Draft, started 15 of 46 games at Syracuse, where he is 10th on the team’s all-time sacks list with 16.5 for 93 yards.

LaCasse became the third defensive end from Syracuse on the Colts’ roster. Three-time Pro Bowl selection Dwight Freeney played for the Orangemen, as did third-year veteran Josh Thomas.

Shaun King Cut - Indy Colts Keep Two QBs

I know this was a hard decision for head coach Tony Dungy, and they gave Shaun every chance to make the team. But it came down to a numbers game.

Colts release Shaun King, three former draft picks

NFL.com wire reports

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 3, 2006) -- Veteran quarterback Shaun King and three former draft picks -- defensive tackle Vincent "Sweet Pea" Burns, defensive end Jonathan Welsh and defensive back Von Hutchins -- were among 25 players released by the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts were required to trim their roster from 75 to the NFL regular-season limit of 53 by Saturday afternoon but waited until Sunday to announce the cuts.

Indy also claimed two players -- defensive lineman Dan Klecko and running back De De Dorsey off waivers. Klecko was cut by New England after playing four seasons with the Patriots. Dorsey was cut by the Cincinnati Bengals.

King, who started his career in Tampa Bay with Colts Tony Dungy, took most of the preseason snaps for the Colts. But the team decided to keep only two quarterbacks on the roster -- two-time MVP Peyton Manning and backup Jim Sorgi, who did not play in the final two preseason games because of a sore shoulder.

Burns, a third-round draft pick in 2005, missed the first nine games last season with shoulder and knee injuries before being placed on injured reserve in November.

Welsh, a fifth-rounder in 2005, was expected to fit the mold of Robert Mathis as a speed rusher but played in only six games last year before being put on injured reserve with a knee injury. He was still slowed by the injury throughout training camp.

Hutchins, a sixth-round pick in 2004, was battling three new draft picks to keep his backup job in the secondary.

Charles Rogers - Detroit Lions 2003 First Round Pick WR Officially A Bust; Cut By Team

This proves that there must be a way to measure "maturity" in evaulating a college athlete for the NFL. Perhaps the worst is over and he will be a better person and player.

Lions cut WR Rogers, No. 2 pick in 2003

NFL.com wire reports

DETROIT (Sept. 2, 2006) -- This is not what the Detroit Lions or Charles Rogers had in mind when the wide receiver was drafted second overall three years ago.

After being cut, his career in Detroit ended with just 36 receptions for 440 yards and four touchdowns along with two broken collarbones and a four-game suspension.

First-year coach Rod Marinelli was unimpressed by Rogers' work ethic and production during training camp, when he was slowed by a sore knee. The new staff also did not have a history with Rogers like team president Matt Millen, who drafted the former Michigan State star and gave him a $14.2 million signing bonus.

Rogers simply wasn't deemed good enough to make Marinelli's team, which is valuing hard work over talent.

"We picked the men that are right for this football team," Marinelli said. "It's behind us. I wish him the very best. We just move on."

Marinelli said Rogers didn't show up the morning of Sept. 2 at the team's practice facility in Allen Park. Marinelli said director of pro personnel Sheldon White left two messages for Rogers and informed his agent, Kevin Poston, of the team's decision.

"Maybe this is just one of those wrong-place, wrong-time things," Millen told The Associated Press. "I was a big fan of Charles when I drafted him, and I still am. He just needs to decide to use all of his skills."

Poston said he can start finding a new home for the receiver Sept. 3 if he is not picked up on waivers with his current contract.

"After 24 hours, we will start contacting teams and I'm sure teams will be contacting us," Poston told The AP. "He's a 25-year-old receiver with a lot of talent."

Messages seeking comment were left on Rogers' cell phone.

In 2003, the Lions and Rogers agreed to a six-year contract -- with a team option for a seventh season -- that could've been worth almost $55 million.

Detroit drafted Rogers one year after taking quarterback Joey Harrington, the No. 3 pick overall, envisioning the duo leading it to success. Since winning the 1957 NFL title, the Lions have won only one playoff game.

Rogers was cut five months after Harrington was traded to Miami for a conditional 2007 pick.

Perhaps in large part because Rogers and Harrington did not produce as hoped, the Lions are a league-worst 21-59 since Millen, a former linebacker and TV analyst, became an NFL executive for the first time in 2001.

"They have to be what they're supposed to be," Millen said three years ago in an interview with The AP. "They can't do it alone, but in order for us to get where we want to get, we can't look back and say we missed with those guys."

Rogers played in 15 games and missed 33 during his three years with the Lions.

He lived up to the hype on Sept. 7, 2003, when he became the first Detroit rookie to catch two TDs -- on his first two receptions -- in his first game. He led the team with 22 catches for 243 yards and three TD receptions through five games. Then, Rogers had his first setback when he broke his right collarbone during a bye-week practice, a season-ending injury.

On Detroit's first drive the next season, he had the same injury and had season-ending surgery.

Last year, Rogers had five receptions for 77 yards over the first three games before encountering his next obstacle. He was suspended for four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, and finished the season with 14 receptions for 197 yards and a TD.

"I will make no excuses for what I did, and I accept full responsibility for my actions," Rogers said in a statement released by the team when the suspension was announced last October. "I let down a lot of people, mainly myself."

The Lions released 21 total players, including offensive tackle Kelly Butler and linebacker James Davis. The team also placed safety Idrees Bashir on the injured reserve.

Davis started 29 games the previous two years and Butler started all 16 last season.

San Diego Chargers' Steve Foley Shot By Off-Duty Cop; Why Was Cop Off Duty??

Why was an off duty cop looking to make an arrest? Something here does not pass the logic test. Was the cop himself intoxicated? Also was the officer driving an unmarked car? If so, it may have been hard for Foley to tell if he was a cop.


Chargers' Foley shot by off-duty cop

By Sandra Dibble
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
September 4, 2006

Chargers linebacker Steve Foley underwent surgery for gunshot wounds yesterday after being shot by an off-duty police officer outside his Poway home.


Steve Foley
The 3:41 a.m. shooting occurred after the Coronado officer followed Foley's car for about 10 miles, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. The officer suspected a drunken driver when he spotted Foley's vehicle weaving in and out of lanes of northbound traffic on state Route 163, nearly colliding with several other cars, investigators said.

Foley, 30, was shot standing near his car, said sheriff's homicide Lt. Dennis Brugos. He more than once had refused the officer's order to pull over, Brugos said.

The officer, whose name was not released, was driving an unmarked car and was not in uniform. The officer told investigators he fired his weapon several times at Foley after the athlete stepped out of his vehicle on the quiet, upscale cul-de-sac of Travertine Court, and reached into his pants.

It was not clear whether Foley was armed, Brugos said.

Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer said Foley's injuries were not life-threatening. Schottenheimer said he did not know whether Foley would miss any time on the playing field as a result.

“The only thing we're thinking about is to make sure he is well,” Schottenheimer said. “Beyond that, it's not appropriate in my view to comment.”
On Saturday evening, hours before the incident, Foley had attended the Chargers' rookie dinner, where new players treat veterans to a lavish meal.

Police said Foley was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital. A city of San Diego dispatcher confirmed an ambulance sent to Travertine Court at 3:47 a.m. took a patient to Sharp Memorial Hospital in Kearny Mesa. A hospital spokeswoman, Kathy Gambito, said she had no information on a patient with Foley's name.

Foley's agent, David Levine, said Foley underwent surgery at noon.

It is unknown whether any charges will be filed against Foley. His female companion, Lisa Maree Gaut, 25, was booked into Las Colinas jail yesterday afternoon on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, according to the Sheriff's Department. A court hearing for Gaut is set for Thursday afternoon in El Cajon.

Foley signed with the Chargers as a free agent before the 2004 season, starting 13 games last season and missing three games with an abdominal injury. He tied for third on the team with 4½ sacks.

“He's been a great asset to this team, whether it's how he plays or how he livens up the locker room and how he leads,” said cornerback Quentin Jammer. “Foley is a genuine good guy. That's how he is all the time.”

Homicide detectives have taken over the investigation, because the shooting involves a police officer. The officer is on administrative leave, according to the Sheriff's Department, a standard procedure in such shootings.

The Coronado Police Department referred questions to the Sheriff's Department.

Foley has had previous run-ins with law enforcement. Last week, the San Diego County District Attorney's Office said it would not pursue charges against Foley for an incident in April. He was accused of resisting arrest, battery on a police officer and being drunk in public after an altercation on a University City street about 1:30 a.m. April 21.

After several incidents in Cincinnati in 1999 and 2000, where he played for the Bengals, Foley was enrolled in an NFL alcohol program.

According to the initial report from the Sheriff's Department, yesterday's incident started about 3:30 a.m. when the Coronado officer said he noticed Foley's car weaving on state Route 163 near state Route 52, traveling at speeds ranging from 30 mph to 90 mph.

The officer followed Foley's car as it exited Interstate 15 at Pomerado Road, the report said. Officials said the officer radioed other law enforcement agencies about his actions. When Foley stopped at a red light, the officer said he pulled his car alongside Foley's, identified himself as a police officer, and ordered him to pull over. Foley continued driving, investigators said.

After a short distance, Foley's car stopped again. Foley got out of the vehicle and approached the officer, who had stopped his vehicle behind Foley's. The officer identified himself again and pulled out his handgun, according to the report.

Foley kept approaching and said, “that's a BB gun,” the officer told investigators.

Foley then walked back to his car and drove away. Foley stopped again at the corner of Treadwell Drive and Travertine Court, near his house. The officer backed up his car and then stepped out at the end of the cul-de-sac, according to the report. Foley, who is 6-foot-4 and weighs 265 pounds, walked toward him with his female companion, Gaut, now at the wheel of Foley's customized Oldsmobile Cutlass.

The officer repeated that he was a police officer, and that the gun was real, according to the report. The officer then fired into some bushes as a warning. Gaut then drove the car quickly in the officer's direction, prompting him to fire two times at the vehicle, the report said. That's when Foley reached into his pants with his right hand, investigators said, and continued to approach the officer. The officer fired his gun.

“The suspect acknowledged that he had been shot, but continued toward the officer,” the sheriff's report said.

The officer fired again, the report said, and Foley fell to the ground.

The law allows – but does not require – off-duty police officers to make arrests when they witness suspected misdemeanor crimes, including drunken driving, said Paul Pfingst, the former San Diego County district attorney now in private practice.

“If a person resists arrest, (the officer) has no duty to retreat, if they use deadly force against him, he has the right to defend himself,” said Pfingst, who also served on the San Diego Police Department's review board scrutinizing police shootings and misconduct accusations.

What may become an issue in this case is how the Coronado officer identified himself and whether Foley believed he was legitimate, Pfingst said.

“There's an (identification) question going on there,” he said. “Usually if someone has a badge and a gun and displays it in a clear manner, people don't think they're having a BB gun. The question is whether a badge was displayed. And when it was displayed, was it displayed in a manner that could be seen.”

Several hours after the shooting yesterday, investigators remained on the scene, cordoning off the small cul-de-sac where the shooting occurred. Foley's car stood in the middle, the passenger door ajar.

Property records show Foley purchased a four-bedroom, 2,965-square-foot residence on Travertine Court for $1.39 million in July 2005.

Neighbors in the Rolling Hills Estates development described Foley as a friendly, pleasant neighbor.

“He was real personable, every time he went by he would wave,” said Kent Goodman, who lives nearby.

Foley took time to chat with Goodman's son, who plays football in a Pop Warner League, Goodman said.

Ben Roethlisberger To Miss Opener; Charlie Batch Takes Over

This development could be a blessing for backup quarterback Charlie Batch. The question is how will the Steelers offense cope with the Dolphins pass rush? It's going to be a long evening; look for the Steelers to run early and often, then go with play action.

Roethlisberger has emergency appendectomy
NFL.com wire reports

PITTSBURGH (Sept. 3, 2006) -- Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had an emergency appendectomy after becoming ill before practice and will miss Pittsburgh's season opener at home with Miami on Sept. 7, the NFL's marquee opening-night game.

Coach Bill Cowher is not certain how long Roethlisberger will be out following the quarterback's third operation in 10 months -- and second in 2½ months.

"The surgery went well," Cowher said. "He is obviously going to be out this week and we will go week to week from there."

Charlie Batch, the former Lions starter who was 2-0 as a fill-in last season when Roethlisberger hurt his knee, will start against the Dolphins in the NFL's first game of the season.

"This is why Charlie is here. Charlie will be fine," Cowher said. "It's a situation that can happen to any football team. You can go out there and have a starter go down, whether it's an ankle or something else of that nature. That's the nature of the business."

The appendix attack is yet another medical setback for Roethlisberger, who nearly died in a June 12 motorcycle accident only to make a remarkably fast recovery. He missed no practice time during training camp and played better in the preseason than he did a year ago before leading the Steelers to their first Super Bowl victory in 26 years.

Roethlisberger missed four games last season because of two knee injuries, one that required surgery, and injured his right thumb late in the season. He later said he broke it, though the Steelers never have confirmed that, but he missed no playing time because of that injury.

It was not immediately known if the motorcycle accident might have caused any internal damage that subsequently resulted in the appendix attack. All of Roethlisberger's known injuries from the crash -- a broken nose, orbital bones and upper and lower jaw, damaged teeth and a concussion -- were to his head.

According to various medical journals, one cause of appendicitis can be a perforation in the appendix.

The Steelers were to begin the season with only two quarterbacks, Roethlisberger and Batch, plus rookie Omar Jacobs on their practice squad. But Cowher said they would bring in another quarterback this week.

One possibility might be former starter Tommy Maddox, who knows the Steelers' system better than any other quarterback they could bring in on short notice. But Maddox played poorly while losing two starts when Roethlisberger was out last season.

Unhappy at being cut after the season ended, Maddox was the only Steelers player who did not attend a White House ceremony honoring the Super Bowl champions this summer.

"We will assess the backup (situation) as the week goes on. This is the situation we are being dealt and we are not asking for any pity nor are we going to make any excuses," Cowher said. "We are going to get ready for Miami accordingly."

Roethlisberger is the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl, doing so at age 23 when the Steelers beat Seattle 21-10 on Feb. 5. He is off to one of the best starts of any NFL quarterback in history, leading the Steelers to a 27-4 record in his 31 starts and to two AFC championship games and one Super Bowl in two seasons.

The Steelers made the playoffs last season even with Roethlisberger sitting out one-quarter of their schedule, and Cowher said they will overcome this latest setback.

"Adversity is not what knocks you down, it is how you handle it and how you respond to it," he said. "This football team with its veterans has been down this road before, facing challenges and adversity."

There is a possibility the Steelers could be without their two top skill position players against Miami. Wide receiver Hines Ward didn't have a full training camp practice after Aug. 3 because of a sore hamstring and is listed as questionable. He did not play in the preseason.


AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Bill Chackhes Is Ready For Some Football

It's that Smell.....that smell of food slowly roasting over a BBQ grill. The last gasp of summer (although you'd never know it in NY where we had fall like temps this week and flooding due to Ernesto) is on us, and that means Football season has begun.

Weather yours is of the college variety, which has just begun this weekend, or the NFL variety which begins next weekend, you can now rejoice,..Your time has come, your games are here. Usually this is the weekend where everyone takes a short trip, visits family, or has a gathering. I can't do that this year, as i'm enthralled by the start of football once again.

This time, i have 6 fantasy FL teams, a website and podcast, plus contributing to this Blog to keep me busy. Coaching season has also begun forme as well. So lets get ready for Football everyone!!

Kyra Phillips Makes David Letterman's "Top 10" List - Video

CNN's Kyra Phillips makes the "Top 10" list on David Letterman's "The Late Show" after her appearance -- or mic mistake -- during President Bush's speech commemorating Hurricane Katrina on Monday.

Here's the video:

RON HILL APPOINTED NFL VP OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
280 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
(212) 450-2000 * FAX (212) 681-7573

WWW.NFLMedia.com
Joe Browne, Executive Vice President-Communications
Greg Aiello, Vice President-Public Relations

FOR USE AS DESIRED
NFL-52 8/31/06

RON HILL APPOINTED NFL VP OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS

RON HILL, a 26-year NFL scout and player personnel executive, has been named NFL vice president of football operations, the league announced today.

Hill will work under the NFL’s new Senior Vice President of Football Operations RAY ANDERSON in multiple areas, including officiating, the NFL Competition Committee, and development programs for coaches and football executives.

He will manage the NFL’s relationships with college football coaches and athletic directors, the league’s medical committees, the Senior Bowl and other college all-star events, and with other professional and employee groups involved in football.

Hill also will serve as an advisor on football issues to the NFL’s youth football and international departments, the NFL Players Association, and league apparel and equipment suppliers. He also will be a liaison with the NFL broadcasting department on the competitive aspects of game scheduling.

Hill has worked for four NFL teams over the past 26 years.

He began with the Dallas Cowboys in 1979 as an area and regional scout. From 1984-94, he was a regional scout and assistant director of player personnel for the Denver Broncos.

Hill then joined the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1994 as their director of pro personnel. In 1998, he moved to the Atlanta Falcons where he worked for seven years as vice president of football operations and vice president of player personnel.

Hill is a native of Okolona, Mississippi, and a graduate of Mississippi State University, where he obtained a master’s degree in administration and education.
# # #

New England Patriots Reject Seahawks and Jets Offers For Deion Branch

The New England Patriots have treated their star wide receiver Deion Branch like crap. First they fail to offer a competitive contract to him, then fine him something like $14,000 for each day of his training camp holdout, and now they've rejected trade offers from the Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets.

Now, Deion's running -- right to the NFL Players Association to file a grevance.

I hope he wins in arbitration.

David Fleming On Bengals LB Odell Thurman For ESPN

I copied and posted and liked to this article by Dave Fleming because it contains evidence of why there should be more African American head coaches in the NFL: the "father figure" element.

In Thurman's case, he lost both of his parents, and until Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis, had no one really strong figure in his life who actually had control over his future and who cared. According to Thurman, that person is Lewis.

I'm not stating that the same relationship can't be established with a white coach, but that since so many young black men grow up in single-mother homes, the presentation of a strong black male figure is welcome to the kid.

First Person: Odell Thurman

By David Fleming


Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman sits in a green velvet chair 16 floors above the street with his back to Cincinnati's Fountain Square, or what's left of it, as construction workers below loudly tear apart and rebuild one of the city's most famous landmarks. In effect, the same thing has been happening to Thurman this preseason.


While growing up in an impoverished part of rural Georgia, Thurman overcame the deaths of both of his parents to star at UGA. Several off-field incidents in college caused him to fall to the second round of the 2005 draft. But in Cincinnati Thurman emerged as the Chad Johnson of the resurgent Bengals defense. From his Mike 'backer spot he led the team with 148 tackles (46 ahead of the second-place tackler) and led all NFL rookies with five picks while his Tasmanian Devil style of play drew comparisons to Ray Lewis and restored the team's defensive swagger. "The sky's the limit with Odell," said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis.

Those expectations, however, all came crashing down around him this summer when Thurman's second violation of the NFL substance abuse policy led to a four-game suspension to start the 2006 season. He says that missing tests while out of town this summer, as well as appointments with his NFL mandated counselor, are what caused the violation -- not another positive drug test result. (The NFL considers them the same thing.) And he denies, flatly, the notion that he skipped the tests because he was going to test positive. Now Thurman says he'll be tested several times a week and his next violation would result in a yearlong suspension.

Thurman, 23, was allowed to participate in all preseason activities but on Sept. 4 he will no longer be permitted to practice or be with the team on game days. As he neared the isolation of that cutoff date, Thurman, dressed in a striped Coogi polo shirt and sporting a massive chunk of tobacco in his right cheek, sat down after the Bengals' MNF triumph to clear the air with the first in-depth interview of his tumultuous preseason.


Tom Szczerbowski/US Presswire
After a great rookie season in 2005, Thurman received comparisons to Ray Lewis.
He began by placing one finger on the corner of the dark wood coffee table in front of him, saying …

"If this is the edge right here then I got one foot over the edge, I got one whole leg over the edge and the fall would be … I can't even see the ground. A one year [suspension] for me, if I were to make that mistake, it would be like committing suicide.

"I just want people to know I wasn't out there using all types of drugs. Basically, it was me missing a test. To be honest it was my first NFL offseason and I was out doing too much during the summertime, being irresponsible about the whole thing and not taking it real serious. I made a mistake. And I'm living with that mistake. And now I'm refocusing. I just worry that the fans have gotten the wrong impression on me, that they think I'm an addict with real problems with using drugs. I've heard some wild stuff, rumors about crack, methamphetamine, people saying I came into camp 50 pounds underweight. When the main thing to all this was me missing a test -- not failing it, missing it. Even though if you miss a test in this system, it's the same as having drugs in your system. That's the way they see it.

"I'm not the kind of person that's been portrayed by the media, a bad guy or a drug user. I'm not. That's not the case at all. I want people to see the situation I'm in and how critical this is for me. I know some people will still believe whatever they want to believe. But the people around me, they know what kind of a person I truly am. Missing the test is not on the same pedestal as using. Missing the test is irresponsible. Using drugs is stupid. I blame it all on myself, I was just being irresponsible about the whole situation. In some ways I look at it like, man, I didn't really mess up but I still come across in all of this looking like the real bad guy. I'm not perfect but I'm not on meth or crack cocaine, either.

"I knew for a couple of months, I was just waiting to hear back from the league what the punishment would be. The biggest problem was around camp, when the news came out, I was embarrassed and scared and I separated myself from everyone. Coach called me like five or six times but I was in denial. I didn't want to face it. I didn't want to handle it. I was worried how everyone would treat me. I mean, I used to be the happiest guy in the building coming into work. And I wondered if guys would still follow me on this defense. But my teammates welcomed me back with open arms and the Bengals didn't turn their backs on me either. They're, like, 110 percent behind me. Coach is like a father to me. It's that simple.

"Looking from the outside in, I don't get mad at people when they say that [the Bengals have character issues] because there has been a lot of stuff going on with this team. But there's a lot of people in that locker room and coaches can't control everyone. The Bengals organization can tell people, 'don't do this, don't do that.' But they can't control everyone in that locker room. They can't.

"When I finally came back to camp I sat down with coach and he basically said this to me: 'You're mine. I drafted you, I'm not pushing you away, I'm still behind you 100 percent. Just stay focused from here on out. Don't get down. Don't mess up again. Just get back on the field.' I think he knew that I had heard enough how bad I had messed up. I know what I did and that I had to take full responsibility for what I did. So the team said to me, 'we still love you around here, we're still your family, we're not going to push you out the door because of one mistake.' [Coach] called me every other day making sure I was okay, asking if I needed to talk or if I needed anything. I had tried to push him away at first, I thought I should deal with it on my own, but that was the wrong thing to do. I was really just hiding.


Tom Szczerbowski/US Presswire
Thurman will miss Cincy's first four games in 2006 -- including games at Kansas City and Pittsburgh and vs. New England.
"I feel like I came in as a rookie and I made a statement right away. I may have made some mistakes but I made them at a 100 miles per hour. As a rookie on the field, I could be a tiny, half step out of alignment and coach Lewis would jump down my throat. Like, 'GET UP AND GET OVER THERE, RIGHT NOW ODELL!' And I'd move one tiny step over and that's how far off I was, a few inches. That was the kind of small stuff he stayed on my back about and that's why I had a great rookie season on the field.

"I think coach Lewis is doing the same things with me, only now it's with my life. If I'm two minutes late for a meeting, he's gonna get on me. If I'm not dressed properly for practice, he's gonna get on me. All the small stuff, he's gonna get on me. And I appreciate having someone in my life like that and I know I need it. Being young and being in the situation I'm in right now, I can't make any more mistakes, not one more slipup.

"Missing the test for me was like one more eye-opener or another kick in the butt for me. Like, it's time to get focused again. I've got goals set higher than just being in the NFL. I really do feel like I can be one of the best. But I can honestly say, too, that I haven't worked like that. I haven't worked like I'm the best. I lift weights. I do this. I do that. I run. But there are times when I slip and I don't want to work out and I'm just being young and irresponsible. I've always had that in the back of my mind: that I'm the best, I'm the greatest. What I found out was everyone thinks that. But not everyone prepares to be the greatest.

"But now that I have this mistake on me, the magnifying glass will always be on me. I gotta work. I can't slip. I can't falter. All I have to do is make sure I don't hang myself. I gotta live my life more organized. I gotta plan ahead. And I gotta see the big picture of my life, which is football has gotten me everything I have. That's the main reason for where I'm at: football.

"Looking back on my whole career, this is how it's always been for me. Like at Georgia. I got suspended, I messed up and I knew that if I made another mistake I was out of there. And I went straight. Now I messed up in the league at an early point in my career. I have no more errors I can make. So now I have to make this a 10-year run -- at least.

"I know it doesn't seem like it because I almost blew it all, almost let it all go, but I appreciate what I got now, especially after where I came from. I don't think everyone out there truly understands where I came from. The way I grew up, I had an elbow in the back of my neck my whole life. Like, 'you're gonna do right, you're gonna be the one who makes it.' But 90 percent of the people out there, if they had been through the stuff I've been through in life, they wouldn't be where I'm at.

"I lost both parents at a young age. Basically I came from nothing: I mean 15, 16, 17 people in a four-bedroom house, sharing clothes with my cousins, four people in a bed, man if you came home late you had trouble finding a spot to sleep. I'm serious. We were rich with love, though, we were rich with love.

"My dad's death was much harder to take than my mom's. Being at such a young age when she died [in a car wreck when Odell was in the fourth grade] I kinda didn't really understand it. It hurt but I didn't understand it. When my father died [of liver and kidney failure three years ago] it came at a key point in my life -- when I really needed him he was gone. I was 20, had just had a kid of my own [Odalyus, now 4] and it was the week before my first college game. At that point I didn't have a parent to support me. Nothing. I had uncles and family and my grandma but there's nothing like having your parents behind you.

"My dad came to watch me in the Red-Black scrimmage before my sophomore year at Georgia. I had a good game. We celebrated. Three or four days later my auntie calls and says, 'You need to come see your daddy.' Now, I had just talked to him earlier in the day and when I came home to see him in the hospital, he was already like a vegetable. A few days earlier he had been complaining about a stomachache. But it was kidney failure, they said. He was dying from kidney failure from drinking too much. But he wasn't a drunk. He went to work, sober, every day for eight, nine years. His body just couldn't take it any more.

"What I remember the most was the doctor's wording when I asked him a question about talking to my dad the next day. And he said to me: 'If he makes it through the night.' If? I caught that. I remember that. If? My family was hiding from me how bad it was. But I remember that word: if. I left the hospital and drove back to campus and in the hour it took me to get back to Athens, he died. He left me too early. That's what I think. He left me too early. I played that week. I didn't start. But I played a good game. I needed to get back around my teammates.

"And that's what I need now. It's gonna be a long month, I'm not gonna lie about it. But I think I'll be alright. Watching games, being close but not being able to get in there with my teammates, that's the worst punishment right there. Not playing, I've been looking at this team like this: Damn, they're good, but now imagine if they had me too? What if I was out there? I really do believe that I play a key role on this team. Then I look at our offense and it's like, they can just score whenever they want to. Most teams talk about the Super Bowl this time of year but for us, it's a realistic goal to set.

"Man, we could be like the Colts last year, winning 13, 14 in a row. That's not even thinking outside the box with this team. It's not. We've got a great team that can really do something like that this year. We're stacked at every position. Most teams this time of year are like, 'we need a quarterback, we need a running back, we need a safety.' But I can't name one position in that locker room that we don't have guys who are the best in the league at their position. This is a team full of Pro Bowlers.

"And I'm still a part of this team, I'm still a Bengal. That's what I need to stay focused on right now. I've still got a job to do when I get back. I know I have to do the right thing now, so I'm not scared. It's all up to me. I control it. And in my mind I think I'll be a Bengal forever. It's gonna take time, I know, but I think I can be one of the most beloved players around here.

"Once I step back on the field I'm hoping all of this stuff will diminish. People will see that I'm still focused, that I'm still the player I was last year, that I'm still the Bengal they used to love. I think this will pass over. That's what I'm hoping.

"I just want everyone to see the truth: that I made some mistakes but that doesn't make me a bad person. I did make some mistakes. I'm not denying that. I did get in the program to begin with. And to get in you had to be doing something. But I'm not the first and I won't be the last to deal with this type of stuff. I just want people, however they looked at me beforehand, that's what I want to go back to.

"I just don't want to end up a sad case, you know? I don't want to look back one day and have to say, 'coulda, shoulda, woulda been.' I want to be able to look back in 10 years and say I was one of the greatest. I want to be a success story. I want people to say he came from nothing and made it all the way to the Hall of Fame.

"From nothing to the Hall of Fame. That's the story I want. A success story.

"I don't want to end up no sad story."

David Fleming is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. His first book, "Noah's Rainbow: a Father's Emotional Journey from the Death of his Son to the Birth of his Daughter" (Baywood 2006) was hailed by grief educators as a "deeply touching, insightful, fresh and credible voice on the complex journey of grieving and healing." His next book, based on the controversial 1925 NFL Pottsville Maroons (ESPN Books 2007) has been optioned as a movie by Sentinel Entertainment. Contact him at Dave.Fleming@espn3.com

Brianna Keilar, Don't Do A Kyra Phillips -- Turn Off Your Mic!

I'll bet CNN's Newsource Correspondent Brianna Keilar's smiling about this whole thing about Kyra Phillips and thinking "I'd never make that mistake."

Hey Brianna, keep your mic off, and one day the lead job will be yours!

Brianna Keilar Gets More Airtime | Brianna Keilar and Kyra Phillips | Brianna Keilar On CNN Saturday | Brianna Keilar Now CNN Anchor | Brianna Keilar At 2005 NFL Draft