Linebackers stand to make Big Money

Linebackers Vying for Top of Draft Chart --See my endnote.

By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer


INDIANAPOLIS -- Patrick Willis and Paul Posluszny grew up in different worlds. One considered attending the Naval Academy and representing his country on the battlefield -- if he couldn't become the next Western Pennsylvania kid to star at Linebacker U. The other dreamed of creating a better life for his siblings in the South.

Now their divergent paths have crossed here, at the NFL's annual scouting combine, where the award-winning linebackers are vying to become first-round picks in April's NFL draft.

"It would be a blessing, especially the way I grew up," Willis said, when asked what he would do with his riches. "It would help me take care of those who helped me along the way and make sure that if I have children they won't have to go through what I went through."

Willis endured the kind of childhood experiences no youngster should.

The real-life nightmare began when his mother left home, abandoning her four children and forcing them to fend for themselves with an uninterested father. Willis was 4 years old.

Two years later, Willis was cooking meals for his siblings, and by age 10, Willis was working in Tennessee's cotton fields with his grandmother, earning $110 per week. The money went to his dad so he could pay the family's bills.

As a teenager, the situation worsened. When Willis learned his father was abusing his sister, Ernicka, he turned him in to child services and suddenly, Willis and his siblings needed to find a new family, one that would give them the love and respect they deserved.

When Chris and Julie Finley took in Willis, becoming his legal guardians, things changed. Eventually, Willis earned a scholarship to Mississippi and began emerging as one of the Rebels top players.

As a junior, he led the nation with 90 solo tackles despite playing with a broken finger, a sprained knee, a sprained foot and a separated right shoulder -- pains that paled in comparison to his life off the field.

But just when it seemed everything was finally going right, Willis was struck by another tragic chapter. Last summer, his 17-year-old brother, Detris, a two-way starter on his high school football team in Bruceton, Tenn., drowned while swimming with friends. Willis delivered the eulogy.

He played his senior season like he a man on a mission. Willis finished with 137 tackles, 11 1/2 for losses and three sacks. He was an All-American, the SEC's defensive player of the year and the Butkus Award winner as the nation's top linebacker. He also earned the coveted Chucky Mullins Courage Award, named for the former Mississippi player who was paralyzed during a game in 1989. Mullins died in 1991.

Last month, he added the Senior Bowl's defensive MVP award to his list of honors.

Yet even now, the wounds still cut deeply. Asked to explain what happened to his parents, the soft-spoken, polite linebacker simply said: "There were complications with my dad, and my mother was never really around."

In 22 years, he's overcome more obstacles, challenges and disappointments than most people experience in a lifetime and Willis believes the tribulations have helped him grow as a player, too.

"My real-life experience taught me how to compete through adversity," he said. "No matter what happens, if someone knocks you down, you have to find a way to get up and get the job done. That's what you have to do."

Posluszny's road to the combine took a more conventional route.

After sweeping both the 2005 Butkus and Bednarik awards, most figured he was off to the NFL. The expectations increased when Hall of Famer Jack Ham called Posluszny the best linebacker to ever play at Penn State, a comment that even surprised the humblest of players.

"I couldn't believe he said it because I know all the great linebackers that went before me, and I can't stack up to them," Posluszny said. "(Shane) Conlan, (LaVar) Arrington, whoever. If I picked the best, I'd have to say it was Jack Ham because he's in the Hall of Fame."

Yes, Posluszny admits he contemplated leaving school early -- until one play late in last year's Orange Bowl took away that option. When Posluszny tried to leap over a block by Lorenzo Booker, the Florida State running back hit Posluszny in the knee with his helmet.

The toughest Nittany Lion on the roster couldn't just shake off this one; two ligaments were partially torn. Posluszny feared he might need surgery, but doctors said he simply needed rest.

To Posluszny, it was an agonizing two months.

"It was long, long and boring," he said. "The injury wasn't very significant, but it was a long rehab process."

The other part was that Posluszny had to start all over, proving to scouts he could make it all the way back to his old form.

While he matched his 2005 totals with 116 tackles and three sacks, Willis wound up winning the Butkus Award and may have unseated Posluszny as the No. 1 linebacker in this year's draft.

The way teams look at it, though, they can't go wrong. Both are talented, tested and terrific on the field. And in a world where team officials often talk about needing "character guys," they will be hard-pressed to find two more compelling cases than those offered by Posluszny's comeback and Willis' fight for survival.

"Stepping up to this level, I'm going to have to do something regardless of what background I came from or what division I played at," Willis said. "It doesn't matter where you're from, as long as you show up when it's time."


Here we have a Great piece about the top twp LB's in this Draft. What you never get from the piece is that after Willis and Posluszny the talent level drops off a considerable amount. The Next best LB might not get selected untll the latter part of the second round, unlike last year where there were ten valid LB's who could have been selected in the TOP half of round 1.

Could Willis find Happyness wearing a different color Blue??

From Pro Football weekly's "the Whay we Hear It".....
Reese’s comments about McGahee offer new wrinkle to Giants’ RB outlook


The most intriguing thing to come out of new Giants GM Jerry Reese’s mouth at the Scouting Combine shouldn’t have come out at all. When asked about the possibility of acquiring Bills RB Willis McGahee, Reese did not refuse to comment — as he should have, given that McGahee is still under contract and that it could be considered tampering for another team to talk about a player’s availability. Yet, the comment that the Giants will do their due diligence on McGahee at least raised the intrigue level around one of the more interesting positions on the team heading into free agency. Sources with knowledge of the Giants’ interests suggest that the team will add at least one, perhaps two, backs this season — either through free agency, the draft or a trade. The latter had been considered the least likely until Reese’s comments, because the organization is believed to like Brandon Jacobs as a lead back, albeit one who will carry less responsibility than the recently retired Tiki Barber. Later, Reese even went on to say that, ideally, Jacobs would carry the ball 20 times and that another back might get 15 carries in a hypothetical division of labor before the Giants have even made any moves.


Ok so we know that The Giants are Panting like a wanton schoolgirl over McGahee and the Packers Ahman Green, and the Giants RB coach Jerheld Ingrham is something of a magic man when it comes to Backs with issues(can we call him the RUNNINGBACK wisperer??) But you can't call this "tampering" when the player himself has made it known that he wants a trade, the team he plays for has said they will make a trade, and the Giants didn't offer a contract number in thin air like the Jets did last year with the Deion Branch affair(which they were cleared of any wrongdoing BTW).
Still, not that Bright on Reese's part to tip his hand that way, and it's not something either of his two predecessors would have done. The Late George Young, who Had a hand in bringing Reese into the organization would have talked a 1,000 dollar an hour escort out of her 401K without telling her he was giving it to the little sisters of the poor, and Ernie Accorsi could be accused of many things, but one of them was not loose lips...so unless this was a big smoke screen....

Small School Prospects-IVY LEAUGE

Prospects From the IVY LEAGUE who could be drafted or signed as free
agents in 2007-By Bill Chachkes (the Draftnik)

Everyone knows or seems to know the players available for this draft
from the big named schools, but what about the "Unknowns", the
"Sleepers". These are the players who are good enough to play
somewhere, who could make a roster if they were to have a chance.

As i spent the 2006 college football season on the inside of IVY
League Football, i got to focus on these players who otherwise might
not get a mention by most outlets. While they are not ranked in order,
DeOssie and McCarthy stand out as two of the better prospects at their
positions in ALL of college football, Artis is versatile, Mizell and
Fuseiler add senior depth to the skill positions they play, and
Terrell displays the ability to be a quality QB at the next level. All
16 players deserve a mention if for no other reason then they helped
elevate their teams level of play.


1)LB Zak DeOssie(6'4"240)-The premier defensive player in The Ivy the
last 2 years-he's every bit the player his dad Steve was(Cowboys &
Giants) and them some. Great Moves toward the ball most times but can
look out of place in open space. Excellent Tackler, a tireless worker
and very bright.Will find himself on an NFL roster in 07.

2) J.J. Artis-DB-Princeton(6'0"195) The Leader of the Tigers
Defense-Helped earn the team it's first IVY title since 1964. Was in a
3 way tie for the team lead with 3 int's. Very fluid runner in the
open field. Might be able to convert to FS. Very good cover skills.
Doesn't get turned around easily by opposing WR's. able to take on
bigger WR's and bring them down in the open field.

3) Chris Mizell-TE-Penn(6"4" 250) This quiet powerhouse of a young man
was the team's best downfield blocker the last two years. He had 31
grabs for 292 yards with a 9.4 Yards per catch avg. Played HS Ball at
NYC's Horace Mann, one of the best private school football programs in
the northeast. Soft Hands, but could use work on deep routes.

4) Ed McCarthy-OL-Yale(6'5" 302) Easily the Best OL in the ivy this
year. Ed has been Honored by the National Football Foudation, named to
the Walter Camp 1-AA All America Team, American Football Coaches Assn.
1-AA Team, and won the Boston Gridiron club's "Swede Nelson" award. Ed
also has football in his Family DNA, as his Dad also played at Yale
and had a brief stint in the NFL. The Bulldogs led the ivy in Rushing
with over 200 yds. avg per game, as McCarthy led the way blocking.

5) Matt Barsamian-OL-Columbia(6'5"282) Can play every position on the
line, but would best be suited to play Guard or Center at the next
level. Can also long snap. Great footwork and knows how to keep his
hands from getting him into trouble. Good leader, was one of team
co-captains in 05 and 06. Could make a team based on his special teams
contribution.

6) Jeff Terrell-QB-Princeton(6'3"220) Terrell has passed for nearly
4,500 yards the last two seasons, and rushed for nearly 800 yards as
well. A gunslinger with a strong arm, he's not afraid to pull it down
and run or take a sack if need be.Great passing accuracy and tight
spiral. Lead his team to a share of the 2006 Ivy title and has
compiled 16 out of 20 wins the last two years.

7) Ryan Fuseiler-WR/TE-Dartmouth(6'5"228) This is the next Colston, no
doubt. Smooth routes, great hands, good footwork. Not afraid to go
over the middle and take a hit going for the ball.Very hard to tackle
afterthe catch. Not Blessed with blazing speed,but has a burst after
the catch and could clock a sub 4.5 40 time with a good personal
training coach. If he's not on a roster in 07, someone isn't watching
enough tape.

8) Joe Sandberg-RB-Penn(6'0"200) This is a no nonsense young man who
gets the job done. 210 attempts in 10 games with 1,042 net yards
rushing, a 5.0 yd. per carry average and 104.2 yds. per game. A strait
forward runner between the tackles who doesn't have many moves, but
hits the open hole with a nice burst. Also has good hands as a
receiver out of the backfield. Might have wound up a Cowboy if
Parcells had stayed, as he hails from Parcells hometown(Oradell NJ)
and Played HS ball at Bergen Catholic.

9) Tad Crawford-DB-Columbia(6'3" 196) Tad posted his second 100+
Tackle season in a row, and earned all Ivy Honors for the second time
as well, Very "ball aware", very good coverage skills. Could play in
nickel or dime situations. Very fast and hard to tackle after an
interception. Could also play specials as a gunner or return man.
another player who belongs on a roster at the next level.

10) Mike Berg-DL-Harvard(6'2.5" 268) A unanimous all Ivy selection for
the second year, Berg is a fierce competitior and a penetrating
defensive lineman. Not only did Harvard lead the nation in sacks, the
average rushing attempt vs their defense was less then 2 yards per
carry! Controls the "Pit" with his dominating play, and seems to play
bigger then he actually is. Second on the team in sacks over his four
years.

And 6 more....Frank Fernandez(OC) and Clifton Dawson(RB) of Harvard,
Colin MDonough(P) of Princeton, Brian Fairbanks(DL) and Sean
Estrada(OL) from Penn, and Adam Brekke(LB) of Columbia

Former U.S Senator Tom Daschle Endorses Barack Obama - Tells CNN's Wolf Blitzer Obama Connects With Young People

I just watched the CNN Situation Room telecast where former U.S. Senator Tom Daschle appeared in an interview with host Wolf Blitzer and said that he's backing Senator Barack Obama for President because he "has a unique ability to connect with people, especially young people."

(Tom Daschle's pictured with blogger Kendall Church , -- one of the young people Tom may have been thinking of -- who he stopped to take a photo with at the Wright Brothers Memorial Dinner in 2003)

Daschle went on to compare Obama's popularity and candidacy to something not seen since the 60s. In response to Blitzer's question that Daschle's support was a rejection of the other candidates, Daschle disagreed with that assessment. Instead, he offered that his was not a repudiation of the other candidates, but an effort to lend support to Senator Obama.

It's becoming very clear to me that Senator Obama's candidacy does remind many of the kind of 60s idealism that was energized by a war no one wants America to be in, misplaced priorities at home, and the perfect messenger -- Obama -- that many want to really behind.

Hillary Problems - Judicial Watch Claims Hillary Clinton Illegally Obtained Files On Political Opponents

Wow. This is getting deeper, the anti-Hillary news. And While I'm not anti-Hillary, I'm certainly pro-Barack and am concerned that the Clinton camp's wrongly attacking Barack Obama , almost portraying him as their enemy.

And according to the website Judicial Watch, we all know what Hillary does to her enemies. The site explains:

"In the early 1990’s, President and Hillary Clinton violated the privacy rights of their perceived political enemies by wrongly accessing and misusing the FBI files of the Reagan and first Bush Administration staffers, among others. Over 900 files were illegally gathered. This scandal became known as “Filegate.”

In an effort to discredit the women who charged President Clinton with sexual misconduct, personal files and papers were illegally obtained and released. The courts found, under the Privacy Act, that privacy of Linda Tripp and Kathleen Willey had been violated.

When faced with discovery, the Clinton-Gore White House further compounded their legal troubles by launching a cover-up and failing to turn over documents as required by subpoena. (Learn more about White House E-mail Scandal.)

Through pre-trial discovery, Judicial Watch was able to link Mrs. Clinton directly to the center of the Filegate controversy.

That was then, I can understand why Hillary would want to strike back. The question is does the Clinton campaign still have the files and have they honed and refined their practice of gathering negative information to focus on people like Senator Obama?

This is the question Senator Clinton must answer.

Oakland Raiders Head Coach Lane Kiffin Gives New Life To WR Jerry Porter and WR Randy Moss

Contrary to reports, Oakland Raiders new Head Coach Lane Kiffin does not have a bad relationship with WR Randy Moss and has given WR Jerry Porter a new lease on his playing life, causing Porter to say he's excited. This is good news for the Raiders and is hopefully a sign of things to come.

A new day for Porter, Raiders
Outcast receiver excited to be playing under new coach Kiffin
By Bill SolidaySTAFF WRITER - OAKLAND TRIBUNE
Article Last Updated: 02/22/2007 09:21:01 AM PST

Peace with Jerry Porter certainly wasn't about to happen in Art Shell's time, but it already appears to have been achieved under new Raiders coach Lane Kiffin.
The two parties appear to have kissed and made up.
Porter, banished to the status of a fifth wheel for nearly all the 2006 season by Shell, is by all appearances, back in the good graces of the organization and vice versa.
That became apparent in a brief and unusual press release from the club Wednesday in which Porter was quoted as saying he has changed his number — and apparently his tune — and is once again "excited" to be a Raider.
He will now wear Tim Brown's old number (81) instead of his old one (84).
"I am truly honored and excited about changing my number to 81," Porter was quoted as saying. "For me, the new number represents a new start, a new beginning and new attitude."
Since being drafted by the Raiders in the second round of the 2000 draft, Porter has worn No. 84. The honor Porter to which refers is the retired club receiving leader and Porter confidante.
After a much-publicized falling out with Shell over his offseason workout agenda in the first meeting of the two a year ago, Porter, 28,from Sports 1
became the team's invisible man.
He caught only one pass for 19 yards and did not start a single game after starting 31 of 32 games the previous two seasons. He was the team's receiving leader both of those years, hauling in 64 and 76 passes for
Advertisement

998 and 942 yards and scoring 14 touchdowns.
But after the argument with Shell, with his being thrown out of the coach's office and subsequently either benched, suspended or inactive for all but four games, there was no denying the team missed him.
Replacement Alvis Whitted had only 27 catches for 299 yards and no touchdowns as the Raiders finished last in the league in offense and next-to-last in passing.
In 2006, Porter was inactive for nine games, suspended for two, on injured reserve for one and appeared in four games with no starts.
His lone catch came against Pittsburgh, the week after spending two weeks on the suspended list. The club had originally suspended him for four weeks for conduct deemed detrimental to the team, but it was cut in half on an appeal.
From the time of the blowup with Shell, Porter made his desire to be traded quite clear. With the advent of Shell's dismissal and the hiring of Kiffin, that no longer appears to be the case.
"I've had multiple meetings with coach Kiffin, and I am very excited about the direction of our team and especially our offense," Porter said. "I can't wait to get started."
The apparent resolution of Porter's desire to be traded now poses the question of what happens with the other Raiders starting receiver — Randy Moss.
Like Porter, Moss was critical of Shell's offense and hinted he, too, would have no objections to leaving Oakland. Moss had the least productive season of his career with 42 catches for 553 yards and three touchdowns while missing three games.
Kiffin, in an interview with ESPN radio Wednesday, hinted that the Moss situation also appeared headed in a positive direction.
"We had a great conversation," Kiffin told ESPN. "I am excited about Randy. Randy said he was excited about being here. We are looking forward to working together."
When Moss left Minnesota to join the Raiders as a free agent in 2005, he gave up his usual No. 84 in deference to Porter, switching to No. 18. He now has an opportunity to reclaim his old number.
The significance of Porter taking Brown's old number was not lost on Brown.
"He wanted to do it the year I left (2003), but it was too soon," Brown said. "I talked to him yesterday, and he feels some people might trip, but it's been four years since I had that jersey on.
"Obviously this is a sign of respect for him to want to change ... so I look for him to do a lot of things different than he's done in the past."
Brown also said he made one thing clear, telling Porter, "I can't stop you from doing it, but you have to understand, if you put that jersey on, people are going to expect certain things."
But the retired Raiders great added: "I think this will be a good change for him. Hopefully, when he thinks about acting like a nut, he'll remember the number, and maybe that will be enough to keep him in line. I don't foresee that happening, though. I think the problem was Art, and now that situation is not there. It's a new beginning for him."
Staff writer Jerry McDonald contributed to this
report.
What's your take on where No. 81 Jerry Porter and the Raiders now stand? And where do you think this leaves Randy Moss? Include your first/last name and your city, and send comments (50-100 words) to Turn2@angnewspapers.com.

Hillary Clinton's Staffers Jealous Of Barack Obama's Rise - NY Times

Wow. Just when you'd think we'd have a peaceful presidential campaign, a war of words explodes in full. Senator Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton were rocked by negative comments from Hollywood Mogul David Geffen, who on Monday hosted a dinner party for Senator Barack Obama and raised $1.3 million for the presidential candidate.

According to the New York Times, and The Washington Post , Mr. Geffen said the Clintons lie “with such ease, it’s troubling” and that the Clinton political operation “is going to be very unpleasant and unattractive and effective.” The Times reports that Mr. Geffen called Mr. Clinton a “reckless guy” who had not changed in the last six years, and suggested that Mrs. Clinton was too scripted.

What's bothersome is the Clinton campaign is blaming Senator Obama for remarks he didn't make. They're also calling for the Senator to return the money Geffen donated.

They must be totally nuts. Plus, they're letting it be known that they're a bit envious of Obama's rise to fame and popularity. That can only hurt, not help, the Clinton campaign. Even if it wasn't Obama who made the statements, Senator Clinton herself has seemed to react to them as coming from Obama, when they did not. Thus, becoming the adversary of a rising star can only harm her own efforts -- best to back off.