NFL Capsules - NFC: WR Steve Smith has made a name for himself in NFL
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Maybe it's time to stop referring to Steve Smith of the New York Giants as the other Steve Smith.
Sure, Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers is a four-time Pro Bowl pick who is still one of the NFL's top receivers.
Steve Smith of the Giants doesn't deserve second billing though, not after last season. The fourth-year receiver shattered New York's single-season team record with 107 catches, earning his first Pro Bowl berth.
What made the emergence more impressive was that Smith stepped up with the Giants looking for someone to replace now imprisoned Super Bowl hero Plaxico Burress.
Smith smiled when asked if it was time for him to stop being called the other Smith.
"That would be nice," he said half laughing. "I want to go out there and show it again this year, just to show everybody. He's (Carolina-Smith) had a lot of great seasons. I want to go out there and do it again."
Smith has come to Giants' camp at the University at Albany as the undisputed leader of a very young receiving group that features Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks as the No. 2 and 3 targets for Eli Manning.
Manningham and Nicks are constantly picking Smith's brain for tips, which is kind of funny.
Manningham is in his third season and is 24 years old. Nicks is in his second season and is 22.
Steve Smith is in his fourth year and is the old man at 25.
"It's kind of weird because they are listening to me and I'm still kind of young, too," Smith said. "It feels good."
What Manningham and Nicks can see in Smith is his work ethic. After almost every practice, Smith seems to hang around to catch a few extra passes, to talk to the coaches or Manning or to simply work on a move, looking for perfection.
"He's a guy who went to the Pro Bowl last year, but he's also the first guy, one of the first guys, on the field getting extra jugs work, and staying out there and catching off the jugs after," new receivers coach Sean Ryan said. "So I mean his work ethic, that's a leader."
Unlike Nicks, last year's first-round pick, Smith isn't a speedster. He is a polished route runner who can make defensive backs look silly with his moves.
When they are not expecting it, he can also run right past them. The other day in practice, he beat cornerback Corey Webster and safety Antrel Rolle on a deep post pattern in catching a pass from Manning.
"Steve Smith has continued to grow and develop as an inside receiver, which I think all of us expected," offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said. "But he also did a great job when he was outside, which is something I don't think all of us had anticipated. He's just a complete, all-around receiver."
Smith also has become Manning's go-to guy. His 1,220 yards receiving were third in the NFC last season and eighth in the league. His seven touchdown catches led the Giants, and were six more than he had in his first two seasons.
Injuries limited Smith early in his rookie season, but he came on late as a third-down receiver, making five catches in the Super Bowl for 50 yards. The Southern California star had a team-high 57 catches in 2008. His career took off last season.
"Last year really was the first time that he was a full-time starter, moving around," Manning said. "We put him in different spots and he had a great season."
Manning and Smith have become a team. The two sit next to each other in the meeting room and talk while they're watching game or practice videotapes. They also talk a lot between plays.
"He's just gotten really good at understanding defenses and getting a feel for where the open holes are and finding ways to get open," Manning said.
"We feel so comfortable out there," Smith added. "There are times I can look at him like, 'You missed me.' I feel like I can do that now. All that is is reps and being in the meeting room, talking to him and building that rapport up."
Smith has worked extremely hard preparing for 2010, spending many a day running in the water and sand at Redondo Beach in California. He used to run the dunes at Manhattan Beach, but they were shut down this season.
"I just want to make a lot of plays every game," Smith said. "I want to be a consistent playmaker."
Smith also is willing to share the spotlight. When asked about the possibility of the Giants signing Burress again if he were to be released from prison, Smith didn't hesitate.
"That's cool," he said. "We won with Plaxico. We won a Super Bowl. He would take a lot of pressure off the receivers if he came back."
And that would open things up even more for Steve Smith.
Different test: Redskins' Haynesworth has MRI
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Even as the Washington Redskins ordered an MRI on Albert Haynesworth's sore left knee, coach Mike Shanahan gave yet another reason why he's adamant about having the two-time All-Pro defensive tackle pass the team's conditioning test.
Haynesworth, says the coach, missed way too many practices last season.
"I've got all the stats in there, how many games he played where he didn't practice throughout the whole week," Shanahan said. "If you don't practice, you're not going to play well. ... My job is to make sure he can play the best once we start our season, and that's to get him in football shape. We'll make sure when he is ready to go, he can go full speed."
The Haynesworth soap opera entered its second week Thursday when the knee kept him from taking the conditioning test for the third straight day. That prompted a different sort of test — an MRI — that Shanahan called a "preventative measure."
"His knee's been a little bit sore, more sore than it has been in the past," Shanahan said. "In the past, every third or fourth day it would be a little sore, according the trainers, but now it's been a couple of days consistently sore."
The knee has bothered Haynesworth throughout previous seasons. Last year, he missed two days of training camp to have fluid injected into the knee, a procedure he said had become routine for him to fight the wear and tear of practice.
Once the season began, the days off for Haynesworth piled up quickly. He was listed on the injury report for 10 of the team's 16 games with hip, ankle and knee ailments. He missed four games, continuing a pattern from his years with the Tennessee Titans, where he never played all 16 games in a season after becoming a regular starter in 2003.
Haynesworth, entering the second year of a seven-year, $100 million contract, is the only Redskins player who has to take the conditioning test, a result of his decision not to take part in the team's offseason workout program. Shanahan's unyielding position has asserted the coach's control over the team, but his comments Thursday also echoed long-standing concerns about Haynesworth's fitness.
The test consists of two timed 300-yard runs with many 180-degree changes of direction, hardly the best thing to attempt on a bad knee. Asked if the state of Haynesworth's knee might be a reason to excuse the player from passing the test in order to practice, Shanahan didn't sound ready to bend.
"Well, you can't practice if your knee's not strong enough," Shanahan said. "If you can't do drills and push off it, you can't run. If you can't run, you can't play."
Haynesworth continued to learn the Redskins defense as a spectator Thursday, watching the drills with a play sheet in his hand. He also attended team meetings and has been hitting the blocking sled after practice.
"I'm just going to treat Albert the way I'm going to treat any other player," Shanahan said, "see what he can do on the practice field and get him in the best shape possible."
Notes: WR Mike Furrey has been diagnosed with a concussion. The eight-year veteran hasn't practiced since Tuesday morning and the team isn't certain when he'll return. "He's had one before," Shanahan said. "We'll just have to wait and see." ... RT Jammal Brown (hip muscle strain) returned to practice after missing a day but was limited. ... Shanahan said he hopes WR Malcolm Kelly (hamstring) will be able to practice Monday.
-- Joseph White
Business as usual for Vikings QBs
MANKATO, Minn. (AP) — While Brett Favre waffles in Mississippi, his presumptive teammates are sweating through training camp in Minnesota.
It's business as usual for the Vikings.
Two veteran quarterbacks, Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, are in limbo, trying to prepare for the season while answering questions about being a placeholder for Favre. They've done it before, and say it hasn't been a distraction even through all the twists and turns this week.
Favre's agent, Bus Cook, said Wednesday that Favre will play if his surgically repaired ankle is healthy enough. That news came less than 24 hours after a player said Favre was texting teammates and officials in the organization to say he was planning to retire.
Jackson, who would be the starter if Favre couldn't return, smiled and cracked a joke about all of the developments, clearly comfortable in the middle of the situation again.
"It's kind of part of my life now. I actually might miss it," Jackson said with a smile. "It's his decision. He deserves however long he takes to make the decision. It's on him and I'm just going to come out here and try to get better."
Vikings coach Brad Childress said his team is focused, and Favre's indecision will not be a hindrance.
"It is not going to be detrimental within our team group," Childress said. "Everybody on the outside can bat it around however you want to. It's not going to be detrimental because we talk. Our team talks. We know we are in a forming stage right now, with older folks, veterans, with guys that are just trying to make an impact.
"It is not detrimental because all those guys have enough things to worry about themselves and moving forward."
Jackson has been taking most of the snaps with the starting offense in training camp while Rosenfels, a 10-year veteran, is serving as the No. 2 quarterback. He was brought in last offseason to compete with Jackson for the starting job until Favre joined the team in mid-August and took over.
After a rough couple of practices to start his second camp in Minnesota, Rosenfels has looked much more comfortable in the offense recently, even as the Favre speculation started to swirl earlier this week.
"Football's an emotional game. You try to keep emotion out of it as much as you can," Rosenfels said. "Me getting emotional and worrying about all the what-ifs and what-have-yous would drive me crazy. I'm just worrying about how I can improve out here and how I can help the other 10 guys I'm on the field with to get better. That's my focus."
Their experience with Favre's back-and-forth dancing certainly seems to be helping. Last summer, Favre told the team just before training camp opened that he was not going to play, only to change his mind and suit up a few weeks later.
"The situation, it is what it is," running back Adrian Peterson said. "When you've got a strong group and a group that knows what our expectation is and what we're trying to accomplish, you don't let anything interrupt that."
Favre threw for more than 4,200 yards with 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions to lead the Vikings to the NFC title game, where they lost in overtime to New Orleans. Favre had ankle surgery in May and is still contemplating whether he can make it through a 20th NFL season.
"It's the beast of the business, man," tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said of the quarterbacks-in-waiting. "They are professionals, they know how to handle this type of adversity. This is some strong adversity but they are preparing as if they are going to be starters. They've made tremendous progress in the offseason and all through camp and stuff like that."
Shiancoe did say that losing Favre "would be a big setback," and the thin resumes of Jackson and Rosenfels have the Vikings still hoping he will rejoin the team.
Jackson, 10-9 in his career as a starter, said he doesn't blame his teammates for wanting Favre, who is one of the best to play the position.
"Brett's a great guy. I'm not going to take away anything from him," Jackson said. "He's a Hall of Fame quarterback. I learned a lot from him last year. Hopefully if I get my chance this year, I can keep the team going."
-- Jon Krawczynski
Bears believe Tice is right for O-line
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. (AP) — Before they hired an offensive coordinator, the Chicago Bears turned to Mike Tice to help a struggling line.
Clearly, they believed in him.
Now, the players are buying in, too.
How an offensive line that was woeful at times a year ago performs could determine if the Bears rebound from a 7-9 season and get back to the playoffs for the first time since the team's 2006 Super Bowl run.
With no major additions to that unit, they're relying on improvement from within and a jump start from a veteran coach whom they believe can provide the spark they need.
"Mike's a great coach," six-time Pro Bowl center Olin Kreutz said. "I don't want to take a shot at guys who I played for, but he definitely will teach us a lot of stuff. That's just from doing everything. He's been a player, a tight end coach, an O-line coach, a head coach, assistant head coach. He's just done a lot of different things, so the knowledge he has is way different from a lot of guys you play for."
A longtime NFL tight end, Tice has served as an assistant and head coach with the Minnesota Vikings and joined the Bears after a four-year run on Jacksonville's staff, the past three overseeing the tight ends.
At each stop, Tice got big results. And the Bears are hoping for the same.
"It just takes time to change footwork that guys are used to for years and years," Tice said. "It just takes repetition and repetition. And once they get the footwork down and in the heat of battle when they get tired, is really how you know if they're grasping it. (Tuesday) was hot and there were some moments where guys were a little (dragging) and then we revert back. It's going to take some time."
This is a crucial season for coach Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo, who are operating under a win-or-else mandate from above.
The Bears made some big moves in the offseason, most notably adding Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers. On offense, they brought in Chester Taylor to boost the running game and revamped the coaching staff, with Mike Martz replacing Ron Turner as offensive coordinator.
While that move drew more attention, just as important could be the hiring of Tice. After all, unless the line blocks, quarterback Jay Cutler will be running for cover again and the ground game won't go anywhere.
And with no real additions other than blocking tight end Brandon Manumaleuna, the Bears are hoping Tice can get something out of the blockers that his predecessor Harry Hiestand could not last season.
The Bears ranked 23rd on offense, 29th in rushing. Cutler got sacked 35 times and threw a league-leading 26 interceptions — the most by a Chicago quarterback since Sid Luckman's club-record 31 in 1947 — after being acquired from Denver.
And while the line isn't completely at fault, a unit that ranked 19th gets a good chunk of the blame.
Cutler often had little time and compounded matters with some poor decisions. Matt Forte, meanwhile, ran his way into a competition with Taylor, going from 1,238 yards rushing as a rookie to 929 last season while averaging 3.6 per carry. He finally came clean after the season, acknowledging hamstring and knee problems slowed him. That might explain why he had only two 100-yard rushing games — both against Detroit — but it didn't help that the line was struggling.
That's where Tice comes in, the Bears hope.
Kreutz said he "brings a lot more to the table" than other coaches. But he also inherits a line that's set only at center and left tackle with Chris Williams.
The rest of the spots are up for grabs.
Martz said the rotation should start to come into focus within the next two weeks and that it's not unusual for a line to struggle early in camp with a new system in place, something that has happened to a degree. He has no concerns about Tice, however.
"I think we have the best guy coaching there is, I really do," Martz said. "I can't tell you what a comfortable feeling it is for me. You just know things are going to get done right and you just know their approach, so I'm not worried about it at all."
Players mention Tice's attention to detail, the footwork and hand use. That's been a major focus so far. And they mention his track record, particularly as an assistant. As Minnesota's offensive line coach from 1997-2001, he helped five linemen — Matt Birk, Jeff Christy, Randall McDaniel, Todd Steussie and the late Korey Stringer — make a combined 10 Pro Bowls.
"He brings experience," said Josh Beekman, who's trying to lock down the left guard spot. "He brings a lot of knowledge. He really coaches us to be the best players we can possibly be."
-- Andrew Seligman
Lions make quiet but important move with Sims
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — With so many new faces at Detroit Lions training camp, Rob Sims has been mostly lost in the shuffle.
The veteran guard's performance, though, will be a key factor if the Lions take the offensive leap forward that many fans expect.
Last season, the Lions struggled badly at the guard position, especially after Stephen Peterman suffered a season-ending foot injury in November. That threw the right-guard spot into the same disarray that the left-guard position had been in all season.
Now, though, Peterman is back and Detroit acquired Sims in a draft-day trade with Seattle. The Lions gave up Robert Henderson and a fifth-round pick to get Sims and a seventh-rounder.
"Rob's doing a good job out there," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said after Thursday's practice. "We've only been out here for less than a week, so I don't want to get carried away here and put him on the All-Decade team, but he looks good."
Sims is 26, but is already entering his fifth season in the league, having played the first four with the Seahawks.
"The nice thing about Rob is that he's an established veteran, but still young," Schwartz said. "That's a good combination to have."
Sims has been happy with the first week of training camp, saying that his focus has been on getting used to playing with his new linemates.
"Obviously, you have to learn the plays, but the toughest part is just the small details of blocking alongside these guys," he said. "You have to get used to where they put their feet, so you don't trip over them, and whether you should take a step ahead of the line or behind the line."
Mostly, Sims is trying to choreograph himself with center Dominic Raiola and left tackle Jeff Backus.
"Dom and Jeff have both been here for a long time, so that helps a lot," he said. "Our whole line right now is made up of guys that have time in the league, and that's more important than you realize. This could be a special group."
Sims is confident that the offensive line will play well enough to open things up for Detroit's passing game, with Matt Stafford throwing to receivers like Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson and tight ends Tony Scheffler and Brandon Pettigrew.
"It's our job to give them time to make plays, and I think we can do it," he said. "It's an impressive group. I played with Nate in Seattle, so I know how good he is, but Calvin is amazing. He's like something you get in Create-a-Player mode on the Madden games. I've never been on a team with a guy like him."
Sims wasn't the only one feeling optimistic after Thursday's workout, which was Detroit's second in full pads.
"I don't care if you are a Pee Wee team, or you play in high school, college or the NFL — that was a very good practice," Schwartz said. "Our first workout in full pads on Tuesday wasn't our best, so I'm very happy that we bounced back today and did a much better job in our second crack at it."
NOTES: Schwartz refuted a report that S Louis Delmas might require season-ending surgery on his groin injury. Delmas has yet to practice since training camp began last week. "I'm not going to take the bait of every rumor out there, but I've been honest with the media about long-term and short-term injuries, and Louis is a short-term guy. He pulled a groin in mini-camp, and we're being very cautious about it." ... DE Jared DeVries (Achilles' tendon) and RB Jerome Felton (foot) both left Thursday's practice after aggravating injuries. Schwartz didn't know the severity of either problem. ... After practicing once on Thursday, the team will work out twice Friday before having a public session at Ford Field on Saturday afternoon.
Backup role at home good fit for Saints' Ramsey
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Even though Patrick Ramsey won't take a meaningful snap unless Drew Brees gets hurt, the reserve quarterback said is happy to be home again.
Ramsey, a nine-year NFL veteran, gave up hope of competing for a starting job when he signed with the Saints on the eve of training camp, but life as a backup is much more palatable with family and friends nearby.
Ramsey played college football at Tulane, which shares the Louisiana Superdome with the Saints. He and his wife, Virginia, grew up in Ruston, La., about a 300-mile drive from New Orleans.
"The longer you go at this, with kids especially, you kind of embrace having family around," said Ramsey, who has two young daughters. "It's just the small things. If we have a road game and we
Eight years after the Washington Redskins took him in the first round of the draft, Ramsey is battling second-year undrafted free agent Chase Daniel for the spot behind Brees on the Saints depth chart. Rookie seventh-round pick Sean Canfield is next on the depth chart.
Coach Sean Payton said he had not decided whether he'll keep two or three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster when the season starts.
Predictably, Ramsey's first week of practice has been scratchy as he tries to learn a new system on the fly.
"I'm still working at it," he said. "It's a lot to digest. It's like learning how to say the same thing in a different language at times, and sometimes it's an entirely new concept."
In a two-minute drill at the Saints' indoor facility during Thursday morning's practice, he kept a drive alive by completing a 45-yard deep ball to Courtney Robey on fourth-and-16.
On the next play, he had a miscommunication with wideout Rod Harper and hit safety Reggie Jones in the chest for any easy interception.
"He's got a live arm," Payton said. "I'm pleased with his ability to pick up our offense and run it. There will be little nuances he will continue to work on, but overall he's handling it well."
Ramsey, who started 23 times in his first three seasons with the Redskins, has grown accustomed to being a backup. His last start came in 2005. Aside from a 46-pass day in relief of an injured Jay Cutler for Denver in 2007, he has thrown six times in the last four years. He never left the sideline in stints with Tennessee and Detroit a year ago while recuperating from 2008 elbow surgery.
His goals in New Orleans are different than they were early in his career.
"If Drew doesn't miss a snap, being a success for me is making our defense better while running the scout team against them," Ramsey said. "I'll learn from Drew and always be ready to go out there and run our offense efficiently."
If he is no more than a cheerleader from the sideline for the defending Super Bowl champs, he'll accept that, too. His NFL teams have finished with winning record only twice in his eight years. Although he won in the classroom at Tulane, earning a double major in accounting and finance, the Green Wave never earned a bowl bid in his three years as a starter.
He hopes that's the other advantage of returning to his home state.
"At this point in my career I just want to win games," Ramsey said. "I asked Chase do you realize how lucky you are to have won (a Super Bowl) in your first year? I don't know what it feels like to win one after playing eight years."
Notes: Tight end Jeremy Shockey returned after missing seven practices with a sore knee. ... Linebacker Scott Shanle (sprained left knee) missed his third consecutive day. Cornerbacks Tracy Porter (back spasms) and Patrick Robinson (hamstring) sat out after getting hurt Wednesday morning. Defensive lineman Jimmy Wilkerson rested as a precaution after having knee surgery in January. ... Daniel produced the only touchdown in the two-minute drill, hitting rookie tight end Jimmy Graham in the end zone on fourth-and-16 against the second-team defense. Brees yelled in frustration when his fourth-down pass glanced of receiver Marques Colston's hands. All drives started at the offense's 25 with 1:58 left on the clock. ... Garrett Hartley connected on a 60-yard field goal during practice, then missed his next two from 38 and 41 yards. ... The Saints' Black and Gold scrimmage has been set for noon ET Saturday and will be open to the public, weather permitting.
Falcons rookie LB Weatherspoon impresses staff
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Sean Weatherspoon doesn't mind the blazing temperatures of training camp. The Atlanta Falcons' rookie linebacker can't stop smiling.
He was the last player to stop signing autographs for clamoring fans on Thursday. With sweat still dripping from his face as he walked to the locker room 20 minutes after practice ended, Weatherspoon couldn't wait for the afternoon session to start.
"Being enthusiastic, I'm always going to be like that, man," Weatherspoon said. "No matter what kind of day I had before got here, when I walk into the building, this is work, but it's fun work."
During the first week of camp, Weatherspoon hasn't just impressed coach Mike Smith, the defensive staff and his fellow linebackers.
Tony Gonzalez, a 10-time Pro Bowl tight end, is noticing, too.
"For a rookie to come in and play like he has, it shows a lot of maturity on his part," Gonzalez said. "Just his whole swagger — it's going to help us out a lot. Right now it's looking like a very, very good pick."
Surprisingly, Weatherspoon isn't struggling like most rookies to adjust to NFL speed. His biggest hangup is pass coverage techniques.
One reason is field measurements. Hashmarks on NCAA fields are 40 feet apart. In the NFL, the distance is 18 feet, 6 inches, so Weatherspoon must learn to trust his peripheral vision while playing the correct technique.
Linebacker Mike Peterson, a 12th-year veteran entering his second season with Atlanta, offers as much help in the film room as the rookie needs.
"I'm just working to make sure I'm doing my curl flat drop (correctly), doing my hook curl drop" correctly, Weatherspoon said. "Those are the two main drops linebackers are going to do. Mike Pete's been telling me you've to look at this based on this formation, so you have to drop 'this' amount of depth."
In four years at Missouri, the 6-foot-1, 239-pound Weatherspoon finished with 413 tackles and 12½ sacks. The native of Jasper, Texas, is the first Atlanta linebacker drafted in the opening round since Keith Brooking in 1998.
Coincidence or not, Weatherspoon wears Brooking's former No. 56. He shares a passion that Brooking, a former five-time Pro Bowl selection, showed in an 11-year career before signing with Dallas last year.
The Falcons are playing Weatherspoon at both outside linebacker positions in their 4-3 scheme. They don't want opponents to believe they can dictate how to block him, so Weatherspoon will line up opposite the tight end on some snaps and opposite a tackle or maybe a flanker on others.
Smith and his staff will have a better feel for Weatherspoon after a scrimmage Friday night at nearby North Gwinnett High School.
"I don't think you can really make that evaluation until you play a game," Smith said. "Right now, even though we're simulating football, he's got (position coach) Glenn Pires and (defensive coordinator) Brian VanGorder coaching the heck out of him and sometimes even standing behind him and helping him."
Weatherspoon has no doubt that he will continue to improve. He appreciates hearing that a veteran like Gonzalez likes what he sees.
"I just have to make sure I don't let that get to my head," Weatherspoon said. "I need to keep grinding, put in the work in the film room to make sure I'm staying up on my techniques, talking to Mike Peterson about the techniques and keep talking to (middle linebacker) Curtis (Lofton). If I keep doing that, then hopefully we can keep that the thing going."
-- George Henry
New Panthers president Morrison a tireless worker
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — Danny Morrison was in his office a 7 a.m. Thursday, hustled off to speak at a Charlotte luncheon, drove 90 minutes here to Carolina's training camp and ran the steps in the football stadium in near 100-degree heat before heading to Panthers practice.
The new team president was in near constant motion during the afternoon workout on the campus of his alma mater. He shook hands with fans lined up along the fence, handed water bottles to guests of sponsors, asked questions of staff and was seemingly oblivious to the heat.
Coming up on a year since Morrison took a tough job — working for demanding owner Jerry Richardson — in a tough spot — replacing Richardson's son, Mark, whom his father fired — Morrison is becoming one of the most visible faces of the franchise.
"I love sticking my head out and watching practice," Morrison said. "I like to watch our coaches, our support staff."
And the slim, sliver-haired 56-year-old somehow seems to never sweat or get ruffled juggling his hectic schedule. It's no surprise to the man who gave Morrison his first big job — athletic director at Wofford — at age 31.
"Once I said, 'Danny, we could walk across campus, you could put on a suit and it's going to be raining like the dickens. By the time we get to the other end, he'll have no raindrops on you,'" said Joe Lesesne, the school's retired president. "It drives me crazy."
Lesesne started laughing, proud that Morrison is back on campus, where he taught him history as a freshman and watched him play basketball for the Terriers. It was then that Morrison met Richardson, a Wofford alum and then a successful businessman in Spartanburg.
Morrison later helped lure the Panthers here for training camp by raising enough money to build the facilities, then even worked himself to fix problems with the fields himself before Carolina arrived for its first camp in 1995.
After leading Wofford's move from NAIA to NCAA Division II and then Division I, Morrison served as Southern Conference commissioner and AD at Texas Christian University before returning to his native North Carolina to run the Panthers' business operations and Bank of America Stadium.
"He hasn't changed. He's got more energy than the rest of us put together," said Lesesne, who now works on Wofford football coach Mike Ayers' staff. "He's smart and acts dumb. Smart as a whip and tries to act dumb so he'll learn more from you."
Since taking over in late September, Morrison has quickly learned the NFL while also smoothing over difficulties the franchise had with Richardson's feuding sons. Seventh months after getting a heart transplant, Richardson fired Mark and Jon, who ran the stadium operations.
A day later, Richardson lured Morrison away from TCU.
"It was a blessing for me to come into an organization that was already well run and I could learn on the job, so to speak, in a lot of areas," Morrison said.
But Morrison is slowly putting his stamp on the franchise using a management style different from the introverted Mark Richardson, who rarely attended training camp. There are more fan-friendly events at camp. He vows to show more replays on the big screens at Bank of America Stadium and highlights from other games.
He's also dealing with long-term issues like possible future renovations to Carolina's 14-year-old stadium and a possible owner lockout next season. And while Richardson makes the final call on the football side, there is potential upheaval there with coach John Fox entering the final year of his contract.
"I think both John Fox and (general manager) Marty Hurney have done a good job," Morrison said. "We'll see how all that plays out this year."
Morrison nearly never went into administration. He was an assistant basketball coach at Elon, near his hometown of Burlington, N.C., when he first got interested in returning to Wofford for the open head basketball job. Lesesne, though, had another idea.
"I said, 'Danny, are you interested in getting into administration or are you interested in coaching basketball?'" he said. "I didn't offer him the job, but I asked him what if he wanted to do. He couldn't answer at first, but he said, 'Long range, I should think administration.'
"I thought, he's a bright young guy that will know the situation — and we can afford him. I never thought he was a risk."
Morrison, who said the decision to leave coaching was "probably the hardest decision of all," then hired Richard Johnson, now the school's AD, as basketball coach. A couple years later he used his people skills to score his first big coup, luring Ayers from higher profile East Tennessee State to coach then-Division II Wofford's football team.
"I didn't know Danny Morrison from Adam's house cat," Ayers said of their first meeting. "He chose one of those swanky places, the Biltmore Dairy Bar. He bought me a $1.50 milkshake."
It worked. Ayers is entering his 23rd season, and couldn't resist telling stories of how he and Morrison coped with numerous problems getting the fields ready for Carolina's first training camp in 1995. One day the fields flooded. Another day they used the wrong sand under the grass and numerous rocks came to the surface.
"He says, 'I know! We can have a rock picking party. Invite all of our friends!'" Ayers recalled Morrison saying. "But believe me, he was sweating."
There it is, proof that Morrison sweats after all — even though he rarely slows down.
"He is all business," Lesesne said. "He's going to get it done because he's relentless, just relentless."
-- Mike Cranston
Rams' Laurinaitis aims to improve in second season
ST. LOUIS (AP) — James Laurinaitis was productive and durable as a rookie, leading the St. Louis Rams in tackles and starting all 16 games. This year, he expects to be even better now that he knows what to expect.
The Ohio State linebacker was a second-round pick before last season, projecting confidence from the start and emerging as a young leader. Turns out there was some bluster, too.
Early in training camp, Laurinaitis described his rookie year as a grind. He recalled never-ending pressure, beginning with the NFL combine in February, the draft, rookie minicamp, OTAs, training camp and then the season. With only a few weeks off during that long stretch, Laurinaitis said it was a rewarding yet demanding debut that he described as a "whirlwind."
This summer, he knows the amount of conditioning it'll take to get through training camp.
"Being a vet and knowing what it takes, it's a lot easier," Laurinaitis said Thursday after practice. "I trained with Larry Fitzgerald in the offseason. When you're in good condition, you can handle this."
Laurinaitis was rated as first-round talent by the Rams, who were happy he was available on the second pick of the second round. Laurinaitis was the fifth of seven linebackers selected in the first two rounds, and had the best numbers of the bunch.
Rams statistics credited Laurinaitis with 146 tackles, including 98 solo stops, and two sacks. He was just the second rookie in club history to lead the Rams in tackles. The other was Pisa Tinoisamoa, with 123 tackles in 2003.
"I'm a win-loss guy first but as a middle linebacker, you want to lead your team in tackles," Laurinaitis said. "I could have one tackle and we win, I'm happy."
Laurinaitis comes by his athleticism honestly. His father, Joe, played football in college as a guard and linebacker. However, he was training for a tryout with the New Jersey Generals of the USFL when he was given the chance to pursue a professional wrestling career. He would take the stage name of Animal and become half of the famous Road Warriors tag team. His mother, Julie, was a body builder and weightlifter.
Having such athletic and strong parents meant little leeway for Laurinaitis as a child.
"My mom is strong as heck," James Laurinaitis said. "My dad was a 320-pound wrestler. I play more video games now than I did as a kid."
"A lot of my friends said if I wouldn't have gotten here, it would have been a shame because of my genetics."
His father is attending practices and he is taking care of James' two Rotweilers.
"All I've been doing is pooper-scooping his lawn for him," said Joe Laurinaitis, who is retired. "What's wrong with this picture? That's how it was when James was little though. When I came home, the Animal pads and paint went on the shelf and I was dad and here I'm dad helping out my son."
Once football ends, Joe Laurinaitis said his son could make the transition to becoming a professional wrestler.
"James could wrestle any day of the week," Joe Laurinaitis said. "He's got that natural charisma and that presence in front of the camera, he could do it easily. I think the know-it-alls at the WWE know. But football is his love. Live it first. He's got no desire to wrestle until his football career is over."
His son said he is not sure.
"I'll think I'll have had enough beatings in football to not want to go and wrestle," James Laurinaitis said.
NOTES: DT Chris Hovan missed practice with a back injury. Also not participating were LCB Ron Bartell (right ankle), OT John Greco (chest), and DE C.J. Ah You (hamstring). ... FB Keith Toston left practice after a hit to the helmet. Coach Steve Spagnuolo said he would be tested to determine if he suffered a concussion. ... RCB Justin King sat out the last half of practice with a calf strain.
Revitalized Porter boosts intensity at Cards camp
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — If things seem a bit louder at the Arizona Cardinals training camp, look no farther than No. 55.
A rejuvenated Joey Porter has brought intensity and leadership along with a giant chip on his shoulder to prove that at 33 he can still be the kind of player that made him a four-time Pro Bowl selection.
Porter says that, after he left Pittsburgh, three years with Miami taught him that the grass "is not always greener" on the other side.
Now he's together again with his longtime college and Steelers teammate Clark Haggans at outside linebacker in a defense with an aggressive style that he says suits him best.
With Ken Whisenhunt, Porter said he has a coach he knows well and respects. Whisenhunt was Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator in Porter's final few years with the Steelers.
"You have to leave a certain situation to know how good you had it before," Porter said. "I realized how good I had it when I left and went to Miami. So to come back in a familiar situation here under coach Whisenhunt, I knew what I was signing up for and they knew what they were getting. .., I wanted to play for a coach who wanted me on his team."
Porter pointed to the fact that Whisenhunt played in the NFL.
"That always makes it better because he understands exactly what we're going through," Porter said. "He's been in this seat before. Every coach can't say they did that. You have some coaches that just turn into head coaches because they know people who know people. But when you have a guy who's played the game, he knows how to take care of players. He knows how to get the best out of his players, and as a player you respect that."
Defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, Arizona's outspoken leader, is happy to have someone to share that role.
"Joey is a dog, man," Dockett said after the defense dominated a full-speed, goal-line scrimmage Wednesday night. " ... It's a blessing to have him on this team."
When second-year pro Cody Brown didn't put up much of a fight as tight end Stephen Spach repeatedly grabbed his facemask during drills, Porter was in Brown's face.
"It's a personality that we're trying to have," Porter said. "Certain things can be tolerated and certain things can't if we want to go out there and be that defense that takes nothing from anybody that we play, you've got to start it here with your own family. You've got to be willing to fight one of your brothers before you can fight somebody on the street. How are you going to know if your brother can fight if he doesn't fight you first?"
After eight seasons with the Steelers, Porter signed a five-year, $32 million contract with the Dolphins, with $20 million guaranteed.
He led the AFC with 17½ sacks in 2008 but the number fell to nine last season as his role diminished. Still, that was a team high.
With his playing time cut, his relationship with coach Tony Sparano and Miami football czar Bill Parcells soured.
With two years left on his contract, Porter asked to be released and the Dolphins complied. He signed a three-year, $17.5 million contract with Arizona, not only because of the presence of Whisenhunt and Haggans, but also because he was closer to his hometown of Bakersfield, Calif.
Defensive coordinator Bill Davis said that from minicamp on, Porter has been everything the Cardinals could have wanted.
"Joey has shown me what a pro looks like," Davis said. "... The perception of Joey is not Joey. Joey steps up every day, works as hard as he can, challenges others, challenges himself in a positive way. Teammates respond to him. He's a great leader and the perception of him is a little off right now."
Porter enters his 12th NFL season with 92 career sacks, second only to Jason Taylor's 127½ sacks among active players.
He bristles at the perception that he can no longer be the fierce pass rusher he once was.
"You read the papers and the websites and the question they want to know is 'Does he still have it?'," Porter said. "... I don't know when I lost it. That's another year I have to go out and prove it, not only to them but to the coaching staff, to the fans of Arizona and most of all myself. I put a lot of pressure on myself to go out there and compete at a high level.
"I take this challenge as I take every challenge every year. It's another year for me to go out there and show my talents and try and be the best player I can be."
-- Bob Baum
49ers counting on deep receiving corps in 2010
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — When Alex Smith drops back to pass these days, the quarterback sees the most talented and promising collection of wide receivers since he joined the San Francisco 49ers five years ago.
That's quite a difference from the unsettled group Smith has worked with since he became the NFL's No. 1 overall draft pick in 2005, and it's the reason the 49ers are confident their passing attack this season can lift an offense that has been among the NFL's worst over the past six years.
For the first time in his career, Smith came to training camp this week with the same two starting wideouts who lined up beside him last year: Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan.
There also is plenty of potential in other candidates competing for roles in the receiver rotation.
"It's fun being a quarterback and having all those weapons outside," Smith said. "There's a lot of possibilities there. We have a lot of versatility and a lot of different guys that are capable of a lot of different things."
The optimism begins with Crabtree, who is asserting himself as the team's No. 1 receiver in his first training camp with the 49ers.
The No. 10 overall draft pick in 2009, Crabtree didn't join the 49ers until early October because of a contract stalemate and missed the first five games of the season. But he became a starter as soon as he hit the field and was the team's best wideout by the end of the season. Crabtree led NFL rookies with an average of 56.8 receiving yards per game.
Now Crabtree looks like a skilled veteran ready to take the next step. He catches everything in sight and runs smooth, precise routes that make him stand out.
"I'm a lot more comfortable now," Crabtree said. "I know where I'm playing and I've got a feel for the game with the whole concept of the offense and having a full offseason. I really know what I'm doing and I feel good. That's the main thing."
Third-year veteran Morgan starts opposite Crabtree, and the pair promise to give San Francisco a set of big, productive starting wideouts well into this decade. Morgan started 15 games last season and led 49ers wideouts with 52 receptions. Crabtree had 48 catches.
The 49ers have seen a slew of veteran receivers come and go over the past six years in an attempt to upgrade this group. Veterans such as Johnnie Morton, Antonio Bryant, Darrell Jackson and Ashley Lelie all had one-year stints with the Niners during that period but failed to provide the continuity and production they were seeking.
Those receivers worked in an offensive scheme that changed from one year to the next. The 49ers had seven offensive coordinators in seven seasons before Jimmy Raye broke that string by returning in 2010 for his second year calling the plays.
"That's definitely paying off," Morgan said. "We've come to the point with some stuff we don't even need to go over. Last year, we'd talk about it, then we'd have to walk through it, and then rep it. Now we all know what we're talking about, so we can just do it."
Head coach Mike Singletary already has mentioned multiple times since camp began that he is pleased with the progress of his offense. Much of that has to do with the way Smith is collaborating with his familiar wideouts and connecting with deep threats Ted Ginn and Brandon Jones.
The 49ers traded for Ginn during the offseason and are looking for a breakout this season from Jones after giving him a $16.6 million deal in free agency last year. Jones broke a bone in his shoulder early in training camp last year and finished the season with just one reception.
Raye has had no problem working Ginn and Jones into his playbook this summer.
"We're excited about both of them," Raye said. "(Ginn) has come into this training camp and he's been outstanding. If he continues to improve the way he is, we will be very pleased. Brandon's situation has changed from this time a year ago because the people in the lines are different. But he's working hard, having a good camp, and hopefully that will spill over into his play."
Smith, coming off his best season, also has Pro Bowlers around him in running back Frank Gore and tight end Vernon Davis. Gore had 52 receptions last season, and Davis led the 49ers with 78 receptions for 965 yards while tying the NFL record for touchdown receptions by a tight end with 13.
San Francisco has finished 26th or worse in the NFL rankings for total offense five of the past six seasons. The 49ers ranked 27th last year.
"It's not only Crabtree, it's also Vernon, Frank and myself and others," Morgan said. "There are so many weapons in our offense that everything is just going to open up. We're just in attack mode this year. You're going to have to stop one of us, so you're going to have to pick your poison."
Notes: The 49ers said LB Scott McKillop underwent an MRI exam on his injured left knee and that he has a torn patellar tendon and torn anterior cruciate ligament. McKillop was hurt in Wednesday afternoon's practice.
After 2 years away from NFL, Pitcock resurfaces
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Quinn Pitcock's self-doubts are gone. So is his two-year disappearance from the NFL.
The once-promising Colts defensive tackle resurfaced Thursday with a free-agent contract from the Seahawks, two years after he stunned Indianapolis by abruptly leaving the sport at age 24.
He sought mental-health treatment after his departure for what he says was anxiety and mild depression.
"Last year I was getting treatment, working out and hanging out at the swimming pool doing one-and-a-half dives off the board. I've got a couple 9-year-olds I was swimming with, doing gainers," Pitcock said, speaking frankly minutes after restarting his career with his first preseason or regular-season practice since January 2007.
"I got back to my inner child. Before, I was worried about football. Now, I'm not so worried. I just live life to the fullest."
He said Thursday was the first time he was so happy in football in maybe a decade, since his days growing up in Piqua, Ohio. Warding off a huge, live, charging blocker instead of yet another foam-filled training bag never felt so good.
"It's been years, back toward high school," the 2006 All-American said of being happy in the game. "I had a tough time going to camps."
His struggles peaked in the summer of 2008. Pitcock doubted everything, including himself.
The three-year starter for Ohio State didn't believe he was mentally ready to contribute as a regular on Indianapolis' defensive line.
That was even though he'd played in a majority of the games the previous season as a rookie on a 13-3 division champion. He emerged after former league sacks champion Dwight Freeney went down for the Colts with a season-ending foot injury. It didn't matter that Indy's coaches were planning on him to be a primary contributor in '08.
"I didn't think I was good enough mentally for the team," he said. "I thought it was best for my team, if I wasn't ready. So I left. Looking back, I wasn't so stubborn and finally got some help."
He's still in counseling. Pitcock has learned many athletes deal with depression and anxiety, but most do it privately and internalize it "because in our society, alpha males try not to show their weaknesses."
Now, he is trying to get fellow "alpha males" to confront any signs of depression and seek help.
"No one great got anywhere by himself," Pitcock said. "That was my big problem. I thought I could do it on my own.
"I was seeking help for the right time when I felt mentally ready to come back, and then I waited until physically. And now, here I am. I'm still not fully there. I mean, that's what camp is for, physically for running out here for conditioning — and mentally just seeing my people. It's a process."
He's here after letting the NFL know this summer he was ready to return. The Colts released him late last month from their reserve-did not report list.
He knew Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and defensive line coach Dan Quinn. The assistants had scouted him before the 2008 draft, in their previous NFL jobs with the Buccaneers and the Jets, respectively.
Instead of nose tackle, he is here to play a "three-technique" defensive tackle — a slant-into-the-inside-gap guy — for the first time since he was at Ohio State.
It worked out well then. Playing that way for the Buckeyes, he became a third-round pick for a championship-caliber team the following spring.
"I'm going to try to use the athletic ability I think I have. I know the system. I know some of the coaches," he said. "I felt I had a good chance here."
-- Gregg Bell
