NFL Capsules: Peterson covets Leinart's Heisman Trophy

NORMAN, Okla. - During a visit to Reggie Bush's house in Los Angeles, there was a certain piece of memorabilia that caught the eye of All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson.

"I found myself walking up the steps, and I looked down right at this big Heisman Trophy just sitting in this real nice case," Peterson said Friday during a break from his football camp. "I was like, ‘Awww!' I wanted to ask him where Matt Leinart was so I could go over there and take mine. But it's all good. It is what it is."

Peterson has moved on to a successful career in the NFL, breaking the league record for most yards rushing in a single game and helping the Minnesota Vikings make the playoffs a year ago. He now finds himself awash in the ongoing soap opera over whether Brett Favre will come out of retirement for a second straight year and sign with Minnesota.

"You're talking about a Hall of Fame quarterback, a guy that I grew up watching. I love just the passion he played with," Peterson said. "If he is a part of our team when the season comes around, when training camp comes around, we're going to welcome him with open arms and see where the chips fall."

Peterson said he'll tell coach Brad Childress and top Vikings officials what he thinks, but he isn't about to get himself tangled up in deciding whether to pursue Favre or stick with either Sage Rosenfels or Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback.

"I know our coach is going to do his job, and at the end of the day his job is having the best team possible to win games," Peterson said. "That's his job, so I'm going to let him handle his job and I'm going to do my job."

Peterson was back at his old college campus, reminiscing about all he had accomplished - and hadn't quite done - in his three years with the Sooners.

Leinart won the Heisman Trophy in 2004, when Peterson ran for an NCAA freshman record 1,925 yards and became the first frosh to place second in the Heisman voting. Leinart and Bush, who won the trophy in 2005, would go on to lead Southern Cal to a 55-19 thumping of Peterson, 2003 Heisman winner Jason White and the Sooners in the Orange Bowl and win the BCS championship.

Nearly five years later, Peterson still covets the two trophies he was denied by the Trojans.

"When I look back, I had an outstanding career," Peterson said. "There were some things that - a national championship, I didn't accomplish that. I fell short. I had the opportunity my freshman year, and I don't even want to talk about that.

"I definitely wanted to win the Heisman Trophy, and that didn't work out. There was definitely a lot that I wanted to accomplish, but unfortunately I didn't do it."

This weekend, Peterson can try to forget about that with the help of about 400 kids ages 7 to 14. He paused and flexed his right arm after overthrowing a receiver in the end zone on one play this week, then made up for it by finding another kid open in the back corner for a TD.

When he moved to another field, he got a taste of what it's really like to be a quarterback when his waist-high defenders came on the attack.

On one play, he picked up a blitzer with his left arm while tossing an on-target pass with his right. He could only shake his head after throwing an interception, then threw another moments later.

During a question-and-answer session with the kids, one of the college coaches working at the camp suggested that Peterson had always harbored a secret desire to be a quarterback. But when he asked a youngster what position Peterson would play on his team, he responded, "running back."

With or without Favre, Peterson suggested that the camp could be a preview of things to come for the Vikings.

"We picked up (Florida speedster) Percy Harvin, so we're going to be running a lot of different scat formations ... maybe Wildcat," Peterson said, referring to the Dolphins' use of the direct snap to a running back. "We might just throw that in there some. So, you guys just might see me on Sundays throwing the ball, too."

NFL reviewing Plaxico Burress shooting incident

NEW YORK - NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has started his review of the Plaxico Burress shooting incident under the league's personal conduct policy.

The league confirmed Friday that Goodell was examining the incident in which Burress shot himself in the thigh in late November in a New York City nightclub. The commissioner could suspend him if he finds that the receiver violated the NFL policy on personal conduct.

Burress was notified of the commissioner's review on Friday by Adolpho Birch, the NFL's vice president of labor and law policy.

Burress, who caught the winning pass in the New York Giants' Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots in February 2008, was released by New York in April. He has not been signed by another team.

Burress still faces charges of criminal possession of a weapon. He would face up to 3½ years in prison if convicted.

His case was recently adjourned until September. Defense lawyer Benjamin Brafman and prosecutors have yet to agree on a plea deal.

While Burress is free to sign with any team, the unresolved legal matter seemingly has made teams reluctant to add the talented wide receiver. And even if Burress avoids jail time, Goodell has the power to suspend him under the NFL's personal conduct policy.

The Giants signed Burress to a five-year, $35 million contract extension in September. The team later withheld $1 million after the shooting and the NFL Players Association filed a grievance on Burress' behalf. A special master ruled the Giants had to pay Burress because the money was a signing bonus he earned upon agreeing to the contract extension and could not be withheld for future conduct.

Burress has 505 career receptions for 7,845 yards and 55 touchdowns in nine seasons with the Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Former Browns WR Jurevicius sues team over staph

CLEVELAND - Former Cleveland Browns receiver Joe Jurevicius sued the team and the Cleveland Clinic on Friday, saying the team misrepresented the cleanliness of its training facility and blaming doctors with negligence over a staph infection in his right knee that kept him from playing last year.

The lawsuit alleges that physicians Anthony Miniaci and Richard Figler failed to warn Jurevicius that therapy equipment was not always sanitized at the team's training facility in suburban Berea.

The filing was first reported by the The Plain Dealer on its Web site.

An NFL physicians survey of the 32 clubs determined there were 33 MRSA staph infections leaguewide from 2006-08. The Browns had at least six players stricken with some sort of staph infection in recent years.

Jurevicius has said he contracted staph following arthroscopic surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in January 2008. As a result, the lawsuit said, "Jurevicius may never be able to play professional football again."

Jurevicius, a die-hard Cleveland fan who attended Browns games as a kid, was released by the club in March.

Fred Nance, an attorney for the Browns, said Friday the lawsuit is being reviewed but that the Browns deny its allegations. He said the team's facilities are compliant with all NFL requirements.

"In fact, an independent professional review earlier this year concluded that the Browns have taken appropriate steps to prevent MRSA infections at their facilities," Nance said.

Erinne Dyer, speaking on behalf of the Clinic and the doctors, said there would be no comment on pending litigation.

In 11 seasons with the New York Giants, Tampa Bay, Seattle and Cleveland, Jurevicius had 323 receptions for 4,119 yards and 29 TDs. Jurevicius set career highs with 55 receptions and 10 TDs for the Seahawks in 2005.

The legal filing in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court included an affidavit by Dr. Bonnie Bock, an infectious diseases specialist from Newport Beach, Calif., who said her examination of the case showed that the player's staph infection was due to circumstances outlined in the suit.

"Sterile techniques were not at all times used at the Browns training facility," she said. "Therapy devices commonly used by multiple Browns players were not properly maintained, disinfected or cleaned, if at all at the Browns training facility."

The lawsuit asked for damages totaling more than $25,000, plus unspecified punitive damages, attorney and expert fees and related costs.

-- Thomas J. Sheeran

Panthers sign 4th-round picks Goodson, Fiammetta

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Carolina Panthers have signed fourth-round draft picks Mike Goodson of Texas A&M and Tony Fiammetta of Syracuse to four-year deals.

They made room on the roster Friday by waiving long-snapper Patrick MacDonald and defensive tackle Babatunde Oshinowo.

Goodson rushed for 1,964 yards before leaving school after his junior season. He can also return kicks and impressed the Panthers with his speed in offseason workouts. Goodson will depth behind running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.

Fiammetta will compete with incumbent Brad Hoover for Carolina's starting fullback job.

The Panthers signed seventh-round choice Captain Munnerlyn earlier this week, leaving only four picks unsigned. They open training camp Aug. 2.

Titans agree to terms with 6th-round receiver

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Titans agreed to terms with sixth-round wide receiver Dominique Edison.

Edison was their second pick in the sixth round at 206 overall. The receiver started 32 of 44 games at Stephen F. Austin and left with the most catches in school history with 182. He ranked second in the nation as a senior with 18 touchdown receptions off a school record 67 catches.

The Titans announced a multi-year deal Friday. They now have agred to terms on deals with four of their 11 draft picks.

Chiefs sign 7th-rounder TE O'Connell

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to terms with tight end Jake O'Connell, one of the team's three seventh-round draft picks.

O'Connell played 41 games at Miami of Ohio, catching 46 passes for 453 yards and four touchdowns, including 25 catches for 258 yards last season.

Terms of the deal, announced Friday, weren't released.

O'Connell, the 237th overall pick, is the third of Kansas City's eight draft picks to sign, joining kicker Ryan Succop and offensive tackle Colin Brown.

Suspect in slaying of Broncos player in court

DENVER - A suspect in the slaying of Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams has appeared in court in a separate homicide case.

Willie Clark is charged in the 2006 shooting death of Kalonniann Clark of Denver. He was supposed to enter a plea Friday, but his arraignment was postponed until Oct. 2.

Willie Clark also is charged with first degree murder in the drive-by shooting death of Williams on New Year's Day 2007. He faces 39 counts in that case. The trial is set to begin Oct. 13.

Also charged in Kalonniann Clarks' death are Brian Hicks and Shun Birch. The homicide is unrelated to Williams' slaying, but police say Hicks owned an SUV that was used during Williams' slaying.

Prosecutors say Kalonniann Clark was going to testify against Hicks in a drug case and that Hicks told Willie Clark to kill her.

Also Friday, a man considered a witness in the Williams case was arrested when he was spotted in the courtroom. Marquise Harris had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear at a previous hearing on Williams.

Harris told Judge Christina M. Habas that he feared for himself and his family, and he gave a letter to the judge. A court clerk said the letter was sealed to the public.

Habas released Harris, but warned him he would be arrested again if he failed to appear for future court dates.

The three defendants appeared in red jail jumpsuits Friday. They were handcuffed and chained around the waist and feet. Security was tight on the courthouse floor and everyone on the floor was prohibited from using cell phones.

-- Ivan Moreno

Goodell's boots better be made for climbing 

ATOP MOUNT RAINIER, Wash. - So, Roger Goodell, you say you're ready to climb Mount Rainier after training harder than most 50-year-olds ever do.

Well, Mr. NFL Commissioner, you better be.

I scaled the 14,411-foot peak this month and not even Army basic training compared. At the summit, I was happy, fulfilled - and absolutely smoked.

The commish and Seahawks coach Jim Mora are headed up this 14,411-foot volcano southeast of Seattle to benefit the United Way of King County. Goodell was invited to make the trek by Seahawks chief executive Tod Leiweke, who will join the party.

"I'm ready to go," Goodell said Thursday in a phone interview from his office in New York, "because I don't think I can put up with this training much longer."

I had called Goodell to compare training notes and advise - OK, taunt - him a little bit about what he was in for by tackling Rainier, a popular but challenging climb. Roughly half those who start up the mountain turn back before the top.

Granted, Goodell was a star high school athlete in New York state. He personifies the NFL's "Play 60" program he started, advocating an hour of daily exercise to promote fitness in America's youth. And for months, he's been running up and down 50 flights of stairs inside a building in New York - or running hills in his neighborhood while wearing a 30-pound sack.

"I've never done any mountaineering. I've barely climbed a hill," he said, laughing. "Well, I always love a good challenge."

He's about to get one.

Ten days after I accepted an invitation to climb Rainier, our three-man rope team began our ascent in moonlight at 2:30 a.m. from Camp Schurman at 9,440 feet. It was north, east and about 1,000 feet below where Goodell, Leiweke, Mora and others will try to summit July 8.

For six hours, I was the middle man on a rope team pushing crampons and knee-high ice axes through snow that softened into Cream of Wheat.

I'm a West Point alumnus, so I've been through all sorts of Army exercises, and I still run more than 30 miles a week. Plus, the head of the NFL has a dozen years on me.

But I was laboring.

Rhythmic, forced breathing and "rest" steps - locking out the back leg with each step to lessen the strain on my thighs - became my salvation. (Breathing and rest are tips one and two, Mr. Commish). The rising sun and blue sky were brilliant, far more than at any spoiled-air elevations below. We stepped over crevasses that were endlessly deep, sobering reminders that people have died up here.

Then came the head pounding, the disorientation and the nausea of altitude sickness. It hit me as we walked over a tricky snow bridge and a crevasse at about 13,500 feet.

At least I think that was our elevation. I broke my buddy's global position system with a heedless stomp of my crampon in the dark before we left camp. (That's tip three: bring two GPS, or a good map and compass.)

Goodell acknowledged the effects of altitude concern him about Rainier, but mentioned he is an avid skier in Aspen, Colo., where the top runs begin at 11,675 feet.

I told him someone advised me taking Vitamins A, C and E helps combat altitude sickness.

"A, C and E. OK, thanks. I'll stock up on that," he said, sounding appreciative of tip number four.

After unhooking ourselves from the rope above the snow line, my friend and climbing leader Zach Schade playfully pushed my back up the final 50 feet of wind-blown dirt and scree to the true summit. We signed the National Park Service registry to document we'd been there.

"We made it!" I said to the 41-year-old Zach, of Tumwater, Wash., and his 48-year-old brother, the equally fit Seth from Olympia. Both are competitive stair climbers.

"No," Zach said coldly. "We still have to get down."

That's the thing about mountaineering, Mr. Commish. No summit is successful until it becomes a round trip. (That would be tip five.)

The Schades and I hiked 20 miles round trip and covered a combined 20,000 feet in elevation in 32 hours, beginning at 9:30 a.m. on June 14.

Goodell, Mora and friends are expected to take three days before they plant a flag on July 8 at the spot Zach pushed me up to. They will climb a more technical route from the visitor's center at Paradise through Camp Muir and Disappointment Cleaver. They will spend a day learning safety and rope procedures from mountaineering expert Ed Viesturs, while acclimating to the altitude at the bunkhouse at Camp Muir, elevation 10,080 feet.

"I've read some of Ed's books, but I'm coming into it pretty ignorant," Goodell said, chuckling. "My biggest worry is having to carry Mora halfway up the mountain."

He was kidding.

The 47-year-old Mora regularly runs before dawn up daunting Tiger Mountain near his home in suburban Seattle. Seahawks players who have accepted their coach's challenge to join him on his five-mile round trip with a 2,000-foot elevation gain have often not finished it - or have vomited while doing so.

Meanwhile, Goodell isn't some desk jockey hoping Viesturs installs an elevator to pull him up Rainier. He flew in an F-16 with the Air Force's Thunderbirds the day before the Super Bowl last February. League spokesman Greg Aiello says Goodell "is the greatest water skier in the history of sports commissioners."

So he should be set for Rainier, eh?

On June 15, when I made my climb, Zach Schade zapped my euphoria at having made it to the top. "I really need you to FOCUS!" he shouted. "All the way down."

Our descent was four more hours of deep knee bends into increasingly softening snow. The warm sun made the dangerous crevasses seemingly grow before our eyes. Thankfully, slides down the slushy snow saved my worn-out legs. When we passed back through Camp Schurman and gleefully glissaded down below 9,000 feet, my altitude sickness was gone. That's when I began wondering if Goodell had researched his trip.

"I must say," Goodell deadpanned, "I'm not exactly sure what I'm in for."

Don't worry, Mr. Commish, you've got three days and two of the best guides in the world.

Heck, I made it. Plus, you've been tested and exhausted for years, just like I have.

We are both fathers of grade-school twins.

-- Gregg Bell

Some facts about climbing Mount Rainier

Some facts about climbing 14,411-foot Mount Rainier, the most heavily glaciered peak in the continental United States and tallest peak in the Cascade range:

Reaching the summit requires a vertical elevation gain of more than 9,000 feet across glaciers over a distance of eight or more miles, depending on the route.

The prime season for climbing above 10,000 feet is late May into September. Winter conditions exist from mid-September through mid-May, but have also occurred seemingly out of nowhere at high elevations during the summer.

The first recorded climbs of Rainier were in 1870, when five people tried and four made it. The busiest year was in 2000 when 13,114 tried and 6,083 succeeded.

That number has decreased to about 9,000 climbers annually in recent years, with still roughly half making it. Of the half who don't, many get trapped by fog, winds and whiteouts that come out of nowhere the higher you climb. A few fall into the deadly crevasses, gone forever. Others simply aren't in good enough shape.

Climbers going above 10,000 feet often hire a guide service, which charge more than $900 for a four-day trip that includes ice-ax and survival training - NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Seahawks coach Jim Mora will have elite guides Ed Viesturs and Peter Whittaker leading them up the mountain beginning on July 5. Some experienced climbers sign in and out with National Park Service rangers while paying a $30 fee per person for an annual climbing pass.

The only way solo climbers can go above the high camps or anywhere on glaciers is with written permission from the superintendent of Mount Rainier National Park.

There are multiple routes to the summit. Camp Schurman at 9,440 feet is the departure point through Emmons Glacier that is a long slog of at least six hours on the northeast side of the mountain. Goodell and Mora will attempt by way of the shorter, more-popular route through the Paradise visitor's center and Camp Muir, elevation 10,080 feet. They will spend a day learning safety and rope procedures from Viesturs, a mountaineering legend, while acclimating to the altitude at the bunkhouse at Camp Muir.

Climbers are advised to pack light. Whatever you bring in you're carrying, at least to the high-altitude camps. Snow boots, crampons, helmets, axes and ropes - and the knowledge to use them properly - are a must. So is a lightweight headlamp for leaving in the middle of the night, to summit early in the morning before sun-baked snow becomes too dangerously soft.

Other musts: Drinking water, a stove to boil snow into more water at the camp, easily packed food and extra, breathable layers of clothes, sleeping gear for the camp - and an appreciation for the natural wonders that surround you at Mount Rainier.

-- Gregg Bell

College

Offseason problems don't discourage Wannstedt

PITTSBURGH - Dave Wannstedt may be 57, but he's still trying to catch 82-year-old Joe Paterno.

When Wannstedt was hired by alma mater Pittsburgh before the 2005 football season, one of his first promises was that the Panthers would erect a virtual fence around western Pennsylvania and dissuade the area's top high school recruits from going elsewhere.

Paterno and Penn State? They could go into Ohio or Michigan, New York or New Jersey, but Pittsburgh's backyard belonged to Pitt.

For a few years, Pitt was the dominant school not only in western Pennsylvania, but also on some of Penn State's prime recruiting turf. Their best recruit, running back LeSean McCoy, came out of Penn State's epicenter in Harrisburg.

That's changing, however, and Penn State's renewed dominance is forcing Wannstedt to increasingly leave the state to land his prime recruits - and to explain why players who seemed likely to attend Pitt are going elsewhere.

Already this summer, the Panthers have lost linemen Miles Dieffenbach, the son of Pitt's tennis coach, and Tom Ricketts to Penn State. Ricketts' dad, also named Tom, was one of the top linemen in Pitt history and was a Steelers' first-round draft pick 20 years ago.

There's more. Of the first eight western Pennsylvania players offered scholarships by Pitt, only one committed to the Panthers. Five committed to Penn State, which, despite Paterno's age, is coming off an 11-2 season and has won 40 games the past four seasons.

Pitt went 9-4 for its first winning record in Wannstedt's four seasons, only to lose to Oregon State 3-0 in an ineptly played Sun Bowl that took some of the shine off a season highlighted by a second consecutive victory over West Virginia.

Despite Wannstedt's determination to run a disciplined program that graduates its players and sends a lot of them to the NFL, the Panthers have had at least three players involved in off-field incidents.

Wide receiver T.J. Porter (alcohol) was thrown off the team, wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin was charged with the assault of a female student and linebacker Adam Gunn - an honors student and team leader - was accused of disorderly conduct and other offenses following a nightclub altercation. Gunn was reinstated after the charges were dropped.

Also, defensive lineman Tommie Duhart was thrown off the team for disciplinary reasons.

"I won't tolerate anything like that," Wannstedt said. "I believe we have some great kids who made some mistakes, but they'll be dealt with accordingly. And we'll move forward."

Despite those problems, Wannstedt is convinced a program that returned to the Top 25 for most of last season isn't going in the wrong direction less than two months before preseason camp begins.

Not that Wannstedt is ever far away from football - he wraps up nearly a month's worth of high school and youth summer camps this weekend. About 650 players will attend his prospect camps in June, up tenfold from when he arrived.

"The first year we got here, we had to re-establish that we were going to get in there and throw (recruiting) punches with Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and West Virginia," Wannstedt said. "If there was a kid we wanted, we weren't going to shy away from him. And I think we've gotten our share."

Not long after Dieffenbach and Ricketts gave verbal commitments to Penn State, Wannstedt snatched T.J. Clemmings, a 6-foot-6, 266-pound defensive lineman from Paterson (N.J.) Catholic who was also sought by Penn State, Notre Dame, Florida, Tennessee and Rutgers.

Also giving a commitment was Jeff Knox, a safety from DeMatha Catholic in Maryland who was being recruited by Penn State, Michigan and Michigan State. Pitt also landed one of Pennsylvania's top wide receivers, Salath Williams of Harrisburg Bishop McDevitt, McCoy's former school. Williams had more than 20 offers.

"I think we're right where we need to be," said Wannstedt, who isn't permitted by NCAA rules to discuss specific recruits until February. "The key is to get a few of those top guys, wherever you can get them, and then hit on those bottom 10 guys or so, the ones who aren't as highly ranked.

"We're not going to have a good (recruiting) class, we're going to have a great class."

The off-field incidents may not substantially hurt Pitt's in-state recruiting, if only because Penn State - despite its resurgence - has had more such incidents in recent years. ESPN broadcast a piece last summer that outlined the Nittany Lions' numerous arrests, yet they went on to win 11 of their first 12 games.

Pitt's players are expected to take part in community work, with some donating time this summer to the Mel Blount Youth Home and others helping on fundraising for the three Pittsburgh policemen who were shot to death last spring.

"It helps support the right way to do things," Wannstedt said. "I don't tolerate these kinds of (disciplinary problems), but I believe they are behind us," he said.

-- Alan Robinson

Elsewhere

Pontiac Silverdome may be headed for auction block

PONTIAC, Mich. - The former home of the Detroit Lions may be headed to the auction block.

Emergency Financial Manager Fred Leeb says attempts to sell the Pontiac Silverdome have not been successful, and he's prepared to hand it over to an auctioneer if it will speed up the sale of the empty landmark.

Leeb tells The Oakland Press that Pontiac will continue negotiating with potential buyers, but the Detroit suburb also will set up a worldwide auction.

The city spends about $1.5 million annually to maintain the structure.

Pontiac has tried repeatedly to sell the 80,000-seat domed stadium since the Lions left in 2002 to move to Ford Field in Detroit.