Lydell Sargeant: 2009 NFL Combine Interview

Cornerback Lydell Sargeant is one of several Penn State Nittany Lions who will be attending the NFL Combine beginning today and running through February 24th.

The senior not only found success on the field as one of the country's top defensive backs, but Sargeant was a key member in the political arena also. He was one of the leaders of Penn State Vote, which encouraged students to vote in the election last November.

Last spring, Sargeant wasn't preparing for the NFL Combine, he was meeting then Senator Barack Obama as his campaign stopped at the university. The NFL hopeful presented the U.S. President with a Penn State football jersey in front of a crowd of more than 20,000 on the Old Main lawn.

Lydell Sargeant recently took sometime out of his combine preparations to speak with Football Review Daily about the his collegiate career, the NFL Combine, and his meeting with the U.S. President.

-- How have you prepared for the NFL combine?

I am training with Deion Sanders. The combine training program is called 'Prime U'. Training with Deion, I have learned alot about the game and specifically my position. Deion is one of the greatest if not the greatest cornerback to ever play the game, so having him teach me has been big in the development of my game. Not to mention he might have been one of the fastest players as well. We not only do combine training here (40, bench, drills, etc.) we also have wonderlic training, interview training, and life training. I think I am as prepared as I can be for the NFL combine.

-- Is there an advantage to having some of your college teammates at the event?

I don't really think there is a big advantage, as most of us are going to arrive and test on different days. I think seeing familiar faces is definitely comforting, and can help calm down your nerves a little. At the end of the day, you have to perform and show what you can do as an individual.

-- Was the 2008 season a success?

The 2008 season was a huge success. We started the season I believe ranked 4th or 5th in the big ten, and at the end of the season we were Big Ten Champions. We had the opportunity to play in a BCS game (rose bowl) didn't have the expected come out, but it was a great experience. Finishing 11-2 and winning the Big Ten, our team will be stamped in the stadium and in the football facility forever.

Photo Courtesy of Penn State University Athletics
-- Favorite game moment from 2008?

Favorite game moment from 2008, would be the Michigan State game. That was a big game for us, and we won and came out of the game Big Ten Champions, and I personally had a good game and that's all you can ask for on senior night, your last game playing in front of your university and fans.

-- Favorite moment from your playing career?

Favorite moment from my playing career would again be the Michigan State game. Senior night, getting an interception, winning the Big Ten Title, it was just a special day. Personally probably the interception against Ohio State at the end of the game, to clinch the game was probably one of my favorite moments.

-- Can you talk about the experience being a part of the Obama campaign this past year?

Being a part of the Obama campaign is probably the best experience of my life. I have grew up around sports and sports has always been a major part of my life, and for me to get as involved as I was in something besides sports was definitely a good feeling. To say that I played a part in helping Barack Obama become the President of the United States is special. Not only did I help out, but I had a chance to talk and build a relationship with him. Not too many people can say that they know the President of the United States, and I can and am very blessed to be able to.

-- Are politics in your future?

Politics is a harsh life. I have seen first hand how time consuming it is. You have to put a lot of hard work into it and you have to truly love what you do to be successful. Not to mention all criticism you get, its a very hard job. As I describe it, it sounds alot like sports! I'm not ruling it out, but its not in my near future, football is what I love and is what I want to do.

-- Growing up outside of Pittsburgh, you became friends with former PSU cornerback Justin King. What advice did he have for you about the pros?

Justin is my best friend, and I talk to him pretty much everyday. I talked to him last year when he was going through this process and sort of got a inside scoop of what it is like. He basically just told me, you can only control what you do. You cant control what team is going to like your style of play, you cant control what team is going to draft you, you cant do anything about those type of things. Once you have done everything you can and you've done it the best you can, all you can do is relax and just let things fall where the may. He's told me I can play at that level, he tells me all the time I have the skills and knowledge to play in the pros, and if I continue to work hard I can be successful in the league.

-- Finally, can you talk about the fans of the PSU program. What was it like playing in front of 100,000+ during your collegiate career?

Penn State Fans are the best fans in the country. The fans are what makes Penn State Football what it is. Playing in front of 100,000+ is special, and is something that ill never forget. I am blessed to be able to have a chance to play in front of those fans, the fans that are there rain or shine, win or defeat, hot or cold, they truly bleed blue and white. I probably won't be able to play ( if ever) in front of 100,000+ fans again and that is what makes playing in Beaver Stadium so exciting. As an athlete all you can do is appreciate the fans, and I personally am very appreciative and thankful for the 100,000+ Penn State fans that came to watch me play during my career there.

*Note: Obamicon Image created using Photo Courtesy of Penn State University Athletics

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Michael Marquardt: Focused on His NFL Future

Photo Credit: Arizona State University Athletics
Former Arizona State defensive end Michael Marquardt kindly spoke with Football Review Daily prior to the NFL Draft.

He recently signed a rookie free agent contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. The defensive end’s journey to the NFL began in a football family, detoured abroad, and was finalized at Arizona State.

Marquardt grew up in a football household. His father Peter played at UCLA and his two older brothers also played collegiate football. Daniel played on the defensive line at Brigham Young University and Brian played at defensive tackle for Weber State. While a certain amount of competitiveness permeated the household, Marquardt believes that the support dynamic was more important for his development. “There is a degree of competitiveness, but on the flip side,” Marquardt added, “I used to call one of my brothers after every game and ask him what he thought.”

Before his junior season, Marquardt spent time abroad as a missionary for his LDS church. Living and working in the futbol hotbed of Argentina seems like hardly a place to hone one’s American football skills, but the time spent in Bahia Blanca allowed Marquardt to set his sights on his football future. “You really become more focused on what you want.” Marquardt continued, “You have that time to sit and think about it.”

With his mission work finished, Marquardt completed two successful campaigns for the Sun Devils. He started all 23 collegiate games he played in. In both his junior and senior season, he was named as an All-Pac-10 honorable mention. In his final regular-season game against the University of Arizona on December 1, 2007, the senior captain blocked a field goal attempt, recovered a fumble, and added a solo tackle. After the game, he was named the Most Valuable Player, a distinction that earned him the Ben Goo Trophy.

The student-athlete majored in urban planning. He was also a two-time First Team Pac-10 All-Academic selection and he was named to Arizona State University’s National Football Foundation Hall of Fame Scholar-Athletes.

Now a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, Marquardt feels that the time he invested this spring preparing for the NFL will be the difference. “There was nothing to distract me from preparing for the NFL. It has been really nice to focus on football.”

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Adrian Peterson Aims for 2,000…Can He Do It? (Part II)

By: Mo Noorali
Football Review Daily

Read Part I: The 5 RBs in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards

Now, let’s look at what Adrian Peterson’s chances are of eclipsing the 2,000 yard mark. The Tavaris factor can be thrown out the window, since history is showing us that the worse the passing offense (3 of the 5 2,000 yard rushers were on a team that was last or 2nd last in the league in passing yards), the more yards for Peterson. In other words, greatness finds ways to get their yards, even if the defense knows its coming. Another thing Peterson has going for him is the fact that he has a great defense backing him, as did four of the five previous 2,000 yard rushers (with Barry Sanders being the exception). Having a good defense helps because they force three and outs, and help the offense get more possessions, which leads to more potential carries for the back (in the Lions case, they just let the other team score as quickly as possible, and Barry got his chances that way).

The Vikings should also be good enough to (at least) land in the middle of the pack in points scored, as have the other five teams of the previous 2,000 yard rushers. Also similar to all the teams but the 1998 Broncos, the Vikings will probably have a record around 9-7 or 10-6. Another similarity between AD and four of the five players to previously accomplish the feat is that he is known as an “upright runner” (all the others were except for Sanders). On that note, some feel that Peterson being an upright runner leaves him susceptible to big hits from on-coming linebackers and safeties, which will lead to him getting injured. Though it is a fact Adrian has not had a completely healthy season since his senior year in HS, it looked like he was going to make it last year, until a fluke of an injury. If Peterson stays healthy all year will it be enough?

History tells us that Chester Taylor’s presence will not stop Peterson since all five current members of the 2,000 yard club played on teams that were either 1st or 2nd in the league in rushing, and all five allowed their teammates to pick up at least 400 yards. It is possible that Chester gets more than that, but he should not get many more than that, he should get about 100 carries, and at a generous 4.5 yards per carry, he would yield 450 yards on the season. The carries though will be Peterson’s downfall. There is no way the Vikings will let him carry the ball more than 300 times. OJ Simpson had the least carries of the five, at 332 to reach the feat.

Even if we were to bump Peterson’s average of 5.6 yards per carry last year to 6.2 this year (which would be higher than any of the other 2,000 yard rushers), at 300 carries, that is still going to leave him 140 yards short of the mark. For those of you that think if he gets close enough, the Vikings will increase his load so that he can reach the mark, think again. There are too many other factors, such as potential rest in the final game for the playoffs, the track record of 2,000 yard rushers in the following season (there has always been a considerable drop off the next season), and the fact that they would choose his future health over a potentially historic season.

The truth is that, the way the NFL is constructed right now; there might not ever be another 2,000 yard rusher. Teams are starting to favor the two-back system more and more, and the health risks of giving one guy that big of a load (to get all the way to 2,000 yards) outweigh everything else. With that said, Peterson does have a chance to do it down the line, since the NFL could be changing very soon. It has been reported that in the new CBA a 17th regular season could be added, which could give Peterson a chance, but until that happens, the chances of another 2,000 yard rusher are pretty slim.

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Adrian Peterson Aims for 2,000…Can He Do It? (Part I)

By: Mo Noorali
Football Review Daily

Adrian Peterson excited Vikings fans and fantasy owners alike earlier this off-season when he stated that he will rush for 2,000 yards this season. Early last season, it seemed as if AD was going to pull off the feat in his rookie year, but eight and nine man fronts along with a knee injury prevented that from happening. The Vikings still have their superb offensive line intact, and are expecting Tavaris Jackson to make a big improvement in his second full year as a starter. Adrian Peterson has many obstacles in his way to reaching 2,000 yards though, including but not limited to Jackson’s inefficiency, staying healthy, and sharing the load with Chester Taylor. Along with all those factors is the fact that only five running backs in the history of the NFL have ever rushed for over 2,000 yards. Let’s take a moment to look over those five historic seasons before making any predictions for Peterson in 2008.

OJ Simpson – 1973 – 2,003 Yards

Let’s not forget that OJ did it (yes, I did just use those three words together) in just 14 games because that was how many they played per season back then. It took him 332 carries to get his total for the season, which resulted in an average of 6.0 yards per carry. It should be noted that Simpson only had one “horrible” game, in which he went for 55 yards on 14 carries. He had another one in which he was “average” in which he totaled 79 yards on 20 carries. His other 12 games, he was either at or over 99 yards…including 11 100+ yard games, six 150+ yard games, and three 200+ yard games, along with his dazzling opening week game of 250 yards. The Buffalo Bills as a team went 9-5 on the season (missed the playoffs), had the 15th ranked offense out of 26 teams, and the 10th ranked defense, points wise. Yards wise, the Bills were ranked 10th offensively and 14th defensively. The Bills ranked last in passing offense with a total of 997 yards on the season, and predictably finished 1st in the league in rushing yards, with 3,088 yards on the ground for the season.

Eric Dickerson – 1984 – 2,105 Yards

Dickerson, unlike Simpson, accomplished the feat in 16 games; therefore, his per game average was not as high (131.6 for Dickerson to Simpson’s 143.1). Dickerson, however, still holds the single season record for rushing yards in a season. He also carried the ball quite a few more times than Simpson, 379, and had a yard per carry average of 5.6. A glance at Dickerson’s game logs from 1984 show that he had a couple of very bad games and was still able to rush for over 2,000 yards (he had games of 49 and 39 yards). In his other 14 games though, Dickerson went for 98 or more in 13 of them, topping out at 215. He actually rushed for 215 in the game in which he broke Simpson’s record (the 15th game of the season). The St. Louis Rams as a team went 10-6 on the season (also missed the playoffs), had the 12th best offense out of 28 teams, and the 13th best defense, when looking at points. They were ranked 21st in offense and 14th in defense when looking at how many yards they gained and allowed. The Rams were 27th in passing offense with a total of 2,142 and 2nd in rushing yards, with 2,864 yards on the season.

Barry Sanders – 1997 – 2,053 Yards

Sanders famously started out the season with 2 sub 100 yard games (33 and 20), and finished it with 14 straight 100 yard games (which is still a single season record). It took him 335 carries to reach his total, and Sanders averaged 6.1 yards per carry, the highest among all 2,000 yard rushers. Along with his 14 100 yard games, Sanders mixed in five games of at least 150 yards, including two 200 yard games, topping out at 216. In 1997, the Detroit Lions were 9-7 and made the playoffs as a wild-card team (remember that there were no wild-cards when Dickerson and Simpson accomplished their feats), losing in the 1st round to the Tampa Bay Bucs. They scored the 4th most points in the league (out of 30 teams), and gained the 2nd most yards. The Lions were 21st in the league in points allowed, and 14th in the league in yards allowed. They were ranked 12th in the league in passing offense with a total of 3,334 yards and 2nd in rushing yards with 2,464 yards.

Terrell Davis – 1998 – 2,008 Yards

Davis enjoyed his 4th and final great season in 1998 eclipsing the 2,000 yard mark in 392 carries, with an average of 5.1 yards per carry. He had 11 games of 100 yards or more, along with five games of 150 plus yards, and one 200 yard game, his season high of 208. Of all the 2,000 yard rushers, Davis’ team enjoyed the most success going 14-2 in the regular season, and winning the Super Bowl. In the playoffs he actually rushed 78 times for a total of 468 yards, so it could be argued that he truly is the record for most rushing yards in a season, but that’s an argument we’ll let Davis and Dickerson decide. The Broncos, coming off a Super Bowl the year before, finished 2nd in the league (out of 30 teams) in points scored and 3rd in the league in yards gained. The defense allowed the 9th fewest points in the league that year, and the 11th fewest yards. The Broncos were 7th in the league in passing offense with 3.624 yards (some guy named Elway played behind center that year), and 2nd in the league in rushing offense with a total of 2.468 yards.

Jamal Lewis – 2003 – 2,066 Yards

The 5th and most recent member of the 2,000 yard club is Jamal Lewis. He reached his total in 387 carries, at an average of 5.3 yards per carry. Lewis gained a ridiculous amount (500) of those yards against his current team, the Cleveland Browns, including a then record-breaking 295 yards in week 2. Lewis crossed the century mark 12 times, but only had three 150 yard games and two 200 yard games (both against the aforementioned Browns). The thing that helped Lewis the most was his consistency, as his lowest total on the season was 68 yards. That season, the Baltimore Ravens went 10-6, made the playoffs, and lost to the Titans in the 1st round. They scored the 9th (out of 32 teams) most points in the league, and allowed the 6th fewest. The Ravens gained the 21st most yards, but were able to overcome that by allowing the 3rd least yards in the league. They were ranked last in the league in passing offense, gaining a total of 2,255 yards through the air, but finished 1st in rushing yards with 2,674.

So, now that the history lesson is complete, can Adrian Peterson rush for 2,000 yards?
Find out tomorrow in part II of my report.

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Art Monk: Just One Part of the Redskin's Dynamic Trio

By: William Calvin
Football Review Daily

In the late 1980s and early 1990s there was a trio of NFL wide receivers like no other, The Posse was their name, consisting of recent Hall of Fame inductee Art Monk, small in stature but big in heart Gary Clark, and speedster/Super Bowl record breaker Ricky Sanders. While Clark’s and Sanders’ statistical achievements were not head and shoulders above other NFL receivers, the three combined wreaked havoc on opposing defenses with their sure-handedness and lighting fast speed.

Art Monk, easily the most known of the three receivers, frequently rested among the NFL’s elite in various receiving categories. Known to most as “Quiet Man” or sometimes even “#81” because of his humble nature, Art Monk was one of the most reliable receivers to ever lace ‘em up. With his precise route running and sure hands he was able to eclipse 900 receptions, the first receiver in history to do so. With 940 receptions, over 12,000 career yards, and 68 touchdowns, Art seemed to be a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame. Yet it took the famed receiver almost 9 years to achieve what lesser receivers had already done. On February 2nd, 2008, the 1980 All Rookie winner, 3-time All Pro, 3-time Pro Bowler, and one time #1 receiver in NFL history was finally enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Gary Clark, one time USFL player, was well respected for his ability to play big while being only 5’9” 180 lbs. In 1985, Clark was signed by the Washington Redskins and went on to have an amazing rookie campaign consisting of 72 receptions, nearly 1000 yards, and 5 touchdowns. Consistently a 1000 yard per season receiver, Clark still holds a Redskins Monday Night Football receiving record of 11 receptions, 241 yards, and 1 touchdown. A 4-time Pro Bowler, Redskins’ Ring of Honor inductee, and one of Washington’s 70 Greatest Redskins, Gary Clark was a huge cog in this trio of miracle working receivers.

Ricky Sanders, while not the most popular member of The Posse, Sanders was easily the fastest and most electrifying on the trio. In Super Bowl XXII, Sanders had one of the greatest games in Super Bowl history. With 9 passes for 193 yards and 2 touchdowns, Sanders was able to haul in 168 of those yards in one quarter along with 2 touchdowns, all while tying a touchdown receiving record of 80 yards on one play. After a brief run in with the law in 1991, Ricky Sanders was eventually released in 1993 and signed by the Dolphins where he never played another down.

With nearly 35,000 receiving yards, 2100 receptions, and roughly 190 touchdowns combined, The Posse will forever go down in NFL history as one of the toughest trio of receivers to cover, as most teams did not have 3 top cornerbacks to do so.

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Why Owners Opted Out

By: Scott Rogers
Football Review Daily

As we all know by now, the NFL owners opted to terminate the collective bargaining agreement early with the players union, giving the potential for a lockout in 2011. Scary stuff? Please!

Right now, there is absolutely no reason to think this will not be resolved with a few concessions on both sides. Any other doomsday scenarios that you read are just posturing from one side. In effect, there were three main reasons Commissioner Roger Goodell listed as the main reasons for early termination.

1. High Labor Costs
2. Rookie Money Pool
3. Inability to recoup bonuses in contracts where players breach the contract of refuse to perform
   

The high labor costs will remain, if only because every industry from McDonald’s to the NFL has to spend a certain amount of money on salaries. Roughly 60% of league revenue goes toward player costs. Don’t expect to see this change too much. What I believe will change is the way rookie contracts are handed out. There will be some sort of cap, not as low as the NBA rookie salary structure, but a bit more manageable so we won’t see Matt Ryan with a bigger guaranteed bonus than Larry Fitzgerald.

The bonus issue is a big deal. The Michael Vick court ruling is a warning for all owners that when you guarantee money, you do not face good odds in getting it back. What will happen is some sort of guidelines will be drawn up for many scenarios showing how much money owners can recoup. Most likely all other issues will end up before independent arbitration.

So do not panic. The sky is not falling. Realistically, nothing will get accomplished for the rest of 2008. 2009 should be the jump off for real negotiations and if nothing has happened in two years, then we can hit the panic button.

Scott Rogers will report on the economic state of the NFL as well as the latest trends in performance training.

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Money for Nothing and Your Cleats for Free

By: Scott Rogers
Football Review Daily

Being the worst team in the NFL is bad enough. No one went through last season without poking fun at the Dolphins, especially the ill-fated Ricky Williams comeback. Not only does your fan base become agitated, but your talented players feel like seniors at the freshman dance. So as a reward, you get the first pick in the NFL Draft. Exciting? Yes. Getting a great college player? Yes. Getting a great NFL player? Possibly. Spending some money? Absolutely.

The first pick in the NFL Draft can be a blessing and a curse. For Jake Long, the blessing comes in the form of $30+ million guaranteed. For the Dolphins, a Courtney Brown-esque curse? Time will only tell.

Cade Massey and Richard Thaler highlighted this phenomenon in “The Loser’s Curse”, whose subtitle should have been that players drafted in the first round have as good of a chance as making it to the pro bowl (9%) as they do never starting a single game (8%). This study is a must read for any football junkie. But how can we predict which group our pick will land in?

For one, it is very complicated to analyze with a formula. A player’s impact at a skill position is easy to see. But what about a defensive tackle? A starting guard? It becomes a bit murky. The easiest way to assign a value to each pick is the NFL Draft chart that teams use when trading. We would also need to take into account the average amount of guaranteed money doled out to each spot over the past 4 years. As you can see, with the variables we will be adding, this could get extremely complicated.

The easiest way to look at it is by comparing guaranteed money. Salaries are available for the average fan to see. Looking at only guaranteed money, Long and Matt Ryan are both around $35 million in guaranteed salary. This type of investment is rarely given to the best players. Larry Fitzgerald renegotiated his contract this off-season and got $30 million guaranteed. Alan Faneca got $21 million guaranteed. These two guys have been to multiple pro bowls and Faneca is consistently one of the best lineman in the game. Something has to give.

From a finance standpoint, giving a proven player a lot of money upfront carries a small risk. Giving a rookie, who may not even start right away, a bigger bonus carries exponentially greater risk. But what is a bad team to do? Fans do not want to hear fiscal responsibility and risk reduction in a $6 billion dollar industry. In the end all fans care about is wins, which if the team had any, then they wouldn’t be in this spot in the first place.

Scott Rogers will report on the economic state of the NFL as well as the latest trends in performance training.

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Pay Day

Three big paydays recently:

- QB Matt Ryan signed a $72 million, six-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons.

- The Dallas Cowboys restructured CB Terence Newman's deal as they added a six-year extension to the final year left on his initial contract. Included in the deal is a $12 million signing bonus and $22.5 million guaranteed over the first three years.

- The 'Boys also inked RB Marion Barber to a new $45 million, seven-year contract that includes $16 million in guaranteed bonuses.

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NFL Owners Opt out of Collective Bargaining Agreement

The NFL owners voted this morning to opt out of the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) which was put in place in 1993. Here are the details of this mornings announcement.

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Edward Blaine Ph.D. Interview

His time as a football player included an All-American selection playing offensive guard at the University of Missouri plus an impressive NFL career capped by his 1964 All-Pro selection; but, these gridiron feats pale in comparison to what Edward Blaine, Ph.D. achieved in his post-football career. He has tirelessly worked to improve the quality of life for men and women throughout the world as one of our nation’s foremost medical and pharmaceutical researchers. He kindly agreed to speak with Football Review Daily about his collegiate memories, playing under coaching greats Vince Lombardi and Dan Devine, and the importance of maintaining a life-time exercise plan.

Q. Can you elaborate on your favorite moments from your collegiate playing career at Missouri?

Of course, there are many and it is always difficult to pick a single instance that was most important. But if I must, I would say it was our victory over Navy in the Orange Bowl in 1960 (actually New Year’s Day 1961). We had been ranked number one in the nation coming into our last game of the season against our arch rival Kansas. Kansas won that game (one of the low points of my recollections) and we lost the right to call ourselves the nation’s number one team. Joe Bellino was the Heisman Trophy winner that year and our victory over a great Navy team led by the Heisman Trophy winner went a long way to restore honor. Another great memory was our victory over Michigan in 1959, perhaps the beginning of the great Devine era at Missouri. Then, there was the pass I intercepted and ran back almost for a touchdown before I was tackled on the 2 yard line!

Q. In 1991, you were elected to the University of Missouri's Athletic Hall of Fame and you gave the and you spoke to the graduating seniors at their commencement services. Can you elaborate on these experiences?

Actually, the start of this experience which ultimately resulted in my return to MU for the final phase of my career began in 1989 when I was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Missouri. This is the highest award that a university can bestow and I was deeply honored by it. Subsequently, I was asked by then Chancellor Haskell Monroe if I would deliver the commencement address to the graduating class of 1991. That too, was a great honor and probably nothing in my life was so uplifting and gratifying as standing before that audience that day and delivering that address. I still remember the thrill to look out on all those faces and recall that just a few years earlier I had been sitting out there looking back. You have to remember, I’m a kid from a very small town in Missouri, Missouri was always the only school I ever considered attending and I was the first of my family to go to college. In fact, my brother next to me in age was the first to finish high school in our family. None of that is meant to diminish the honor of being inducted into the University of Missouri Athletic Hall of Fame. That, too, was a great honor and I’m ever so proud that I was selected among those great athletes.

Q. What are your thoughts on the Missouri football program's recent success?

Everything good. I really like Gary Pinkel and I think what he’s done to revive the MU football program is nothing short of sensational. We’ve gone through a long dry spell and all I can say Go Mizzou!

Q. After your All-American collegiate career, you were drafted by the Green Bay Packers. What do you remember most about being coached by Vince Lombardi?

Being coached by Vince Lombardi! Without a doubt the greatest coach I was associated with. Mind, I think Dan Devine was also great. I was doubly blessed to have experienced two of the really great coaches of that era. Lombardi was a man who was in control. Even when he was coaching some of the truly best players in the NFL he was the person who called the shots. If you didn’t like it you took a hike. I like that kind of leadership and I think both Lombardi and Devine demonstrated it masterfully. Somehow, I also liked his New York character suppressed in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It didn’t surprise me at all when he took the job in Washington. I just couldn’t ever figure out why they didn’t offer him the Giant’s job. When I was drafted by Green Bay in the second round, it was a great surprise to me and a lot of others. I only spent one year with the Packers, but it was one of the best years of my life and I owe that all to Lombardi. He had confidence in me and I hope I didn’t let him down.

Q. You then moved on to the Philadelphia Eagles. Were the fans as notorious then as they are now?

Yes! The Boo Birds were perched in Franklin Field and that was pretty much all we heard when we were on the field. Franklin Field was a great old venue to play in and only concentrated the sound. To tell the truth, most of us didn’t hear a lot of it because we were too immersed in the game.

Q. Can you speak about the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center?

My career in science has been as rewarding to me personally as my career in sports. They are really two very different worlds, but I can tell you there are a heck of lot more people in science who ask me about sports than there ever were people in sports who asked me about science. Very few get to experience two very satisfying careers in a single lifetime. I feel doubly blessed because of that. Football was hard to leave, but it was the right thing to do and I did it at the right time, despite what a lot of people said at the time and perhaps still feel. My father-in-law suggested I might want to seek the help of a psychiatrist to understand why I walked away just as my football career was peaking. Nevertheless, my career in science has taken me all over the world and to intellectual places I never even dreamed of. Returning to my alma mater as director of the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center culminated a long and satisfying career in science.

Our focus at Dalton is collaborative, interdisciplinary research in the cardiovascular sciences. We seek to join scientists for a variety of disciplines to bring their highly specialized knowledge to bear on important problems of cardiovascular health. We are particularly blessed at MU to have a medical school, a veterinary school, a college of engineering as well as arts and science and agriculture all on one campus. The possibilities are awesome. The new director is bringing new things to the fore and one of the most promising is a collaboration between cancer researchers and vascular biologists. A powerful combination to seek novel treatments for two of the most dreaded maladies of humankind.

Q. What has been your greatest achievement during your medical research career?

This is a much more difficult question to answer than the first one – what were the high points of my sports career. I’m very proud of all the work I’ve done to define the hormonal control of salt and water balance and the role played by the kidney in blood pressure regulation. Much of this is fundamental work that contributes to the advancement of science but may not make the headlines of the newspapers. However, during my career in the pharmaceutical industry I was associated with the development of some of the most important drugs now available for the treatment of hypertension, blockers of the renin-angiotensin system. I’m also very proud of the role my colleagues and I played in the discovery of and development as a drug of a novel hormone, atrial natriuretic peptide. Science has much less visible rewards than sports and you have to be satisfied with what you do on a personal basis and not depend on a lot of lights and signing autographs.

Q. What advice can you give to aspiring professional athletes with regards to maintaining their overall cardiovascular health?

Watch the weight. Football players particularly linemen are prone to be heavy. During their playing days there is a lot more muscle than fat, but as you age, it becomes harder and harder to keep the fat under control. Burning 5-6000 calories may be possible for an active player, but burning 2-3000 afterward is a much more difficult problem. Obesity is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease and it is an insidious problem. Life-time exercise is very important and that becomes especially relevant to those of us who have suffered joint damage and are limited in what we can do to keep active. I love to ride my bicycle and I would urge everyone, not just athletes, to keep as fit as you can as long as you can.

Football Review Daily's NFL Alumni Series

• Raúl Allegre - Kicker - 5/1/2008
• Edward Blaine Ph.D. - Guard - 5/17/2008

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Simpson & Slaton - Potential Fantasy Gems?

By: Mo Noorali
Football Review Daily

It’s never too early to start thinking about fantasy football. This year’s NFL was loaded with players who will make an impact this year and in the future. Anyone can draft the likes of LT, Brady, and Adrian Peterson, but in recent years, the key to fantasy championships is finding late round gems during the draft and/or picking up waiver wire gold throughout the season. Here is two rookies that could possibly make a significant impact this year in fantasy football:

Steve Slaton, RB, Houston Texans

Houston Head Coach Gary Kubiak is a disciple of Mike Shanahan and runs the same zone blocking scheme in Houston. Neither Ahman Green nor Chris Brown is going to be the answer at running back for the Texans this year. Green is always injured and Brown is not suited for the one-cut system. If Slaton is given the opportunity to come in and compete for the starting running back job, given his speed and prowess catching the ball out the backfield, he could surprise a lot of people. There is a durability concern with Slaton, but if he can avoid injury, the revamped Texans offensive line could help him make a run at a very solid rookie campaign. Take a flyer on late him in your draft. Projection: 1000 total yards, 4 TDs

Jerome Simpson, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

He was everyone’s favorite sleeper heading into the draft, and he landed in the perfect situation in Cincinnati. The Bengals are stuck in a division where they will get into shootouts with the Browns, and will be unable to run on the Steelers or Ravens. That, along with Carson Palmer at quarterback will lead to numerous looks for the Chris Henry replacement out of Coastal Carolina. If Ocho Cinco follows through with his threatened holdout (which he won’t, but anything is possible with Rosenhaus), Simpson could find himself on the short list of rookie wide receivers who have gone over 1,000 yards. Monitor his battle for the #3 receiver with fellow draftee Andre Caldwell and of course Chad Johnson’s situation going forward in Cincinnati. He is also worth a late round flyer as a high upside pick, and a must-draft in 16 team or deeper leagues. Projection: 750 yards, 4 TDs

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SMU's Head Coach June Jones Speaks to PonyStampede.com

Jones finally brought his aerial attack to the mainland. His pass-first offensive schemes were sadly ignored by the major media while he was on the Hawaiian Islands.

Now, the head coach at SMU, June Jones recently spoke with PonyStampede.com. You can find his exclusive interview in their Premium Story section otherwise known as the subscription portion of the site.

But don't hang your heads just yet, the site is offering a 7-Day Free Trial!

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