Kickoff weekend stuff....

August 31, 2007



COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF (6 DAYS)
NFL Kickoff Weekend (September 6, 9-10)
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WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES!



In their second season in the spotlight, last year’s rookie quarterbacks will learn for themselves what Tennessee Titans 13-year quarterback KERRY COLLINS experienced after his first year in the NFL.

“I think the first year you play a lot by the seat of your pants,” Collins, now backup to last year’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year VINCE YOUNG (left), says. “I think the game slows down a bit going from Year 1 to Year 2. I have always said it is important to eliminate a lot of the unnecessary thoughts. Going into Year 2, you have a better understanding and you can just go out and play.”


Arizona Cardinals quarterback MATT LEINART, the Denver Broncos’ JAY CUTLER and Young of Tennessee all had impressive rookie campaigns, and are gearing up for an even better 2007.


Young averaged 146.6 passing yards per game and threw 12 touchdowns last season and says he has used the offseason and training camp to help settle into his starting role.


“I definitely feel a lot more comfortable going into this year,” he says. “The biggest thing is I’ve had a whole offseason to be here and work with the guys. Before you get drafted, you don’t have a team. Then you have to come in and learn the offense as a rookie. I definitely feel better about where I am now and where this team is going.”


Cutler says that getting a few starts last season and having a full offseason have greatly facilitated his comfort under center after throwing for 1,001 yards and nine touchdowns in five games for the Broncos last year.


“Mentally I feel a lot more comfortable,” he says. “I feel pretty loose out there, and I feel good about my job. I don’t know if I feel like a veteran yet. I’ve only played five games. We’ve got a lot of guys here who’ve played a lot of football, so I’ve got a lot of catching up to do, but I do feel a lot more comfortable than I did last year.”


Although it’s not a guarantee, many great quarterbacks experienced a breakthrough during their sophomore seasons in the NFL compared to their rookie year.


Here is a comparison between the first and second seasons of four Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterbacks plus Super Bowl XLI MVP Peyton Manning:

QB/FIRST TWO SEASONS TOUCHDOWNS PASSER RATING
Year 1 Year 2 Year 1 Year 2
Terry Bradshaw, 1970-71 6 13 30.4 59.7
John Elway, 1983-84 7 18 54.9 76.8
Peyton Manning, 1998-99 26 26 71.2 90.7
Dan Marino, 1983-84 20 48 96.0 108.9
Johnny Unitas, 1956-57 9 24 74.0 88.0

FAMOUS LOVE THE NFL!




Rap and R&B artist FERGIE has performed on countless stages around the world, but no performance compares to her experience singing on the sports world’s greatest stage at Super Bowl XXXIX and at a concert at last season’s Super Bowl XLI.


"It's beautiful," Fergie says about performing at the Super Bowl. "This is an American tradition. It's a little girl's dream."


Fergie’s parents were both schoolteachers, and her father, PATRICK FERGUSON, was a football coach at the junior high school level in her hometown of Whittier, California.


“I’ve always been a big football fan, starting because of my dad’s involvement in the sport,” says Fergie. “I’m a big fan of the NFL.”


Fergie is only one of many notable NFL fans. Following is a list of 25 of them:




Actor Ben Affleck New England Patriots
Actress Jessica Alba Oakland Raiders
Pacers G Darrell Armstrong Washington Redskins
Actor Jim Belushi Chicago Bears
Singer Jon Bon Jovi New York Giants
MLB Hall-of-Famer George Brett Kansas City Chiefs
Former Pres. and First Lady George and Barbara Bush Houston Texans
Singer Kenny Chesney New Orleans Saints
Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer Miami Dolphins
Padres 2B Marcus Giles and RF Brian Giles San Diego Chargers
Former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Singer Ludacris Atlanta Falcons
Nobel Peace Prize recipient Nelson Mandela Dallas Cowboys
Senator John McCain Arizona Cardinals
Singer Paul McCartney Pittsburgh Steelers
Singer Tim McGraw Tennessee Titans
Singer John Mellencamp Indianapolis Colts
Golfer Phil Mickelson San Diego Chargers
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Cleveland Browns
Actor Ray Romano New York Jets
Actor Tony Shalhoub Green Bay Packers
Actor Will Smith Philadelphia Eagles
WNBA G Diana Taurasi Oakland Raiders
Actor Robin Williams San Francisco 49ers
Mets 3B David Wright New York Giants

 

August 30, 2007




COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF (7 DAYS)
NFL Kickoff Weekend (September 6, 9-10)
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LA DYNAMITE!



With over 2,300 all-purpose yards and a single-season record 31 touchdowns, LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON (left) of the San Diego Chargers was honored as the 2006 NFL MVP. Due to his many charitable efforts and off-the-field activities, Tomlinson also was co-recipient of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award along with New Orleans Saints quarterback DREW BREES.


“He’s the most humble, unassuming, laid-back person you can encounter,” says Chargers tackle SHANE OLIVEA, one of Tomlinson’s lead blockers. “For as much success as he has, it never goes to his head. He’s what’s right and good about the NFL.”


In 2006, Tomlinson set several league records, including the single-season scoring record and reaching 100 career touchdowns faster than anyone in history. In 2007, he has his eyes on yet another NFL milestone. By rushing for 1,200 yards, Tomlinson can match Pro Football Hall of Fame running back ERIC DICKERSON for the most consecutive seasons of 1,200 or more rushing yards to start a career. Tomlinson currently has six such seasons, one less than Dickerson’s record of seven.


“The thing I like most about LT’s game is his quick feet,” says Dickerson. “He has a lot of really special attributes and he’s a great player. He’s a very tough runner. He’s an adequate blocker despite the fact that he’s not really that big. He’s very dangerous when you line him up outside. But the two things that always stand out about LT are his feet and his toughness.”


The man who is widely considered to be the greatest running back of all-time -- Cleveland Browns Hall of Famer JIM BROWN -- also happens to be Tomlinson’s childhood idol. While Brown believes a player must be judged by his career as a whole, he is very impressed by Tomlinson thus far.


“I think the kid is a great football player,” says Brown. “But to just describe him as a running back is limiting his ability. He’s a football player and a great one. He has speed, quickness, balance, vision, shoulder and leg strength. He reads blocks well. He’s the total package.”





The rushing yardage totals for Dickerson and Tomlinson to start their careers:



ERIC DICKERSON (1983-89) LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON (2001-06)
1,808 Year 1 1,236
2,105 Year 2 1,683
1,234 Year 3 1,645
1,821 Year 4 1,335
1,288 Year 5 1,462
1,659 Year 6 1,815
1,311 Year 7 ????

PIGSKIN PETROL: FOOD FOR PERFORMANCE



If you go to any stadium in the NFL, you will notice fans enjoying a pre-game meal in the parking lot. Tailgating is part of the whole NFL experience, but fans are not the only ones who enjoy their food before kickoff. Many NFL players -- like San Francisco's Vernon Davis (right) -- have special pregame eating habits that they don't vary.

Some of the meals favored by NFL players before kickoff:

PLAYER, TEAM
PREGAME MEAL

Matt Bryant, Tampa Bay
Chocolate malt milkshake

Vernon Davis, San Francisco
Baked chicken, broccoli and cheese, spaghetti

Jonas Jennings, San Francisco
Turkey club sandwich with no bacon

Igor Olshansky, San Diego
Fruit (watermelon, grapes, and cantelope), wheat pasta with marinara sauce, garlic and basil, and chicken

Aaron Smith, Pittsburgh
A plain hamburger and pasta

Marvel Smith, Pittsburgh
Chicken pasta

Max Starks, Pittsburgh
Shark Bites Fruit Snacks

Terrell Suggs, Baltimore
Scrambled eggs with cheese in the morning and steak and pasta in the afternoon

Brian Urlacher, Chicago
Two chocolate chip cookies

Bryant Young, San Francisco
Oatmeal or anything with a lot of carbs