FOR USE AS DESIRED
NFL-34 8/14/97
Every year, young players emerge during the NFL preseason.
And these days, developing young players in preseason is more important than ever.
Following are some of the young players who have looked good so far in preseason:
SUPER SOPHS: Two second-year players from the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers are leading the league in two preseason statistical categories. Wide receiver DERRICK MAYES, in a five-man battle for the Packers’ No. 3 receiver spot, caught 12 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns against the Oakland Raiders on August 8. Only Packers’ great and Pro Football Hall of Famer DON HUTSON has caught more passes for the club (13 and 14, both in 1942) in either a regular- or preseason game. Mayes leads the NFL with 15 preseason catches.
Running back CHRIS DARKINS is trying to secure the backup tailback job. In three games, Darkins has rushed 18 times for an NFL preseason-high 144 yards (8.0 yards per carry) and is tied for the league lead with two TDs.
CHIEF THREAT: "He’s pretty impressive. Big guys that can run and catch like that don’t come along very often," says Kansas City Chiefs quarterback RICH GANNON. He’s talking about Chiefs’ rookie tight end TONY GONZALEZ, the 13th overall selection in the 1997 NFL Draft. Gonzalez leads all NFL tight ends with six receptions (for 93 yards) and two touchdowns in the preseason. "I would have to say that from a receiving standpoint, he’s what we’ve been looking for," says Chiefs head coach MARTY SCHOTTENHEIMER.
SURPRISE STARTER: When the Detroit Lions selected cornerback BRYANT WESTBROOK of Texas with the fifth overall pick in the ‘97 draft, he was immediately penciled in as a starter. But second-round pick KEVIN ABRAMS of Syracuse has impressed the coaches with his play and work ethic, and is battling Westbrook for the starting job. "Abrams has been very good," says defensive backs coach RICHARD SELCER. "He wants to play and he likes to practice. He’s working hard and learning a lot. He’s going to help us."
FRESH FISH: Three rookies have made a splash for the Miami Dolphins. Wide receiver BRIAN MANNING, a sixth-round pick from Stanford, leads the NFL in receiving yards (255), the AFC in catches (11) and ties for the league lead in touchdowns (two). Linebacker DERRICK RODGERS, a third-rounder from Arizona State, is tied for the team lead with 14 tackles. And defensive end JASON TAYLOR, a third-round selection from Akron, is tied for second in the NFL with three sacks while leading Miami defensive linemen with eight tackles. "He’s going to be a special player," Dolphins head coach JIMMY JOHNSON says of the 6-2, 243-pound Taylor. "He’s only going to get bigger and better."
DUDLEY DOES RIGHT: The first tight end selected in the 1996 draft (ninth overall), the Oakland Raiders’ RICKEY DUDLEY, leads NFL tight ends with 116 preseason receiving yards on five catches. "He's got some of the best hands on the team," says new Raiders quarterback JEFF GEORGE. "He definitely stretches the safeties with his speed. You rarely see a tight end who runs like he does.''
FAR FROM DUNN: Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ first-round draft choice WARRICK DUNN of Florida State is the NFC’s second leading preseason rusher with 118 yards (on 22 carries for a 5.4-yard average). Bucs head coach TONY DUNGY says Dunn will touch the ball 15-18 times a game in the regular season as both a running back and kick returner.
SECOND-STRING??: Second-year Buffalo Bills linebackers GABE NORTHERN and DAN BRANDENBURG are posting pass-rushing numbers expected of starters despite being listed as reserves on the depth chart. Northern, who had five sacks for the Bills last season, is tied for second in the NFL with three sacks this preseason and has nine tackles and one forced fumble. Brandenburg, who spent most of last season on the Bills’ practice squad, boasts an NFL-high 3.5 sacks. "He has unique speed for a linebacker," Bills head coach MARV LEVY says of Brandenburg, who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds. "He does some things that flash at us, without question."
JETS LAND: The New York Jets have a new head coach -- BILL PARCELLS -- who is impressed by some of his team’s new players. Wide receiver-kick returner DEDRIC WARD, a 1997 third-rounder, ranks second in the AFC with a 16.3-yard punt return average and has caught five passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. Fellow rookies LEON JOHNSON, JOHN HALL and RICK TERRY are also playing well.
Running back Johnson, a fourth-round pick from North Carolina, caught five passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns in the Jets’ 39-29 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on August 8. "He made some big plays in the passing game," said Jets quarterback NEIL O’DONNELL, who connected with Johnson on a short pass which became a 65-yard scoring play in the first quarter. "It was his night." Johnson leads all NFL running backs with nine catches.
Hall, a rookie free agent from Wisconsin, has connected on all nine kicks (three field goals, six extra points) and has seven touchbacks on nine kickoffs. Defensive tackle Terry, a second-round selection from North Carolina, tackled Ravens running back JAY GRAHAM in the end zone for a safety and ranks first among Jets defensive linemen with six tackles.
THE CHALLENGERS: Two young NFL quarterbacks are having impressive preseasons.
In Philadelphia, second-year pro BOBBY HOYING has posted better preseason numbers than newly-named starter TY DETMER and RODNEY PEETE. Hoying has completed 22 of 27 attempts (81.5 percent) for 211 yards, a league-high four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 138.8 passer rating, second-best in preseason behind Minnesota’s BRAD JOHNSON (153.8).
In Cincinnati, eight-year veteran ERIK WILHELM is being pressed for the third-string position by rookie ERIC KRESSER of Marshall. After backing up Heisman Trophy-winner DANNY WUERFFEL at Florida, Kresser transferred to Marshall and led the Thundering Herd to the Division I-AA national title last season. In two preseason appearances, he has completed four of seven passes for 34 yards against Indianapolis, and led the Bengals on a 58-yard drive that killed the final 7:54 of the clock in a win over Detroit. "He’s a smart kid and he’s big (6-2, 209)," says Bengals head coach BRUCE COSLET. "We liked him at the NFL Combine. He’s just a good young talent."
YOUNG STARTERS: Set to begin their first season as starters, quarterbacks TODD COLLINS of the Buffalo Bills and KORDELL STEWART of the Pittsburgh Steelers are making the most of their preseason playing time.
Collins completed 10 of 12 attempts, including his last nine, for 115 yards in the Bills’ 19-3 win over the Minnesota Vikings last weekend. For the preseason, Collins has connected on 25 of 40 attempts for 328 yards and one touchdown for a 96.7 passer rating. "As I play more, especially with the same guys, I get more comfortable in my role," he says. "My reads are coming much more naturally and I think my teammates are feeling more comfortable with me too."
Stewart has led the Steelers to an AFC-best 3-0 mark while completing 19 of 30 attempts for 263 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for an AFC-high 124.7 passer rating. He is also tied for the league lead with two rushing touchdowns. "He’s getting to the point where he knows what people should be doing," says Steelers head coach BILL COWHER. "It’s something that comes with time."
COWBOYS CATCH: After two seasons as an outstanding special teams player, Dallas Cowboys third-year wide receiver BILLY DAVIS is getting some attention as a pass catcher. Davis leads the NFC with 196 receiving yards on 14 catches including a touchdown. He is currently Dallas’ No. 3 receiver behind MICHAEL IRVIN and ANTHONY MILLER. Davis was signed as an undrafted free agent in 1995 and spent the past two seasons on special teams. He does not have a career regular-season catch.
Cowboys rookie linebacker DEXTER COAKLEY was a three-time All-America at Division I-AA Appalachian State and was selected in the ’97 draft in the third round. At 5-10, 215 pounds, Coakley seemed small to be an NFL linebacker. Dallas didn’t think so, and now Coakley will start at the weakside spot. "Dexter’s just doing a tremendous job," says Cowboys linebackers coach JIM BATES. "We couldn’t be more elated over his play. Every day in practice, he lights it up. He could be as fine an open-field tackler as we’ve ever had."
OFFENSIVE SPARKS: Rookies IKE HILLIARD of Florida and TIKI BARBER of Virginia Tech should add punch to the New York Giants’ offense this season. Hilliard, the first receiver taken in the draft, is fourth in the conference with 126 receiving yards on six catches. Barber, selected in the second round, is expected to contribute as a third-down back due to his receiving skills and could even challenge veterans RODNEY HAMPTON and TYRONE WHEATLEY for the starting tailback job.
DRAFT DEFENSE: Three of the Minnesota Vikings’ six defensive draft choices are pushing veterans for playing time. First-round choice DWAYNE RUDD of Alabama is battling for the starting weakside linebacker position. Third-round defensive end STALIN COLINET of Boston College and fifth-round defensive tackle TONY WILLIAMS of Memphis are both tied for the NFC lead with two sacks apiece. Williams led the team with seven tackles against Buffalo last Friday night.
HEAVENLY QBs: The New Orleans Saints’ three quarterbacks -- four-year veterans HEATH SHULER and DOUG NUSSMEIER and rookie DANNY WUERFFEL -- have played in only 21 career NFL games. Despite their relative inexperience, the Saints’ trio currently leads the NFC with a 116.4 preseason team passer rating. Starting quarterback Shuler’s 107.9 rating ranks third in the conference among quarterbacks with at least 25 attempts.