HEAVY HITTERS: If you are a wide receiver playing against the New York Giants this season, tread carefully. The Giants’ defensive backfield employs some of the league’s biggest players at the position. Starting safeties PERCY ELLSWORTH, who had two interceptions against Tampa Bay in Week 1, and SAM GARNES each weigh 225 pounds, heaviest among all NFC safeties. Kansas City’s LARRY ATKINS is the league’s biggest safety at 228 pounds.

The Giants also possess two of the league’s heaviest cornerbacks in JASON SEHORN (210) and SHAUN WILLIAMS (215). Only Philadelphia’s BOBBY TAYLOR is heavier at 216 pounds.

By contrast, the San Francisco 49ers feature some of the league’s lightest defensive backs. Starting cornerback MARK MC MILLIAN, who stands 5-7 and weighs 154 pounds, is the NFL’s smallest player (in both height and weight). The 49ers also start DARNELL WALKER (5-8, 167) at corner, and backup ZACK BRONSON is the NFC’s lightest safety at 185 pounds. Only Cleveland safety TIM MC TYER, 181 pounds, is lighter.

If you are about to make a tackle on a Cincinnati Bengals running back, buckle up. The Bengals had six runners on their Kickoff Weekend rosters and each weighed more than 220 pounds, the most 220-pound-plus RBs on any team. The Bengals’ running backs average 245.2 pounds and are led by rookie NICK WILLIAMS, who is the league’s biggest RB at 267 pounds.

Some other interesting position weights: San Diego’s DAVID BINN is the league’s smallest offensive lineman at 245; Cleveland rookie defensive end ARNOLD MILLER is the lightest defensive lineman at 239; Buffalo’s DOUG FLUTIE (178) is the lightest quarterback while rookie DAUNTE CULPEPPER (255) is the league’s heaviest QB.

FIGHTING IRISH – AGAIN -- ATOP NFL ROSTER ROLL: For the fifth consecutive season, Notre Dame boasts the most players on NFL opening-game rosters. This year’s Fighting Irish total of 42 NFL players follows NFL-high marks of 40 in 1998, 44 in ’97, 43 in ’96, and 42 in ’95. Florida State ranks second with 39 NFL players, followed by North Carolina (36), Penn State (33), and Washington (33).

*NOTE: Chargers had Week 1 bye. Average based on projected starters.

BIG ROOKIE: Tackle WILLIE JONES of the St. Louis Rams is the NFL’s heaviest player, tipping the scales at 372 pounds. Jones, a rookie free agent from Grambling, weighed in 17 pounds more than the league’s second-heaviest player, tackle ANTHONY CLEMENT (355) of the Arizona Cardinals. Buffalo Bills tackle JAMIE NAILS, the AFC’s heaviest player, follows at 354 pounds.

There are 279 players weighing at least 300 pounds on this year’s opening-game rosters, compared to 250 a year ago and 226 in 1997. There are 140 in the AFC and 139 in the NFC. The Philadelphia Eagles lead the league with 14 300-pounders, while the Oakland Raiders top the AFC with 12. The Denver Broncos have two 300-pounders, the fewest in the NFL.

According to the 1989 NFL Record & Fact Book, there were 43 300-pounders that year, 22 in the AFC and 21 in the NFC.

MORE ROOKIES: This year’s rookie class consists of 228 players who average 22.8 years in age, 6-1.6 in height and 241.2 pounds.

Florida led all schools with eight rookies on opening-game rosters. It was followed by four schools with seven players each – Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska and Ohio State.

There were 33 rookie offensive linemen on opening-game rosters and only three do NOT weight 300 pounds – T DAN DERCHER, San Francisco (293); G DAVID LOVERNE, NY Jets (299); and T CHRIS TERRY, Carolina (295). Rookie offensive linemen average 6-5.8 and 313.9 pounds, while the rest of the league’s OLmen average 6-5.4 and 306.5 pounds.

* AFC high; + AFC low