NFC NEWS ‘N’ NOTES

A ROAD LESS TRAVELED

They all wanted to be first-round draft picks and enjoy immediate stardom, playing the game they had grown to love.

But for many NFL players, achieving success – be it leading a team to a Super Bowl title or simply earning a spot on the roster – took a decidedly different turn.

Look no further than Carolina Panthers quarterback JAKE DELHOMME, who burst upon the scene last season, leading the Panthers to within a whisker of a Super Bowl championship in his first season with the team.  After sparking the club as a backup to a come-from-behind 24-23 win over Jacksonville in Week 1, Delhomme started the remainder of the year and never looked back, concluding the campaign with a thrilling performance in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

After guiding the Ragin’ Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafayette to three winning seasons in four years, passing for 9,216 yards and 64 touchdowns in the process, Delhomme went undrafted.  Signed by the New Orleans Saints, he was waived and later signed to the practice squad in 1997.

In 1998, Delhomme was allocated to the NFL Europe League’s Amsterdam Admirals, where he spent the season as a backup to another unheralded quarterback who would later achieve Super Bowl stardom, KURT WARNER.  The following season, it was back to the Saints and Europe, where he led the 1999 Frankfurt Galaxy to a win in the World Bowl.

“I don’t think we were the only ones who saw that he had it,” says Panthers head coach JOHN FOX.  “He visited Dallas as a free agent and BILL PARCELLS saw some of the same things we saw.  He has the intangibles and all he needed was an opportunity.  He labored in NFL Europe and as a backup.  When he got his chance, he made the most of it.”

On June 12, Delhomme came full circle, returning to the World Bowl…via a telephone interview during the Berlin Thunder’s 30-24 win over Frankfurt.

“I will always appreciate NFL Europe for the opportunity it afforded me to hone my skills,” said Delhomme.  “I was able to get on the field and play in the games.  You can’t teach that in practice, especially at the quarterback position.  We were able to play for and win a championship with the Galaxy, and that is something I am extremely proud of.”

Following is a look at other players who have taken a unique path – or overcame significant obstacles – to make the NFL:

·         K DAVID AKERS, Philadelphia Eagles – If you’ve worked as a substitute teacher, lining up a game-winning field goal should be a piece of cake.  Akers did just that at Westport Middle School in Louisville, Kentucky between NFL stints with Carolina and Atlanta.  After Washington released him in 1998, Akers returned to Georgia, where his wife ERIKA landed a job with Lucent Technologies.  He then picked up part-time work as a waiter at a Longhorn Steakhouse in Lawrenceville, Georgia until signing with the Eagles in 1999.  He spent his first season with the team as a kickoff and long field goal specialist.  Akers, who was with the NFLEL’s Berlin Thunder in 1999, is Philadelphia’s first Pro Bowl kicker since SAM BAKER in 1969.  “I have a weird, God-given talent to kick an oblong ball between two poles,” says Akers.  Not one to rest easy, he spends his offseason training in the martial arts, specifically Brazilian Jitsu and Shaolin Kempo.

·         P DARREN BENNETT, Minnesota Vikings – The newly signed Vikings punter was a star before he even got to the NFL.  Bennett, a native of Australia, excelled for 12 years in Australian Rules Football, competing for the East Fremantle Sharks, West Coast Eagles and Melbourne Demons while also holding a full-time job as an employment officer and nursery owner.  Using tickets he won in a long-ball kicking contest, Bennett honeymooned on the west coast of the United States.  While there, he contacted the San Diego Chargers for a tryout, and the rest is history.  After a stint with the Amsterdam Admirals in NFL Europe in 1995, Bennett became one of the NFL’s premier punters, twice representing San Diego in the Pro Bowl.  Now he takes his booming punts north to Minnesota, joining the Vikes after nine seasons with the Chargers. 

·         T KHIAWATHA DOWNEY, San Francisco 49ers – The rookie free agent from Indiana University of Pennsylvania will have a chance to make the roster this summer.  Downey, a versatile 6-3, 336-pound tackle, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis – an incurable, yet non-fatal disease that attacks the central nervous system in various ways – four years ago.  “Remarkable,” defensive tackle BRYANT YOUNG said of Downey.  “Just for him to be here is an inspiration for others to get through their lives.”

·         LB MARK FIELDS, Carolina Panthers – Originally a first-round draft pick of New Orleans in 1995, Fields entered 2003 as an established performer on the Carolina defense.  Then in training camp last August, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease, underwent chemotherapy and missed the Panthers’ NFC Championship season.  Though not on the field, he remained close to his teammates, delivering an inspirational address as they defeated Philadelphia to win the NFC title.  Now, less than 10 months after the diagnosis, Fields is back, participating in voluntary workouts last week.  “This is flag football right now,” says Fields.  “I am looking forward to putting the pads on in training camp.  And when we line up against the Green Bay Packers to start the season on Monday night, I feel like I’m going to be ready to go.”

·         WR-KR-PR DANTE HALL, Kansas City Chiefs – A fifth-round draft pick in 2000 and considered by some to be too small to succeed in the NFL, the 5-8, 187-pounder had a successful stint with the Scottish Claymores in NFL Europe in 2001 and has emerged as one of the NFL’s most exciting players.  He has played in consecutive Pro Bowls as the AFC’s return specialist.

·         WR-KR-PR MICHAEL LEWIS, New Orleans Saints – The New Orleans native held down “real jobs” before becoming one of the league’s premier return men, making his first NFL roster at age 29 in 2001.  Lewis worked a variety of jobs following high school to keep his football dream alive and support his family, including driving a beer truck.  His resume includes stops in the NFL Europe and Arena leagues as well as the Indoor Professional Football League.

·         CB MESENE LOUISDOR, Miami Dolphins – The 28-year-old rookie will try to realize his NFL dream with his hometown team, after traveling the globe in his quest for football success.  Louisdor has spent the past six years in five different leagues, including the NFL Europe, Canadian and Arena leagues.  Now he will fight to earn a roster spot with his hometown Dolphins.  He moved to Miami from the Bahamas in elementary school.  Louisdor has been around NFL talent since high school, at one point calling three future NFL cornerbacks – DUANE STARKS, SAMARI ROLLE and TERRY COUSIN -- teammates at Miami Beach High.  He played two seasons at Eastern Arizona Junior College before transferring to Central Michigan and embarking on his football odyssey.  “Being able to adapt on the road has shown me how to be mentally strong and persevere in life,” Louisdor said.  “I don’t regret what I’ve been through.  It’s part of life, and now I have to do everything I can to make this team.” 

·         RB RENO MAHE, Philadelphia Eagles – A two-time all-Mountain West selection as a wide receiver at Brigham Young, Mahe went from free agent to the Eagles’ roster in 2003, seeing action as a backup punt returner and reserve running back.  He has spent part of this offseason with a part-time job as a host at Chickie’s and Pete’s Café in south Philadelphia.  “I enjoy it very much,” Mahe said of his restaurant role.  “It helps me get to know the people in South Philly and appreciate their love for sports.”

·         DT BRANDON NOBLE, Washington Redskins – Nothing has come easy for Noble, a free agent who used two seasons in NFL Europe to help him win a job with the Dallas Cowboys in 1999.  After four seasons in Dallas, he joined Washington last year but did not play due to a knee injury.  Now, with his rehabilitation almost complete, Noble has caught the eye of new head coach JOE GIBBS.  “A lot of people said he would never play again, and he’s back out there,” says the coach.  “That says a lot about him.”  Gibbs named Noble his first “Player of the Week.”  Along with the award itself goes Gibbs’ parking space at Redskins Park – the one closest to the entrance.