Football Digest articles from April 2003

Football Digest archives from April 2003

A star is born. (Kickoff).
April 1, 2003... WOULDN'T YOU LOVE TO BE IN Jon Gruden's shoes right about now? He has boyish good looks and exudes an "aw shucks" charm that harks back to a more innocent time. And by the way, he's flesh off of leading his Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Super...

Rooked. (The Fans Speak Out).
April 1, 2003... I'm a big Pittsburgh Steelers fan, and I'm very shocked to see that on your All Rookie Team you did not include Jeff Reed as your kicker [March 2003]. Yes, Reed came in late in the season, but he still packed a punch. J.C. Abdallah Via...

Moss talk. (The Fans Speak Out).
April 1, 2003... Being a Minnesota Vikings fan, I have to put up with a lot of Randy Moss bashing by other fans. Sometimes I wonder if I am only sticking up for him bemuse he is a Viking. Your article "Welcome to The Big Time" [February 2003] has made me think...

Simply not. (The Fans Speak Out).
April 1, 2003... Emmitt Smith definitely is not the best running back in history. I'll credit him with the desire to be the best, but hands down, he's not. Your article and the headline--"Simply the Best"--contradict each other ["Kickoff," January 2003]....

Lighten up. (The Fans Speak Out).
April 1, 2003... This letter is in response to Michael Azre's article "This Fan Never Came Back" [February 2003]. Baltimore fans were heartbroken when Robert Irsay took the Colts to Indianapolis in 1984. The commissioner let them keep our colors and the Colts...

He's no Bavaro. (The Fans Speak Out).
April 1, 2003... I've never written before, even though I've subscribed to your magazine for 12 years. I would like to address the recent incident involving Jeremy Shockey of the New York Giants hitting some kids with a cup of ice during the playoffs. When...

Hometown heroes redux. (The Fans Speak Out).
April 1, 2003... In an issue that contains a tribute to John Unitas ["`This Man Was Babe Ruth,'" December 2002]--he should have been on the cover, incidentally--you insult his memory by including him on a Midwestern team for which he never played in your...

School snapshot: Ohio State.
April 1, 2003... * Coach Jim Tressel's Buckeyes beat Miami in the Fiesta Bowl for the 2002 national title. Ironically, Tressel nearly ended up coaching the Hurricanes in 1995. He was under strong consideration for the head-coaching job before withdrawing his...

A phenom fades. (Uncovering the Past).
April 1, 2003... A FEW SHORT YEARS AGO, Peyton Manning had the NFL by the tail. His Indianapolis Colts performed the greatest turnaround in NFL history in 1999, going 13-3 after finishing 3-13 the previous season. Indianapolis lost its playoffs opener, but even...

Game on: the Steelers wide receiver talks about football the same way he plays it: with a no-holds-barred attitude. (Interview: Hines Ward).
April 1, 2003... WHEN THE PITTSBURGH STEELers drafted Hines Ward in the third round in 1998, they knew they had a great athlete. What they weren't sure about was where to put him. Ward had played quarterback, halfback, and wide receiver at Georgia, prompting...

From punch line to Powerhouse: Tampa Bay's amazing journey to the Super Bowl championship.
April 1, 2003... JOHN LYNCH, THE SUPERB strong safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, summed up the 2002 season perfectly as his team was preparing to face the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl 37. The Buccaneers had the NFL's top defense and the Raiders had the top...

The ultimate leader: the grizzled Raiders quarterback plays the game for one reason, and one reason only: to win. (2002 Player of the Year: Rich Gannon).
April 1, 2003... RICH GANNON MIGHT BE THE most unassuming award winner the NFL ever has seen. Ask FOOTBALL DIGEST'S 2002 Player of the Year about his remarkable season, and he will talk about his teammates. And his coaches. And his family. You won't hear much...

Leading man: after years of playing a supporting role to flamboyant teammate Warren Sapp, the linebacker became the star of the show in Tampa. (2002 Defensive Player Of The Year: Derrick Brooks).
April 1, 2003... FOR MOST OF HIS NFL CAREER, Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Derrick Brooks has been somewhat overlooked. Despite being an integral part of a perennially staunch defense, Brooks has been eclipsed by teammate Warren Sapp, the defensive...

Roll call: from record-setting offensive players like Marvin Harrison to the game-breakers on defense, we present the definitive list of the league's best at every position. (2002 Awards).
April 1, 2003... OUR ALL-PRO TEAM IS A reflection of how the NFL as a whole shaped up in 2002. The potent offenses on the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, and Raiders are heavily represented, highlighted by our Player of the Year, Oakland quarterback...

A Titanic turnaround: just when it looked like Tennessee was sinking fast, the unflappable coach brought his team back from the depths. (2002 Coach Of The Year: Jeff Fisher).
April 1, 2003... THE SCENE ON THE AFTERNOON of October 6 couldn't have been much more dreary. As the clock wound down on Tennessee's 31-14 loss to the visiting Washington Redskins--the Titans' fourth ugly defeat in the season's first five games--thousands of...

Can it work? The union of two notoriously headstrong individuals--Jerry Jones and Bill Parcells--promises to be one of the NFL's most intriguing stories in the coming months.
April 1, 2003... FOR JERRY JONES AND BILL PARCELLS, it's not about money or power. It's strictly about winning. That, they say, is the reason this curious alliance will work. The Dallas Cowboys owner lured Parcells back into coaching in January with a...

Who says dinosaurs are extinct? Here's what you need to know about throwback linebacker Keith Brooking: he worships Butkus, says he'd play for free, and doesn't take a single aspect of the game for granted.
April 1, 2003... WITH THE UNPRECEDENTED speed and athleticism he's brought to the quarterback position, Michael Vick plays like he jumped off of some futuristic football field and into the NFL. Keith Brooking, Vick's teammate on the Atlanta Falcons, also...

Chris Spielman: the week after Mike Utley suffered a paralyzing neck injury, the linebacker and his Lions teammates made an inspirational statement against the Vikings. (The Game I'll Never Forget).
April 1, 2003... I REMEMBER WHEN I MET MIKE Utley: I saw him walking out of the weight room. He wasn't all that strong for an offensive lineman. I don't even know if he could bench 300 pounds, which is a bit surprising. But the Detroit lions obviously saw...

2002 team-by-team individual statistics. (Names and Numbers).
April 1, 2003... 2002 Team-by-Team Individual Statistics ARIZONA CARDINALS Passing Player Atts. Comp. Yds. Jake Plummer 530 284 2,972 Passing Player ...

Quick quiz.
April 1, 2003... 1. Ten players in the AFC rushed for at least 1,000 yards in 2002. Of those 10, how many made it to the playoffs? 2. Who had more interceptions in the 2002 regular season: Brian Kelly of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Rod Woodson of the...