Football Digest articles from January 2003

Football Digest archives from January 2003

Simply the best. (Kickoff).
January 1, 2003... EMMITT SMITH IS THE NFL's ALL-TIME rushing king, the keeper of the game's most prestigious record. This should be a time to celebrate everything Smith has accomplished in his unparalleled career, but--perhaps predictably--it hasn't been....

Hometown heroes. (The Fans Speak Out).
January 1, 2003... I would not normally respond to anyone's list of best players due to the fact that most of it is based purely on opinion ["Hometown Heroes," December 2002], but since you knew the debates were coming, I will respond this time. Being a...

Grounded. (The Fans Speak Out).
January 1, 2003... I had high hopes for the Cleveland Browns this year, but they are struggling for the same reason they struggled last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. They can't run the ball. I thought rookie William Green would be the...

Johnny U. (The Fans Speak Out).
January 1, 2003... Thanks for the great tribute to Johnny Unitas ["This Man Was Babe Ruth,'" December 2002]. I actually was fortunate enough to see Unitas play, and it was an experience I'll never forget He was a legend if there ever was one, and he helped make...

Correction.
January 1, 2003... IN THE ARTICLE TITLED "WEEKEND WARRIOR'S" in the November 2002 issue, FOOTBALL DIGEST misspelled the name of Michael Cihon, who is the president of the United States Flag and Touch Football League, FOOTBALL DIGEST regrets the error.

Bears down. (The Fans Speak Out).
January 1, 2003... Your article on how deceptive fast starts can be hit the nail right on the head when it comes to the Bears this ["Not So Fast," November 2002]. The Bears started out 2-0, which was a good start recordwise, but those wins were hardly dominant....

A rookie sensation. (The Fans Speak Out).
January 1, 2003... If Julius Peppers isn't the defensive rookie of the year, I don't know who is. With young playmakers like Peppers, it's only a matter of time before the Carolina Panthers rise up and become one of the league's better teams. Peppers has the...

The genius? (The Fans Speak Out).
January 1, 2003... As a longtime Seahawks fan, it makes me sick to see what's happened to them. Mike Holmgren was paid a lot of money to take them to the next level Instead, they have gotten worse under him. You know why Holmgren was considered such a great coach...

Wise beyond his years. (Rising star: Drew Brees).
January 1, 2003... AFTER DREW BREES LED THE San Diego Chargers to an exhilarating 35-34 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6, he made a gesture to the fans. The quarterback bent his middle three fingers, pointed his thumb and little finger toward the...

Buffalo's buzzing again. (Uncovering the Past).
January 1, 2003... WHEN JIM KELLY SIGNED WITH the Bills in 1986 following two seasons in the USFL, the city of Buffalo gave him a hero's welcome. After several years in the NFL dumpster, the Bills needed a savior--and Kelly was hailed as that man. By the...

Is L.A. the next stop for the Colts? (Behind the Scenes).
January 1, 2003... EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO, A FLEET of Mayflower trucks arrived at the Baltimore Colts' complex in the dead of night and moved one of the NFL's most historic franchises to Indianapolis. That incident had major ramifications. To prevent the...

Green bay packers. (Franchise Snapshot).
January 1, 2003... * Tight end Bubba Franks' real name is Daniel Lamont. * Brett Favre has a career record of 17-4 against Green Bay's archrival, the Chicago Bears. The teams next meet on December 1 in Green Bay. * Rob Davis, the Packers' long snapper,...

A man on a mission: the Saints quarterback has overcome the odds and hit it big in the NFL--but if you think he's satisfied, you're wrong. (Interview: Aaron Brooks).
January 1, 2003... ONE DAY, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS quarterback Aaron Brooks might forgive... but he will never forget. More than three years after the fact, Brooks still sees red when he talks about the 1999 NFL draft, in which eight quarterbacks were taken...

Little big men: we profile four offensive stars who play much larger than they really are, starting with the Colts' Marvin Harrison.
January 1, 2003... Is BIGGER REALLY BETTER IN THE violent world of the NFL? Most of the time, yes. It's a league in which the biggest and the strongest generally survive and thrive. What can't be measured as easily, however, is a player's heart. Or his...

Born again in Buffalo: after being written off in New England, Drew Bledsoe has come back with a vengeance on the Bills.
January 1, 2003... WHEN THE WINDS COME HARD off of Lake Erie and blow through Buffalo, it can be a very nasty thing. That's particularly true late in the NFL season, when the temperatures are frigid, the snow is omnipresent, and the mood is depressing. The...

The name game: from "Broadway Joe" to "The Galloping Ghost," we proudly present our All-Nickname Team.
January 1, 2003... FROM "NEON" DEION TO "WHIZZER" White to "White Shoes" Johnson, professional football is loaded with colorful nicknames to describe its gridiron gladiators. They are bestowed upon the game's greatest players by teammates, fans, and the press as...

These are not your father's chiefs: Kansas City has abandoned a defense-first mentality in favor of a high-powered offensive attack, but is the team any better off?
January 1, 2003... WHEN HE LOOKS TODAY AT the man who gave him the break he needed in pro football, Herman Edwards sees the same inspirational, caring, organizational coach he knew when the Philadelphia Eagles advanced to the Super Bowl in the 1980 season. But...

The grand finale: Jerry Rice, still playing magnificent football at the age of 40, is taking his legend to even greater heights.
January 1, 2003... JERRY RICE'S WIFE IS PUZZLED. SHE looks at her 40-year-old husband and wonders why he keeps at it the way he does. Then she shrugs. She knows that even after Rice has retired--after he has set receiving records no one will touch for eons,...

We're not all superstars: So you think NFL players--with millions of dollars stashed away--retire to a life of leisure? Think again. The majority of them have to find jobs when they're done playing, and many are unprepared to do so.
January 1, 2003... EDITOR'S NOTE: Kenyon Rasheed was an NFL running back from 1993 to 1997, with the New York Giants and New York Jets. He now is CEO of Rasheed & Associates, a company that moves technology products in and out of the sports marketplace. He also...

Willie Lanier: the Hall of Fame linebacker says Kansas City's epic, double-overtime loss to the Dolphins in the 1971 playoffs was the ultimate test of character. (The Game I'll Never Forget).
January 1, 2003... THE MOST MEMORABLE GAME of my career had to be in the 1971 AFC playoffs. Christmas Day. The Miami Dolphins. Old Municipal Stadium in Kansas City. Double-overtime. Eighty-two minutes and 40 seconds. The longest game in NFL history. Here's...

2002 NFL weekly schedule. (Names and Numbers).
January 1, 2003... 2002 NFL Weekly Schedule YOUR FINAL GAME TIME GUESS SCORE WEEK 11 Sunday, November 17 Arizona at Philadelphia 1:00 p.m. ...

NFL rosters. (Names and Numbers).
January 1, 2003... NFL Rosters ARIZONA CARDINALS No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. College 20 Anderson, Damien RB 5'10" 212 Northwestern 80 Banks, Mike TE 6'4" 260 Iowa State 36 Barrett,...

Quick quiz.
January 1, 2003... 1. Brett Favre is in contention to win the NFL passer-rating title this season. If he does so, will it be the first passer-rating title of his 12-year career? 2. The "San Diego Chargers got off to a 4-0 start this season. True or false:...