Football Digest articles from June 2003

Football Digest archives from June 2003

Who of these five will thrive? (Kickoff).
June 1, 2003... THIS YEAR'S NFL COACHING carousel has finished spinning, leaving us with five new men on the sidelines. Some have done this head-coaching thing before (Bill Parcells, Steve Mariucci, and Dennis Erickson), and others are untested (Marvin...

Close, but no cigar. (The Fans Speak Out).
June 1, 2003... In your "Kickoff" in the March 2003 issue ["Rushing Into Oblivion"], you wrote that Corey Dillon joined Barry Sanders, Eric Dickerson, and Curtis Martin as the only players to rush for 1,000 yards in each of their first six seasons. Correct me...

Bucs power. (The Fans Speak Out).
June 1, 2003... You guys did a good job on your article on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the April 2003 issue ["From Punch Line to Powerhouse"]. It put a nice cap on, as you said, one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory. I'm not a fan of the...

The Emmitt debate. (The Fans Speak Out).
June 1, 2003... This is in response to a letter titled "Simply Not" from the April 2003 issue ["The Fans Speak Out"]. The fan stated that it was ludicrous to consider Emmitt Smith the greatest running back of all time. Well, it's ludicrous that this same fan...

On guard. (The Fans Speak Out).
June 1, 2003... As a long-ago and fellow guard (and center and linebacker) on a San Francisco-based sandlot team, the Juggernauts, I must say I enjoyed your article on guards, "The Invisible Men" [March 2003]. Truly, interior linemen have never received the...

Rooked again. (The Fans Speak Out).
June 1, 2003... I am responding to your All-Rookie Team [March 2003]. Derek Ross tied for the most interceptions by a rookie (five) despite starting just half the games for the Dallas Cowboys. He deserved a spot in your secondary over anyone you had except Roy...

More on Moss. (The Fans Speak Out).
June 1, 2003... I've been a FOOTBALL DIGEST subscriber for a long time. I always expect better views and articles from this magazine than others, but I have a problem with what you printed about Randy Moss in the February 2003 issue ["Welcome to the Big...

The Super Bowl-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (The Stat Sheet).
June 1, 2003... 137.65 million The number of Americans who watched the Buccaneers beat the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl 37, making it the second-most viewed Super Bowl in history. 2 The number of teams that have scored more points in a Super...

California dreamin'. (Uncovering the Past).
June 1, 2003... THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN Carson Palmer and Troy Aikman are striking. When we featured Aikman on the cover of our draft preview issue in 1989, he was a lock to be selected first overall by the Dallas Cowboys. Aikman possessed everything he...

Straight talk: whether the topic is the Saints' most recent collapse or his upbringing in the projects, the wideout tells it like it is. (Interview: Joe Horn).
June 1, 2003... THE 2002 SEASON PRODUCED YET another embarrassing meltdown for the New Orleans Saints. Still, the folks in the Big Easy have at least one reason to smile and hope for better day: Wide receiver Joe Horn has two years remaining on his contract....

Let the games begin. (2003 Draft Preview).
June 1, 2003... WHAT MAKES THE NFL SO great? George Young, the late general manager for the New York Giants, once summed it up this way: The NFL sells hope. Hope. That word certainly can be applied to the draft--especially these days, when teams like the...

The Carson show: USC quarterback Carson Palmer is the consensus No. 1 pick--but is he ready for prime time? (2003 Draft Preview)(Cover Story).
June 1, 2003... WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE certainty that is Mel Kiper's superbly sculpted coif, there are no sure things an the NFL draft. The closest you can get--over the past 20 years, at least--is selecting a Pac-10 quarterback with the No. 1 pick. ...

The big catch: quarterback will be the most talked-about position, but the No. 1 all-around prospect is a wideout, Michigan State's Charles Rogers. (2003 draft preview: offensive analysis).
June 1, 2003... THE NFL'S GLAMOUR POSITION--quarterback--is sure to add a lot of excitement to this year's draft. With numerous teams looking to find a passer to build around, Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer, Byron Leftwich, Rex Grossman, and Kyle Boller...

Secondary concerns: almost every team is looking for a quality cornerback--and there are plenty of them, led by Kansas State's Terence Newman. (2003 draft preview: defensive analysis).
June 1, 2003... THE DEFENSIVE COMMODITY NFL teams covet most is a reliable coyer cornerback. If a college prospect has decent height and the agility, speed, and aggressiveness to match up with pro wideouts, he will be drafted. And after that, he may receive...

Star search: as usual, the draft will provide the best opportunity for the 32 NFL teams to improve themselves. (2003 draft preview: team needs).
June 1, 2003... NFL EXECUTIVES ARE RUBBING their hands in eager anticipation of this year's draft. No, this crop probably is not equal to the one in the 2002 draft, which produced a number of players who made an immediate impact in the league. But it's a...

One strike and you're out: missing on a marquee pick can spark a chain reaction that leads to years of losing. (2003 Draft Preview).
June 1, 2003... HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO make the right decisions in the draft? It's critical. One big mistake often leads to a second big mistake. And soon after, the team winds up in the cellar. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers--the pre-Super Bowl champion...

Back in the groove: his latest injury now well behind him, Baltimore's Jamal Lewis is out to prove that he's the equal of any runner in the NFL.
June 1, 2003... EVEN THOUGH THE Baltimore Ravens made wholesale changes to their roster last offseason that saw eight defensive starters, their top quarterback, and their two leading receivers depart, running back still was their major source of concern. ...

Art Monk: how's this for selfless? The former Redskins wideout didn't play in the game that stands out the most of him. (The Game I'll Never Forget).
June 1, 2003... A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY BE SURPRISED to hear this, but I didn't even play in the game I'll never forget. When our Washington Redskins met the Dallas Cowboys at home at RFK Stadium in the 1982 NFC Championship Game, I was sidelined with a broken...

All-time first-round draft picks. (Names and Numbers).
June 1, 2003... All-Time First-Round Draft Picks (since 1970 NFL-AFL merger) 2002 No. Player Team Position College 1 David Carr Texans Quarterback Fresno State 2 Julius Peppers...

Quick quiz.
June 1, 2003... 1. Which quarterback holds the NFL record for the most passing yards as a rookie: Dan Marino, Drew Bledsoe, Peyton Manning, or Rick Mirer? 2. For how many consecutive years has a quarterback been the No. 1 pick overall in the draft? ...