Football Digest articles from October 2003

Football Digest archives from October 2003

The end came too soon.(Kickoff)
October 1, 2003... THERE ARE CERTAIN PLAYERS you feel compelled to root for, players who conduct themselves as professionals both on and off the field. Tony Boselli was part of that group. Boselli was the rare NFL prospect who actually lived up to the hype....

Watch out for Buffalo.(The Fans Speak Out)
October 1, 2003... I firmly believe the Buffalo Bills win the AFC East this season and compete for the Super Bowl. All the pieces are now in place. Last year, the offense came together with players like quarter. back Drew Bledsoe, running back Travis Henry, and...

More Emmitt.(The Fans Speak Out)
October 1, 2003... I just read FOOTBALL DIGEST for the first time and found it to be well written and informative. I look forward to my next issue. The real reason Emmitt Smith chose not to be a role player for a playoff team is simple- He is running for...

Trouble in Dallas.(The Fans Speak Out)
October 1, 2003... Even though the Cowboys have Bill Parcells, I still don't know how they'll possibly be any good this season. They don't have a proven quarterback or running back, and their offensive line isn't all that good. Parcells is a great coach, but not...

Keep going, no. 4.(The Fans Speak Out)
October 1, 2003... I'm a huge fan of Brett Favre, and I've heard he may retire at the end of this season. Is that true? I'd hate to see him leave the game so soon. He still can play as well as anyone, and he's so fun to watch. The game won't be the same after...

Taking flight.(The Fans Speak Out)
October 1, 2003... I was pleasantly surprised that you put the Seattle Seahawks on the cover of your September 2003 issue. I agree that they could be one of this season's biggest surprises. Their quarterback; Matt Hasselbeck, is one of the most underrated players...

Jake the fake?(The Fans Speak Out)
October 1, 2003... The Denver Broncos are crazy if they think Jake Plummer will do a better job than Brian Griese did. Plummer is one of the most inconsistent quarterbacks I've ever seen. Although he makes some big plays, he makes twice as many mistakes. ...

The best of the bunch.(Rising Star: Donte Stallworth)
October 1, 2003... WIDE RECEIVER IS THE strongest, deepest position in the NFL It seems like newcomers at that spot make an impact every year. This season, there are three wideouts with a strong chance to break out Ashley Lelie of the Denver Broncos, Donte...

Remember this guy?(Uncovering the Past)
October 1, 2003... NO ONE UNDERSTANDS THE fickle fates better than Kurt Warner. Before the 1999 season began, we at FOOTBALL DIGEST didn't even know who Warner was. But as the months passed, we learned. And when it came time to do our postseason preview issue, we...

A man on a mission: following a 2002 season that was cut short by an injury, the All-Pro linebacker is determined to come back stronger than ever.(Interview: Ray Lewis)
October 1, 2003... GROWING UP, RAY LEWIS IDOLized Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary. This offseason Singletary became the Baltimore Raven's linebackers coach, and Lewis now is playing for him. "He and I are a match made in heaven," Lewis...

LT, the chargers, and me: speaking from personal experience, you can't go wrong pinning your playoff hopes on LaDainian Tomlinson.
October 1, 2003... IT WAS THE TYPE OF GENIUS MOVE YOU MAKE ONCE a fantasy football season. With its fifth-round pick in the 2001 Scripps Howard News Service Fantasy Football Draft, Team Donatelli selected San Diego Chargers rookie running back LaDainian...

You name it, we've got it: we rate the best and worst of the NFL in 100 different categories.
October 1, 2003... MARSHALL FAULK STILL IS THE best player in the NFL. The Raiders have the worst fans. And the Packers have the best. Daniel Snyder has no idea how to run an NFL team, but he isn't the league's worst owner. Mike Brown is. Who says...

Stepping up: a tough offseason for the Eagles did produce one major positive: Donovan McNabb solidified his status as the team's leader.
October 1, 2003... SOMEWHERE BETWEEN JANuary's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game and his hush-hush marriage in late June to college sweetheart Roxi Nurse, quarterback Donovan McNabb surrendered to another reality. The Philadelphia...

At the crossroads: this will be a defining season for several players, including Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
October 1, 2003... THE 2003 SEASON WILL BE CRITICAL for dozens of NFL players who have reached a crossroads in their careers. Will they continue the upward trend that sometimes leads to individual honors, championships, and even the Super Bowl? Or have they...

A foggy future: the jury is out on whether Rams quarterback Kurt Warner can shine the way he once did.
October 1, 2003... QUARTERBACK COMPETITION? What quarterback competition? The mere mention of that causes the usually affable Kurt Warner to bristle slightly. "I don't look at it that way at all," he says. Neither does his coach on the St. Louis Rams, Mike...

Conrad Dobler: the offensive lineman's Cardinals lost a playoff game to the Rams in 1975, but he still is proud of the effect he had on Merlin Olsen that day.(The Game I'll Never Forget)
October 1, 2003... THE MOST MEMORABLE GAME of my career had to be when I ran defensive lineman Merlin Olsen off the field in our playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams in 1975. Here's a guy who's in the Hall of Fame and made 14 Pro Bowls. When the fourth...

Backing a buckeye? Ohio State's Maurice Clarett certainly has the talent to run away with college football's most coveted award, but a series of controversies could derail his chances.(2003 Heisman Trophy Preview)
October 1, 2003... THIS YEAR'S HEISMAN TROPHY favorites are a peculiar bunch. We have a sophomore, a funky-throwing quarterback, a running back coming off a major knee injury, a signalcaller whose name is a synonym for interception, and a family legacy. ...

2003 NFL team-by-team schedules.(Names and Numbers)
October 1, 2003... 2003 NFL Team-by-Team Schedules ARIZONA CARDINALS Sept. 7 at Detroit Sept. 14 Seattle Sept. 21 Green Bay Sept. 28 at St. Louis Oct. 5 at Dallas Oct. 12 Baltimore Oct....

2003 NFL rosters.(Names and Numbers)
October 1, 2003... 2003 NFL Rosters ARIZONA CARDINALS No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. College 20 Anderson, Damien RB 5'10" 212 Northwestern 69 Anne, Ryan DT 6'1" 316 Idaho 80 Banks,...

Quick quiz.
October 1, 2003... 1. Which year did the Green Bay Packers begin play: 1920, 1921, 1928, or 1932? 2. The Pro Bowl has become synonymous with Hawaii, as it's been played there continuously since 1980. However, the game didn't originate them. Where was the...