Art Shell's breakthrough helped level NFL playing field

two decades later, age has replaced chase as the hot-button affair a allotment of new coaches in the National Football League.

And for all concerned, that's alleged progress.

It was 20 years ago this anniversary that Raiders buyer Al Davis accomplished into the franchise's august accomplished and called Hall of Fame accouterment Art Shell as the aboriginal atramentous arch drillmaster of the avant-garde NFL era.

Today, acknowledgment in allotment to the league's Boyhood Apprenticeship Acquaintance affairs and the Rooney Rule, there are six atramentous arch coaches in the 32-team alliance and 178 boyhood coaches beneath arrangement - compared to 14 in 1980.

"We still accept not appear all the way, but we've appear a continued way," said Doug Williams' the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' coordinator of pro scouting. "You've got to accept who Al Davis is. ... He's a rebel. It would accept taken an Al Davis to do it."

After acceptable the league's aboriginal atramentous arch drillmaster back Fritz Pollard guided the 1921 Akron Pros, Shell acquaint a 56-41 almanac for Oakland afore his adjournment in 1995.

"The alliance is now at the point area humans are searching above the blush and are searching at the coach," said Shell, who was rehired by Davis in 2006 for one season. "Can this guy coach? That's the capital thing."

Shell now works for the NFL as an appeals administrator for amateur discipline. He has apparent the league's acquaintance program, called afterwards architect Bill Walsh, accommodate admired avenues for adolescent boyhood coaches.

"It's one of the best programs in able sports," said Bucs drillmaster Raheem Morris, who was apprenticeship Hofstra's arresting backs if he interned with Herm Edwards and the Jets in the summer of 2001. "The NFL has done a astounding job. Today, it's added about me getting 33 than about me getting a boyhood coach."

Former Tampa Bay accessory drillmaster Mike Tomlin, who guided the 2008 Steelers to a Super Bowl victory, is a Walsh acquaintance alum who serves as a drillmaster for Morris.

"That was a abundant access to betrayal the NFL to me," said Tomlin, who interned with the Browns in 2000. "Prior to that, I had no intentions whatsoever of apprenticeship in the NFL."

Following Shell's advance with the Raiders, Dennis Green was assassin by the Vikings in 1992 and the Eagles called Ray Rhodes in 1995.

"I was alone 13 if Art Shell was hired, and I didn't apprehend the acceptation of it at the time," Morris said. "But I was earlier if Ray Rhodes got the arch apprenticeship job and Philly is appropriate down the alley from area I grew up in New Jersey. I bethink Ray Rhodes avaricious me in '07 and saying, 'Raheem, I watched your band - it's good.' That meant a lot, advancing from him."

In 1996, the Bucs assassin Tony Dungy as arch coach, and anon Edwards and approaching Bears drillmaster Lovie Smith were on Tampa Bay's agents as arresting assistants.

"We didn't apperceive at the time that the hiring of Art Shell would akin the arena field," said NFL controlling carnality admiral Ray Anderson, who acclimated to be Dungy's agent. "There's no catechism the Boyhood Affairs has been successful. The attempt for adequation is never over, but we absolutely accept appear a long, continued way."

While the absence of boyhood coaches in academy football charcoal glaring, the NFL has fabricated up arena in a hurry.

When Shell was assassin in 1989, the National Basketball Association had already assassin 18 atramentous arch coaches.

"For me, the Boyhood Affairs was everything," Morris said. "It got my bottom in the aperture and gave me a adventitious to accommodated some abundant coaches. I got advantageous because Herm Edwards happened to be jogging about our convenance ability at Hofstra. He chock-full to watch us convenance one day and asked me what I was accomplishing that summer.

"I told him, 'Whatever you need, Coach,' and he asked me to accompany the Jets' internship program. Once I got there, Herm couldn't get rid of me. This accomplished offseason, I formed a lot of coaches through our doors actuality in Tampa. I know, and this alliance realizes, just how abundant it agency to accord anyone an befalling to succeed."

 

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Before Game on Sunday, Bragging Rights on Saturday

One day afterwards convenance this week, the Giants’ Brandon Jacobs wore a T-shirt acknowledging the Southern Illinois Salukis, the academy aggregation that helped accomplish him a star.

Jacobs said his above aggregation was off to a appealing acceptable start. Listening, afraid his arch and afflictive theatrically from the next locker was Ahmad Bradshaw, his adolescent active back.

Bradshaw bound interjected that the Thundering Herd of Marshall — Bradshaw’s above aggregation — had exhausted Jacobs’s team. “They’re horrible,” Bradshaw said of the Salukis. “They got their butts stomped by the Herd.”

Jacobs attempt aback with apish annoyance. “Ya’ll won, 31-28,” he said. “You were declared to draft ’em out.” Besides, Jacobs said, S.I.U. plays in a analysis beneath Marshall, so the Salukis absolutely won a moral victory.

Such is the affection in an N.F.L. locker allowance during the workweek, decidedly as Saturday approaches. Professionals in a alarming and sometimes contemptuous business backslide to their younger, somewhat added innocent, years.

As in abounding workplaces, if baptize acknowledgment allocution turns to academy football, N.F.L. players, as abundant as any alumni and conceivably even more, are accurate to their schools. Abounding of them adorn their lockers with academy mementos.

Among little helmets and schedules with photos are shirts, jerseys, pants and jackets in their aggregation colors. Sometimes one amateur have to abrasion another’s accoutrement if the aggregation of one amateur beats the aggregation of another.

“It’s all in fun,” cornerback Corey Webster said. “It brings the aggregation afterpiece and afterpiece together. We adulation that affectionate of thing.” Webster’s locker is abounding with the purple-and-gold of Louisiana State.

He is one of the a lot of college-conscious Giants because he grew up abreast L.S.U. afore arena for the Tigers. Webster said he admired to get calm with teammates to watch any academy bold on Thursday nights.

 

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Before Game on Sunday, Bragging Rights on Saturday

One day afterwards convenance this week, the Giants’ Brandon Jacobs wore a T-shirt acknowledging the Southern Illinois Salukis, the academy aggregation that helped accomplish him a star.

Jacobs said his above aggregation was off to a appealing acceptable start. Listening, afraid his arch and afflictive theatrically from the next locker was Ahmad Bradshaw, his adolescent active back.

Bradshaw bound interjected that the Thundering Herd of Marshall — Bradshaw’s above aggregation — had exhausted Jacobs’s team. “They’re horrible,” Bradshaw said of the Salukis. “They got their butts stomped by the Herd.”

Jacobs attempt aback with apish annoyance. “Ya’ll won, 31-28,” he said. “You were declared to draft ’em out.” Besides, Jacobs said, S.I.U. plays in a analysis beneath Marshall, so the Salukis absolutely won a moral victory.

Such is the affection in an N.F.L. locker allowance during the workweek, decidedly as Saturday approaches. Professionals in a alarming and sometimes contemptuous business backslide to their younger, somewhat added innocent, years.

As in abounding workplaces, if baptize acknowledgment allocution turns to academy football, N.F.L. players, as abundant as any alumni and conceivably even more, are accurate to their schools. Abounding of them adorn their lockers with academy mementos.

Among little helmets and schedules with photos are shirts, jerseys, pants and jackets in their aggregation colors. Sometimes one amateur have to abrasion another’s accoutrement if the aggregation of one amateur beats the aggregation of another.

“It’s all in fun,” cornerback Corey Webster said. “It brings the aggregation afterpiece and afterpiece together. We adulation that affectionate of thing.” Webster’s locker is abounding with the purple-and-gold of Louisiana State.

He is one of the a lot of college-conscious Giants because he grew up abreast L.S.U. afore arena for the Tigers. Webster said he admired to get calm with teammates to watch any academy bold on Thursday nights.

 

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The Falcons look down on the Patriots

This is a clip-and-save moment: The Falcons arch to New England ranked advanced — repeat, advanced — of the Patriots. And that’s not a boyhood opinion. It’s nigh-unanimous.

Don Banks of SI.com has the Falcons No. 7 to the Patriots’ No. 9 in his ability rankings. Adrian Hasenmayer of FoxSports has the Falcons No. 3 — No. 3! — to New England’s No. 8, and so does Pete Prisco of CBSsports.com, who covered the Falcons’ bold adjoin Carolina.

ESPN.com has the Falcons No. 4 to the Pats’ No. 10 in its all-embracing survey. Diving deeper, we agenda that all four of ESPN’s accommodating analysts accept the Falcons advanced of New England, and Paul Kuharsky has them No. 2 all-embracing — No. 2! — abaft the Giants.

And again we move to NFL.com, area seven of eight experts accept the Falcons ranked advanced of New England. Pat Kirwan and Joe Theismann accept them No. 3, which is the high. The low comes from Michael Lombardi, who has the Falcons No. 11 to the Pats’ No. 5.

Seeing as how the NFL called a bays afterwards Michael Lombardi, I assumption he knows a bit about football. But I anticipate I’d accept the Birds in my top 10. Just saying.

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DeMatha reigns with most NFL players

When it comes to axis out able football players, DeMatha is No. 1 in the country, according to USA Football.

The Stags, ranked No. 1 every anniversary this division in MdVarsity.com's accompaniment media football poll, accept seven alumni currently arena in the NFL – two added than a scattering of added teams including Eleanor Roosevelt, which has five, according to USA Football statistics appear today. The numbers were based on NFL alpha weekend rosters, which included 1,695 players from schools in 48 states, Washington, D.C., American Samoa and 5 adopted countries.

“I’m actual appreciative to accept been a allotment of their program,” said DeMatha alum and Philadelphia Eagles active aback Brian Westbrook in a account release. “My top academy drillmaster (Bill McGregor, the 2004 NFL Top Academy Drillmaster of the Year) continues to be an afflatus and antecedent of abutment for me.”

In accession to Westbrook, the Stags accept beatific to the NFL: Quinn Ojinnaka of the Atlanta Falcons, John Owens and Josh Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks, Derek Wake of the Miami Dolphins, and Edwin Williams and Byron Westbrook of the Washington Redskins. Roosevelt’s alumni are Jared Gaither of the Ravens, Derrick Burgess of the New England Patriots, Will Davis of the Arizona Cardinals, Derrick Harvey of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Derrick Williams of the Detroit Lions.

Among states with the a lot of NFL players, Maryland ranks 13th, angry with New Jersey, with 43, according to USA Football, the civic administering physique for adolescence and abecedarian football. California has the a lot of accepted NFL players, 205, followed by Texas with 179 and Florida with 176.

Consider the allowance of acceptable an NFL player. There are 1,695 NFL rosters spots and 281,421,906 humans in the United States. That’s one NFL amateur per 166,031 people. Maryland, which ranks 10th in NFL players per capita, beats the civic allowance with one of every 123,174 citizens arena in the NFL. Your allowance are best in Louisiana: one in 55,862.

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No Plans to Move Packers-Vikings Game to Green Bay

An NFL agent says the alliance is not because swapping sites for the Packers-Vikings football amateur in case baseball gets in the way.

Right now the Minnesota Twins aisle the Detroit Tigers by three amateur with 13 larboard to play.

If they accomplishment angry for aboriginal place, the Twins will host a tie-breaker bold if they exhausted Detroit in the division series.

Major Alliance Baseball prefers to play the tie-breaker bold on the Monday night appropriate afterwards the season.

That would baffle with the Packers-Vikings bold at the Metrodome, but the NFL says the alliance is not because affective that bold to Green Bay.

 

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Holding out in the NFL isn't as easy as it looks

Another day, addition dollar gone?

As the weeks canyon and no acceding is accomplished with the San Francisco 49ers, receiver Michael Crabtree moves afterpiece to missing the absolute NFL season, reentering the abstract in 2010 and aggravating his luck again.

Texas Tech's Crabtree, the No. 10 aces of the 2009 NFL draft, is the alone bearding amateur from his abstract class, and has angry down the 49ers' appear action of $20 actor over 5 years, with all but $4 actor of it guaranteed.

Neither he nor his abettor accept discussed the bearings publicly, but it is believed Crabtree wants added money than the league's actionable slotting arrangement warrants because he thinks he should accept been alleged earlier.

The 49ers are said to be advancing their wits' end, and ability in actuality be abbreviation their offer. It doesn't attending as if a resolution is on the horizon.

Kelly Stouffer knows what that's like. Twenty-two years ago, he was the sixth aces by the then- St. Louis Cardinals, who fabricated the Colorado State standout the additional quarterback alleged -- sandwiched amid No. 1 Vinny Testaverde and No. 13 Chris Miller.

It was 1987, the year afore the Cardinals relocated to Arizona, and Stouffer said the alignment had a acceptability for angry for every penny in its negotiations.

"My abettor alleged me and said it's affectionate of acceptable news, bad news," Stouffer recalled this anniversary in a buzz account from his home in Rushville, Neb. "`You're in an aristocratic class, accepting alleged in the aboriginal annular area you were. But the bad account is, with St. Louis it's traveling to be a aflutter ride."

Far bumpier than Stouffer anytime dreamed. He said the Cardinals never fabricated him a fair offer, never even analogous the accord that Atlanta gave Miller, taken seven spots later.

"I bound got indoctrinated into the business of the NFL, there's no agnosticism about that," said Stouffer, now a academy football analyst for the Versus cable network. "At times it seemed like the negotiating arm of the St. Louis Cardinals acquainted like I was a kid sitting in a cornfield in Nebraska that didn't apperceive any better."

In a accounting account to The Times, the Cardinals said: "Needless to say, the aggregation has a abundant altered bond of the contest of 22 years ago. From our side, it was bright that Stouffer was not accepting the best advice. In actuality he was represented by an abettor [Mike Blatt] who a abbreviate time afterwards was arrested and approved for the annihilation of a battling business associate.(Football jerseys for sale)

"There were a lot of camp elements to it but answer to say that if we could do it over, we absolutely would accept alleged anyone added than Kelly Stouffer with that pick."

(Blatt, who spent 33 months in jail, was freed afterwards board declared after mistrials.)

After the division -- and afore the next abstract -- Stouffer's rights were traded to Seattle. So Stouffer didn't accompany the ultra-rare club of NFL players drafted twice, which includes active aback Bo Jackson and quarterback Craig Erickson.

Stouffer ability not apperceive the data of Crabtree's negotiations, but he knows absolutely how it feels to watch a amateur division bottomward away. He aswell knows the accessible stigma of captivation out.

"It's harder to apperceive what's accurate in the end, because there are alone a brace of parties involved," he said.(NFL jerseys for sale)

"I apperceive from the Cardinals' standpoint publicly, they were putting a lot of things out there that were just complete lies. Added than agitation them as best we could by talking to reporters and whatnot, you can't absolutely do annihilation about the misconceptions."

About the Crabtree situation, this abundant we know: The 49ers authority his rights until the day of the 2010 draft, acceptation he cannot plan out for added teams -- or even allocution to them -- beforehand, or participate in the aloof combine. Also, if he doesn't assurance a accord by the Nov. 17 deadline, his 2009 division is done.