NEWLN: Rookies No LongerNEWLN: Pine on NFL Bench
NEWLN: RICHARD LUNA UPI Sports Writer
There was a time when NFL rookies wanted nothing more than to avoid humiliating initiation rites and win a spot on the roster.
If they made the team, they spent the week as fodder for the veterans, imitating opposing players during practice. Come Sunday, they watched from the sidelines.
Those days are over. Today's NFL rookies are filling starting roles and getting significant minutes as backups.
'I think a practical, honest answer to it is when you put a million- plus dollars into a guy that hasn't played a lick of football, you want him to get out there and start licking,' Cincinnati Bengals Coach Sam Wysche said. 'Frankly, the money is too big. You're paying these guy $1 million to sign their name and they're holding out until the season starts. When they come in, you want a return on your investment.
'I think that's why you see players getting in. You just don't have, at that price, room to taxi-squad somebody or reserve-list them for a while. You want to get them out there on the field doing something.'
Six players drafted in the first round started during the season's first weekend: Cincinnati linebacker Alfred Williams, Chicago offensive tackle Stan Thomas, Philadelphia offensive tackle Antone Davis, San Diego defensive back Stanley Richard and New England offensive tackle Pat Harlow and running back Leonard Russell.
Many others drafted after the first round cracked the starting lineup: John Flannery, a second-round pick, started at guard for Houston. Fifth-rounder Bryan Cox, a linebacker, was the only rookie starter for Miami. The Bears started a second rookie in wide receiver Anthony Morgan, also a fifth-round pick.
Thomas, a 300-pounder from Texas, lined up against Minnesota's Pro Bowl defensive end Chris Doleman, and kept the Vikings' star from quarterback Jim Harbaugh.
'I wanted it so bad,' said Thomas, who became a starter following a season-ending injury to Jim Covert. 'I was nervous all week. I just went out there, played my game and played my hardest. I fought. I didn't take nothing from anybody on the defense.
'Many of the defensive backs were talking a lot. They were trying to intimidate me. I'd hit one of them and they'd say, 'Man, you hit me late,' and I told them, 'This is football. We're not playing tiddlywinks.' They were talking to me, calling me rookie, calling me this and that. I just got right back in their face and said, 'I'm out here, too. If I wasn't good, I wouldn't be out here.''
Thomas helped the Bears to a 10-6 victory. Russell gained 72 yards on 24 carries in New England's 16-7 decision over Indianapolis. The Eagles, with Davis in the lineup, beat Green Bay 20-3.
'He did some good things and he learned some lessons on pass protection,' Eagles Coach Rich Kotite said. 'He's coming along. It's not easy. We never fooled ourselves. It will take some time but I think he's making progress.'
Williams and the Bengals were not as fortunate. Denver pounded Cincinnati 45-14, with Williams getting three tackles. Another rookie, Lamar Rogers, also started at defensive end. He was a second-round pick.
'I think we've got a very good linebacker in Alfred Williams,' Wyche said. 'He's going to be good. Lamar Rogers has got to prove it yet. He hasn't shown us that he can be a big-time NFL player yet.'
Richard also was on the losing side, as the Chargers fell 26-20 to Pittsburgh.
Two Houston rookies played oustandingly in the 47-17 romp over the Los Angeles Raiders. Flannery, starting after guard Bruce Matthews was moved to center, kept Raiders defender Howie Long off balance most of the game.
'I would have been disappointed if I had not performed like I did,' Flannery said. 'I'm still only a rookie here. I'm learning more and more about the game every day. Bruce says that no matter what I do, I'm a rookie until the third game of my second season.'
Flannery's teammate, defensive back Mike Dumas, scored a touchdown after picking up a fumble during a kickoff and running 19 yards for the score.
'The first one,' he said. 'It was a tremendous feeling.'
Wyche said clubs are sometimes cursed by rookies. Rules prohibit draft picks from attending mini-camps until June 1, and contract differences often prevent top picks from joining training camp on time. Williams did not sign until the last week of camp.
'In many cases, and its happens to all teams, a draft choice comes in late and he's behind for the entire year,' Wyche said. 'He may be able to play, but he's always a measure behind because the rest of the team continues to grow and learn during the season. You are constantly catering to his lack of experience and lack of preseason experience. We've done that with Alfred Williams.'
Houston Coach Jack Pardee said teams don't have the luxury of wasting a roster spot on a player who can't produce.
'Our approach is to start them thinking from the beginning about how they will contribute,' he said. 'We don't want them worried about making the team. They need to get out there and show us what they can do. There are not many teams that have enough talent to forget about a new player for two or three years. You usually look for players in the draft that are going to help you where you're weak, so those guys have to come in a perform.
'It's not like the old days when rookies were guys who sat on the bench for a few seasons. Nowadays, everyone on the roster has to contribute.'NEWLN: Advance for weekend, Sept. 7-8
