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Monday, September 4, 2000

Kreutz guns for
Pro Bowl, down about
loss to Vikings

Rolovich to start at QB
Portland packs wallop
WAC teams hit hard

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By Pat Bigold
Star-Bulletin

It wasn't a happy day for Chicago Bears starting center Olin Kreutz.

Though the 6-foot-2, 295-pound former St. Louis School and University of Washington star had reason to derive some personal satisfaction from his team's 30-27 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Kreutz was decidedly down after returning from Minneapolis.

"The loss is just stuck in my head right now," he said by phone. "We thought we could win this one today."

Nonetheless, Kreutz had just helped his quarterback, Cade McNown, to an outstanding performance. McNown was able to rush 10 times for 87 yards, including his first NFL touchdown, and complete 27 of 41 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns.

"He did a hell of a job today, played real hard," Kreutz said.

Kreutz finds himself under unprecedented pressure this season after Sports Illustrated highlighted him in its NFL preview issue (Aug. 28) as the Bears' "player to watch."

That implies Pro Bowl potential and Kreutz said he's hearing it all the time now.

"A lot of people are asking me about the Pro Bowl," he said with a chuckle.

"I tell people I went from fighting for a job last year to, if I don't make the Pro Bowl, I'm a bust this year."

Former Kahuku High and Brigham Young tight end Itula Mili had a 10-yard reception to start the regular season with the Seattle Seahawks. But Seattle lost to Miami, 23-0.

Adrian Murrell, the former Leilehua and West Virginia star, had one carry for minus-1 yard in his first regular-season game for the Washington Redskins. The Redskins beat the Carolina Panthers, 20-17.

Former University of Hawaii linebacker Jeff Ulbrich, a rookie, missed the San Francisco 49ers' 36-28 opening day loss to the Atlanta Falcons with a shoulder injury.

Despite being taken off the injury list, former St. Louis School and University of Utah running back Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala didn't carry the ball at all for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their 16-0 loss to Baltimore.