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Wednesday, January 31, 2001
Loose Gannon The American Football Conference practice went by so fast yesterday at Aloha Stadium, Rich Gannon barely had time to put on his helmet.
a tight fit for
Raiders
Starting AFC QB has
finally found a home
in OaklandPro Bowl Notebook
By Paul Arnett
Star-BulletinNot that the 35-year-old quarterback for the Oakland Raiders is complaining. The end of AFC head coach Jon Gruden's 30-minute workout was greeted by cheers equal to the sellout crowd expected to attend Sunday's Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium.
"He's the most popular guy out here," Gannon said of the coach he has played for the last two years with the Raiders. "Those are the kind of workouts Pro Bowl players love."
PRO BOWL
Who: AFC vs. NFC
Pro Bowl 2001
Gannon has certainly enjoyed his relationship with Gruden. His career soared to new heights after leaving the Kansas City Chiefs in 1998 to join the resurgent Raiders, who advanced to the AFC title game earlier this month.
"And we couldn't have done it without Rich," Gruden said of his quarterback, who threw for 3,430 yards and 28 touchdowns this season. "He's a leader on and off the field who can create under pressure. We went out and got him in 1999 because we thought he could help us. And he's certainly done that the last two years."
In 1999, Gannon had his best season as a pro, completing 304 of 515 passes for 3,840 yards and 24 touchdowns. His quarterback rating of 86.5 was sixth-best in the National Football League.
It was good enough to earn him his first Pro Bowl appearance in a dozen years. One season later, he's the starting quarterback for the AFC in the 51st annual NFL all-star game.
"It's a great honor," Gannon said. "I'm thrilled to be here. I'm excited about the season we had in Oakland and I'm excited about what we were able to accomplish.
"I'm the beneficiary of some good play-calling and some good people around me who were able to help me get into this position. It took a long time to get here. But I'm pleased with the opportunity to be one of the starting quarterbacks in the Pro Bowl."
Gannon began his career with Minnesota in 1987. Selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round out of the University of Delaware, Gannon was traded two weeks later to the Vikings for a pair of future draft choices.He remained in Minnesota until 1993 before being traded to Washington. Gannon played sparingly for the Redskins, eventually signing a free-agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1995. Four years later, he took up the just-win-baby mantra of the Raiders.
"Coming to Oakland turned out to be a great move for me," Gannon said. "The offense we run is a good fit. I'm in a town that loves their football team. They're very supportive in so many ways.
"To be a part of what has happened in Oakland is great. I had to wait awhile to find a system that suited me. But I feel like Coach Gruden has us moving in the right direction. We came within one game of making it to the Super Bowl and we lost to the champions, so we must be doing something right."
Gannon plans to enjoy his week-long stay in Hawaii. Married to the daughter of former Vikings running back Bill Brown, Gannon still calls Minnesota home. He has two young daughters who plan to enjoy their stay in Hawaii.
"The weather is sure a lot different than it is in Eden Prairie," Gannon said, then smiled. "Nobody is walking around in shorts back home."
As for Sunday's game, Gannon has an advantage over fellow AFC signal-callers Elvis Grbac of Kansas City and Peyton Manning of Indianapolis. He already knows all the plays.
"No extra learning for me, and we didn't spend a lot of time working on them today," Gannon said. "But it makes it especially nice for Coach Gruden and his staff to be here with us this week. It's a reward for a good season for them and for the city of Oakland."
San Diego Chargers punter Darren Bennett may be Mat McBriar's biggest fan. PRO BOWL NOTEBOOK
Bennett looking
out for UH punterIn town for his second Pro Bowl, the standout kicker for the San Diego Chargers said he wanted to stop by the University of Hawaii offices this week to see how McBriar, Hawaii's punter, is adjusting to the American way of life.
"Our families are friends back in Australia," Bennett said after yesterday's brief American Football Conference practice.
"Most of the guys who ask me to help them come over want to play in the National Football League. Mat, I thought, was very grounded and said, 'Look, I would like to go to college and just enjoy an American experience.' With that approach, he was one of the guys I decided to give a hand to."
Bennett contacted UH head coach June Jones and assistant Dennis McKnight last summer about the possibility of McBriar joining the Warriors' program. He said he planned to stop by and talk with Jones and McKnight this week to see how McBriar is doing.
"He's a great guy who works hard at what he does," Bennett said of McBriar, who averaged 38.3 yards on 65 punts last year. "I think they like him here. He's a bit like I was when I first started. I hadn't worn a helmet and shoulder pads when I first started punting, either.
"I think that adjustment took a little while, but once he got it all down, I think he's doing a lot better. I'm looking forward to catching up with June and Dennis this week. If there's any way I can help Mat, I will."
Warner, Bruce won't play
Two more Pro Bowl players for the National Football Conference opted out of playing in this week's game at Aloha Stadium.St. Louis quarterback Kurt Warner and Rams teammate Isaac Bruce are out with injuries suffered during the regular season. Bruce is bothered by sore ribs and was replaced by fellow St. Louis receiver Torry Holt. It's Holt's first Pro Bowl.
"I'm totally excited about being here," the second-year receiver from North Carolina State said. He had 82 receptions for an NFL-leading 1,635 yards and six touchdowns. "I'm looking forward to playing in the game."
Warner's replacement is Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. Warner bowed out of the game because of a concussion he suffered in the playoff loss at New Orleans.
"I'm just a young guy still trying to make his mark in this game," McNabb said before yesterday's NFC workout. "To be able to play here with all these NFL greats is an honor."
Other NFC players opting out of the game with injuries include Minnesota Vikings wideout Randy Moss and running back Robert Smith, and St. Louis running back Marshall Faulk.
Seau gives talk to UH football team
San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau took some time out of his day on Monday to speak to the Hawaii football team."He was great," UH quarterbacks coach Dan Morrison said of Seau. Morrison was at yesterday's AFC practice with a mainland recruit. "It's great for our program to have a player of his caliber come out and speak to the team."
Jones coached Seau for one season with the Chargers before joining the Hawaii program in December of 1998. Seau said after practice that he was glad to do it.
"Coach Jones was a positive influence for our team," Seau said. "He asked me to come over and I was glad to. He's done a great job turning around this program, like I knew he would."
George still hungry
It was too tough for Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George to watch Super Bowl XXXV. He thought his team should have been in that game."I didn't even watch it because I had a pretty good idea who was going to win," George said after yesterday's AFC practice. "We thought we had a good chance to get back to the Super Bowl this year, but it just didn't work out."
George is preparing for his fourth Pro Bowl in five years. This season, the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State rushed for 1,509 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also caught 50 passes for 453 yards and two scores.
"It's good to be out here again and be around all these great athletes," George said. "Hopefully, we can come back next year and make another run at the Super Bowl. It's not only hard to get there, but to get a win if you do."
Paul Arnett, Star-Bulletin Pro Bowl 2001
