Archives for August 2003

‘"He’s an athletic guy – big, strong, fast – so he’s going to be all right," said right defensive end Aaron Schobel. "He came in knowing a lot of stuff about football. He’s got to get better at the little things, like everybody does, but he’s got the ability to play this year and play well. He’s pretty far ahead though; he’s not just a raw guy. He knows how to play football."’

‘Williams plans to sit his starters quickly. That means such young defenders as Ryan Denney, Chris Kelsay, Angelo Crowell and Kevin Thomas will go against Cleveland’s better players.’

‘One of the reasons he came to Buffalo is because the Bills are closer to winning than the other teams he considered.’

‘His ” fire zone” scheme is noted for hiding the blitzing players and utilizing techniques like defensive ends dropping into coverage. ” When it’s working right, you’ll see defensive linemen getting interceptions,” Spikes said. ” Crazy things, stuff you don’t think will happen. The key is having athletic guys, not just straight-forward guys who fit the stereotype of a nose guard or an end. We have guys who can move.”‘

‘He last spoke with Buffalo’s chief negotiator, Jim Overdorf, on Wednesday.’

‘“Let’s just say that now I know what to expect from London Fletcher,” Shea said. “Cheap.”’

‘“You never think about things like that when you are a (Hall of Fame) finalist,” DeLamielleure said. “The honor is rewarding enough, but it has helped us out tremendously.”’

‘”Football is not rocket science,” DeLamielleure told the men in pads, his booming chest and muscular arms commanding respect – he was still playing arena football at 42. “One play at a time. It’s that simple. If you did good on a play, or if you did bad, think no more of it. Do well on the next play. I got that advice from one of my coaches, Jim Ringo, a man of few words. But it’s exactly what I did it every day of my career, and it paid off.”‘

‘”He’s like the Dennis Rodman of the NFL,” Shea said. “That’s his game. I didn’t know what to expect last year, but I’ll be ready this year. I’ll have my head on a swivel. If he wants to play dirty, we can play dirty.”‘

“I think I’ll be very helpful with just my natural instincts as a player,” Spikes said. “A lot of people are not blessed with that. A lot of people are athletically built and they look like Tarzan, but play like Jane.”