2nd time around (week 5)

FORMER EAGLES DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JIM JOHNSON DEAD AT 68

Posted Jul 28, 2009 6:08PM By Dan Graziano (RSS feed)

The Philadelphia Eagles announced that longtime defensive coordinator Jim Johnson lost his fight with skin cancer and died Tuesday afternoon at the age of 68. Johnson was the Eagles defensive coordinator for 10 years under coach Andy Reid, stepping aside officially just last week when it was announced that Sean McDermott would take over the position

"For ten years, Jim Johnson was an exceptional coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, but more importantly, he was an outstanding human being," Eagles chairman Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement released by the team. "Jim epitomized the traits of what a great coach should be -- a teacher, a leader and a winner. He positively touched the lives of so many people in and out of the Eagles organization. It was easy to feel close to him. We will miss him greatly."

Johnson was an NFL assistant for a total of 22 years, spending time on the staffs of the Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks prior to joining the Eagles, where he became known as one of the top defensive minds in the game and one of the best defensive coordinators of all time. According to the press release announcing his death, Johnson's defenses ranked second in the NFL in sacks, third-down efficiency and red zone touchdown percentage and fourth in average points allowed per game from 2000-08.

Monday in Bethlehem, Pa., after the Eagles' morning practice session, McDermott was asked how he was getting by without his mentor, Johnson, around to help, and whether he finds himself asking what Johnson would do in certain situations.
"Not so much, 'What would Jim do here,' because I ran through those situations already in my mind, and if I hadn't by now it would have been a big mistake," McDermott said. "But moreso missing him coming out of the locker room, missing him in meetings this morning, just his presence. He had a way about him that you loved just being around the guy."

Under Johnson, 10 different Eagles defensive players made a combined total of 26 Pro Bowls, led by former safety Brian Dawkins' seven. During his 10-year tenure, the Eagles made seven playoff appearances, five NFC Championship Game appearances and one Super Bowl.


Jim Johnson began coaching as the head coach at Missouri Southern from 1967-68 and went on to coach at Drake and Indiana. From 1977-83 he was Notre Dame's defensive coordinator.
As a player, he was an all-conference quarterback at the University of Missouri and played two professional seasons (1963-64) as a tight end for Buffalo.

He is survived by his wife, Vicky, his two children, Scott and Michelle, and four grandchildren.

ARGONAUTS SEND ARLAND BRUCE TO RIVAL TICATS by John Rennision

Argonauts head coach Bart Andrus, who hasn't wanted Arland Bruce in his sight in recent days, will have to look at the player at least three more times this season.

Toronto sent the disgruntled slotback to the rival Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Wednesday, less than a week after the Canadian Football League team left him behind for a road game for disciplinary reasons.

In return, the Ticats sent Toronto the rights to defensive lineman Corey Mace, a third-round pick next year as well as a conditional pick in the 2011 draft, according to the two teams.

'Right now, I do not want him around the team.'—Bart Andrus, Argos head coach

Toronto has reportedly already agreed to terms with Mace, which would make sense given the money the club saved by dealing Bruce. According to one of the sources, Bruce is scheduled to make $180,000 this season, of which $35,000 was paid up front.

With Bruce having already received four game cheques, that left Toronto with about $113,000 to play with in an attempt to sign Mace, who reportedly was looking for somewhere around $95,000 during negotiations with the Ticats.

Bruce, 31, has surpassed the 1,200-yard receiving mark with Toronto three of the past four years but had been fined four times this season for unprofessional behaviour that included leaving his playbook on a plane in Calgary and missing special-teams meetings.

He also made disparaging remarks about Toronto quarterback Kerry Joseph and was fined by the league for his Michael Jackson tribute touchdown celebration at Hamilton on July 1.

Bruce didn't attend an Argos team meeting Tuesday morning and later missed practice.

"He's not here because I don't want him here," Andrus said at the team's practice facility.

"We're looking at a lot of different things, a lot of different ways to bring this to a resolution," the coach added. "But right now, I do not want him around the team."

Toronto doesn't meet Hamilton until the Labour Day Classic at Ivor Wynne Stadium on Sept. 7. The Tiger-Cats visit Rogers Centre four days later, with their final regular-season meeting Oct. 23 at Toronto.

2nd time around (week 4)

This week was not one of the best although training was good my spirits were low. Its the first time someone has told me I was not good enough to make a team. I've been battling with not accepting these words. I know I had a great training camp but for some reason did not make the team. My biggest enemy right now is doubt, it's a business now and much more things go into decisions than just talent. Its really important for me right now at this time not to doubt my talents and for some other reason I was let go. Times like this is where you really need your friends and family. Thank God i have both urging me everyday to keep pushin and they have still have believe in me. I like to thank God as well even though Football is not going as planned right now I still have a wonderful life. As the journey continues not too sure where it will lead but I know God will lead me the right way.

Young Cal is the best Canadian Back in the league. Why he doesn't play more I don't know , but I will keep screaming for it! Playing against him, and watching him in practice, I know how skilled he is. Great win for the Esks, I'm really happy they were able to come back and win for Coach Hall. It didn't look good for them at one point, but they stuck together and got it done. As their confidence grows and they gel together more they will be a much better team week in and week out.

Michael Vick is BACK!

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/09000d5d8117f9dd/Vick-reinstated

LONG TIME EAGLES COORDINATOR JIM HOHNSON DEAD AT 68

by Rob Maaddi, AP SPorts Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP)—Jim Johnson frustrated opponents and confused young quarterbacks with his complex defensive schemes, always looking for a new way to disguise a blitz.

He never ran out of ideas or the desire to coach, even when he had more pressing concerns. In his final days, he was concerned about the start of training camp.

Johnson, whose attacking defenses helped the Philadelphia Eagles to one Super Bowl appearance and five NFC title games, died on Tuesday. He was 68.

“There’s been no finer coach or man than Jim Johnson,” team chairman Jeffrey Lurie said. “The Eagles family has been blessed and everyone who’s surrounded the football team or surrounded Jim in everything he conducted himself, we had a true gem here and there aren’t a lot of Jims.”

Johnson had taken a leave of absence from the team in May as he continued to battle a cancerous tumor on his spine. On Sunday, the Eagles announced that Sean McDermott would replace Johnson.

A veteran of 22 years as an NFL assistant, Johnson was considered one of the top defensive minds in the league. His defenses consistently ranked among the best in the league, including last season, when the Eagles finished third in total defense and fell one victory short of the Super Bowl

From 2000-08, Johnson’s Philadelphia defenses ranked second in the NFL in sacks (390). During his 10-year tenure, the Eagles made the playoffs seven times and he produced 26 Pro Bowl selections.

“This whole Eagles-Andy Reid regime here that’s taken place wouldn’t have been possible without Jim,” said Andy Reid, who hired Johnson to be his defensive coordinator shortly after he got his first head coaching job with the Eagles in 1999.

“I’m not sure there’s a person that I’ve met that isn’t a Jim Johnson fan. He really represented everything this city is all about with his toughness and grit. That’s the way he fought this cancer.”

Reid and team president Joe Banner visited Johnson in the hospital on Monday. Reid said he spoke with Johnson a few days before the visit and football was on his mind.

“He was very concerned about the starting date of training camp,” Reid said. “He had all the dates down and he knew them. Amazing.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell praised Johnson for his leadership skills.

“He was a teacher to many players both on and off the field and devoted his life to the game of football,” Goodell said in a statement. “He had a positive influence on scores of young men, and leaves behind a wonderful legacy.”

In his first news conference as coordinator, McDermott gave full credit to Johnson.

“What haven’t I learned from Jim?” McDermott said. “I don’t think it would be fair to Jim, in this setting, to try and limit in one statement, one press conference, the effect that Jim has had on my life.”

Coaches across the league paid homage to Johnson’s impact on their careers and the league.

“He made me believe I could coach at this level,” said Ravens coach John Harbaugh, an Eagles assistant for nine seasons with Johnson. “In football, he was a pioneering and brilliant strategist, changing the way defense is played in the NFL.”

“He was a dear friend and a special person,” said St. Louis Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo, a member of the Eagles defensive staff under Johnson for eight seasons. “Jim meant the world to me, both personally and professionally.”

Johnson had been treated for melanoma in 2001.


In January, he complained of back pain and coached from the press box in the Eagles’ playoff win over the New York Giants and in the loss to the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC championship.

An MRI after the divisional playoff win against the Giants on Jan. 11 alerted doctors that something might be wrong. Following the Arizona loss, the team announced the cancer had returned and Johnson would undergo more treatments.

Johnson had recovered sufficiently to coach during the team’s first post-draft minicamp in May. But he moved around on a motorized scooter during practices and said he wasn’t certain he’d be able to return for the season.

“Jim was tailor-made to coach in Philadelphia,” said Broncos safety Brian Dawkins(notes), who played 10 seasons for Johnson in Philadelphia. “He was a tough coach who wasn’t afraid to let you know how he was feeling, but at the same time, he cared about us deeply.”

Johnson is survived by his wife Vicky, two children and four grandchildren.

AP Sports Writer R.B. Fallstrom in St. Louis contributed to this report.

SONG OF THE WEEK

2nd time around (week 3)

Lions roared to victory during the first regular season match against the Eskimos. I was disappointed with how the esks performed. Being in training camp until the final cut, I know the team has more potential. Helplessly I watch the game, knowing I can no longer contribute. One thing I am happy about is that Calvin McCarty got in this week. He is such a nice offensive weapon and needs to be utilized more. As the offense continues to improve, I'm sure you'll see more from the rest of the players.

Next week will be a huge game for the team as they go into Mosiac stadium to face Coach Hall's former team. I wish the team the best of luck in preparation for this week.


A tackle is a tackle, is a tackle! The curled up fetal position when making a tackle isn't exactly in the books, but its a tackle none the less. Yes it hurt, but he didn't get into the end zone and that's what is most important. In my two pre-season games I made all my tackles, whether they looked good or not. Football isn't about vanity, it's about doing what it takes to win.

GEORGE DOHRMANN'S OPPOSING VIEW ON VICK

My wife has a huge heart when it comes to animals, dogs in particular. She has given our 11-year-old German Shepherd so many belly rubs that it rolls onto its side when it sees her coming. On hot days she'll put large chunks of ice into Ruby's water pan, and at dinner she'll mix in grilled steak or baked chicken because, in her opinion, dry kibble just isn't good enough by itself.

My wife also is among those who believe Michael Vick should get a second chance in the NFL now that his 23-month prison sentence for bankrolling an illegal dog-fighting operation is over. "Ban him from owning a dog," she told me last weekend. "But let the man earn a living."

Can I get an amen?

The debate about whether Vick's indefinite suspension should be lifted by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is as tiresome as the speculation about whether Brett Favre will return for another season. Vick has done his time, lost most of his money and been publicly disgraced. His name has been indelibly stained by the admission that he tortured and killed dogs.

Enough is enough. It's time for him to have an opportunity to return to work. Notice I said opportunity.

If Vick knocks on the office door of each of the league's 32 owners and, one by one, is turned away, so be it. He has no one to blame but himself. But to unilaterally prevent the former star quarterback from playing because of fears about how fans or sponsors might react would be hypocritical at best, shameful at worst.

If the NFL can give second chances to gamblers (Art Schlichter), drug traffickers (Tamarick Vanover and Bam Morris) and those who commit vechicular homicide while driving drunk (Leonard Little) -- yes, I consider killing someone while driving drunk to be murder, even if the law doesn't -- it should give Vick the opportunity to resume his career. It's true that none of the aforementioned transgressions took place on Goodell's watch, but it's also accurate that none of those players, prior to reinstatement, was punished as severely as Vick.

The argument that Vick's return would cause a loss of fans or sponsors is laughable. The NFL is the Gulliver of professional sports leagues. Its game is bigger than any one individual, including Vick. The vast majority of fans just want to be entertained, as we've seen time after time when crowds have cheered wildly when a fallen star has returned and played at an elite level.

Vick isn't the first player to participate in dog-fighting and he won't be the last; I'm told there are active players still attending these despicable events. And yet there seems to be this push to make an example out of him. Where was this type of outrage when former members of Congress admitted to being members of a group that committed the same heinous acts on African-Americans that Vick did on some of his dogs?

Vick's actions were repulsive and worthy of strong punishment. However, if he truly has accepted that what he did was wrong, Goodell should heed the words President Bush said in his 2004 State of the Union address while discussing legislation to help convicted criminals re-enter society.

"America," he said, "is the land of the second chance." At last check Vick is still an American.

WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD HAPPEN TO VICK?

Sammy Okpro: I do not condone Mike Vick's actions. The mistreatment of animals is distasteful and should be punished. However, I think he has put enough time in and should be reinstated to the league. Vick has a very explosive style of play which is great to watch in the NFL. Given that other players have committed worse acts and are still permitted to play, I do not feel he should be treated any differently. Everyone deserves a second chance.

2nd time around (week 2)

The Esks were in my home town once again unfortunetly for the team it was the same outcome as last year... I wish I could of helped! One thing I must say its get Calvin McCarty the ball he is so talented and being left on the sideline. Over 1,000 yrds rushing and receiving last year. PUT HIM IN THE GAME

Rushing

Name	Year	Team	Att	Yards	Avg	Long	TD	Fumb
MCCARTY, C	2007	EDM	6	13	2.2	0	0	0
MCCARTY, C	2008	EDM	88	490	5.6	0	4	3
MCCARTY, C	2009	EDM	12	27	2.3	0	0	0
Career Total			106	530	5.0	0	4	3

Sorting

Receiving

Name	Year	Team	No.	Yards	Avg	Long	TD
MCCARTY, C	2007	EDM	7	99	14.1	44	1
MCCARTY, C	2008	EDM	70	583	8.3	27	1
MCCARTY, C	2009	EDM	5	36	7.2	10	0
Career Total			82	718	8.8	44	2

As for me I'm still at it continuing to work, staying ready thats all i can do right now. Keeping the faith staying optimistic that God has a plan for me. Anytime you move forwards their are usually steps back. So I will move another step back in order to make this quantum leap forward.

"Never let the rejections get you down because no matter how good you are, you'll be rejected."
Harland C. Stonecipher

Life does go on regardless and I have been given the opportunity to really create my life. So I will go forward full steam ahead with or without football. I JUST WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL!

GOODBYE to the KING!
MJ will be missed by all, he was truly an inspiration!


2012
ANOTHER MUST SEE MOVIE



IF YOU DIDNT SEE IT GO SEE IT!

2nd time around (Week 1)

From the outside looking in, week 1 was tough to digest for me. Watching my former team take the field was gut wrenching. I miss my teammates. I miss being out there on the field. I miss everything! Though it hurt to watch, I believe experiences like this will only make me stronger. Even if things did not go as planned, I will remain optimistic. The new view of the game has only fueled me with more energy to continue to work hard. Not only to stay ready, but also to come back in better shape if given the opportunity. I will place my faith in Gods hands, and wherever he leads me I will follow.

I have always been a huge fan of Steve McNair, as he has changed the QB position forever. It's really sad to see a story like this happen to such a great guy and ambassador of the league. My heart goes out to his family and friends who mourn his loss. After seeing a story likes this, it makes you realize that even though he played several years of professional football, he still had his whole life ahead of him. It has really hit home for me because I thought my life was over when I was released, but it's only just starting. So, football or no football, there is still life after football, and I'm thankful that I still have that.

R.I.P

Live in the moment

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-mcnairkilled&prov=ap&type=lgns

2nd time around (Moving Forward)

After reflecting on what happened last week, it is only now that I can fathom the strength to write. I broke down immediately after I got home. When you want something so bad and you don't get it, it hurts! I stayed in my house for 3 days, just looking at the wall and trying to rationalize the last series of events, asking myself what I did wrong? At the end of it I realized that I was reaching for things. During the pre-season games, I could only recall 2 plays I should have made. Other than that, I made every tackle when it presented itself to me and felt I played pretty good on special teams. The decision was out of my control, for whatever reason, I wasn't picked to make the team. I have no regrets, I gave it everything I had, and left it all on the field. The only thing that concerns me is not being able to live up to the expectations of all the fans who I signed jersey's and t-shirts for. It is out of my hands, football isn't just play anymore, it's a business. Talent, hard work, and expectations can only take you so far. I would like to thank the Edmonton Eskimos for giving me a chance. I am very fortunate to have made it so far. My future is written but I will have to wait to read it. God has a plan for everyone and when one door closes another one opens. I'm hoping football is behind the next door, as I still believe in my abilities to play this game. I am currently keeping myself ready for any further opportunities. I will miss all my teammates and the friendships that I built on the field at Commonwealth. My experiences there will last forever and it has truly been a special place to play the game I love. Thank you to my family, friends, fans and especially my girlfriend for being so supportive during this transition period of my life.

SKY MIGHT FALL

2nd time around (Judgment Day)

The day started off with terrible news, a teammate from Concordia University had passed away. Ricky was out on the town enjoying life with his teammates, he had a couple of drinks. Everyone urged him not to drive under the influence, but he didn't listen. The next day no one heard from him and it was only later that night when everyone found out what had happened. Ricky fell asleep at the wheel and never made it home. This tragic news was passed onto me this morning. Though I never played with him, he was very close to guys that I've played with for Concordia. Having no brothers growing up, my teammates at Concordia were like brothers to me. I really feel for them as it isn't easy losing close friends. My sincere condolances to family and friends of Ricky Zeba #9 you will be missed by all.

Now, reciving no call last night about my status on the team the night prior, I was a little nervous going into commonwealth. The lunch room felt different not hot or cold, but there was just a different feeling in the air. After I finished lunch, I was asked to come meet with a member from the organization. As we sat down, I knew what was going to happen. I had been down this route before with the same distiguished gentleman from last year. He broke the news in just a few brief sentences. Game over, that was it. In shock, I shook his hand without saying a word and left the lunchroom. I Proceeded to the locker room where I stood outside and waited for my personal stuff. Deeply hurt, I kept an even kiel while recieving my belongings and left.

As I walked into my appartment I received another text with bad news. The musical legend, Michael Jackson, had died. This is all not happening, not today... I layed down looking up at the ceiling. What a horrible day...

R.I.P

2nd time around (Pre-Season)

The first pre-season game felt different than last year, I was calm and much more confident because I had been here before. I knew what to expect and was ready. In the first outing our team played great, going on to win 45-12. I had a forced fumble and 4 tackles, I was only credited for 1, but that is how it goes sometimes.

In the second game, we won 31-19. It was a much closer match, as starters played much more in this one. I got put in the game towards the end of the second quarter. I played against the 1st team offense for the first time. The game was moving quite fast, another step up from practice speed. After a couple of series, I was getting used to it and getting settled in. But, I was only given 1 qaurter of play, which goes by really fast. I finished with 4 tackles on defence and 1 on special teams. Overall, I felt I played pretty good minus two plays. Training Camp is officially over. Judgement day follows, the last day before the final cuts are made. Hopefully I've shown enough to earn my spot on the team again this year.