Offtopic/fun » surge in preseason practice. Dontae Strickland is a dual-t

TAMPA, Fla. -- Nine games into his bid to transform the bumbling Tampa Bay Buccaneers into championship contenders, the normally unflappable Tony Dungy reached a boiling point.A 1-8 record was discouraging, but hardly the only disheartening aspect of yet another slow start for a perennial last-place franchise that suffered through 13 consecutive losing seasons before the young coachs arrival in 1996.The soft-spoken Dungy, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, recalled walking into his office after a third consecutive loss by six or fewer points on the road and learning one player failed to show up for an off-day appearance at an elementary school. Another was 45 minutes late for an autograph session at a car dealership.The Oakland Raiders were headed to town that week, but there was more pressing business at hand.We go into our nine oclock meeting, supposedly to introduce the game plan on the Raiders. I said: `Let me just show you something, and put the two notes on the overhead projector. This is what were dealing with, Dungy said.`You want to know why we arent winning. This is why we arent winning. I said, we can give you game plans, we can do tackling drills, we can do all that, its not going to change until you guys get this figured out, and I dont know how to do that because Ive been doing it for three months, the coach added. I left, let the players talk about it. We ended up beating the Raiders in overtime.Dungys even temperament and insistence on players doing things the right way not only helped him survive his only losing season to lead Tampa Bay to four playoff berths in six seasons, but also become the first African-American to win a Super Bowl as a head coach during a stellar seven-year run with the Indianapolis Colts.And while an impressive coaching resume speaks for itself, the 60-year-olds greatest legacy may be the impact hes had on peoples lives through various civic and charitable endeavors.I never felt our only job was to win, said Dungy, 139-69 in 13 seasons, including 85-27 with the Colts from 2002-08.The disciple of Hall of Famer Chuck Noll had a combined 9-10 postseason record, leading the Bucs to the NFC title game in 1999 and winning it all with the 2006 Colts.His place in history is not lost on Dungy, the first black elected to the Hall of Fame on the basis of coaching accomplishments. The time he spent as a player and assistant under Noll shaped his philosophy.Coach Noll was so tremendous in that regard talking about your life, not just football. That yes, we want to accomplish some things, but you had to get ready for life, Dungy said, You had to figure out what you were going to be all about as a person.There were only a handful of black assistants in the NFL when Dungy entered the league as a player in 1977. He spent 15 seasons as part of successful staffs in Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Minnesota before getting to lead his own team.I think, first, of the guys who could only coach in the black schools. You cant tell me that Eddie Robinson and John Merritt and Jake Gaither wouldnt have won in the National Football League.Then you had guys who were assistants, who were never thought of as coordinators or head coaches. It wasnt in the realm of things, said Dungy, now an analyst for NBCs Football Night in America.Despite leading teams to the playoffs in 11 of 13 seasons as a head coach, Dungy endured plenty of criticism.He was fired by Tampa Bay in 2001, two years after reaching the NFC championship game. Although the Colts made the playoffs in each of his seven seasons, some detractors argue Dungy should have won more Super Bowls with a high-powered offense led by Peyton Manning and receiver Marvin Harrison, whos also part of this years Hall of Fame class.Dungys resume includes an NFL-record 10 consecutive playoff berths with the Bucs and Colts. Still, he believes the contributions he -- and many of his players -- made off the field matter most.In our first meeting, he talked about changing the community, thats how were going to win, said former Bucs linebacker Derrick Brooks, a first-ballot Hall of Famer enshrined two years ago.It wasnt about Xs and Os. I was a little appalled, thinking how can you start out and youre not talking about wins when I lost more games last year than I did in my whole (college) career. But it was intriguing.I talked to him after that, and he told me: `Derrick, this is bigger than football, Brooks added. Were going to change the community, and through that everybody wins.He sought to do the same in Indianapolis.That was what was so enticing to me about the Colts job. When Jim Irsay called me, he said we want to win, obviously, we want to go to Super Bowls, and thats the goal. But were relatively new in Indianapolis, and we dont have the history of 75 years of football, Dungy said.He said: `Weve got to attract the community, got to become a part of it. He mentioned he wanted to do it like the Steelers did.Though Dungy walked away from coaching after the 2008 season, his influence remains.Six of his former assistants -- Mike Tomlin, Herman Edwards, Jim Caldwell, Rod Marinelli, Leslie Frazier and Lovie Smith -have held head coaching positions. Tomlin has won a Super Bowl, while Caldwell and Smith have guided teams to the title game.For guys like me, he was a living breathing role model, Tomlin said. He really provided great clarity in terms of what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it.Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp calls Dungy the greatest man I ever met in my life. He and Brooks were drafted in the first round in 1995, the year before Dungy arrived.Did I ever think in 1996 when he challenged Sapp and I to be the Joe Greene and Jack Ham of his defense, that the three of us would be teammates 20 years later in the Hall of Fame? Brooks asked. Absolutely not. I had no idea. But here we are.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFLHakeem Olajuwon Jersey . -- Aaron Murray threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns, ran for another score, and led No. James Harden Rockets Jersey .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. http://www.therocketsofficial.com/Authentic-Tracy-McGrady-Rockets-Jersey/ . 31, the CFL club announced Monday. The team also has yet to decide on the future of Doug Berry, who began the season as a consultant to the head coach but took over the offensive co-ordinators duties in July. Custom Houston Rockets Jerseys . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. Robert Horry Jersey . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself.SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- In his first public appearance as Syracuses new football coach, Dino Babers didnt make any bold proclamations. Just a plea for fan support.Were not going to make promises, but if you have faith and fill this place ... youre going to see something youve never seen before, Babers said in January to a Carrier Dome basketball crowd of nearly 27,000. We will win!To be certain, the 54-year-old Babers, the fourth coach in seven years at Syracuse, faces a tall task.Syracuse won just seven games the past two seasons under Scott Shafer and is looking for a way to compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference with the likes of Florida State and national runner-up Clemson. The Orange was 4-8 in Shafers third and final season.Since the turn of this century, bright spots have been fleeting for the Orange. The program hasnt been nationally ranked since 2001 under Paul Pasqualoni and still is struggling to emerge from a low point reached under Greg Robinson -- his 10-37 record from 2005-08 represents the worst four-year stretch in school history.The Syracuse program has regularly has had its ups and downs. The trick is to start trending upward in the ACCs Atlantic Division.We just want to try and make sure we get better every day, Babers said after spring ball. And hopefully by getting better somewhere, when the season ends were good enough.Syracuse opens the season against longtime upstate New York foe Colgate, which won the Patriot League last season, made the FCS playoffs, and figures to offer a stiff first test. The Orange has sometimes struggled in the past against FCS teams. A fortunate one-point win over Villanova two years ago serves as a reference.Other things to know about the Syracuse Orange:HURRY UPBabers spent 25 years as an assistant coach, including four seasons at Baylor under Art Briles, and is incorporating Baylors up-tempo spread with pro-style principles. As head coach at Bowling Green prior to coming to Syracuse, his team ranked fourth in the nation in total offense, averaging 561 yards. Anything approaching that would be a triumph. Syracuse was outgained 5,262-3,839 last season and averaged 5.1 yards per play while allowing 6.2.HEALTHY QBBabers has instituted a whole new way of life for the Orange players --- from diets to hydration to conditioning -- to help them adjust to the speedy tempo of play his teams are known for.dddddddddddd What he cant completely control is the health of his quarterbacks, though he can try to alter their risk taking. Eric Dungey (1,298 yards passing and 351 rushing) emerged as a solid leader as a freshman after replacing senior starter Terrel Hunt, whose career ended with an injury in last seasons opener.Dungey was at the top of the depth chart in preseason ball, but in his rearview mirror is at least one concussion suffered early in his first season and several other hard hits to the head that forced him to miss four games. Walk-on Zack Mahoney was the main man in relief, redshirt junior Austin Wilson has limited experience and newcomer Rex Culpepper missed his senior season in high school because of a knee injury suffered a year ago.SOLID BACKFIELDSyracuse has three solid returning players in Jordan Fredericks, George Morris, and Dontae Strickland, along with a newcomer with real promise in Moe Neal. Fredericks led the Orange with 607 yards rushing, Morris chipped in 326, and Neal shined in the spring scrimmage and has continued to surge in preseason practice. Dontae Strickland is a dual-threat guy who also displayed promise as a freshman.WIDEOUT PROMISEThe Orange has talent at wideout. Steve Ishmael led the way last year (39 catches for 570 yards and seven TDs), followed by Brisly Estime (293 yards on 17 catches with two TDs), and Ervin Philips (29 catches for 286 and five TDs). The versatile Philips also rushed for 234 yards and three scores.PREDICTIONSyracuse has a challenging schedule, but at least three of the games are at home: Louisville, Florida State and Pittsburgh. The Orange plays Notre Dame at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey and also travels to Clemson. The Orange finished 2-6 in the division last season, ahead of Boston College (0-8) and Wake Forest (1-7). Look for the Orange to win six games and move up a rung in the division.---Online: Associated Press College Football Website: www.collegefootball.ap.org---Follow Kekis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Greek1947 ' ' '