A big stretch
Leitao convinced Brown to leave NBA
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
December 22, 2005

Arriving on campus next year will be Will Harris, Johnnie Lett, Jamil Tucker, Solomon Tat and Andy Ogide. They represent Virginia basketball coach Dave Leitao's first recruiting class. By many accounts, it's a pretty good one.
But one of Leitao's biggest coups may have occurred in the fall when he convinced a 5-foot-7 40-year-old to leave the NBA.

In October, Shaun Brown became Leitao's new strength and conditioning coach.

"Not only is he very good and at the top of his profession," said Leitao, whose squad hosts Loyola on Friday night at University Hall, "but his record speaks for itself in terms of how well he's done with the people he's had and the programs he's been involved in."

Brown was the head strength coach on Rick Pitino's Kentucky team that won an NCAA title in 1996. He went on to serve as the head strength coach for the Boston Celtics for six years before working in the same capacity for the Toronto Raptors the past two seasons.

What would make Brown, who has worked with players such as Vince Carter and Paul Pierce, want to return to the college ranks?

"Coach," said Brown, without a moment of hesitation. "Coach Leitao."

Brown, who grew up in upstate New York, said working with the great athletes in the NBA had its moments. However, the lack of time to work with players during the season because of the grind of an 82-game schedule was a little frustrating. The Raptors becoming the L.A. Clippers of the 1990s in the last few years didn't help matters (they're 5-20 this season and in last place).

"If you're not committed to winning, it's a real bear because it's a tough second half of the season when you just have no shot, and you have to still get guys to try and do stuff," Brown said. "I learned that the hard way for many years."

Brown said the chance to join Leitao - who he had known over the years through former Connecticut players in the NBA - was too good to pass up.

"He painted a picture of where he wanted to take [the program] and was very candid about it," Brown said. "He was like, 'We're at this point now and we're going to get to this point, and this point and this point.'"

Brown was also attracted to the school by the new John Paul Jones Arena, which the Cavaliers will move into next season.

A former wrestler and football player at Canisius College - he jokes that he was the smallest linebacker in the history of college football - Brown says he "stumbled" into his profession. He always thought he was going to be a school teacher.

An avid weightlifter, Brown was offered a position as graduate assistant strength coach at Ohio State after he had earned his masters at the school.

"I thought it would be a neat thing to try, always thinking that I would go back to teach," Brown said.

But then Brown was offered a full-time position as an assistant strength coach at Rutgers. He's been in the field ever since.

Brown believes he can have a greater impact in college than in the NBA.

"In the NBA, playing four or five times a week, it's really hard," Brown said. "You can't do anything that will take away from their ability to play. It's a challenge. You have to pick your spots."

Brown says Carter, now with the New Jersey Nets, is the most gifted athlete he's worked with.

"He could play any sport," Brown said. "Everything just comes so easy to him."

The challenge for Brown at UVa could be tougher in many respects. Adding muscle onto Jason Cain's frame or making Laurynas Mikalauskas a little quicker on his feet certainly won't happen overnight, Brown conceded.

Leitao said Brown is a key component to what he is trying to accomplish.

"Wanting to defend and rebound and have a tougher attitude - that obviously starts with a guy like him," Leitao said. "Knowing the things we talk about basketball-wise on the court, he's going to talk about those things in the weight room."

Brown, who has also worked at Providence College, said it's exciting to be in on the ground floor of a project that has nowhere to go but up.

"It's not just about being a strength coach," he said. "It's about building a program and that's kind of the fun thing. Two years from now everyone will be set in their ways. Right now everybody's still coming together as a staff and moving this from Point A to Point B. To me, that's the fun thing."

 

Brooks and Franklin out
Ahmad Brooks and Tony Franklin will miss the Music City Bowl.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

Ahmad Brooks and Tony Franklin, once viewed as key components of Virginia's defense, were removed Wednesday from the Cavaliers' bowl roster.

Whether they have played their final games in a UVa uniform is a topic for another day.

Franklin, a junior safety and co-captain, was issued a summons Dec. 4 for misdemeanor possession of marijuana and faces a January court appearance in Albemarle County General District Court.

Brooks, a junior linebacker, already has missed five games with injuries, the last a bad back prior to the trip to Miami for the Cavaliers' final regular-season game.

"That's [the back] the primary circumstance," UVa coach Al Groh said Wednesday night, "that and just the reality of the way the whole season has gone. As I've said before, Ahmad Brooks really hasn't played for us this year. Number 34 has.

"Even before he came back [for his debut in week 4], we had made an accommodation in our mind to carry on without him. And, that's really what we've had to do all year long.

"He and I discussed it at length. We just decided that the best thing is to recognize the year for what it's been, which is, unfortunately, really nothing, and rehab, get in shape and look toward the future from there."

Brooks considered turning pro after the 2004 season, when he was a finalist for the Butkus Award that goes to the nation's top linebacker. However, Groh isn't assuming he will turn pro this year.

"I wouldn't say that, necessarily," Groh said. "I think that remains to be resolved, but I don't believe that it has been resolved."

When last heard from on the Franklin situation, Groh said he had heard enough versions of events preceding Franklin's arrest that his involvement in the Music City Bowl remained a possibility.

"I didn't have a sense at that time for what I thought was the proper course of action," Groh said. "I was still accumulating stuff and mulling it over. In the end, I just decided that the proper thing, since we were talking about a substance issue, was to demand compliance to the standards."

Franklin earlier had missed a game because of an undisclosed violation of team rules.

"By addressing the situation in this way, you eliminate some of the distractions that go with it," Groh said.

The Music City Bowl has been Groh's top priority and delayed his selection of new coaches to replace the four assistants who have left his staff, three for head-coaching positions in Division I-A and Division I-AA.

Groh confirmed that he has spoken to seven-year James Madison assistant Curt Newsome, formerly a head coach at several high schools in the Hampton-Newport News area.

"That was kind of easy because of the proximity," Groh said. "The other issue is that there are a number of coaches who are interested in us or that we are interested in who are still playing. Just because we have holes here doesn't mean I should go and create holes for somebody else. Let's let the games get played first."

 

Keys to the 2005 Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
Dec. 29, 8 p.m. ET, San Diego, CA ESPN
Oregon (10-1) vs. Oklahoma (7-4)
By John Harris

a. They call me ‘Biscuit’ – Quarterbacks of all shapes and sizes line up under center each year in college football. Pro-Style QBs with howitzers. Option runners. Game managers. But, the rage in college football, at least in the last five or six years, has been the dual threat pass/run QB who can be equal parts Jamelle Holieway and Peyton Manning. Or, some combination thereof. Perhaps, no quarterback epitomizes how much the college game has changed more than Virginia’s Marques Hagans. In years past, Hagans might not have had the opportunity to fit his skills into an offense that suited him. However, that’s what he has at UVA – an offense that truly fits him. Consequently, an offense that he has to carry on his broad shoulders nearly every week. Sure, it helps to have a potential top five pick protecting your edge. RB Wali Lundy is good, but not a world beater. Thus, it comes back on Hagans each and every time this offense sets foot on the field. The pressure of getting this team in position to win games falls on Hagans. The epitome of what Hagans can do was seen in the Florida State game, in which he was 27 of 36 for 306 and 2 TDs. He skated outside most of the night, away from pressure and pulled a rabbit from his hat nearly every drive. Consequently, Minnesota better find a way to get the ball out of #18’s hands or else he’ll cut a Gopher in half for an encore. Hagans doesn’t have the best receivers to lean on, especially with Heath Miller collecting a paycheck from Pittsburgh instead of hanging out on The Corner. So, make him throw it. Attack him gingerly. Don’t leave your feet on pump fakes. And, no matter what happens, do not get beat to the outside. Although you want to see most quarterbacks on the run, with Hagans, the Gophers need him to be as stationary as possible. Just remember that biscuits cook best in a warm, hot oven. Turn up the heat, Gophers, see what happens.

b. Zone defense for a Zone offense – Now, when we’re talking zone defense here, we’re not talking about cover two or cover three secondary coverages. Although that’s typically the case, it’s not so when you face the Minnesota Golden Gophers and perhaps the best zone scheme in America. What’s so interesting about a zone running game like the one that Virginia has to square off against is that the zone scheme is really easy to run. Now, easy is a relative term, but perhaps that’s what makes is so tough to stop. The Virginia defense is going to present a different look just in its alignment – a 3-4 defense, which may be one of the keys to stopping this Gopher offense. With a guy over Minnesota center Greg Eslinger, he may not have the opportunity to get out to the perimeter, pulling in front of the Gopher running backs. If he gets a ‘shade’ nose, which can definitely happen against the 3-4, he’s got to work cross face and won’t be able to get out on the perimeter. He should be able to reach the Wahoos’ nose tackle, but it keeps the perimeter, Eslinger-free. And, that’s a good thing for UVA. Now, Minnesota can work a little ‘down and around’, having the guard block down on the nose and bringing Eslinger on around, but if the NT slips that down block, he could create a fair amount of disruption in the blocking scheme. The other key for Virginia is going to be how the defensive ends can hold down the edge and how well the linebackers, led by Kai Parham, fill those inside gaps. Zone run games force linebackers to make a decision – scrape past the defensive ends to stop a running back that has beaten contain or try to anticipate the cutback run and fill the inside gap. That’s more difficult than you’d think. As a linebacker, you’re taught to stay inside out on the ball carrier, but when that runner has a head start to the outside and you’re having to fight off a blocker to get into position to make a play, that’s a lot easier said than done. Parham and his mates have to sprint hard at the inside hip of their defensive ends, though. If the DE does his job containing the run, the back has no other choice than to cutback right into those UVA backers. If the DE is beaten, just keep running and hope that maybe he slows to read a cut, instead of staying on a downhill path. Wow, that sounds all technical and stuff. Oh yeah, one last thing…tackle. Make. The. Tackle. That’s the final piece to the zone defense and perhaps the most important one at that.

c. The Return – The Man was on pace to take home a ton of hardware. Outside of the Penn State game, no defense had slowed down the Double Deuce. But, then after the Indiana game, Laurence Maroney was felled by an injury that kept him out of the Michigan State game and limited him against Iowa. So, essentially in nine games, Maroney ran for over 1,300 yards and ten touchdowns (shoot, his ‘backup’ Gary Russell went over 1,000 on the year and his other ‘backup’ Amir Pinnix hit up Michigan State for over 200 yards). But, for as good as the Gophers’ runners are as a group, one guy makes them dangerous and scary – Maroney. Put on the Wisconsin film when Maroney was nearly 100% healthy. That’s the real Maroney. By the end of the season, his burst was nowhere near what it was earlier in the season. Perhaps he was just out of gas. However, that’s not a whole lot of consolation to the Virginia defensive coaching staff (which is going to be whom, by the way, with Al Golden on his way to Temple?) considering that #22 should be close to fully healthy. Well, no matter who puts the headphones on or is making calls on defense, the Wahoos must find a way to slow down a man who might have a little something to prove. Reggie Bush and Jerome Harrison had monster ends to their seasons that may have taken kudos away from Maroney, who readily deserved those accolades. But, no matter, The Man is back, with a little something to prove.

Conclusion – How hard will it be for Minnesota to go back to Nashville and the Music City Bowl for the second consecutive year? Perhaps it’s not so hard, but with the guys they had returning, they probably saw themselves playing in a New Year’s Day bowl game, instead of returning here. Although there’s a thought that complacency may set in, it’s hard to imagine them being flat, especially with the way they run the ball. The Gophers are going to be too physical and too explosive (yes, you can be explosive running the ball) to stop for a full sixty minutes. And, Virginia won’t be able to move the football as Hagans should be bottled up for much of the game. Maroney and Russell should have huge games and the Gophers will win their second straight Music City Bowl. Minnesota – 24 vs. Virginia – 20
 

Galloway, Jones having career years By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive

When Joey Galloway and Thomas Jones were drafted, there were supposed to be numerous Pro Bowls in their future. Instead, there have been zero.

But when rosters were announced Wednesday, neither is headed to Hawaii. Again.

"The Pro Bowl process is not always mistake-free," Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden told the St. Petersburg Times. "If [Galloway] doesn't make it, hopefully they find guys who can say they have done what [he] has done for this team. Because he has been a force."

And much more productive than he was in his first 10 NFL seasons.

Galloway was supposed to be the franchise receiver for the Seattle Seahawks when he was taken with the eighth pick in the 1995 NFL draft. He experienced some individual success early in his career -- three 1,000-yard seasons during 1995-98 -- but Seattle never finished better than 8-8 during that stretch. The Seahawks' best season came in 1999 when they qualified for the playoffs, but Galloway missed half the campaign because of a contract dispute and was traded the following February.

A couple months later, Jones was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, and there were similarly high expectations for him. Unfortunately, the results were even worse than what Galloway went through in Seattle.

Jones had the quickness and size to be a franchise running back, but the Cardinals have been a cursed franchise. First-rounders often turn into busts in the desert. Whether it's the empty seats at home games or the slow decision-making of the Cardinals' ownership, Jones followed in a long line of Cardinals first-round busts and was let go after three years.

But in 2005, Galloway and Jones have had "I told you so" years worthy of Pro Bowl consideration.

Joey Galloway
Wide Receiver
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Profile
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
Rec Yds TD Avg Long YAC
71 1152 8 16.2 80 384

Galloway, at the age of 34, has burned defenses all season. He has 71 catches (one short of his career high in '97) for 1,152 yards (career high) and eight touchdowns. And some of his success is attributed to the rapport he's established with quarterback Chris Simms.

"Chris is one of my best friends on the team," Galloway said. "One of the best guys I got to work with in Seattle was Warren Moon, but I have been able to get a great relationship with Chris."

Thanks to Simms, life begins again for Galloway at 34.

Jones' best friend might be new Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner. At training camp, while Cedric Benson was holding out, it was clear to see Turner's zone-blocking scheme was what Jones has been waiting for the past six seasons. Turner's system isn't much different than Mike Shanahan's in Denver.

Blockers carve out running room on prescribed sections of the offensive line. The back makes a read, trying to make the best of three decisions of where to go. Good decision-making and speed are the key for the backs. It was clear in training camp that Jones had both.

Thomas Jones
Running Back
Chicago Bears

Profile
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD
277 1168 8 25 142 0

After six years of waiting, Jones finally fulfilled his promise, and Benson still sits in waiting. Jones has rushed for 1,168 yards on 277 carries and has literally carried the Bears' offense on his back. He's been 36.8 percent of Chicago's offense, which has been led mostly by rookie Kyle Orton this season. Only Giants RB Tiki Barber's 39.5 percent tops Jones.

"Everyone knew we were going to run the ball," Turner said. "It's a tribute to him that he's done so well and a tribute to how hard he worked during the offseason."

In many ways, Jones and Galloway play similar roles for their teams. The Bucs and Bears are offenses in transition. To make playoff runs, the Bucs needed a great season from Galloway and the Bears needed even more from Jones, and it's ironic how they almost could have been teammates in Tampa, Fla.

Jones left Tampa via free agency after a 2003 season in which he showed renewed zip as a running back. Getting away from the Cardinals tends to do that. Sharing time in Tampa Bay with former Cardinals teammate Michael Pittman, Jones averaged 4.6 yards per carry and rushed for 627 yards in '03. The Bucs wanted him back, but the Bears paid more money in 2004, and Jones filled Priest Holmes' role in the Chiefs' style of offense used in Chicago last year. He rushed for 948 yards and caught 56 passes.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay acquired Galloway in a trade with the Cowboys in 2004, a move made by Bucs general manager Bruce Allen, who was Galloway's agent before going into front-office management. Allen always believed in Galloway, and for good reason. He's lightning fast and always in great shape. In a 40-yard timing once for Seattle, he made everyone feel as though their stopwatches were broken (he was clocked in 4.19 in the 40). Because he's used to running so fast, Galloway thought their watches were slow.

It felt like a 4.16 to him.

"Even though I've torn two ACLs, I can still run in the 4.1s," Galloway said. "My speed is still the same. Before, though, I never had to stretch much before I run. At 34, I may have to do a little stretching before doing a 40, but I can still run them."

And so can Jones.

Despite selecting Benson fourth in the draft, the Bears wanted to have Jones as the starter and the third-down pass-receiving back all year.

"I saw in mini-camp. He had good hands as a receiver," Turner said. "As a ball carrier, he has the feet, speed and reading ability you need to be good in a zone-blocking scheme. Plus, we saw [that] in a gap scheme he can ram it up in there."

When Benson, who played his college football at Texas, entered the NFL, he wasn't as fast as Jones (a Virginia man) -- and Jones has maintained his speed. Were it not for the injury to Rex Grossman that gave the starting quarterback job to Orton, Jones would have better numbers and would rank higher than fifth among NFC rushers.

"We try to watch his number of carries," Turner said. "We try to get him 24 to 27 carries instead of making him a 35-carry type. Had Rex run the offense all year, he would be more involved in the running game. We haven't run as many dump-off passes to backs as we would have. With Kyle, we've used more play-action and isolations to one or two receivers."

The Chicago stop has clearly worked out well for Jones. Last year, he accounted for 36 percent of the offense, once again second only to Barber. Turner brought in a scheme that makes Jones even better.

"Last year I led the team in rushing and receiving," Jones said. "Definitely, it wasn't a knock to me that they drafted a running back. I didn't take it personally. I'm the kind of guy who needs the ball 22 times a game. Last year I was getting it 20 to 25 carries. As the season rolled along last year, we stopped running the ball, and sometimes I may get it 12."

As it stands now, the Bears plan to bring Jones back with Benson next season. And Galloway has made himself invaluable to the Bucs this year and in the future.

Potential finally met up with the right opportunities for Galloway and Jones. It might not mean a Pro Bowl for either, but that doesn't diminish the great season each has had.