In fact, between him and his predecessor, Mike Webster inducted in , the Steelers enjoyed a year stretch with a future member of the Hall of Fame at the position.
Dawson brought a cheerful presence to the locker room; always early to work and prone to singing silly ditties, he was nicknamed "Ned Flanders" by teammate Levon Kirkland. Why he'd thrive today: He was strong and fast, if a bit light around pounds for the current era. He excelled at pulling and scoop-blocking, which might not be as useful against head-on defensive linemen like Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions.
But he was very smart, and he'd be able to compensate. As coaches often say, players can add weight, but it's tough to make them taller or faster. Plus, he was durable, starting consecutive games and playing in total. That kind of reliability was -- and still is -- rare. Doleman, for one, recognized his status as an unsung hero and wanted to do something to change it.
When he was with the Vikings , he invented a statistical achievement that he called "the trifecta," which involved sacking the quarterback, forcing a fumble and scoring a touchdown -- all in the same play. Though Doleman accomplished this just once in his career, his sacks and 44 forced fumbles were nothing to sneeze at.
Why he'd thrive today: He was a great player, plain and simple. With his size, speed and athleticism, he'd be one of those guys who averages 15 to 20 sacks per season. He did most of his damage working as an end in defenses, which seemed to have fallen out of favor. But I think that scheme is making a comeback in terms of popularity, and he'd find a home somewhere. Kennedy was told by his coach at Northwest Mississippi Community College that he had to lose weight if he wanted to stay on the team.
Despite spending the subsequent summer working a job at a fast-food pizzeria, Kennedy managed to drop around 40 pounds. On the day he was supposed to report, Kennedy pulled up in a pickup truck, clad in tight-fitting jeans that showed off his slimmer frame.
Kennedy clearly had the drive to play and the character and discipline to succeed. Kennedy turned them down, explaining that to accept the offer would be "stealing money. Why he'd thrive today: Kennedy had outstanding strength, which is important for modern defensive tackles. He also had great first-step quickness, which is crucial when it comes to beating the pass protector.
Kennedy had a unique ability to get to the quarterback, especially for someone who played inside. Like a golfer who can putt with instinctive accuracy, pass rushing just came naturally to Kennedy. It had to for him to collect 14 sacks from the tackle position in Martin didn't like organized team sports growing up, and even briefly quit football during his junior year in high school.
Found the story interesting? Like us on Facebook to see similar stories. I'm already a fan, don't show this again. Send MSN Feedback. How can we improve? Please give an overall site rating:. Saints beat writer Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that interim coach Joe Vitt talked about what the staff will be scanning for in terms of player performance.
He said:. Can he finish every down, quarter, and half? Then this, does the player know what to do? Does he know how to do it? Does he know what to do? Does he know how to get them? Those things are the things that we are looking at. Sando said that while Patrick Peterson has one starting spot locked up, opposite him, as well as the nickelback position, are open races.
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