By Joseph White Associated Press Monday, April 26, 2004; 2:22 PM
LaVar Arrington welcomed first-round draft pick Sean Taylor with a hug in the Washington Redskins auditorium.
Then the two players performed Part Two of the modern NFL greeting: They pulled out their cell phones and started trading numbers.
"I don't really take to too many people, but I like him," linebacker Arrington said. "I like his spirit, the way he carries himself."
Taylor, the No. 5 overall selection in Saturday's draft, arrived at Redskins Park on Monday with his agent and his father for his introductory news conference. The free safety from Miami found that his reputation had long preceded him, at least among his peers.
Coach Joe Gibbs said Taylor came highly recommended by other ex-Miami players, particularly new Redskins running back Clinton Portis.
"'Sean Taylor' -- that's all he kept saying," Gibbs said.
Gibbs even pulled aside Portis before the draft and told him that Taylor would indeed help the defense, but that a top-five offensive pick would really upgrade the offense.
Portis' response? "We're going to be real good on offense."
So Taylor was the choice, an instant upgrade for a defense that ranked 25th overall last season. Offenses will have to account for both Taylor and Arrington, a pair of hard-hitters with speed who can both play sideline-to-sideline.
"He's the same size as me -- and he's playing safety. And can play corner. And can run," said Arrington, who actually has about 20 pounds on Taylor. "He's a ballhawk. I'm excited. I'm starting to sweat."
Taylor was given a No. 1 jersey for the cameras, which will have to do until the team sorts out its number situation. Taylor wore No. 26 at Miami, the same number Portis wore with the Denver Broncos.
But the current Redskins' No. 26 is safety Ifeanyi Ohalete, and he is refusing to give up the number. Adding to the minidrama is the fact that Ohalete will probably be bumped from the starting lineup by Taylor.
Taylor's view: He's more than happy to let Portis have the number.
"He's the guy with the years under his belt," Taylor said. "I'll get a new number. There's a lot of them out there."
Taylor spoke of going from a great college tradition with the Hurricanes to the tradition of the Redskins, but overall his first meeting with reporters was a humble one. He didn't speak of Pro Bowls or great interceptions, and he made no guarantees.
"I'm a young guy trying to come in here and earn some stripes and try to win some games," he said.
gambit187 wrote:Notice the last line of this posted article
"I'm a young guy trying to come in here and earn some stripes and try to win some games," he said.
What's your point. I'm glad he didn't get up there saying stuff like "I'm the next Ronnie Lott" and having a cocky attitude. He showed he is a humble guy and that he has some class.
Let us all gather around and drink the ey-Aid of the Redskins.
My point is he also has a soldier mentality Like Winslow......hummm maybe just maybe the coaches are teaching that mentalilty to them. I wonder if any of you guys will agree with me or will you just not say anything.
See as an ex-soldier myself I know Winslow did not mean any disrespect when he said what he said. Building a good football team is like building a good military unit in maany ways.
Gambit - Come on now man. I know that earning stripes is a military term but it is widely used. K2 called himself a soldier. This a bit different dont you think?
I remember hearing on CSN that Taylor is likely to wind up in the Free Safety slot (not sure of the vailidity of this statement).
Does this mean that Ohalete will stay in at Strong Safety? The article above contradicts that, saying he'll be bumped to 2nd string SS.
That raises the question of who (Taylor excluded) is the best safety on the Skins roster at the strong slot. Personally, I wasn't real impressed with Bowen last year, and think if you have Taylor at FS, you'd be better off putting Ohalete at strong.
haha my friend it is a very large reach to try to say someone has a soldier mentality just because they use the expression "trying to earn stripes." I am gona just chalk that one up to you trying to rile us up
Im glad to see he came in on a humble approach and wants to earn respect, I like him from what I've seen so far. Hopefully we can upgrade the D-line IF needed to keep the LB's and secondary free.
Yeah it's hard to evaluate a guy based on so little data. But if we take the way he conducts himself as an indicator, then I like him. He seems relatively humble off the field and genuinely interested in playing football for the sake of playing football.
playing in a bad scheme
playing out of position
playing in a new defense
playing for a coach who's answer to everything was COVER 2
playing behind a line that was pathetic
playing behind linebackers that went rogue constantly
playing coverage AND run support at the same time leaving him open to bad angles due to play action
Give him a chance
Rich in Roanoke
_______________________________________
Let others hail the rising sun:
I bow to that whose course is run
The point i am making is that before it was acceptable for atheletes to say things like trying to earn my stripes, i am a soldier, we fight hard in the trenches and other things of military conotation, but ewery since 9/11 it is unacceptable for an athelete to say it. Especially if we do not like that athelete or if we thing that person has an ego problem
So what Winslow called himself a soldier but since many of you dont like him you dogged him out, but Taylor said he wants to come in and earn his stripes....so in his mental state of mind he envisions himself as a soldier and the football field being a battlefield. So in a round about way he called himself a soldier. He was just not as egotistical about it but regardless that is what he meant. Now i challenge all of you to stop being so egotistacaly and onesided..
ey-Aid of the Redskins.
