Jonathan Ogden will have his name added to the Baltimore Ring of Honor in a ceremony at Sunday’s Ravens home game against Oakland.
Ogden played for 13 years before retiring last offseason. The 12-time Pro Bowl tackle could probably still play well, and would be welcome to rejoin Baltimore’s injury-riddled line.
“We’re going to introduce him with the team, so if he comes out in full gear you’ll know he’s playing left tackle,” first-year coach John Harbaugh joked.
Ogden was the first player drafted by the Ravens after their move from Cleveland, and his outstanding play made him a shoo-in to add his name to a list of such greats as John Unitas, Lenny Moore and Ravens career sacks leader Peter Boulware.
“To know my name is going to be up there for years to come, it’s just really an honor,” Ogden said. “I expected it, but when it came it was still kind of a shock. So it’s a really good thing.”
election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“I can’t help but think about it now that I’m retired,” he said. “You know, if it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”
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HOT PEPPERS: His teammates say Julius Peppers is more vocal this season, a year after Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson challenged the defensive end to become a leader.
Peppers claims it’s no accident it took so long. He couldn’t accept that role until Mike Rucker retired.
“I can’t really be myself around him and try to take over, if you want to call it the big dog role of the defense, with him still in it,” Peppers said.
Rucker, who started at the other defensive end spot, retired in the offseason, ending a nine-year career with Carolina. Peppers has helped fill the void. He’s been seen firing up players on the sidelines and has been more emotional on the field.
“Last year I kind of fell back a little bit and let Rucker do his thing,” said Peppers, in the final year of his contract. “Now, I feel like I’ve been here the longest, and I feel like I can do that a little more.”
an Stewart in Carolina’s 30-7 win over New Orleans.
Peppers has four sacks a year after he was held to a career-low 2 1/2 and saw his three-year streak of Pro Bowl selections snapped.
“I am a lot stronger,” Peppers said.
And now a leader, too. “
“When we get off to the sideline, he wants the defense to get right,” defensive end Charles Johnson said. “He’s just an all-around more vocal person this year.”
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I KNEW YOU WHEN: Having turned 58 earlier this month, Bills coach Dick Jauron didn’t need another reminder of how time flies.
And that’s why Jauron wasn’t entirely pleased when it was pointed out that Dolphins rookie coach Tony Sparano worked as an usher at Yale home games when Jauron played for the Bulldogs in the early 1970s.
“No, I don’t talk about it when people say they worked as an usher and watched me play because he was a kid, right?” Jauron said before breaking into a smile. “I don’t know what kind of an usher he was. But he should’ve been watching the aisle and not the game.”
Jauron, who’s Bills (5-1) play at Miami (2-4) on Sunday, had a better review of Sparano’s coaching skills, crediting him for helping the Dolphins get off to a competitive start. “Tony’s done a great job down there,” he said.
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up to his eyebrows in problems, Herm Edwards hasn’t lost his sense of humor.
Arriving in the media work room about 10 minutes early for his Thursday news conference, the embattled Chiefs coach waited patiently as television photographers scrambled to set up their equipment. When someone mentioned the cameraman for the NBC affiliate was still sitting in his car, Edwards said, “I’ll go get him.”
He walked out the door and into the parking lot and tapped on the guy’s car window. A few minutes later, Edwards came walking up the sidewalk with the heavy camera on his shoulder and the chagrined photographer trailing behind.
A construction worker in a hard hat, no doubt aware that angry fans all over town are calling for Edwards to be fired, stopped and stared and said as the coach walked past, “I don’t even want to ask.”
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BIG TALK FROM 85: Chad Ocho Cinco isn’t afraid to talk smack to opposing defensive backs and the Texans are taking his verbal jabs in stride.
The former Chad Johnson asked members of the Houston media this week for the names of the Texans’ cornerbacks who will cover him on Sunday. Jacques Reeves and DeMarcus Faggins will handle most of the responsibility.
Tell them I said hello and, you know, it’s on.”
Reeves and Faggins laughed when they heard about Ocho Cinco’s comments.
“It’s entertainment to me,” said Faggins. “I like to see it, I like to read about it. It’s fun to see.”
Reeves, who has one of Houston’s three interceptions this season, remembers facing Ocho Cinco once before. He said the more Chad talks, the more it motivates him.
“It’s fun,” said Reeves. “He brings another aspect to the game. It makes you want to go out and play and makes the game that much more exciting to you.”
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ALWAYS ON DUTY: After a long day at the office on Monday, Rams coach Jim Haslett went home, turned on the TV and watched Monday night football. That would have been the case even if the New England Patriots, the Rams’ opponent this week, had not been playing.
“I watch all the games,” Haslett said. “It’s the only business in the world that you work all day and you go home and watch it at night, and still enjoy it.”
Haslett said that just shows his love for the game that others love when they’re off-duty. He suggested other professionals leave their job at the office.
“Dentists don’t do that,” Haslett said. “Think about it. A surgeon, they don’t do that. They go home and watch somebody do operations?
“It’s a great life.”
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OBBLING ROOKIES: The Bengals’ two rookie receivers had their first big moments in the NFL last week. It could be a while before they get any more.
Third-round draft pick Andre Caldwell had three kickoff returns – one of them for 36 yards – in a 38-10 loss to Pittsburgh. On the last one, he suffered a stress fracture in his left foot, leaving him out for at least a couple of weeks.
Second-round pick Jerome Simpson got his first catch, a 2-yard reception with 1:09 to play. As he was being tackled, a defender fell on his right ankle, forcing him to limp off the field with a sprain.
The two rookies have adjacent lockers. This week, they had matching protective boots as well.
“Sheesh,” Simpson said. “We haven’t gotten in that much, we were about to start getting more time, and stupid injuries like this come.”
It’s been that kind of season for the receivers, who figured to play much bigger roles in the offense. When Cincinnati drafted them, receiver Chad Ocho Cinco was threatening to hold out and receiver Chris Henry had been released. Ocho Cinco returned, and owner Mike Brown brought back Henry over the objections of coach Marvin Lewis.
The crowd at the position made the receivers’ learning curve a little steeper.
y out there that’s not quite sure what to do, you can get the quarterback hit,” coach Marvin Lewis said.
With the Bengals at 0-7, the two rookies are in line for more playing time once they get healthy.
“It’s very frustrating that you’re not playing, but that’s something you can’t control,” Simpson said. “To get an injury like this, that really frustrates you. We were just now starting to see the field a little more, get out there on special teams and offense.”
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AP Football Writer Barry Wilner and Sports Writers Doug Tucker in Kansas City, Joe Kay in Cincinnati, Chris Duncan in Houston, Mike Cranston in Charlotte, David Ginsburg in Baltimore, John Wawrow in Buffalo and R.B. Fallstrom in St. Louis contributed to this story.
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