Misery in Missouri: When Will It End?

The Kansas City Chiefs and the St. Louis Rams combined to win a total of four games last season, each team winning only two contests.

That’s fewer wins than 26 individual teams had last season.

The Rams also posted only three wins in 2007.

Separated by four hours of I-70 pavement, St. Louis and Kansas City boasted some of the most exciting displays of offensive football earlier this decade.

The “Greatest Show on Turf” in St. Louis captured the imagination of touchdown hungry fans, and Kansas City boasted a top-five total offense ranking five consecutive years from 2001-2005.

But the fortunes of these two franchises have turned sour.  Each are struggling with poor on the field performances recently.

The Chiefs and Rams face similar challenges this year.  Each have new coaching staffs, plenty of off-season personnel changes, and stout schedules for the upcoming season.

Each team also suffers from a lack of an identity. Will it be the Chefs and Lambs, or the Chiefs and Rams this year? I think both will improve record wise, but a lot of work remains for these franchises to return to glory.

The glimmer of hope for the Chiefs and Rams is the respective divisions that each play in.

The AFC West division winner last year was the Chargers at an embarrassing 8-8.  The Broncos also finished 8-8, melting down in the late stages of the season. The Raiders finished their season 5-11 with a late-season flurry.

Logical thinking would peg the Chargers as the favorite for the division but they have shown a history of under performing.

The NFC West boasted Super Bowl runner-up Arizona, but also includes the 4-12 Seattle Seahawks and the 49ers who won four of their last five to finish at 7-9.

I’m not predicting either of these teams to repeat what the Miami Dolphins accomplished last year, but it is also not that far of a stretch to see each team at least being competitive in their division.

Misery in Missouri. Take me away! 

Go Chiefs!

The Bear Den: 2009 Chicago Bears Season Preview (Part I)

As the Bears kicked off their OTA’s this past week and are preparing for training camp at the end of July, I figure this is a good time to start my 2009 Chicago Bears season preview.

In this four part article I will break down the Bears opponents, players to watch, and predictions.

 

Week One: at Green Bay, Sept. 13 2009. 7:05 CST

The Bears open the 2009 campaign for the second straight year on the road. Last season it was at Indianapolis, and this season it will be against hated rival’s the Green Bay Packers.

I don’t need to explain the rivalry to you between these teams, because I’m sure you know about it. Instead I’ll leave you with a nice fact, since the NFC North formed in 2002, the Bears or the Packers have won the division every year except for last year when the Vikings won it.

This game will be a huge game for both teams to start off the year.

Both teams would love to open the season with a win, especially against a division rival.

With the arrival of Jay Cutler to Chicago, this game now takes a little more excitement on the national stage. Two young quarter backs in Aaron Rodgers and Cutler will be duking it out for years to come.

The key for the Bears is to use their run game to their advantage and have the defense play dominant. Last year they went into Green Bay and got destroyed by the Pack, before pulling out a game in over time Week 16 in Chicago.

You can bet your bottom dollar that the Bears remember last years trip to Green Bay and will be out for revenge.

Final Score Prediction: Bears 17, Packers 16

 

Week Two: vs Pittsburgh, Sept. 20 2009. 3:15 CST

The defending Super Bowl champions come into town to take on the Bears. These two teams last met way back in 2005 with Pittsburgh getting the win and eventually becoming Super Bowl XL champions.

Pittsburgh is set for a repeat by nearly bringing back their entire Super Bowl team from last year.

If the Bears are to pull off an early season upset, they will have to have their defense clicking on all cylinders. The defense will have to shut down the Steelers potent offense and rush Big Ben into throws.

If the Bears can get early pressure on Big Ben and rattle him, along with the offense scoring early and getting a good lead the Bears can win this game.

I just don’t see that happening.

Final Score Prediction: Steelers 24, Bears 16

 

Week Three: at Seattle, Sept. 27 2009. 3:15 CST

The Bears play in their third straight afternoon/night game of the season when they make the friendly visit to Seattle.

Last time Chicago was in Seattle they suffered a loss that killed any hope of the playoffs in 2007.

Seattle is a team that seems to be rebuilding and wont be a contender for a couple years. The Bears get their first look at stud linebacker Aaron Curry, who in my mind is going to be one of the elite linebackers in the NFL within a few years.

The Bears will just be to much for the Seahawks.

I see Cutler and Forte having big games against this Seattle defense, and the Bears defense putting out a dominant performance.

Home field for Seattle could be critical. If they can jump out to a early 10 or 14 point lead and get the crowd into the game, Chicago might be in trouble.

I just don’t see that happening.

Final Score Prediction: Bears 27, Seattle 10

 

Week Four: vs Detroit, Oct. 4 2009, 12:00 CST

In another battle between division rivals, the Bears host the Detroit Lions in a Week-Four showdown.

A interesting question will be if we will see the pro debut of Matt Stafford, who the Lions took first overall in this years draft.

It might be time for the Lions to give Stafford the reps, and expect a Bears defense to be hungry with a rookie quarterback at the helm.

The way I see this game is in two ways. I can see this being a trap game for the Bears who start off the season by winning two or more games.

Or I can see this game being dominated by the Bears as they did against the Lions last year.

For the second straight game I predict the Bears defense to show up and be dominant. The Lions really only have one weapon on offense that scares me in Calvin Johnson. But I’m confident the Bears will take care of business.

Final Score Prediction: Bears 34, Lions 10.

 

Player to watch for: Jay Cutler. The quarterback who was brought into Chicago from Denver in an offseason trade will need to step up. The Bears offense will feed off Cutler and his playmaking ability.

I see the Bears finishing the first quarter of the 2009 NFL season by going 3-1 and leading the NFC North. Now there is still a lot of football to be played, and anything can happen from now until September.

When McFadden, Bush, and Fargas Was Simply No. 34

If you became a Raiders fan in the late 1980s, he is probably the reason. If you began to hate the Raiders in the late 1980s, he is also probably the reason.

Like the Baby Boomer generation following World War II, there is a Bo Jackson generation of Oakland Raiders fans.

I am one of them.

My dad was somewhat of a Jets fan. His parents had rented a beach house to Mickey Shuler of the Jets for several years when I was young. If not for Mickey he probably would never have been a football fan at all.

I loved sports and as a five year-old kid my parents turned an Eagles’ Mike Quick jersey into a Shuler jersey. I wore holes through that jersey until I was nine.

It was at that age that I watched Bo Jackson for the first time. I haven’t cared about a Jets game since.

I was so young, but even a kid recognizes excitement. While the world was idolizing Michael Jordan, my room was covered with posters of Bo.

What I now realize about my childhood hero:

Bo Jackson was the most remarkable combination of size, power and speed I’ve ever seen. At 6’1″ and 230 pounds he was always the fastest man of the football field. To put his size into perspective, LenDale White is listed at 6’1″ and 235 pounds.

The players were likely more than five pounds apart in game weight, but the fact remains the same. Bo Jackson had more speed than anyone his size in the history of the NFL.

In fact, it has been disputed that Bo Jackson ran the fastest official recorded time in the history of the league. This link in USA Today shows Jackson running the 40-yard dash at the Louisiana Superdome. You may be stunned at the time he ran in this article. Darrius Heyward-Bey is fast? Not compared to this guy.

YouTube is loaded with highlights of Bo Jackson’s speed on display. Coaches always stress that their players take good angles at ball carriers to make tackles. With Bo’s speed, the laws of geometry never seemed to apply. There was no “angle.”

Anyone with the speed to get to Jackson was rarely big enough to make the tackle. At 230 pounds, Bo Jackson was always willing to run through defensive backs and even linebackers. He started runs like Earl Campbell and finished them like Deion Sanders.

His stats confirm his greatness.

He scored from his red zone and his opponents’ red zone with runs of at least 88 yards in three of his four pro seasons. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry for his career before suffering a career ending hip injury. Compare his yards per carry to any NFL Hall of Famer.

Adrian Peterson appears to be the closest thing we have to Bo Jackson in the NFL right now. Before you laugh at the comparison consider one thing. Bo Jackson played in 23 NFL games in his career. He spent two years listed as Marcus Allen’s fullback and played only half of all four seasons because he played baseball as well. Bo’s highlight reel is as long as some Hall of Famers’ with a ten year career. Take Adrian Peterson out of training camp and cut his career games by a third and imagine what his highlight film would look like. It would be impressive, but nothing like Bo.

While his time with the Raiders was cut short, his impact on the franchise was enormous. In part because of Bo Jackson, Raider Nation covers every corner of the country.

He was every great running back tied into one.

I am optimistic about the potential the Oakland Raiders now have in their backfield. Darren McFadden is one of the fastest players in football with the potential to be a superstar. Michael Bush is agile and fast with tremendous size and muscle. Justin Fargas is a speedy little warrior who plays like a man twice his size.

If this three-headed monster stays together it could be great, but I can’t help but remember a time when Bo Jackson was our Bush, Fargas, and McFadden.

Seattle Seahawks Position Breakdown: Running Back

(Current RB’s: Starter- Julius Jones, TJ Duckett, Justin Forsett, Devin Moore)

 

In the 2007 offseason, the Seahawks completely reshaped their RB situation. They signed Dallas castoff Julius Jones to a four-year/$14 million deal to be the feature back.

They grabbed former Atlanta Falcons RB TJ Duckett with a five-year/$18 million contract to be the short yardage specialist. He was let go by the Lions after a largely unproductive season.

They drafted elusive RB Justin Forsett out of Cal in the seventh round of the 2008 draft. 

Forsett lit it up in the preseason, gaining 248 yards on 46 carries, He shined in the KR role, and gave Seattle fans a potential glimpse at the next Darren Sproles (San Diego Chargers RB).

Devin Moore is an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming who had a productive college career, rushing for 2,963 yards and 15 TD’s.

The Seahawks let longtime RB Maurice Morris walk in free agency this offseason. He signed a three-year/$7 million contract with the Detroit Lions.

With Morris gone, Julius Jones will be the feature back in an offense transitioning to the Zone Blocking Scheme. He is referred to as a one cut type RB, the type of RB who flourishes in the Zone Scheme the Seahawks are converting to in 2009.

After two fumbles in a 34-9 loss to the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, Jones was benched in favor of Morris. For the final six games he was in coach Holmgren’s doghouse. He  only carried the ball 19 times the rest of the season.

Jones has a lot to prove after being a mediocre player for the majority of his career. He has only topped 1000 yards rushing once in his five year career. This is a pivotal season for him and he should be hungry and out to prove that he is capable of being a true feature back with Morris now gone.

TJ Duckett will be the short yardage specialist next season, and for years to come. He thrived in the role in 2008, and was one of the few bright spots in a dismal season. He punched in 8 TD’s and was an effective 15/18 on short yardage attempts of two yards or less.

He should see an expanded role under Offensive Coordinator Greg Knapp, whom under he enjoyed his most success in Atlanta. In the three straight seasons, Atlanta boasted the No. 1 rushing attack, Duckett posted a 4.0 YPC average and scored 27 TD’s.

Justin Forsett might see an expanded role in the offense as well, although it is too early to tell. He is only a second year player and is very raw, he has plenty of talent and upside. He will be a special teams player who will handle a good portion of the KR/PR duties.

Devin Moore is a roster hopeful who will compete with Justin Forsett for the third, and likely final RB spot on the roster. Look for the Seahawks to relegate him to the practice squad rather then outright cutting him if he doesn’t make the active roster.

The Seahawks are equipped with a fresh a new Zone Blocking Scheme, and an Offensive Coordinator who knows how to run the ball (offenses never finished below 10th in rushing).

They are poised for a breakout season running the ball. Success in the ground game will translate to success in their passing game. Passing is something they have done well in recent years (except for 2008).

No one expects anything from Seattle in 2009, I say, prove them wrong, let’s run the ball down their throats boys.

Alphabet Soup: The Legends of Lambeau

The Green Bay Packers have 21 players that are in the Hall of Fame, and you will see 13 of them on this list.

There is no ‘X’ (obviously), and no ‘Y’ (three Youngs and none of them good) on this list.

Also, I have doubled up two letters, and you will understand when you see them.

There is a reason that Green Bay, Wisconsin is the true Titletown, USA. A lot of these guys will show you why this holds true.

And away we go…

Seattle Seahawks Position Breakdown: Quarterback

(Current QB’s: Starter – Matt Hasselbeck,  Seneca Wallace, Jeff Rowe,  Rookie Mike Teel.)

A Look at the Tennessee Titans Pro Bowl Secondary

Last season, the Tennessee Titans’ defense was ranked among the best in the nation. They were top ten in stats such as yards allowed, points per game, interceptions, forced fumbles, and defensive touchdowns.

Many people attributed this success on defense to star defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. It was the pressure that Haynesworth put on quarterbacks that led to the success of the secondary.

So with Haynesworth now in Washington, how will the Titans’ secondary fair?

Last year when Nick Harper was hurt, four year veteran Eric King stepped in and made some crucial plays before breaking his forearm. Kick Returner Chris Carr then stepped in and was targeted as the weak link in the defense.

At the end of the year when Jim Schwartz was given the job as the new head coach for the Detroit Lions one of his first moves was to grab King to start rebuilding their defense.

A few weeks later the Baltimore Ravens signed Chris Carr leaving the Titans with starters Cortland Finnegan, Nick Harper, and seventh round draft choice Cary Williams.

Though there were some holes to fill at cornerback, the safety positions are solid. Michael Griffin and Chris Hope both made it to the pro bowl last year for there excellent play.

The Titans managed to grab former nickelback for the Houston Texans, DeMarcus Faggins to begin to add depth at cornerback. Faggins will battle with safety Vincent Fuller to play nickelback for the Titans this year. Fuller is the favorite for this position as he has played it for the last couple of seasons.

Third round draft choice Ryan Mouton and sixth rounder Jason McCourty will try and earn their spot on the depth chart.

The four starters are all solid tacklers with 70 tackles each last season. Three of the starters had over four interceptions with Griffin leading the group with seven interceptions.

Look for the Titans’ secondary to play well again this season and don’t be surprised if they are in the the top 10 for interceptions once again.

New York Giants Defense: Looking to Create a Little Havoc This Season

One year of mediocre defense is not welcome in New York. Jerry Reese and Tom Coughlin wasted no time preparing the elements for a descent drive that may just end back at the coming Super Bowl.

Indeed, Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka, Justin Tuck, and Dave Tollefson should put on a rush that will be profitable for the Giants and an all day headache for the opposing teams.

Tollefson is the weak link among the ends but his play last year looked promising.

Having Umenyiora back will free up Kiwanuka and Tuck to just be themselves and get the job done. Still don’t expect Kiwanuka stats to fall. I have a feeling he enjoyed taking out all those sacks.

As for Strahan, he is and will be missed for a few more years to come. Yet the Giants appear to be at near 90 percent of what they were at defensive end.

Now if first year Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan can get his D Line and secondary to come together be more competitive the Giants will be looking back no more.

The Giants already appear more formidable with Chris Canty, Barry Coffield, and Rocky Bernard shoring up the tackle position.

Linebacker will be better for wear this season as well—weak side linebacker Michael Boley and middle linebacker Antonio Pierce will do well. The weak link in this unit is strong side linebacker.

The rookie Clint Sintim may enjoy some serious playtime here with Chase Blackburn getting sufficient backup to Pierce, and the weak side.

In reality the Giants are still thin at linebacker—even though they have sufficient players to fill the roles. There is no doubt that next year the Giants will be looking not only to complete the DL but to give the unit a true depth.

The Giants need one solid all everything linebacker that can step in and plug the hole whenever called upon to do so. The biggest hurt comes in the secondary.

Measures were made when the Giants picked up CC Brown to push Kenny Phillips and Michael Johnson—both appear needing the push.

The two corners have Corey Webster and Aaron Ross—Ross needs to improve or young Terrell Thomas may push for his starting corner.

Well the table is set the question is will there be Super Bowl play from these individuals. Weak play and sloppy tackling needs to give way to aggressive physical hits and better solo and team tackling.

The Giants have addressed some key issues will it be enough? Once again look for New York to finish the task in next years draft. Until then this will be a much better team than last seasons.

Giants should have little trouble dominating their conference rivals. We have our eyes on them and that will be another story.

Exclusive B/R Interview with Indianapolis Colts Wide Receiver Roy Hall

For many aspiring sports writers, your dream is to one day actually get the privilege to speak one on one with the athletes whom you most admire.

While often times that dream might appear to be a bit far away from reality, sometimes life has a way of surprising you.

A few days ago, that dream came true for me.

After spending the last few months reaching out to current and former NFL players in the hopes of conducting an interview with them, Indianapolis Colts Wide Receiver Roy Hall became the first NFL player to return the interest.

Without any hesitation, Roy was kind enough to agree to do an exclusive interview with me for Bleacher Report.

For myself as a fan, I couldn’t have been more excited because Roy is a player whom I have been following with great anticipation. So to have the honor and privilege of speaking to him directly was a dream come true for me.

I prepared myself thoroughly and made the call to Roy. He was friendly from the moment he picked up the phone and was immediately ready to do the interview right then and there.

Roy and I had a great interview which lasted a little longer than 15 minutes. After I hung up the phone, I began the process of uploading the audio recording to my computer so I could transcribe all of the dialog.

Then it happened.

My recording devise bit the dust without a moment’s notice. So I sat there just having completed a fantastic interview with one of my favorite players and within minutes, it was all gone.

I thought to myself, what am I to do?

I did everything imaginable to try to retrieve the audio data but to no avail, it wasn’t coming back. I wasn’t about to call Roy and ask him to do the interview all over again, especially considering that NFL players are busy in the heat of OTA’s right now and even despite that, he was kind enough to spare his time to do the interview with me in the first place.

I thought an email would be a bit more appropriate because I wasn’t about to disturb him during his personal time. I told him everything that happened and within an hour, he wrote back to me.

He told me to just call him at 7:00.

I couldn’t believe it, he just got done taking some of his own free time to do an interview that had since been lost to the ravages of malfunctioning electronic equipment and without any hesitation, he was willing to do it all over again to make sure the interview happened.

That ladies and gentlemen is character.

I set up two new recording devices and the second interview went off without a hitch.

Before I present the interview in its entirety, I would first like to give you all a little bit of background on the man who was so kind as to make this interview happen.

Roy Hall was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft out of “The” Ohio State University. While he was fortunate enough to be drafted along with fellow Buckeye teammate Anthony Gonzalez, he suffered a devastating shoulder injury after a serious special teams collision put Hall on the Injured Reserve for the remainder of 2007 season.

While a season-ending injury would put most NFL players on the shelf, Hall instead chose to make an impact off the field while he took the time to recover from his injury.

People have referred to Roy Hall as “The Librarian” due to his efforts to help promote literacy by traveling to schools across America and encouraging children to enjoy and appreciate the values of reading.

Roy is also know for the “Roy Hall Football Skills Camp”  which was established to help teach High School students the fundamentals of football while also placing a strong emphasis on the development of positive character.

In 2008, Hall continued to remain active on special teams and even recorded his first career reception during the Colts’ 23-0 victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week 17.

With the departure of future Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison, Hall has an opportunity to make a name for himself in 2009.

After speaking with Roy, I found his enthusiasm to be quite contagious and I know that if the optimism he shared while speaking with me is any indication of things to come, Colts fans are going to have a lot to be excited about this season.

So without further adieu, let’s take a look at what Roy had to say about his football career, the people he’s worked with, and what we can expect to see from the Indianapolis Colts in 2009…

How does it feel to be in the National Football League and wake up every day knowing that you play for one of the greatest teams in professional football?

Playing in the NFL is really a dream come true.

You set fourth goals and have aspirations as a young kid. For myself, it was to either get to the NBA or the NFL. I stopped growing once I got to 6’2(1/2) in about my junior year of High School. Once I realized that I wasn’t going to be any taller and once I started getting scholarships from these big–time Universities, I knew I was going to be a football player. I knew that was my destiny and I knew that was one of the things I wanted to accomplish to make it to the next level. So, it’s really just living a dream come true.

As far as playing football for an organization like the Indianapolis Colts, it’s just a true blessing to come into the league and play for such a well regarded organization. Coach Dungy was a Christian man, a man of faith, a man of god and he used those principles and those teachings on us. He used them to guide our team and that’s why we’ve had such a great team for the last seven years, because our faith has been our backbone.

It’s truly a blessing to come into an organization that’s successful and not have to deal with a team that is struggling or anything of that nature.

 

I’m sure the Colts are lucky to have somebody with the character that you have so, I think it kind of goes both ways.

Now, when you were drafted by the Colts following their 2006 Championship season, were you more relieved to have been drafted by the best team in football or did you feel an added pressure being drafted by a team that was so competitive?

That’s a real good question.

To be drafted by a successful team means that they feel that you can contribute to the organization and to the team. Usually, good organizations and good teams have a lot of good character guys on their team. So for them to select me was kind of humbling in the sense that all my hard work was paying off.

They recognize good men of character and good football players. So when you get drafted by a team such as the Indianapolis Colts, you understand what you’re getting into and you understand what they expect from you but by the same token, your used to those type of expectations because that’s the way you live your life.

It’s just a perfect fit really.

 

Now my next question is, everyone knows that you have a lot of passion for Ohio State Football. What did it mean to you to be drafted alongside Ohio State teammate, Anthony Gonzalez and do you secretly pull for Buckeye’s to get drafted to Indianapolis every year?

Every year you want to add a couple of your former teammates. That Ohio State blood-line, you want to add those guys to the team.

This year we happened to be in a situation where I thought we were going to draft running-back Beanie Wells but we decided to draft the running-back out of Connecticut (Donald Brown).

So I was like, we were almost gaining up and almost had a couple more numbers. It’s always a good thing when you have people that you know around you, people that you grew up with. From the age of 18 to 22, you’re really finding yourself and you’re really growing into manhood.

Just having that familiar face around makes the transition that much easier and it always helps to have a friend in the locker-room.

 

Now you were talking about Coach Dungy earlier, and we know that he has always been a man of great faith like you said.

It seems to me like the teams that he has coached over the years reflect the example that he set forth. Do you think that the same tradition will be carried over in his absence and how has the adjustment been for you in the wake of so many coaching departures?

I think that it will definitely carry over because Coach Dungy hired people and had people on his staff that practice the same types of faith, values and beliefs. So whenever you have a guy like Coach Dungy step down or retire, when you keep it within the organization like with Coach Caldwell becoming the Head Coach, he had been with Coach Dungy for at least eight years.

So, he had been with him through the thick and through the thin and he knows what works and what doesn’t work. He understands that your faith and your belief in god has to be the backbone or you won’t be successful.

I think he will be able to continue to use those principles and those values as the foundation for his team.

To answer your second question, all these coaching changes really does nothing for us because offensively nothing changes. As long as Peyton Manning is the quarterback, for the most part everything will be the same. Coach Caldwell is just going to have a few little wrinkles that he’ll implement within the whole system. For the most part, the coaching changes really don’t affect me as long as I know my assignments and I catch the ball.

I can’t really complain.

From someone who’s actually worked with Peyton Manning, you often hear receivers talk about how great it would be if “so and so” were throwing them the football. How would you describe your experiences working with Peyton and how is he different from other quarterbacks you have played with during your career?

Man you know what Ryan, I answered that question perfectly last time.

You absolutely did, I’m really sorry about that because you had it down-pat.

Peyton is the best of the best and whenever you have the best in front of you, you want to take as many notes as possible. People try to mimic the behaviors and the actions of that person to be successful. Whether it’s in football or business, people want to figure out how he got to that level of success.

So if you have the opportunity to work with him, you’re going to be picking his brain and asking questions, doing everything possible to try to at least get to half his level.

Considering everything that Peyton has done and accomplished, if I could only reach half of that I would become an extremely successful receiver in the NFL. So working with Peyton has been a lot of fun but you learn how to be a professional, you learn how to study, and you learn how to become the best. You try to just implement those strategies and those techniques, everything on the field and off the field.

 

Earlier today you talked to me about wanting to create a sense of change for yourself this season. So, can you tell us the story about changing your jersey number and how that change might reflect your level of determination this year?

Well, nothing against the number 83 per-se but the last couple years I’ve worn 83 and I’ve had a couple of injuries and a little surgery. 81 to me is just a way for me to get a fresh start, just kind of shed that old number and to start over fresh, brand new, to come to a situation where I can make a name for the number 81.

Brandon Stokley was number 83 and you see a lot of those 83 jerseys in the crowd. So hopefully one day there will be a lot of 81 jerseys because of my accomplishments and great play.

It’s just a time for me to start over fresh. I was number eight in high school and in college. Number 80 wasn’t available so I took 81. Eight times one is eight so however you want to look at it, it’s going to work out pretty good for me.

 

Last question Roy. What can we expect from the Indianapolis Colts in 2009?

You’re going to have a high-flying, explosive offense as always but I think you’re going to see a different focus. Last year we got off to a slow start but I don’t think the veterans or the guys on this team who will be working out this whole summer are going to let that happen this year.

We’re going to come out, we’re going to come out fast and we’re going to finish strong. Hopefully if the chips fall right we will be playing for another Super Bowl this year. The fans should expect great things from this team.

A lot of young guys are going to step up. There are going to be a lot of faces that people may or may not know but you can have faith in the fact that everybody that’s on the field is going to be able to get the job done.

 

Absolutely and I want to wish you the best of luck this year Roy. I can’t begin to thank you enough for doing this a second time.

No problem Ryan.

So speaking for myself as a fan, the Bleacher Report community, and the Indianapolis Colts community, thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us.

No problem man.

Well I wish you the best of luck this year Roy

Alright, take care.

 

And so brought a close to my interview with Indianapolis Colts’ wide receiver Roy Hall.

After having had the opportunity to speak to Roy one on one, his character was the first things that impressed me. This is a man who was willing to take some of his personal time so myself and fellow Colts fans could have an idea of what has been going on in his life.

In a day and age when many professional athletes are caught up in the excitement of just having made it to the NFL,  I found it refreshing to speak to a man like Roy who was more than willing to share his enthusiasm with the Colts community and keep us up to date in regarding what’s to come in 2009.

The Indianapolis Colts organization are often applauded for drafting men of great character and Roy Hall is a perfect example of what makes the Indianapolis Colts such a special football team.

On behalf of myself, the Colts community, and the Bleacher Report Community, I would like to again thank Roy Hall for having taken the time to do this interview.

Let’s hope that fellow sports writers and athletes alike continue to have a mutual interest in being able to do these kinds of interviews because the possibilities are endless when you combine aspiring sports writing with the enthusiasm that these sports figures bring to the table.

Thank you all for having taken the time to read this article. 

Note to the editor: Please do not edit any part of this article. Since this was an interview, it is absolutely essential that no words are changed or taken out of context. Please leave the article as it is but feel free to drop a note on my bulletin board if you have any comments or suggestions. Thank You.

CBS: What I Would Ask Ed Reed

1. You are considered one of the best ballhawks in football, how were you able to develop such playmaking skill aside from flat out talent?

2. How would you describe your relationship with Ray Lewis?

3. As Ray has gotten older and you’ve honed your skills, have you taken over some of the defensive leadership from him?

4. What was your reaction when you were drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2002?

5. What would it mean to you if you went down in NFL history as the best safety ever?

6. When you set the NFL record for yardage on a return, were you thinking touchdown the whole time, or did the field just open up where you could make a play?

7. You’ve already won the Defensive Player of the Year and come close to a Super Bowl ring, so would you rather be a Hall of Famer or win a Super Bowl ring?

8. How would a Super Bowl ring compare to the National Championship ring you helped the University of Miami win in 2001?

9. What will life be like for Ed Reed after football?

10. What is your favorite part of doing charity work?

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