Madison Commencement
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November 2008
Browns make roster moves
The Cleveland Browns have signed LB Titus Brown from the practice squad to the active roster, the club announced today. The team also signed QB Richard Bartel to the practice squad and waived WR Steve Sanders from the active roster.
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Brown is a rookie out of Mississippi State and has spent the first 12 weeks of the regular season on the team’s practice squad.
Bartel (6-3, 233) spent the entire 2007 season on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. After leaving SMU, Bartel had a brief baseball career in the Cincinnati Reds system. He returned to school and finished his collegiate career at Tarleton State.
TweetRams to sign former Ohio State LB Larry Grant
The 2-9 St. Louis Rams are looking to bolster its linebacking corp and are expected to sign former Ohio State LB Larry Grant to their 53-man roster later today. Grant was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2008 draft and placed on the team’s practice squad.
The 6-foot-1, 235-pound Grant is a versatile linebacker who took reps at all three linebacker positions while playing at Ohio State. He is likely to see some action on special-teams when the Rams take on the Miami Dolphins at home on Sunday.
TweetBengals’ Chad Johnson has a thing for Philly
Before the NFL trade deadline hit Oct. 14, there was talk of the Philadelphia Eagles being in the market to trade for a big-name receiver and Cincinnati Bengals Chad Johnson was believed to be on the list of potential prospects.
There was much speculation that Johnson might be on the trade block after repeated demands to be traded earlier in the year. The trade deadline came and went and Johnson remains with the 1-8 Bengals.
As the story goes, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was the voice of reason for Johnson during the turbulent times.
“I blew his (McNabb) phone up,” Johnson said Wednesday during a conference call with Philadelphia media. “Donovan was a big influence. (He) really is one of the reasons why I really turned myself around and looked at my situation as more of a positive outlook and just thinking about all the people that would love to play this game, you know?
“He took me in that direction, instead of thinking about, ‘Oh, I’m tired of losing and I don’t want to be here anymore,’ but just thinking about, ‘Man, a lot of people wish they were in your shoes just to have the ability to play in the NFL.’ That kind of turned me around, and that’s why I’ve been as positive as I have been this year, and even though we’re losing, man, I’ve just been plugging away.”
So did the Eagles have any interest in trading for the flamboyant receiver?
During head coach Andy Reid’s press conference Wednesday he put the kibosh on whether the Eagles ever entertained the idea of acquiring Johnson this season.
“He wasn’t free,” Reid said. “I mean, that’s the thing, and I respect (Bengals head coach) Marvin (Lewis) and the league way too much to ever get into something like that. He was always a Cincinnati Bengal.
“Now, I will say this, he is a heck of a football player, as is (WR T.J.) Houshmandzadeh and a couple of their other wide receivers.”
Johnson is under contract with the Bengals through 2011, but has openly expressed interest to playing in the Illadel.
“I’ve always been a fan of (McNabb), and especially Philly,” Johnson said. “The fans in Philly are the real deal, and that would be a real joy to give them a treat.”
When asked if he was back to saying he wanted to get traded, Chad couldn’t help himself.
“Oh, yeah,” Johnson said. “OK. Next question.”
Could Chad one day Fly Like a Eagle?
TweetBengals QB Fitzpatrick takes time out for kids
Cincinnati Bengals starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is among 34 players participating in “NFL Take a Player to School” presented by JCPenney Afterschool, and on Tuesday, November 11, I witnessed as he helped make one child’s dream come true.
Fitzpatrick took time out of his busy schedule to visit Elda Elementary in Hamilton, Ohio and 1st grade student Charlie Purdy, who was the contest winner, and his classmates.
Fitzpatrick picked up Purdy from his home Tuesday morning and brought him to school in a shiny black stretch limo. The look on the 6-year old Purdy’s face was priceless as he stepped out of the limo and entered the front doors of Elda Elementary school to the roaring cheers and applause of classmates for him and his new best friend Fitzpatrick.
During the visit, Fitzpatrick spoke to the students about the importance of good health and led them in fitness activities, as part of NFL’s PLAY 60 campaign, helping youngsters get 60 minutes of exercise a day.
This will be a day that Purdy and his classmates will never forget as the NFL quarterback exercised and played with them like he was a kid himself. With a young child of his own and one on the way, it was blatantly clear that Fitzpatrick was enjoying himself just as much as the kids enjoyed having him at their school.
Fitzpatrick did a terrific job making all the kids feel like they were winners.
As for Charlie, he will be forever left with the memory of playing catch in the front yard of his home with an NFL quarterback.
Watch video of Charlie’s big day…
TweetBrowns sign Fry to practice squad
The Cleveland Browns announced today that the team has signed OL Dustin Fry to the practice squad. The 6-foot-3, 326-pound Fry was originally a fifth-round draft choice by St. Louis in the 2007 NFL Draft. Fry played in four games last season for the Rams and spent the remainder of the season on their practice squad. Fry also spent the first eight weeks of the 2008 campaign on the Rams practice squad before being waived on Oct. 28, 2008.
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