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2C >0 SPORTS/^^e Cl^aTtotte $ofiit Thursday, August 17,2006 Williams filling in Continued from page 1C experience with the Panthers. Playing behind starter DeShaun Foster, Winiams has been practicing with the third, fourth and even fifth teams as he adjusts to the speed of the NFL, “The holes open and close up fast and everybody is fast,” Williams said. “I knew in the Senior Bowl and in college everyone could ram, but these are the best playa^ in the world, on one field.” Fox isn’t concerned with Williams’ learning curve because the plan has always been to bring him along slow- ly ‘There are a lot of skills to . the position, it’s not jiast run ning the ball,” Fox said.. ‘You have to understand protec tions, you have to block when called upon. There is a lot of coaching going on.” StUl, Williams has shown flashes of why the Panthers expect him to eventually com pete for the top nmning bade job. He was given a five-year contract — it could earn him up to $9 million - and the time to grow into the position. “Even though it’s only been a few days, you can see he knows how to run the foot ball,” quarterback Jake Delhonime said. “He sets up blocks and he goes downhill.” As part of the rookie hazing process, Williams twice had to carry Foster’s helmet and shoulder pads inside after practice. Still, he’s soaking in Foster’s insist. “DeShaim has helped me read defenses and read cer tain lanes and how to pick up if defenses are blitzing or bluffing,” he said. “In mini- camp, guys were flying around, but we didn’t have pads and theie wasn’t much banging. I know IT get used to it in a couple of days, I don’t have a choice.” Since Williams will be bat tling for playing time, he wants to get on the field any way he can and has been bug ging special teams coach Danny Crossman to let him return kickoffs. “Every time I pass the spe cial teams coach I say, ‘When are we doing Idckoflf returns, coach?’ I bet he’s probably tired of hearing that,” Williams said, Havir^ failed to master his ill-placed dorm TV, Williams is looking for other ways to flu the time between prac tices. “I gave up. I got an iPod and a radio,” Williams said, “I don’t even bother trying to watch that TV You need a pair of binoculars to see it.” MEAC out for redemption Continued from page 1C wild card. The Rattlers were just over .500 at 6-5, but went 5-3 in league play under first- year coach Rubin Carter. With a year’s sea soning and the opportunity to I’ecruit, FAMU may be ready to reclaim its spot as one of the conference’s best programs.. Bethune-Cookman may have as much tal ent as anyone in the MEAC, but haven’t been able to harness enough to make a run at the title. The Wildcats, like the rest of the league, have to figure out the Hampton-S.C. State axis to ready go anywhere. After several years of futility, Norfolk State can finally see some h^t, at least to the mid- Dix’s challenge: Score on defense Continued from page 1C interceptions.” Dix’s growth as a defender also benefits the offense, Richardson said. His work against receivers forces them to run precise routes and quarterbacks to get the baU. to them quickly becaiase of Dix’s recovery speed. “He’s made me better just by the way he plays,” Richardson said. “He’s just a good coverage comer. You can just sit him out on an island aT by himself” Dix isn’t taking anything for granted. With the defense switching to a 3-4 scheme, responsibilities and roles are changing. There’s also more depth, which Case of mistaken former basketball By Eddie Pelis THf ASSOCIATED PRESS Eddie Johnson is stiH getting over what he caTs the worst day of his fife. He scratched his way out of the Cahiini- Green housing project in Chicago, fashioned a long and successful NBA career, turned that into an opportunity on TV and bofilt a reputa tion as an all-around good guy who loves to work with kids. His worst scrape with the law involved a couple of traffic tickets. Now he’s dealing with a case of mistaken identity that shocked him and his friends and, he feai’s, may have per manently sullied his reputation. “Devastatii^. Hard to explain ” Johnson said Thursday Eddie Johnson was mistaken in some media reports for anoth^ Eddie Johnson - a retired 10-year NBA player fix)m Florida who was arrested last week and charged with sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl. The Eddie Johnson who had nothing to do with that hideoxxs accusation is a former Illinois star who went on to a 17-year career with the Kings, Suns, Rockets and other teams. But when some media reports about the afleged crime included his bio information and file photo finked on the Internet, his phone started ringing- “The thing that disappointed me the most is some people were overzealous enough to Save on gas!^. Vacation “at home” in Nwth Carolina From Manteo to Murphy, from Calabash to High Hampton, scores of fascinating places to go, things to study, do an^- see...all within an easy one-day drive, or less, ‘'' For free indention about specific resorts, attractions or destinatiMsxontact the N.C. Department of Tourism g ' "T" ■ . 1-800-VISfT NC www.visitnc.com Krzyewski dislikes ‘Dream Team’ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HOkG KONG - U.S, national basketball team coach Mike Krzyzewski doesn’t like his squad beir^ labeled a “dream team.” The term “dream team” surfaced when a first-ever U.S. basketball squad with NBA players, incliiding standouts like Michael Jordan and Earvin “Magic” Johnson, domi nated the competition at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Krzyzewski’s team, which will be playing in the world championships in Japan tiiat start Saturday has been dubbed “Dream Tfeam Vn” — tile sevaitii incarnation of an U.S. bas- ketbaU team with an NBA fineup. Asked how the current squad stacks up against the original “dream team,” Krzyzewski said, “We don’t caT this a ‘dream team.’ We caT this a national team.” Krzyzewski and star player LeBron James were atteaiding a promotional event in Hong die of the pack. The Spartans improved to 4-7 last year and are primed to do better with tight end Jonathan ATen and comerback Daniel Hammett leading the offense and defense, respectively Even bottom-feeders have to chase some thing- N.C. A&T, once a marquee program, is regrouping imder first-year coach Lee Fobbs. The former Grambling State star and Tfexas A&M running backs coach has overhauled everything with the departure of 21 saiiors, so the Aggies aren’t expected to be world-beat ers. Morgan State slipped badly last year, and needs to reboiuid, as does Howard. Their incentive is avoiding the basement. forces everyone to compete. “I work hard every day because I know the people behind me are just as talait- ed as I am, so that motivates me to work hard and we push each other to work hard,” he said. “If Tgo down, I know the person behind me can get the job done, too.” identity costly to star’s reputation think it was me and attack me with a ferocity I can’t comprehend,” Johnson said in a tele phone interview from his home in Phoenix. “That’s the part that didn’t allow me to sleep last night- That’s the part that forced me to reach out to as many people as I could and say “Shame on you, that’s not me.’” Edward Amet Johnson is 6-fbot-8, does color commentary on Suns telecasts during the season, gives motivational speeches and runs basketball clinics for youngsters. He has a D’ye that teaches kids how to shoot the jumper. He retired fium the NBA in 1999 and is 47. “He caTed me reafly upset about it,” said Charles Barkley, a former teammate of Johnson’s, who wanted to help him set the record straight, “It’s a tough situation. He was on vacation in Hawaii. He gets back and the first thing he knows, he’s dealing with this. And he’s such a good dude. It’s an unfortunate situation.” Edward “Fast Eddie” Johnson, Jr. - the one beir^ held in a Florida jaT on sexual battery and bursary charts — is a 6-foot-2, two-time NBA AU-Star who played most of his career in Atlanta. An Aoibum alum, he retired in 1987 and is 51, ‘T feel bad for Eddie Johnson of Phoenix and I feel really badly for Eddie Johnson of Auburn, becaoise he never got his fife togeth er,” Barkley said. Kong after playing warmup games against China and Brazil in the neighboring Chinese city of Guangzhou. “The first ‘dream team’ was a collection of aT-stars fix*m different ages. This is reaTy a national team that has young guys,” Krzyzewski said, adding that there are role players who aren’t necessarily big stars on the roster. “It’s a di£fe*ent concept fiom a ‘dream team.’ It’s a developing team,” he said. Other than James, the U.S. lineup also includes Carmelo Anthony Dwight Howard, Dwayne Wade, Gilbert Araias, Brad Miller and Elton Brand, U.S. domination in international basketball has waned since its convincing gold medal performance in Barcelona. Most recently, the Americans only collected bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics. 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The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Aug. 17, 2006, edition 1
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