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Getting a rush
Rams DE Little finally playing up to expectations
Posted: Thursday January 31, 2002 10:22 AM
By B. Duane Cross, CNNSI.com
The name is a misnomer. There's nothing "Little" about the way Leonard plays.
After appearing in 26 of 48 games during his first three seasons with the St. Louis Rams, Little blossomed in 2001. A fourth-year linebacker-turned-defensive end, he stepped into the starting lineup after Kevin Carter was shipped to the Tennessee Titans. Little responded with 14 1/2 sacks, behind only Michael Strahan (22 1/2) and Peter Boulware (15).
Little is described in the Rams media guide as a "versatile athlete who has lightning-quick sideline-to-sideline range." Who knew? After three seasons, his stat ledger read 18 tackles and six sacks. Not exactly eye-popping numbers for a former All-America first team selection.
''When Kevin was traded I knew there would be an opportunity for me this season and I had to take advantage of it,'' Little said. ''I knew I'd play a more prominent role if he left. I'm one of the smallest defensive ends in the league. Me and Jevon Kearse and John Abraham. But we got speed.''
That speed -- which the Rams' revamped defense (to say nothing of the offense) has an abundance of -- will be an obstacle the New England Patriots will have to overcome Sunday.
Drafted in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft, Little's breakout season couldn't have come at a better time; he's a free agent after the season.
''He now understands with the speed he has how effective he can be chasing down plays from behind,'' Rams defensive line coach Bill Kollar said. ''He made an awful lot of plays from behind.
''You see a pass 10 or 15 yards down the field and then you see No. 91 coming into the picture. I'm very excited about what he was able to do this season. He's becoming a force as a pass rusher that we hoped he would.''
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First born
Patriots P Ken Walter arrived in New Orleans on Tuesday night after his wife had given birth to their first child, an 8-pound, 1-ounce boy. "To kiss him and my wife goodbye was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," he said.
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Turf guru
George Toma -- informally known as the "Marquis de Sod" -- has worked to make 36 Super Bowls worth of football fields into playable surfaces. Yes, even the domed artificial turf sites need TLC.
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Where art thou?
Patriots defensive coordinator is named Romeo Crennel. Why "Romeo"? His dad, a veteran Army man, had been to Paris, "and he likes poetry a little bit. He came back, I arrived, and therefore you got Romeo."
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Selling points
Rams RB Marshall Faulk and CB Aeneas Williams both sold popcorn in the Superdome as teenagers. Rodney Parker, who worked as a vendor at Tulane Stadium for Super Bowls IV and VI, played for Philadelphia in Super Bowl XV.
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Flag -- J-Lo
At the last minute, super diva Jennifer Lopez has inquired about joining the bill for CBS' Friday night show with Sting and No Doubt. Her stipulation: She would need 35 rooms for her entourage. No room in the inns, ma'am.
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Flattery -- Bill Belichick
What? You expected Drew Bledsoe? Belichick and the Patriots coaching staff did the right thing in taking their time before naming a starting QB. Tom Brady deserves this time in the spotlight.
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Flag -- Boys from Dublin
We offer this knowing it will ruffle the feathers of SI's Don Banks, but ... after its big news conference Wednesday, U2 settled in at Galatoire's for a seafood lunch. They tipped 18 percent. Even Banks tips better than that.
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Flattery -- U2 II
Question: "Are you guys going to really sing or are you going to lip synch?" Answer: "Call us old-fashioned," lead singer Bono said, but the band is going to play live. "It might catch on with the kids," he added.
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The Times-Picayune reports team owners have made millions of dollars by offering Super Bowl tickets -- once reserved for fans -- as the centerpiece of sponsorship deals with companies that then funnel the tickets to brokers ...
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... The probe reveals Super Bowl XXXVI tickets -- with a face value of $400 -- routinely start in the hands of owners and end up in the control of brokers, with an ultimate price tag of $1,400 to $6,000 each. (Complete story, click here.)
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Rams special team coach Bobby April played prep football with former Denver QB Norris Weese at Chalmette High. CHS lost to Woodlawn of Shreveport, led by former Buffalo QB Joe Ferguson, in the 1968 state semifinals.
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HBO's Inside the NFL was taped Wednesday at Jackson Square. It airs at 8 p.m. EST Thursday. Len Dawson, host for 24 of its 25 seasons, is joined by Nick Buoniconti, Cris Collinsworth, Jerry Glanville and Dan Marino.
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"The Rams are sexy, a knockout, someone like Anna Kournikova. She's the one you'd like to sit in a hot tub with."
-- Patrick Holloran, co-operator of McGurk's Saloon in New Orleans
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There are still three days remaining until kickoff. No matter the rationale, playing the Super Bowl the week after the conference championships makes more sense than that dreaded two-week layoff between games. Especially when the game is played in New Orleans. Just how many times can people call it "The Big Easy," or inflect "N'Awlins"? Ever heard a Louisiana native call it "The Big Easy"? Didn't think so.
Newspaper reports were used to compile this feature.
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