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Longest of longshots Undrafted rookie receiver makes a name for himselfPosted: Thursday August 01, 2002 11:41 AM
This is the eighth in a series of postcards Sports Illustrated's Peter King will e-mail from his annual NFL training camp tour. Wednesday, July 31 Team: Cleveland Browns
2. I think I saw one of the great locker-room pranks after practice. Couch turned 25 today, and he was in the process of doing a TV interview with a Columbus guy when tight end Aaron Shea and Johnson approached in a sneaky way from either side of him. SPLAT!!! Both whammed him in the face with shaving cream pies. "Gotcha Coucheee!" screamed Johnson. "Lova ya, dawg!" Couch, through gritted teeth, acknowledged that he'd been had. "Thanks, KJ -- my former go-to receiver," he said. 3. I think, not to jump on a guy when he's out of the organization, but anyone who can stick up for Dwight Clark after seeing the base of talent still on hand from his two years overseeing the draft and personnel is nuts. Clark chose 60 players, 24 in the two drafts and 36 in the expansion draft. Two of the 60, Couch and Courtney Brown, were first overall picks in the college draft. There's not a single great player among all the others. That has really slowed the Browns' progress as much as anything. I don't know whether to be a believer yet in Butch Davis' right-hand man, soon-to-be personnel czar Pete Garcia, but he sure does work hard. 4. I think Quincy Morgan, the second-round wideout from last year's draft, looks like a star in the making. Great hands and very nice speed. He's developing a good rapport with Couch and should surpass Johnson as Couch's go-to guy at some point early this season.
5. I think Tre' Johnson, he of the perennial knee problems, looks as if he'll be healthy enough to start the season at guard. I make no promises about durability, though.
They're not Cubans, mind you. But these Dominican Cohibas are still darned good cigars, at about $13 a pop.
I saw him make a few plays on tape and asked Butch Davis: "Who is that guy?" "Frisman Jackson," said Davis. "And he's got a chance." Jackson is 6-foot-3, 205 pounds with legs like slim trees. He's built to take punishment and runs a 4.47 40-yard dash. Excellent hands. OK route-runner. He has a very good chance to make this team, either the real roster -- if Davis thinks he can do more things than a Dennis Northcutt, who is decidedly on the bubble here -- or the practice squad. But this guy will play in the NFL someday, for someone. Guaranteed. The other day in practice, offensive coordinator Bruce Arians sent Jackson on a reverse. He took the pitch, ran toward right end, stopped and let loose a 60-yard bomb right on target to promising rookie Andre Davis. "I think I turned the heads of everyone with that throw," Jackson said. Jackson played quarterback at Western Illinois, Bryan Cox's alma mater, as a junior, then was switched to wideout for his senior year. He caught 55 balls for 1,047 yards. He thought he'd be drafted, as do about 1,000 college seniors at the Western Illinoises of the world, but he wasn't, and signed with the Browns for the opportunity to make a team. He has it. We talked football, sitting out behind the Browns' facility late this afternoon. "I've been dreaming about this chance since I was a little kid," he said. "I was still dreaming about it last year in college. I remember being Tim Couch on the John Madden game. I knew if I got the chance I could prove I belong." Then the talk turned to ... "I have to ask you about your name," I said. "It came to my mother in a dream when she was pregnant with me," he said. "Frisman. I don't know what it means. She just had to name me that after she had the dream. When I was young, I hated it. I couldn't wait to change my name. Kids called me, 'Frisbee,' 'Frischman.' They mocked me. But now I like it. I'm going to keep it." Davis surprised the team by giving them the night off after a great practice. I asked the Friz-man if he was going out with the boys to blow off some camp steam. "No," he said. "Staying in. Studying the playbook. I haven't gotten to the point where I can relax yet. I'm all business."
Check back soon for more of Peter King's Postcards from Camp. Or visit the archive to catch up. |
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