THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 8, 1995 TAG: 9510080147
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: JIM DUCIBELLA
LENGTH: Long : 120 lines
When Chad Brown asked some of his Steelers teammates to pose with him for a calendar, no doubt the invitees were thinking about the revealing variety you used to see inside your friendly local garage . Or the kind of photo spread found in the Sports Illustrated or Inside Sports swimsuit issues.
What they got was National Geographic.
Brown, who began breeding and selling exotic reptile pets in college, posed 11 players and coach Bill Cowher next to some of the inventory from his exotic-pets store in Colorado. In the calendar, All-Pro linebacker Greg Lloyd hoists a 7-foot albino python. Brown is draped with a 12-foot Burmese python. Cowher, smiling, lets a 4 1/2-foot monitor lizard flick its long tongue at his face.
``I knew it wasn't poisonous,'' Cowher said. ``I just didn't like the thought of a lizard putting his tongue on my nose. I know the proceeds are going towards a good cause, but, at the same time, there's a limit.''
Lloyd, one of the fiercest players in the league and the man who made good on his vow to knock Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino ``into next week,'' wasn't nearly that nonchalant.
``I thought I would have to be sedated,'' he said.
The calendar will cost $14, with a portion of each sale benefiting the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, the Pittsburgh Aviary and Steelers Charities.
HUDDLING WITH . . . Jaguars safety Darren Carrington
You started 33 consecutive games for the Chargers, but the only one people remember is last year's Super Bowl against San Francisco. Then the Jaguars select you in the expansion draft. What was your attitude leaving San Diego for Jacksonville?
g2vine08 Darren Carrington The last time people had seen me out there was that game. A competitor always wants that one more chance at least, just give me a chance to redeem myself and show what I can do.
It's taken a long time for you to get that redemption. Until last week, you were third-string. What was going through your mind?
It was pretty tough. I mean, you sit back and say, `Man, last year I was starting in the Super Bowl and now I'm on the bench.' I kept asking myself was God was trying to teach me through this experience?
The thing you've really got to be careful of is not allowing your confidence to slip. You start saying to yourself, `Man, am I slipping? Maybe this is me.' But you've got to keep your confidence up, keep plugging and when that opportunity comes, make the best of it.
Well, you certainly did that against Houston. One interception. It set up a touchdown. Two fourth-quarter fumble recoveries. One set up a touchdown. Jags win their first game ever.
God kept putting me next to that ball.
That's it?
Yeah. Let's face it, I was the forgotten commodity. Yesterday's news. Now you want to talk to me. It's a strange business.
SAINTLY EXPLANATION: What's going on in New Orleans, where Jim Mora has gone from one of the league's solid, if not spectacular, coaches, to the man Saints fans would most like see terminated?
Actually, one big thing has contributed to New Orleans' 0-5 start: the illness and death of general manager Jim Finks.
g3vine08 Jim Mora That left the Saints with no leadership at the top. It's taken four people to do what Finks oversaw himself - Mora (overall), Bill Kuharich (personnel), Jim Miller (administration) and Greg Suit (promotions). All of them once worked together splendidly under Finks' direction. Now it appears they're pulling against each other and there's no one available to rein them in.
When Finks' cancer left him unable to work as hard as he wanted, Mora ended up taking on some of Finks' duties at the same time free agency and the salary cap came along. The other three men divided up the rest of the responsibilities. The result was indecision of the kind that cost the Saints kicker Morten Andersen, whom they assumed would take a salary cut because he had roots in New Orleans.
Instead, Andersen went to Atlanta, where he's helped the Falcons to a 4-1 start.
BLUE DARTS: The Giants need to go 10-1 in their final 11 games to reach Dan Reeves' stated goal of 11-5. And the Cowboys and Raiders loom on the schedule. game two weeks ago - 115 degrees on the field, seven Bucs needing IVs and several more Redskins throwing up on the sidelines - Bucs coach Sam Wyche has begun a crusade to ban 1 p.m. games in Tampa in September. Bucs trainers went through 175 gallons of water, 15 cases of Gatorade and 1,800 pounds of ice. . 14 interceptions in 169 attempts, or five more than Neil O'Donnell had in 370 attempts last season. Any wonder that O'Donnell, who has two titanium screws helping his still-broken pinky finger heal, is slated to start today against Jacksonville? . . . The 49ers have turned down the Rams' request to flip home dates. Rams officials aren't sure their new domed stadium will be ready by Oct. 22, the date of the first 49ers game, so it probably will be played at Busch Stadium. If the 49ers had agreed to the switch, they would have had consecutive road games against the Cowboys, Miami Dolphins and Rams. . . . In seven meetings, one a playoff game, Broncos quarterback John Elway has never lost to the Patriots. . . . Cowboys quarterback Wade Wilson is comfortable with his new lot in life, backing up Troy Aikman, as long as some Super Bowl jewelry comes with it: ``I know why I'm on this team. I'm here for when Troy gets hurt. I'd played 14 years in this league but teams are looking for younger starters now. I had to understand what position I'm in. Being from Texas was perfect and I'm glad I landed with Dallas. I'd like one of those things with diamonds all over it. . . . The Vikings enter today's game 9-0 before and after bye weeks since Dennis Green took over as coach in 1992, the only team to go unbeaten in those games during that time.
QUOTING: Steelers linebacker Greg Lloyd, who was fined $12,000 by the league for a preseason hit on Packers quarterback Brett Favre: ``They want it to be one of those games you can put on PBS and all the little kids can watch it and they can show it in the classroom. '' MEMO: Compiled from Virginian-Pilot wire-service reports. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Chad Brown, shown here draped with a
Burmese python, has put together a calendar that features him and
his teammates and coach posing with a variety of unusual reptiles.
Jim Mora
Darren Carrington
by CNB