THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 5, 1995 TAG: 9511050217
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: JIM DUCIBELLA
LENGTH: Long : 115 lines
Rating the top 10 rookies from the Class of 1995:
1. Ruben Brown, guard, Bills: Arguably the best rookie in the league, the first to start for the Bills since Thurman Thomas in 1988. Critics thought the Bills should have used a first-rounder on a receiver; Brown is proving management was correct.
2. Terrell Davis, running back, Broncos: Since sixth-rounder Davis has emerged, Broncos coach Mike Shanahan has released Rod Bernstine and buried Glyn Milburn on the bench.
3. Joey Galloway, receiver, Seahawks: The Seahawks' established running star is Chris Warren. The established passing star is Rick Mirer. The established receiving star is Brian Blades. Galloway has been better than any of them.
4. Michael Westbrook, receiver, Redskins: The comparisons have come in waves. First, Westbrook was considered to be a Michael Irvin clone, until defenses better gauged his speed. Then, adding reverses and acrobatics to his act, he was elevated to a Jerry Rice clone. Injured now, Westbrook may someday be one of the standards of comparison himself.
5. Kevin Carter, defensive end, Rams: Carter teams with Sean Gilbert and Jimmie Jones to give St. Louis one of the great young defensive lines in the game.
6. Hugh Douglas, defensive end, Jets: Critics said Douglas was simply too short to be an effective down lineman. But he's emerging as a leader of a front seven that, if allowed time to develop, might provide New York with something to be proud of.
7. Warren Sapp, defensive tackle, Buccaneers: Hounded by substance-abuse allegations during the draft, he slid to the Bucs, who are so impressed with his athleticism they've used him as a goal-line fullback.
8. Rashaan Salaam, running back, Bears: Salaam, who took a little time to develop into a Heisman Trophy winner at Colorado, has taken far less time to develop into a productive pro. The 21st player taken in the NFL draft has benefited from the coaching of Dave Wannstedt and the subtle tutoring of none other than Walter Payton, the NFL's all-time rushing leader.
9. Curtis Martin, running back, Patriots: A third-rounder whom Bill Parcells has mockingly labeled a ``one-game wonder,'' Martin has been very productive between the 20s. Tougher running near the goal line by the Pitt product and he'll be a nice long-term complement to Drew Bledsoe.
10. Wayne Chrebet, receiver, Jets: Learn to pronounce the name (it's kra-BET), because once the Jets become newsworthy, the undrafted Hofstra product will be in the headlines.
HUDDLING WITH . . . Lions running back Barry Sanders
Now that you've cracked the league's list of top-10 all-time rushers, is going to No. 1 a priority of yours?
I guess everyone would. But I don't know how realistic it is for me. That's a huge feat, and I don't necessarily expect to be No. 1, but I mean as far as a yes-or-no question, yeah, I'd love to be No. 1.
You were taken by surprise when you found out that you'd moved into the all-time top 10, true?
It's an honor. Things like that, I don't think you can plan on, especially from the onset. What happens is that you're really grateful and just appreciative that you're able to be in the company of really an elite group.
Unlike Jerry Rice, who hopes to retire with every major NFL record for pass catching, you haven't zeroed in on the rushing records. Why?
A lot of things. There's only one No. 1 obviously, and many, many people have played the game, and you could argue with better or worse abilities. A lot of things have to happen right for you to reach that huge number, so I don't think you can really set your sight on it.
As far as me, I think the thing I have to do is just to continue to play hard, down after down, and see how healthy I am. Take it one season at a time. I might not want to play that long; I don't know.
MIRED IN SEATTLE: Seahawks quarterback Rick Mirer doesn't know what happened.
He has thrown a league-high 14 interceptions in the first half of his third NFL season. Ten of those interceptions and a lost fumble for a touchdown have come during Seattle's four-game losing streak.
After losing his starting job to John Friesz last weekend in Sun Devil Stadium, Mirer came back in when Friesz was injured - and threw two interceptions in his first two passes against the Cardinals.
``Those interceptions were unexplainable,'' Mirer said. ``I just never, ever thought something like that would happen.''
Mirer admits his confidence has plummeted.
The second player picked in the 1993 NFL draft after New England's selection of Drew Bledsoe, Mirer can't explain his turnover-filled season. He has only six touchdown passes to go along with his career-worst interception total and a dismal 58.4 quarterback rating in his first year under Dennis Erickson.
In his second season under Tom Flores in 1994, he had 11 touchdown passes and seven interceptions.
``It seemed like last year I couldn't throw picks,'' Mirer said. ``Now it's catching up with me, and it's not very fun.''
BLUE DARTS: Three times this season, the Jets have had the ball with 26 or fewer seconds left in the first half and gave up a touchdown to their opponents before the break. . . . Until last week, the Steelers had 10 straight possessions inside their opponents' 20 without getting so much as a first down. . . . The Cardinals and Seahawks combined for 22 penalties and 11 turnovers last week, the same day that Cleveland had 188 yards in penalties - and won. . . . In half a season, there have been 17 overtime games, just two short of the record for a full season. There have been 52 defensive touchdowns (32 interceptions and 20 fumble returns), compared to 64 all of last year (45 interceptions and 19 fumble returns). . . . There have been 63 miscellaneous touchdowns - defense plus returns and blocked kicks. Last year, there were 97 for the entire season (the record is 109 in 1992). . . . At 5-4, the Bucs have a winning record after nine games for the first time since the strike-shortened 1982 season. . . . Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders, who made an appearance on David Letterman's television show Tuesday, said he was not amused when Letterman surprised Sanders by asking him to take a taste test involving Pepsi and Coca-Cola. Sanders, who recently signed a deal with Pepsi, correctly selected the soft drink that he markets after tasting two unmarked cans. . . . The Packers are negotiating a contract extension for tight end Mark Chmura, who has developed into a solid player. The Packers see Chmura, not Keith Jackson, as their tight end of the future. Chmura is making $435,000 in the second year of a two-year deal and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. by CNB