Bill Polian says Dallas Clark still important player

Ex-Colt GM sees Clark's upside

By Stephen F. Holder

August 7, 2012

Former Colts general manager Bill Polian, visiting Bucs camp Monday with Sirius NFL Radio, offered his sentiments while watching practice.

Polian is uniquely qualified to address free-agent signee TE Dallas Clark, who was a Colt until last season — also Polian's last with the team.

As he watched Clark, 33, have another good practice, Polian seemed convinced Clark could be an important asset if healthy.

"He's still as good a player as you can find," Polian said. "The Dallas Clark intangibles are off the charts. If you drew up a football player and said I want the guy to have a love for the game, great work ethic, smarts, cares about football and his teammates, tough — if you looked all of those up, his picture comes up. He's as good as it gets in that regard. And he is, and was, exceptionally talented. He's as talented as any receiving tight end as there's ever been in the league.

"The only question is his health."

It's a big question considering how much time Clark has missed in the past two seasons — 15 of 32 games — but Polian has a theory on why Clark looks so good.

"Maybe the fact that he had that layoff last year might actually be good for him," Polian said of Clark, who played six games in 2010. "The 100-catch season (in 2009) took a real toll. You don't catch 100 balls down the middle and not take a lot of hits. Hopefully he's back and feeling better and if he stays healthy, he's a great addition to the football team on and off the field. He's as good as it gets."

Polian also addressed coach Greg Schiano's heavy-handed approach.

"That's exactly what this team needed," Polian said. "This is a team that needs discipline. They have to cut out the penalties and the mistakes — all the things that don't help you win. He knows how to win and I don't doubt that he'll be successful."

TCU excited about Randy Shannon’s arrival

August 5, 2012

By Tim Griffin

FORT WORTH — TCU made a big national splash last month when former Miami coach Randy Shannon was hired as the Horned Frogs’ new linebackers coach.

TCU coach Gary Patterson said that Shannon has barely arrived at TCU after visiting with his daughter who is serving in the military in Europe. But he expects Shannon’s expertise to quickly impact the Horned Frogs.

“It’s unbelievable,” Patterson said. “Here’s a guy who turned down eight to 10 coordinator jobs in about every conference in college football.”

Shannon worked under Larry Coker at Miami, where he led helped lead two teams to national championship games and had three defenses that led the nation in total defense.

He later served as Miami’s head coach for four seasons before he was fired at the end of the 2010 regular season. He went 28-22 in four seasons as the Hurricanes’ head coach.

Patterson and Shannon have been friends for many years. He visited TCU twice on spring fact-finding visits since leaving Miami and also watched several of TCU’s bowl practices before the 2011 Rose Bowl.

“We coach a lot of the same kind of principles that he did,” Patterson said. “It’s the way we do our schemes.”

In a way, being able to attract Shannon to join Patterson’s coaching staff is an indicator of TCU’s growing influence in college football.

Several TCU defensive players said Sunday they can’t wait for his arrival.

”Talking to our linebackers, they are excited,” TCU sophomore strong safety Sam Carter said. “We know by him being at Miami and some of the players who came from there that he’s an amazing coach. We’re glad to have him here.”

Former TCU linebackers coach Tony Tademy resigned after spending seven seasons on Patterson’s staff to spend more time with his family. Tademy has taken an assistant coaching job at Duncanville High School.

Cardinals' Dave Zastudil sets Hall of Fame game record

From Darren Urban's article "Hall of Fame game aftermath"

August 5, 2012

It is way, way late – going on 2 a.m. local time – and I have to get up much too early to catch a plane to Missouri on our next stop of this magical mystery tour of the preseason. So this aftermath is going to be short and sweet (OK, let’s see if it really is once I finish):

Dave Zastudil had a great day punting in his home state, including a Hall of Fame game record 79-yarder.