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September 24, 2000 No thumbs-up yet for Jones
As far as the thumb is concerned, each week Jones' thumb has been in a cast during practices. The cast is then removed for games. The only noticeable limitations it has caused has been to keep him from returning punts because of the worry of a fumble. "It's been pretty painful,'' Jones said of the injury. "It was all right until the Michigan State game (Sept. 23), then I got hit on it again. It's something that isn't going to fully heal until after the season. "I constantly have to keep two hands on the ball now. It's real annoying. I keep the ball in my left hand now. I guess my left hand has gotten pretty good. It's just something I have to live with. It will work out all right.'' Johnson scrambles You could call it a career extension, and Anthony Johnson was quick to make the most of it. Out of a job since being released by Carolina on Aug. 27, Johnson signed with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 19 and was quickly put to use by Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin. "I had a lot to learn in a few days,'' said Johnson, a former Notre Dame and South Bend Adams High School player. Johnson apparently is a quick learner, because he was on the field for probably half of Jacksonville's offensive plays in a 43-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 25. He carried the ball twice for four yards and caught a couple of passes for six yards -- nothing like the numbers he has piled up in the past, but still a start. "I'd like to have that last run back,'' said Johnson, who appeared close to breaking loose for a long gain. Johnson was also the intended receiver when pass interference was called against the Colts' Jason Belser, a play that set up the Jaguars' first touchdown. "I didn't know if they were going to call that,'' added Johnson, who had amassed 2,854 rushing yards over his 11-year NFL career through Sept. 25. He made his debut in 1990 with the Colts and played for them for four years. He then spent 1994 with the Jets, split 1995 between the Bears and Carolina, and played the last four seasons with Carolina. Johnson's best season was in 1996, when he gained 1,120 yards on 300 carries for Carolina. He had six 100-yard games, including a personal high of 126 against the Rams. His 1,312 yards from scrimmage represented a club record. He originally was a second-round draft choice by the Colts in 1990. Now in his 11th season and approaching his 34th birthday this month, Johnson knows he may not have many seasons left. "I'll let the Lord show me when the time comes for me to quit. In the meantime, I'll keep on fighting,'' Johnson noted. Charlotte is now home for Johnson, wife Shelley and their five children. "We get to South Bend once or twice a season to see relatives," Johnson said. "I'm not going to pull up my roots in Charlotte just yet. We'll wait and see what happens.'' At Notre Dame Johnson finished his career with 1,512 yards rushing and 32 touchdowns, and added 376 yards receiving with two touchdowns. At Adams High School in South Bend, he won all-conference honors as a fullback, linebacker and kicker. As a senior, he gained 1,053 yards, made 104 tackles and kicked eight field goals. Looking good With a Saturday off, Davie had time to watch a lot of football. One of the teams that impressed him was Northwestern, which was led by former Irish quarterback Zak Kustok. The Wildcats pulled off a stunning 37-17 win over Michigan State on Sept. 30. After a freshman year of inactivity behind Ron Powlus, Kustok left Notre Dame early in the 1998 season and landed at Northwestern. "It's no secret, we thought he was a good player,'' Davie said of Kustok. "That's why we recruited him and that's why we tried to get him to play. Bigger than all that, I'm happy for him. I think he found a place where he's obviously comfortable. He's having success.'' Davie said he was also pleased to see another former Notre Dame player, offensive lineman Jeff Roehl, doing well with the Wildcats. No cyber-coach When a guy faces as much pressure as Davie does on a daily basis, he's not going to spend any time surfing the Internet, wondering what people are thinking about him. Davie labeled fan "chat rooms'' as "ridiculous'' and has made an effort not to concern himself about anything that's said. He did laugh when he was told this summer that it was "reported'' he still had close ties in Texas. "One of the (reports) was that I have a ranch that I own in Texas and that I was on my way (to coach) the new Houston Texans (NFL) team,'' Davie said, adding that his wife was interested in that alleged acquisition. "Joanne and I are still trying to find that property we own. It's just crazy.'' Birthday wish While the Irish had an open date Sept. 30, Davie celebrated his 46th birthday. After a day of watching football and having dinner with his family, Davie said his team's recent quarterback problems were far from his mind when he made his birthday wish and blew out the candles on his cake. "There's a big picture,'' Davie said. "In what I do, there's always going to be those kinds of issues. If I wished for anything, it wasn't going to be that. It would be on a much bigger scale than all that -- you know, involving a lot of things, starting with my family.'' Major change Jeff Faine, the 6-foot-3, 292-pound sophomore center from Sanford, Fla., has had to adjust to having to learn how to study, after a high school career where it came so easily. Coming in as an engineering major, Faine's discovery of the intense curriculum convinced him to go another direction -- in the College of Arts and Letters, probably toward economics. After getting through high school with minimal studying, his first test at Notre Dame brought home the realization that review sessions and tutors were in place for a reason. "I wish every freshman knew it was going to be as tough as it is," Faine said. "You're going to be away from home, you don't know anybody, you don't know who's your friend or who's your enemy. It's a rough deal. In the end, you find out everybody's your friend. Everybody's here to support everybody.'' Ridder back Former Notre Dame offensive lineman Tim Ridder was re-signed to the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad Oct. 3 after being waived by the team on Sept. 5. Ridder originally signed a free-agent contract with the Colts on April 22 of 1999. He spent 15 weeks on the practice squad during the '99 season and didn't see game action. Ridder had been waived and resigned by the Colts on two other occasions. The Omaha, Neb., product was a three-year starter for the Irish at offensive guard. Ridder joins former Irish players Hunter Smith and Jeff Burris in Indianapolis. |
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