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Oakland Raiders take note of UD’s Shawn Johnson 9:22 a.m., Aug. 2, 2004--Shawn Johnson, a key defensive lineman on the University of Delaware’s 2003 NCAA Division I-AA national championship team, is getting a lot of attention in the Oakland Raiders training camp, according to an article in the Aug. 2 San Francisco Chronicle. The Raiders have had Johnson, an All-American and Atlantic 10 Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year, on the practice field for work on the defensive line and also at outside linebacker. Oakland Head Coach Norv Turner is impressed. “He's doing a lot of things with his quickness,” Turner told the Chronicle. “And then it's just the understanding of leverageyou're not going to run around many guys in this league. But he's got some good initial quickness and pass rush ability.'' Johnson has been taking a good deal of hazing because he earned one of the highest scores on the Wunderlic mental acuity test administered during a National Football League combine, and he is often being called by that name. “When you're a rookie you have to expect some sort of hazing,” Johnson told the Chronicle. “I know my place, so I have no problem with it.” Johnson was a sixth round draft choice of the Raiders. He joins two other Fightin’ Blue Hens on the Oakland training camp roster, veteran quarterback Rich Gannon and running back Keith Burnell. UD quarterback Andy Hall, also an All-American and the Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year, also has picked up a nickname in the Philadelphia Eagles training camp, according to the Allentown (Pa.) Morning Call. Hall shares his first name with Head Coach Andy Reid and, to avoid confusion, is being called “Little Andy.” Hall was a sixth round draft choice and is working alongside starter Donovan McNabb and veteran backup quarterbacks Koy Detmer and Jeff Blake. Jamin Elliott, a UD wide receiver, is performing well in the Chicago Bears training camp, although he missed Sunday’s practice with a hamstring injury. The Chicago Tribune reports: “The other surprise has been Jamin Elliott, a player who looks intent on sticking with the Bears during his second tour on the team.” Elliott was drafted in the sixth round of the 2002 draft by the Bears then went to the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in 2003 before returning to Chicago this season. Other UD players in NFL training camps are Jason Nerys, an offensive lineman with the New York Jets, and Mike Adams, a defensive back with the San Francisco 49ers. In addition to the players, former Blue Hen Bob Slowik is in his first season as defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. To learn how to subscribe to UDaily, click here. |
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