83-Steelers-43
12-22-2006, 06:17 AM
Steelers Notebook: Rookie Colon to start for Starks Sunday
Friday, December 22, 2006
By Colin Dunlap, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Rookie offensive right tackle Willie Colon will not just dress for his first NFL game Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.
He'll go one better. He'll start.
He was named the starter by coach Bill Cowher yesterday.
Colon will play in place of Max Starks, who had knee surgery earlier in the week.
"Certainly, he is excited about the opportunity," Cowher said of Colon, a 6-foot-3, 315-pound Hofstra product from the Bronx, N.Y., who beat out second-year man Trai Essex for the starting job.
Cowher said if the Steelers reach the playoffs, Starks should be available.
"His surgery went well. Max is doing fine," Cowher said. "It was performed by Dr. [Jim] Bradley and Max got through it well."
Townsend, Keisel lauded
For the first time since its inception in 1988, voting on The Chief Award, named in memory of the Steelers' late founder Art Rooney and given annually to the member of the organization who best exemplifies the spirit of cooperation with the media, ended in a tie.
Cornerback Deshea Townsend and defensive end Brett Keisel were named co-winners.
The Chief Award, as is the case with the top rookie award, is voted on by members of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America.
Past Chief Award winners have included Jerome Bettis (1998,'00 and '04), Lee Flowers ('99 and '01), Merril Hoge ('90) and last season's winner, Alan Faneca.
"It is an honor to receive this award," Townsend said. "Especially because it is something named after Mr. Rooney."
Injury upgrades
Listed as questionable earlier in the week, strong safety Troy Polamalu (sprained MCL) and safety Mike Logan (hamstring) were upgraded to probable yesterday.
Polamalu was injured Nov. 26, the previous time the Steelers played Baltimore and Sunday would mark his return from a three-game absence.
Lewis, other Ravens snubbed
Steelers linebacker Joey Porter, who leads the Steelers with seven sacks, didn't display any contention with getting left off the Pro Bowl roster for the first time in the past three years.
"I didn't have the year I felt I could have," Porter said in yesterday's editions of the Post-Gazette.
Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis, known as one of the more vociferous players in the league, was also left off the Pro Bowl roster.
His reaction?
"I never played the game for Pro Bowls," Lewis told the Baltimore Sun on Wednesday.
"Is it sad the way it goes down? Of course. I was around when the voting was right. I was around when you used to vote for guys for what they did and not by whatever comes up."
Lewis' disdain for the voting system, which counts equal weight of votes cast by fans, coaches and players, didn't necessarily revolve around his own perceived or real snub, but that of his teammates, defensive end Trevor Pryce and linebacker Bart Scott.
"I told Bart, 'You can be hurt because you got robbed, but if that's on your mind, Miami can't be on your mind,' " Lewis told The Baltimore Sun, referring to this season's Super Bowl venue.
Pryce is tied for fifth in the NFL with 12 sacks and Scott is Baltimore's leading tackler with 93 stops.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06356/748186-66.stm
Friday, December 22, 2006
By Colin Dunlap, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Rookie offensive right tackle Willie Colon will not just dress for his first NFL game Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.
He'll go one better. He'll start.
He was named the starter by coach Bill Cowher yesterday.
Colon will play in place of Max Starks, who had knee surgery earlier in the week.
"Certainly, he is excited about the opportunity," Cowher said of Colon, a 6-foot-3, 315-pound Hofstra product from the Bronx, N.Y., who beat out second-year man Trai Essex for the starting job.
Cowher said if the Steelers reach the playoffs, Starks should be available.
"His surgery went well. Max is doing fine," Cowher said. "It was performed by Dr. [Jim] Bradley and Max got through it well."
Townsend, Keisel lauded
For the first time since its inception in 1988, voting on The Chief Award, named in memory of the Steelers' late founder Art Rooney and given annually to the member of the organization who best exemplifies the spirit of cooperation with the media, ended in a tie.
Cornerback Deshea Townsend and defensive end Brett Keisel were named co-winners.
The Chief Award, as is the case with the top rookie award, is voted on by members of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America.
Past Chief Award winners have included Jerome Bettis (1998,'00 and '04), Lee Flowers ('99 and '01), Merril Hoge ('90) and last season's winner, Alan Faneca.
"It is an honor to receive this award," Townsend said. "Especially because it is something named after Mr. Rooney."
Injury upgrades
Listed as questionable earlier in the week, strong safety Troy Polamalu (sprained MCL) and safety Mike Logan (hamstring) were upgraded to probable yesterday.
Polamalu was injured Nov. 26, the previous time the Steelers played Baltimore and Sunday would mark his return from a three-game absence.
Lewis, other Ravens snubbed
Steelers linebacker Joey Porter, who leads the Steelers with seven sacks, didn't display any contention with getting left off the Pro Bowl roster for the first time in the past three years.
"I didn't have the year I felt I could have," Porter said in yesterday's editions of the Post-Gazette.
Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis, known as one of the more vociferous players in the league, was also left off the Pro Bowl roster.
His reaction?
"I never played the game for Pro Bowls," Lewis told the Baltimore Sun on Wednesday.
"Is it sad the way it goes down? Of course. I was around when the voting was right. I was around when you used to vote for guys for what they did and not by whatever comes up."
Lewis' disdain for the voting system, which counts equal weight of votes cast by fans, coaches and players, didn't necessarily revolve around his own perceived or real snub, but that of his teammates, defensive end Trevor Pryce and linebacker Bart Scott.
"I told Bart, 'You can be hurt because you got robbed, but if that's on your mind, Miami can't be on your mind,' " Lewis told The Baltimore Sun, referring to this season's Super Bowl venue.
Pryce is tied for fifth in the NFL with 12 sacks and Scott is Baltimore's leading tackler with 93 stops.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06356/748186-66.stm