Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 316

C16 The Arizona Republic Sunday, January 14, 1996 Keyshawn Johnson's draft pick: Tm the best player in America' Nfl Notes here is no doubt in Southern California wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson's mind STEVE SCHOENFELD The Arizona Republic 1300 East Camelback Road 264-2332 or 1-800-500-8722 Slock 255521 ,254760, 254863. Vehicles may not be exactly as illustrated. We cannot be responsible tor errors in typography or photography. Price effective through Sunday, pending prior sale. CHRYSLER CORPORATION (Hlttlll nTHOUIH DODGf DOOM IIU(U Jtffe UUI Prksrnts: It didn't matter that Thomas signed a three-year, $5.8 million deal last March and had six sacks this past season.

The arrest was his second in six months for carrying a gun. Thomas' arrest was one week after defensive end James Thomas was arrested on domestic-abuse charges that led to a bigamy investigation. "I'm more than frustrated," Headrick said. "I'm disgusted." Corporate raider Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he signed all of the team's assistant coaches through the 1996 season with the knowledge that former Dallas Coach Jimmy Johnson could land a job and try to raid the Cowboys' staff. But Johnson, the new Miami Dolphins coach, still is expected to get some of his former assistants by giving them promotions.

Dallas special-teams coach Joe Avezzano likely will be the Dolphins' offensive line coach and defensive assistant Jim Eddy also could join Johnson. While Jones said he would try to stop the coaches from rejoining Johnson, Cowboys Coach Barry Switzer feels differently: "I don't want anybody around here who doesn't want to be around here, and that's how Jerry Jones feels, too." Also expect Johnson (o make a run at some of the six Cowboys starters who become free agents at the end of the season, including Pro Bowl safety Darren Woodson, who played at Arizona State and Maryvale High; cornerback Larry Brown; and defensive tackle Russell Maryland. Short shots Colts offensive coordinator Lindy Infante, formerly head coach of the Packers, is the favorite to get the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' coaching job now that the top two candidates, Jimmy Johnson and Steve, Spurrier, are out of the running. Had Coach Dan Reeves succeeded in his attempt to get the New York Giants to fire him, former Cardinals Coach Joe Bugel, now assistant head coach of the Oakland Raiders, would have replaced him. Cowboys defensive end Charles Haley is trying to become the first NFL player to win five Super Bowls.

Three of the four teams still in the playoffs have a former Bears quarterback on their roster Colts starter Jim Harbaugh and backup Paul Justin, Packers backup Jim McMahon and Steelers backup Mike Tomczak. who will be the first player chosen in April's NFL draft. "The New York Jets will draft me," he said. "They have the first pick and I'm the best player in America." He's modest, too. But Johnson backed up his boasts in college, catching 90 passes for 1,218 yards and six touchdowns this past season in being selected a unanimous All-American.

"I'm big and I'm fast," he said. "I catch the ball in traffic and can run after the catch. I want to go to the Jets. I want to turn them around. It'll be something, doing that in New York.

I'm not worried about going to a bad team because it won't be bad for long once I get there." He's not worried in the least about facing NFL secondaries. "One cornerback can't cover me," Johnson said. "Zones don't work. The only thing you can do is give me two or three defenders. But I'll still get my catches.

"I'm Keyshawn Johnson. And there's only one." Backs for the future The addition of six underclassmen makes running back the most-talented position in the draft. "It deepens the draft considerably," said Phoenix-based agent Gary Norton, former scout for the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "It could absolutely change the face of the draft. You can get a good back in the first two rounds." Michigan's Tim Biakabutuka, Texas Leeland McElroy and Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George of Ohio State could go in the top 10.

Biakabutuka and McElroy came out early. George is a senior. Underclassmen Lawrence Phillips of Nebraska, Karim Abdul-Jabbar of UCLA and Moe Williams of Kentucky also could get picked in the first round. The Cardinals, who pick third overall, have a shot at the best back in the draft if they choose not to take the top offensive lineman UCLA tackle Jonathan Ogden. Jacksonville, picking second after (he Jets, is expected to take Illinois linebacker Kevin Hardy.

Other underclassmen who will not last long in the draft are Ohio State wide receiver Terry Glenn and Auburn offensive tackle Willie Anderson. ZD years The World's Greatest Classic Car oi Automotive nistoiy 1971 1996 Auction Exposition Deep depression A Kansas City counseling center offered a program Friday night to help Chiefs fans get over the depression of last week's stunning loss to Indianapolis in the second round of the AFC playoffs. Business was brisk. Anyone in the Kansas City telephone directory listed as Lin Elliott or even L. Elliott had his own problems.

Several reported receiving anonymous calls in which they were cursed and threatened. Elliott missed three field-goal tries, including a 42-yard attempt in the final minute of the 10-7 loss. Some Chiefs players didn't help the situation. Linebacker Derrick Thomas said on teammate Neil Smith's radio show that if Elliott walked into the restaurant where the show originated, he would kick his rear. Beware of the curse Surely, this is one reason that the Colts are 1 1 -point underdogs today against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC title game.

Teams that beat Coach Marty Schottenheimer, now of the Chiefs and formerly of the Cleveland Browns, in the playoffs almost always lose the next week. Teams that beat Schottenheimer in the playoffs are 1-8 in their next game. The only team to beat Schottenheimer and win the next week was the 1991 Buffalo Bills, who beat Denver, 10-7, in the AFC championship game. Enough is enough Vikings President Roger Headrick didn't wait long to deal with the latest arrest of a player. Twelve hours after linebacker Broderick Thomas was arrested outside Houston for drunken driving and carrying a concealed weapon, Thomas was released Wednesday.

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