The Baltimore Sun du lieu suivant : Baltimore, Maryland • Page D5

thursday10.02.2008 the baltimore sun 5 sports nfl Milt Davis knew how to read people on and off the football field. As an All-Pro defensive back for the Baltimore Colts, he outfoxed receivers, twice led the NFL in interceptions and helped the club win two world championships. As a pro scout, Davis judged prospects with the best. But it was his touch with everyday folks that will be remembered most, those who knew him said. you did your goodbyes with Milt on the phone, the last thing say was, said Ernie Accorsi, former Colts general manager.

Davis died Monday of brain cancer at his home in Elmira, Ore. He was 79. Born on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma and raised in a Jewish orphanage in California, Davis attended UCLA, shoveling coal to pay the bills. After an Army hitch, he played briefly with the Detroit Lions before joining the Colts in 1957. A 28-year-old rookie, led the league with 10 interceptions and was a mainstay on title teams in 1958 and 1959.

was a huge addition to our said Raymond Berry, the Hall of Fame wide receiver. was in that elite group of cornerbacks, with Night Train Lane and Green Bay Herb Adderley, who could both cover people and catch the ball. They were the ones receivers feared One of five blacks on the team, Davis became their spokesman and mentor, said Lenny Moore, the Hall of Fame running back. looked up to Pops because of his intelligence and the way he carried Moore said. had this way of stating the truth about race relations without changing his tone or offending anyone.

taught you to be cool and to not let things overrun you. He made you proud to be around Davis retired in 1960, earned his doctorate in education from UCLA and taught for 25 years at Los Angeles City College. On weekends, he scouted for the Colts and then three other clubs for 36 years. was an exceptional judge of said Accorsi, also the GM for the Cleveland Browns and the New York Giants before retiring in 2007. In his 37-year career, Accorsi said, Davis was one of or people who most influenced his scouting acumen.

1970, I stood with Milt on the sidelines at Colts camp, watching John Unitas Accorsi said. asked Milt, we win with reply is forever burned in mind: me tell you, Ernest, and never forget: You evaluate a quarterback solely by his ability to take a team downfield with a championship on the Thirty-eight years later, Eli Manning the oft-maligned quarterback Accorsi had picked to lead the Giants trotted out late in the Super Bowl and won it. words rang in my Accorsi said. But life was more than football. A professor of natural history, he treasured wildlife and raised sheep, cattle and llamas on his Oregon farm.

An avid ornithologist, he liked to swap bird calls with former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Chuck Noll when they met. remember having dinner with Milt in 1972, when he lived in the Hollywood Accorsi said. of a sudden, in the restaurant, he stood up and said, have to be home by 9 when the coyote Pardon? night at 9 the coyote comes to my window, looks in and Davis said. dim the lights, then he serenades me for three minutes and leaves. coyote counts on Accorsi understood.

never forgot his he said. obituary Colts grew with at their side Davis, on title teams, dead at 79; also noted scout BY MIKE KLINGAMAN mike.klingaman@baltsun.com Davis you did your goodbyes with Milt on the phone, the last thing say was, Ernie Accorsi, former Colts GM With a bloodshot left eye and bruised ribs, Ravens running back Willis McGahee has just one goal for game against the Tennessee Titans. this in print: I just want to finish a McGahee said. McGahee suited up for the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals but remained on the sideline because of a knee injury. In Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns, he was limited in the second half after suffering a laceration on his right eyelid and getting poked in his left eye.

On Monday night in Pittsburgh, he received a helmet to his ribs in the second quarter and carried the ball just once in the second half. McGahee said he considers himself with the rib injury. want to be out there for the first and second quarter and try to come back for the third and McGahee said. want to finish a complete game, walking off the field with just a bruise on my McGahee said he been unlucky. think something good is going to he said.

not one of those people going to get McGahee, however, was agitated when a local radio reporter told him of recent comments made by Suzy Kolber The ESPN sideline reporter speculated on the air Monday that the reason McGahee has been hurt so much is that he take part in many offseason workouts and is out of shape. never played a day in the McGahee said. would I listen to Three starters out The Ravens will be without three starters on defense: cornerback Samari Rolle (neck and shoulder), safety Dawan Landry (neck) and nose tackle Kelly Gregg All three were listed as out on the injury report. This will be the second straight game missed by Rolle and Landry. Gregg has missed the entire preseason and the first three games of the season because of a cartilage problem in his knee.

sending his MRI pictures to a couple other coach John Harbaugh said. a very unusual injury, from what told. responding somewhat. We just want to get another feel for what it is. We should know something this End zone Linebacker Bart Scott summed up the difference between the top two running backs fleet-footed rookie Chris Johnson and 235-pound power back LenDale White see: a fat guy and the fastest guy in the Scott said.

fat. sorry. Harbaugh said he definitely quarterback Troy Smith playing this season, but he define role. going to be on the field for us this year, in some form or fashion for Harbaugh said. The Ravens added two rookies, guard Nathan Bennett and wide receiver Edward Williams to the practice squad.

Williams was signed in April as an undrafted free agent by the Titans, opponent. The Ravens placed offensive tackle Joe Reitz on injured reserve and waived quarterback Casey Bramlet Sun reporter Edward Lee contributed to this article. ravens notebook Injuries pain McGahee just want to finish a banged-up running back says BY JAMISON HENSLEY jamison.hensley@baltsun.com Willis McGahee, day-to-day after getting hit in the ribs Monday, has been limited by injuries all season. SUN PHOTO: GENE SWEENEY JR. It might be just as important for psyche.

In 2000, Collins was a 28-year-old who had been selected in the first round (fifth overall in 1995) and whose 6-foot-5 frame and powerful right arm drew as much attention as his predilection for alcohol and his broken childhood. Collins paced the Giants to a 12-4 regular-season record, and after outscoring the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings by a combined 61-10, New York was poised to capture its third Super Bowl title. But the defense battered Collins, forcing him to complete just 38.5 percent (15 of 39) of his passes for 112 yards, returning one of the four interceptions for a touchdown (by cornerback Duane Starks) and sacking the quarterback four times. passer rating of 7.1 is the second lowest in Super Bowl history, edging only the 0.0 rating posted by the Denver Craig Morton against the Dallas Cowboys in January 1978. team speed was just Collins, now 35, recalled of a Ravens defense that included Lewis, defensive tackle Sam Adams and safety Rod Woodson and was built by defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis.

were all over the field. Obviously, a well-coached bunch. Smart players. Very sound in what they did and obviously very talented. That was by far the best defense I ever played That unit set an NFL record for the fewest points allowed in a 16-game regular season, but Ray Lewis in the mood to reminisce yesterday or comment on the differences between the Collins of then and the Collins of now.

tell you. I watched him like Lewis said. will probably be the first day before I Kerry Collins I just think playing overall as a team, and I think him, being a veteran in this game, managing the game pretty well, playing to their defense. And I think why Cornerback Chris McAlister, the only other current Raven to play in the 2001 Super Bowl on defense, said on his radio show: wish a guy any flashbacks, but I hope he does I think we had about four interceptions in that game. So welcome back, Collins, who became the starter after Vince Young sprained his left knee in the season opener, ranks in the lower third of the NFL in several statistical categories, such as passing yards (24th), completion percentage (25th) and touchdown pass- es (tied for 22nd).

But his primary tasks are to use the pass to set up the eighth-most prolific running attack and avoid mistakes (only one interception). challenges the defense when working against the defense and had a good Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. in great shape and things kind of happened the way they did. We turned it over to him, and been very That efficiency will be tested against a Ravens defense that ranks first in the NFL in total yards and against the pass and second against the run. Collins said he sees some similarities between the current defense and the unit in 2000.

But he chuckled when asked about watching 6-4, 345- pound defensive tackle Haloti Ngata dropping into pass coverage and making an interception as he did against the Pittsburgh Ben Roethlisberger on Monday night. act like rushing and drop out, and it seems like they do that with a lot of Collins said. one thing got to be ready for. the challenge of this defense. They give you a lot of looks.

They give you some different things that you see each week. So got to be able to see everything and try to figure out where The Peter Boulware (top) and Keith Washington bring down Giants quarterback Kerry Collins in the Super Bowl on Jan. 28, 2001, in Tampa, Fla. The Ravens sacked Collins four times in their 34-7 victory. BALTIMORE SUN FILE PHOTO Memories of Ravens come rushing back RAVENS, Frompage1 BEST IN ORIENTAL SPA NEW STAFF 8950 Old Annapolis Rd Rt 108 Suite 118 Columbia 441100--229900--33993399 7840 A Washington Blvd Jessup Market Plaza Corner Rt 175 410-799-0226 301-621-1830 Mon-Sat 10a-1a Sun 12-12 www.lotusshiatsu.com Lotus Shiatsu Massage 410-633-1880 6218 Eastern Ave.

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