Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • 168

C6 TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2002 THE HARTFORD COURANT NFL Martin Fitting Right In With Patriots Defense starters or in Martin, the man try in a system like this because you have so many good players from different backgrounds that everybody has to fight to see who adjusts first" No matter who fills the slot it shouldn't be difficult to slide one man into a defensive unit that grew together last season. "Some of the guys have played the defenses, or know the calls, and they'll help each other out" Belichick said. "And of course just playing in the league longer they understand that this is the way a team plays. Veteran players know that 'I've seen him run that pattern enough to know that he's going to delay a couple counts and then go out'" There is no lack of confidence in the 10 returning defensive prove to myself, if nobody else, that I can do this because it's the NFL and you never know." Martin is coming off his most productive season. He started 15 games and had 78 tackles and sacks as the Jets went 9-7.

He has made his name as a run-stopper and as a tackle who can collapse the pocket, but he must adjust to coach Bill Belichick. "Belichick is probably more focused on football than most of the coaches I have been under," Martin said. "A lot of coaches spend time worrying about logistics and some of the political things, but he is 100 percent about football every day." It also means adjusting to Bel-ichick's schemes, which can fluctuate from week to week and have flummoxed many of the league's best offensive minds. "They run more 3-4 defense than Tm used to," Martin said. "I mean, we've played 3-4 wherever I have been, but running it as a base defense, this is a first" The competition for the final spot at defensive tackle will continue through Friday's exhibition against Carolina.

Martin and Richard Seymour are listed as the starters, but Bernard Holsey and David Nugent are pushing them. "It's very tight competition because we have such a deep veteran group," Martin said. "There is only one rookie Jarvis Green. That's the first time ve ever been in a camp where there was only one rookie on the defensive front That's the hard thing about being By MATT EAGAN COURANT STAFF WRITER SMJTHFIELD, R.I. Ever since Steve Martin signed with the Patriots in April, giddy fans have been stopping him in the streets.

They aren't celebrating his arrival, nor are they moved by his training camp climb to the top of the depth chart at MARTIN defensive tackle. They simply want to offer their thanks for his help in winning the Super Bowl. Problem is, Martin was with the Jets at the time. 73 ft I I Tm jealous," Martin said. "I want a ring.

I get tired of people coming up and saying, 'Great when I wasn't even there. I get tired of having to explain that I wasn't there. I want to be there yesterday." Martin, 6 feet 4, 320 pounds, is one of four veterans competing for two starting positions at defensive tackle. He has started both exhibition games and could be the only new starter on a defense that ranked third in the AFC in fewest points allowed and was the critical factor in postseason victories over Oakland, Pittsburgh and St Louis. But he's taking nothing for granted.

"I always fight for the job," Martin said. "I always fight to Taking Time To Mend By JOHN ALTAVILLA COURANT STAFF WRITER ALBANY His left ankle is still tightly wrapped, but tight end Dan Campbell said Monday he's feeling much better than he did Saturday after spraining it in Atlanta. "It's probably two times better than it was Sunday," Campbell said. Campbell, Jeremy Shockey (sprained ankle) and guard Jason Whittle (thigh bruise) were injured on the same play, an interceptionofaKerry Collins pass in the first quarter. Shockey, the tight end and No.

1 pick, was hurt running the pass pattern. Campbell and Whittle ran into each other. "I broke the ankle in college," Campbell said. "I didn't feel it pop like I did then, but it had the same burning sensation. About a minute later, it felt better, so I knew it wasn't broken.

Jason didn't know he hit me until I told him he took me out. And he said, 'Well, you gave me a thigh If it keeps progressing, I'll be back pretty quickly. I'd even like to get in a few hits against the Jets Saturday to keep my rhythm going." Giants coach Jim Fassel said Shockey was doing better and might practice by the end of the week. Ron Dayne (neck), Sean Bennett (hamstring) and Will Peterson (knee) also didn't practice Monday. Rookie linebacker Wes Mallard injured his ankle in special team drills, but Fassel wasn't con- Jf y5' ing to fill the 11th spot "We have a lot of guys who came back'from last year, and so our success is carrying over," cor-nerback Ty Law said.

"We just have to refamiliarize ourselves with each other and work some of the new guys in. We're just jelling." Rams Deal With Pats The Patriots traded offensive tackle Grant Williams to the Rams for an undisclosed draft choice Monday. Williams, 28, started four games last season and played more than two quarters in the Super Bowl victory over the Rams in place of injured starter Matt Light. Wire report included GIANTS NOTEBOOK cerned. Center Dusty Zeiglertook a cortisone shot in his injured right knee.

He said he hopes it will help him get back on the field. Discipline Takes Effect The entire team will now run sets of 200-yard sprints when anyone commits a line of scrimmage infraction in practice. Rookie guard Pat Crummey, defensive end Cedric Scott and tight end Marcellus Rivers all jumped early Monday. Fassel said he's also imposing symbolic fines on the position coaches of the guilty, but he intends to cover the fines himself. Giants Sign Center The Giants signed center Morris Un-utoa, an eight-year veteran from Brigham Young University.

Unutoa, 6-feet-2 and 289 pounds, has played with Philadelphia (1998-98), Tampa Bay ('99-2000) and Buffalo (2001), and he gives the team another long snapper while providing depth along an offensive line bothered by injuries Tight end Martin Maurer was waived with an injury settlement. Fullback Adam Wright was placed on injured reserve and linebacker Clayton White was placed on the physically unable to perform list Safety Clarence LeBlanc, who sustained a broken leg in Atlanta, will be placed on injured reserve later this week. Ferrara, 26, said he dreams of giving his community and Giants fans something to cheer for. "It would be tremendous," said Ferrara, 6 feet 3, 280 pounds. "Whateverlcan do for the cause, for life in general, for those kids who lost their fathers.

I went to the same schools, played in the same leagues. All I'm trying to do is bust my tail, get through the trials and tribulations of life in general and persevere. I want to appreciate my health, my family and New York." Until recently, Ferrara has stood out with his unique practice style. It's not his manner to be easy-going, and his untimely hits on teammates have upset Fassel in the past. "We have to keep an eye on Frankie daily," said defensive line coach Denny Marcin.

"But's that just how he is. I've told people that I've coached for 38 years and I've never had a kid with a constant motor like his. "Michael Strahan was asking guys a couple weeks ago what they'd do if they didn't play football. Frank said, don't know. I never thought about it.

I want to be a football In three seasons, Ferrara has had two stints on the Giants practice squad, a summer in NFL Europe in Amsterdam and limited spot duty in 2001. Then, Nov. 4 against the Cowboys, he blew past Pro Bowl tackle Larry Allen to sack Ryan Leaf for a 5-yard loss late in the fourth quarter. "I'm sure Frank's got that on home movie," Marcin said. He might as well.

Ferrara said he believes that one play helped him turn the corner in his career. "It took several years," Ferrara said. "It's been one step at a time. The Allen sack, substituting for Michael Strahan I finally had the chance to go against great competition and produce under the gun. Since my first day here, I've felt the same way.

You want to prove things to other people, but you need to prove them to yourself first. "You look in the mirror every day. You're the one who loves the game, who takes pride in what you do. It's your job, your career. You know this game on any given play it can be over.

With me, it's all about how on what terms are you going to leave things. So you do the best you can. You never know what play determines the game. That's the way I play and train." New York Native Long Shot No More Ferrara's Play Might Make Him Starter REUTERS DREW BREES, 23, will replace Doug Flutie, 39, as the Chargers' starting QB, coach Marty Schottenheimer announced Monday. At QB, It's Brees Over Flutie Combined Wire Services It's Drew Brees' turn to try to snap some life into the Chargers.

Brees, a second-year pro who's played just over one-half of one regular-season game, beat out incumbent Doug Flutie, 39, for the starting quarterback job. That makes him the fourth starting quarterback in four years for San Diego. "I feel that being 23 years old with only one year in this league, I'm only going to get better," Brees said. Coach Marty Schottenheimer said he made the announcement early so Brees could start the final two exhibition games. "Drew's the guy.

I support that 100 percent," Flutie said. Brees led the Chargers to two touchdowns in the first two exhibitions while Flutie failed to throw a touchdown pass. Texans add QB: Veteran quarterback Tony Banks signed with Houston, although coach Dom Capers said it had nothing to do with the progress of No. 1 draft choice David Carr. "Anytime you feel you can strengthen your team you try to do that," he said.

"I don't want anyone to read into this that By JOHN ALTAVILLA COURANT STAFF WRITER ALBANY Camp at the University of Albany is almost over and the Giants are wanting to go home. If traffic flow cooperates, they'll likely be there soon after Friday morning's practice. The New York-New Jersey area is only a temporary habitat for most Giants. But not for defensive end Frank Ferrara, the team's native. Born and raised on Staten Island, he takes after his father, a Hollywood stunt man.

Ferrara's done stunt work, too, but now he's about to see success on a much larger stage. Ferrara might be a few plays from being a starter in the NFL, although that's a scenario incumbent right defensive end Kenny Holmes isn't taking too seriously. "My play speaks for itself," said Holmes, who had 3H sacks in 2001, then accepted a base pay cut of about $900,000 (to $1 million) to stay one year after signing a five-year, $20 million free agent contract. "I'm not into worrying about playing time or who is delegated for what plays. Do I feel like the job is mine? Of course, I feel that way.

I haven't done anything to lose it You are making a big deal out of it because the coaches wanted to see Ferrara against some better competition. You're not going to ruin my day." During Saturday's 36-24 loss to the Falcons, Giants coach Jim Fassel offered a statement about the competition, having Ferrara play two series with the first unit. Perhaps it means nothing, but Ferrara was in for 29 plays, Holmes 20. The experiment will continue Saturday against the Jets. "1 want to see Kenny improve, but Frank Ferrara has been playing very well," Fassel said.

"I want to see Frank go up against the other team's first unit. Sometimes it's tough to compare two guys when one is playing against the first team and the other the second." Fassel, who would like to see Ferrara face off against other teams' starting left tackles, said he thought Ferrara was productive against Atlanta. Staten Island is a haven for New York civil servants. Dozens of its residents were killed in the Sept. 11 attacks.

The son of Ferrara's godfather and Ferrara's former college teammate at Rhode Island, Chris DeSimone, were killejS. Chargers Name 2nd-Year Pro Starter we're disappointed with David." Banks was 198 of 378 with the Washington Redskins in 2001. Denver says goodbye to Davis: During introductions for Monday night's San Francisco-Denver game, Broncos running back Terrell Davis walked through the tunnel in uniform for the final time. To a standing ovation, he waved to the fans and was hugged by his teammates, exchanging a long embrace with tight end Shannon Sharpe. Then Davis, 29, retired to the sideline.

Today, the Broncos, at Davis' request, will place him on injured reserve, effectively ending the career of a player who was both a Super Bowl and regular-season MVP. "It's tough. My mind tells me one thing, my knees say something else," said Davis, who has undergone a series of knee injuries and surgeries since 1999. Panthers seek review: Carolina is sending tapes to the NFL of the hit that broke kick returner Michael Bates' an not tolerate fighting in any manner, sent Mawae and Ellis off the field. Considering the near-100 temperature and high humidity, it wasn't exactly like being sentenced to Devil's Island.

"Herm threw us out of practice, which to me is pretty sweet," Mawae said with a sly smile. "Punish me by standing and watching practice?" Edwards was livid Saturday, but he was in a jovial mood Monday when addressing the incident. MAWAE "You don't fight and then practice, that's a rule, and that's the first time it was implemented in 1 years," he said. "I don't anticipate too many fights. That wasn't much of a fight." Actually, Mawae can use the work, and he expects to play much of Saturday kle.

The five-time Pro Bowl pick was hurt in Saturday's 19-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on a kickoff that went through the end zone for a touchback. As Bates tried to get past linebacker Louis Mackey, he was hit on the right side by fullback Robert Thomas. Mackey then came down across the back of Bates' right leg, snapping his ankle. "It was something that should have been a penalty, at least in my eyes," Panthers coach John Fox said. Raiders sign Adams: Defensive lineman Sam Adams, a Pro Bowl selection pursued by several teams after the Baltimore Ravens released him, signed a mul- tiyear deal with the Raiders Veteran defensive end Chidi Ahanotu agreed to a one-year deal with the Bills.

The Bears signed offensive guard Rex Tucker to a seven-year contract and reserve defensive tackle Alfonso Boone to a five-year deal The Colts signed running backs Kevin McDougal and Michael Wallace San Francisco defensive end John Engelberger will miss at least two weeks after an appendectomy. The Seahawks signed veteran quarterback Mark Rypien, 39, to help fill in for Trent Differ (sprained right knee). night's game against the Giants. Edwards knows there is no holding back Mawae once he gets on the field, though, so the coach wants to be careful about how much work his star center gets. "Mawae will play.

He wants to try to go the whole game, or three quarters. We will see," Edwards said. The Jets are in a difficult position concerning Mawae. They need continuity on the offensive line, particularly after losing two starters tackle Ryan Young to Houston in the expansion draft and guard Kerry Jenkins to Tampa Bay as a free agent off what was a solid unit. If Mawae isn't on the field, it usually means starting left guard J.P.

Machado moves to center, forcing rookie Jonathan Goodwin into the lineup. But they don't want to overdo it "These guys did a pretty decent Job, but I'm back now and I want to get the line solidified," Mawae said. "We got three weeks to get things ready." Mawae Makes His Presence Felt Associated Press HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. It took Kevin Mawae about 20 minutes to get into a midseason mind-set. And into a fight.

The Jets' All-Pro center, out since rotator cuff surgery May 9, returned to practice Saturday. He didn't last long on the field, although the injury had nothing to do with his departure. Mawae, entering his ninth NFL season, and third-year defensive end Shaun Ellis got into a tussle during a running play. Ellis shoved Mawae from behind, even though the play had passed them by. Mawae responded with punches.

"He gave me a little extra push at the end of the play that was not necessary," Mawae said Monday between practice sessions. "I retaliated. I don't let anyone push me around, even a teammate. "It's over. What happens on the field stays on the field." i Coach Herman Edwards, who doev.