Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California • Page 15

.1 i Sentinel Sunday July 21. 994 B5 Johnson injected with cortisone Shots should help inflammation in back 49er notebook Receiver has done legwork 49ers' Uwaezuoke one of 'Jerry's kids' By DON BOSLEY The Sacramento Bee ROCKLIN The knowing is Iheanyi Uwaezuoke's edge, he's pretty certain. They can hit him, shove him, mispronounce him. They can openly ridicule his double-digit vowel collection, and have. But the knowing they can't touch, and when you've spent two offseasons working out with Jerry WAf skills are a lot less iffy now than when he was drafted out of USC.

in April. "Wo ronllv lilra tha uav ha'a comins alone." said assistant head coach Bill McPherson, who is working with him. "He's a high-ef- CamI Ilitla I I 1- i IT. mil guy. no very ungm.i no learns fast and he's very coacha-ble.

He's got these long arms and fast hands and has a good takeoff. With all those things going forj him, the guy has a chance to be a damn good pass rusher for us." Still, the one word that's stuck to Ifeanyi like no other, as he pre-' nnrori fnr tralnlno namn la nnt 1 rm ff m.t....,' The Associated Press first practice of camp Saturday. Rice and Stokes are the starters, but the rest of the receiving corps is knotted in a competitive sheepshank. Uwaezuoke and veterans Nate Singleton, Chris Thomas and Mike Caldwell are all in the mix for now. "I think there's a clock in the back of your head," Uwaezuoke said.

"You always keep your eye out for the guy next to you, if not to learn something from him, then to see where you're at." Veterans appear for their first workouts today, which means Uwaezuoke's repetitions will take a dip. Still, approach is important. "The type of effort that I give would be that of a guy that'd be scrapping, who maybe doesn't really have a chance to make it but just gives it everything he's got on every play," Uwaezuoke said. "But realistically speaking, I have a lot of confidence in my athletic ability and my football ability, so I know good things are going to happen to me in the future." fy" but "raw." Sentinel wire services ROCKLIN Johnny Johnson held hostage, Day 3: Saturday, Johnson's painful lower back received multiple cortisone injections in an effort to reduce inflammation. Dr.

Bob Millard administered the treatment in Menlo Park, and San Francisco's new halfback from Santa Cruz can be expected to miss several more days of training camp at the very least. "He's going to remain in the Bay Area for the next couple of days and be observed by the medical staff," coach George Seifert said. Johnson has missed all four practices since his back flared up after the camp's first workout, on Thursday. He is diagnosed as having an inflamed facet joint in his lower back. Johnson's back problem originally surfaced during the 49ers' June minicamp, forcing him to miss most of the two-week session.

"You won't really know for several days how beneficial it was," team trainer Llndsy McLean said. "Hopefully this will resolve the problem," coach George Seifert added. The former Santa Cruz High and San Jose State star was out of football last season after being released by the New York Jets. Johnson rushed for a career-high 931 yards in 1994 for the Jets. He sat out last season, then signed as a free agent with the 49ers, who hope the one-time power runner can bolster their running game.

Any number of 49er pass rushers over the past five years have been "iffy" at best, but Israel Ifean-yi, the 49ers' top draft choice, is the first to be called Iffy by his teammates. The team's coaches insist, however, that Ifeanyi's pass-rushing WARD OF Kice, you just know. For Uwaezuoke, this San Francisco 49ers training camp has some urgency but not much anxiety. He's already been here, Uwaezuoke ten sweaty6 "I think ability-wise I've always had a lot of confidence in myself," said the rookie receiver from Cal. "But in terms of me knowing I belong here, knowing I can do the things that it takes to play at this level, I think that's where (the offseason workouts) really paid off." In a camp that happens to be hip-deep in young receiving talent, Uwaezuoke is the source of fair intrigue.

Nigerian-born and essentially American-raised, he Hies at 4.38-second speed in the 40-yard sprint and seems to absorb information even faster. He is also one of Jerry's kids, which surely counts for something. Everybody works out in the offseason, but not everybody works out with Rice, whose regimen has tak- i nis guy nas only been In; the 1 country (from Nigeria) four years. Sure, he's raw," McPherson said. "His coaches at (Orange Coast) Community College and SC did i nice job with him, but we have tor polish him up some and teach him how he has to deal with bigger, stronger, experienced guys.

That's, what training camp will be all about for him." Receiver Jerry Rice and tackle Harris Barton were the only veteit ans who failed to report by Satur-day's 5 p.m. deadline, though ther was expected. Barton had been excused to a't: tend the Olympic opening ceremonies in Atlanta, and will be in Rocklin in time for today's first full-squad workout Rice had lndi-'; cated to coaches that he would miss training camp time to remain home with his wife, Jackie, who is still recovering from childbirth complications that nearly took her life in May. 1 Raiders roll out welcome mat A- 0 49er fans try to lure players en on a legendary little life of its own. Uwaezuoke spent two months before his senior season participating in the daily workouts with Rice and his personal trainer, Raymond Farris.

He spent another two months with them this past spring, even before the 49ers spent a fifth-round pick on him in the April draft. He had route tutelage from Rice. He ran sprints with J.J. Stokes. He submitted to daily jam sessions delivered by physical cornerback Marquez Pope.

"We'd work on releases (against tight coverage) every day," Uwaezuoke said. "That's probably where, in my opinion, a lot of guys making the transition into the NFL from college football really suffer. They don't get off the line really well. They're not used to physical DBs." Not all the benefits were technical or physical, of course. Endless days with Rice can begin to have a 'It's like a sideshow.

We just wanted to get through it, and do a nice job for the Coach Mike White fense the first four times. Jeff Hos-tetler and Tim Brown connected for one touchdown, then Billy Joe Hobert passed to Joe Aska for another score. The only casualty of the day was second-year linebacker Alex Se-menik, who twisted a knee during a punt coverage drill. He was helped off the field, and was unable to participate in the post-practice autograph session. Running back Wes Bender also required medical attention, but it was nothing serious.

A short shoving match between Semenik and tackle Pat Harlow followed one play, but nothing further developed. Safety Lorenzo Lynch supplied up to Bucs' NFL notebook ber 1994 when he fled the scene after overturning his truck on a Dallas freeway. 1 SPARTANBURG, S.C. The Carolina Panthers suspended contract negotiations with first-round draft pick Tshimanga Biakabutuka late Saturday. "I have no desire to talk about this and given what has gone on in the NBA recently, the fans probably have no real desire to hear about this either," general manager Bill Polian said.

"It is our policy not to discuss negotiations while they are ongoing, but they are no longer ongoing." IN fXCELLENCE intf Atfoclatii 1111 Rtplitimint Tin Cuitomtr lb --a at. to sign autographs after the profound effect on one's mental framework, it turns out. "You have a guy like that as a role model, it helps you know how to survive in this league," Uwaezuoke said. "He's got Jerry's workmanship," receivers coach Larry Kirksey said. "You never see a time that he's not working on something, trying to do something better.

That's what I like about him." As a senior, Uwaezuoke missed four games because of hand and knee injuries, but he still finished with 30 receptions totaling 506 yards. It was enough to hold the 49ers' attention, even after San Francisco spent a third-round pick on another promising wideout, Terrell Owens of Tennessee-Chattanooga. Now Uwaezuoke and Owens are part of a diversified and youthful-looking receiving group. Take away Rice, and the other eight receivers on the roster average just two years in the league. the best hit of the day, crunching running back Harvey Williams during a red zone play.

The loudest cheer went to Napoleon Kaufman, who made an over-the-shoulder catch during pre-scrlmmage drills. Albert Lewis intercepted the lone pass of the day. White wants his team to work as much on the mental approach to the red zone as on the physical approach. "A good, educated football player needs to understand it's a state of mind," he said. "Once you get down there, you have to score three, and you want to score seven.

"We weren't as good offensively as we wanted to be last year," said White. "This is an area we want to emphasize even earlier this year than we did last year." The Raiders also worked on their punting game, and attempted several field goals. Tackle Jeff Kysar (foot), linebacker Scott Radecic (calf), running back Calvin Jones (ankle), Keith Franklin (back) and defensive end Austin Robbins (hip) were held out of the proceedings. Meanwhile, the Raiders signed tackle 6-foot-6 tackle Willie Williams, out of Louisiana State University. camp leaner Polian said he offered the former Michigan running back a four-year deal worth $7.2 million, Including a $3 million signing bonus.

The offer included an incentive clause that could be earned once during the four years if Biakabutuka rushed for 701 yards in a season. Polian met with Biakabutuka's agent, Bill Poston, but the session ended when the general manager refused to allow the agent's brother to participate. FOOTBALL CLINIC Ages 7-14, Sat. 727, 9am-3pm. Stressing fundamentals and fun.

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Re-Pnrlr WKmtl (Wirinnc thru 73196 9Wi $K98 The Associated Press NAPA And on the eighth day, the Oakland Raiders scrimmaged in front of an audience. "We never scrimmaged at all a year ago," said Raiders' coach Mike White. Last year at this time, White was still getting acquainted with his players. This training camp, he's trying to instill an aggression that comes with full contact in front of screaming fans. "It's like a sideshow," said White, "We just wanted to get through it, and do a nice job for the crowd." The estimated 7,000 fans who gathered in Napa's Memorial Stadium on Saturday were treated to a full-scale practice that included special teams play, and red zone (inside the 25-yard line) offense and defense.

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