Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals. He also writes about his other passions: college football, basketball and golf.Home > Blogs > Chick Ludwig At Large > Archives > 2008 > May > 05
Monday, May 5, 2008
Things that make Marvin go, ‘WOW’
SING-A-LONG WITH MARVIN
My first thought was …
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis has just turned into Frankie Valli, lead singer of the “Four Seasons.”
Sherry, Sherry baby
Sherry, Sherry baby
She - e - e-e-e-e-ry baby
She - e - rry, can you come out tonight
Lewis simply couldn’t hide his excitement about rookie (Bengal) cat Matt Sherry, the club’s sixth-round tight end from Villanova.
Lewis said he was impressed with all 10 draft picks, but …
“I thought Matt Sherry, as things went along, really made me go, ‘Wow’ with some one-on-one stuff that we did with the linebackers and safeties going against the tight ends and backs. That made me go, ‘Wow.’
“I thought the receivers, (Jerome) Simpson and (Andre) Caldwell, did a great job that way. Corey Lynch made a couple of plays on the football as a safety. I think the two defensive tackles (Pat Sims and Jason Shirley) have an opportunity to continue (to improve) as they get down footwork and stances and weight distributions, things that we spent a lot of time on these last three days. They’re going to be able to help us for a while. I feel good about that.
“One of the guys we signed after the draft, (Alabama’s) Simeon Castille, a cornerback, came in and handled himself real well and did a great job. Anthony Hoke is trying to make the transition from defensive end at UC over to linebacker here and did a good job.”
MORE ‘WOW’ FACTOR
Interviewing players at the NFL Combine, meeting them on their college campuses and bringing them to Paul Brown Stadium for visits gives coaches a feel for players.
“But you don’t really see if they can handle a 5-practice installation,” Lewis said. “Secondly, the speed of playing football. Timed 40 speed is one thing, but actually playing football at football speed, 11-on-11, is a big difference. That matters.
“A guy’s strength and how much man he has to him — (offensive tackle) Anthony Collins would be an example. When he places his hands on somebody, his hands are on them. Or Jason Shirley. When they lay hands on you, they have hands on you. I think those are some things you don’t get a chance to see how much man is in that punch. In that group is Pat Sims as well. Those three big guys are big strong men. That’s the thing I came away impressed with.
“The length and strength of Angelo Craig, he needs to improve a lot, but he’s got some toughness to him and some fight. He’s out here battling for five practices with Anthony Collins. To me, that shows a lot.
“Keith (Rivers) probably had the easiest transition because he was doing things he’s been doing, but I really was impressed with how we were able to draft and what they were able to show and how it’s going to equate to playing NFL football, and having a chance to make our team and making us a better team.”
BORN LEADER
You could see that in Rivers right away.
“Some of the things he showed are innate, by gathering the group, and every time he’s not in a meeting, he’s watching tape. I think that has impressed me about him. He already gets it.”
INJURED GUYS
Free safety Ethan Kilmer, who didn’t play a down in 2007 because of knee, hamstring and quadriceps problems, “should be ready to go,” Lewis said, for the club’s first OTA (organized team activity, a fancy expression for on-field coaching session) on Tuesday, May 13,
Tailback Chris Perry is also expected to fully participate in OTAs, but tailback Kenny Irons is not. Irons suffered a torn left ACL in the preseason opener at Detroit on Aug. 9, 2007, and needs more time to recover.
BENNIE BRAZELL
From Devin: “I just read your article that briefly mentioned Bennie, and I was hoping you could clear up this mystery for me. I remember Bennie being one of the stars of camp — blistering speed and catching everything in sight — until he got injured. I’d hoped he’d be in the mix when he returned, but he seems to have disappeared. What happened?”
LUDWIG AT LARGE: “Brazell, the Bengals’ seventh-round draft pick in 2006 from LSU, is no longer with the club. His practice squad contract expired when the 2007 season ended, and he hasn’t been signed to the 2008 offseason roster. He spent the entire 2006 season on Injured Reserve after suffering a knee injury in the third preseason game against Green Bay. In 2007, he played in preseason games 1-2, catching five passes for 43 yards. But he suffered another knee injury in pregame warm-ups Aug. 28 at Atlanta (Preseason Game 3). Brazell was waived on Sept. 1, signed to the practice squad on Sept. 2 and placed on the Practice Squad/Injured list on Sept. 11. Brazell was a star in two straight training camps at Georgetown College, but couldn’t stay healthy. Bennie is a jet, but as brittle as a Porcelain plate.”
Contact Chick Ludwig at cludwig@daytondailynews.com
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Hep Cronin, Paul Weidner & Elder H.S. memories
===LUDWIG AT LARGE congratulates Harold “Hep” Cronin and Paul Weidner, the newest members of the Sorrento’s Hamilton County Sports Hall of Fame. Chuck Harmon (Cincinnati Reds) and Bob Trumpy (Cincinnati Bengals) will also be honored at the 7 p.m. induction ceremony on Saturday, May 10, 2008, at St. Patrick’s K of C Hall, 7500 Fairpark Ave. off Vine Street in Carthage. Tickets are $25.===
He is Harold “Hep” Cronin, longtime basketball coach at Covington Catholic, Roger Bacon, Oak Hills and LaSalle high schools; scout for the Atlanta Braves; and father of University of Cincinnati head basketball coach Mick Cronin.
He is Paul Weidner, the former UC basketball player and former teacher at Elder High School who is entering his 23rd season as an NFL head linesman.
Together, Cronin and Weidner will be inducted into the Sorrento’s Hamilton County Sports Hall of Fame during the Hall’s 47th annual Awards and Induction Ceremony at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, 2008, at St. Patrick’s K of C Hall, 7500 Fairpark Ave. off Vine Street in Carthage.
Former Cincinnati Reds player Chuck Harmon, the first African-American player in franchise history, will receive this year’s Special Award.
Former Cincinnati Bengals tight end and noted broadcaster Bob Trumpy will receive this year’s Nostalgia Award.
Tickets are $25.
For more information, E-mail Hall of Fame executive committee member Kevin Goheen at kgoheen@fuse.net.
St. Patrick’s K of C Hall seats 300. For directions, call (513) 821-0027.
CHICK LUDWIG TRIVIA I
Paul Weidner was my freshman typing teacher at Elder High School during the 1968-69 school year. I teased him OFTEN about being a bench-warmer on the UC Bearcats basketball team. I see him occasionally in airports during our NFL travels in the fall.
Hep Cronin is a high school basketball coaching icon. I was Paul “Hans” Frey’s basketball student manager at Elder High School, and the Panthers’ battles with Hep’s teams were legendary. I introduced myself to Hep a few months ago at a high school basketball tournament game at Xavier University’s Cintas Center.
“I know who you are!” Hep boomed.
Gosh, it’s great to be remembered.
CHICK LUDWIG TRIVIA II
I was in a class of 432 at Elder, an all-boys school in the Greater Catholic League, and I wasn’t good enough to make the freshman basketball team.
So I set my sights on being a student manager.
Five guys wanted to be managers, but freshman coach Tom Bushman — a University of Dayton grad — could only keep three.
On a Friday afternoon, varsity coach Paul “Hans” Frey told the five prospective managers: “Practice tomorrow at 7 a.m.”
Me and two other guys showed up, and we became the managers.
Folks, that’s how tough the competition was in those days.
At Elder, even student managers got cut.
Contact Chick Ludwig at cludwig@daytondailynews.com
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