Tempers flare, punches flail during intense goal-line drill

[Times photo: Bill Serne] From left, Jack Golden, Dan Goodspeed, Dewayne White and Chartric Darby scuffle during the morning practice.

The Kings were under siege. Rookie center Austin King and quarterback Shaun King were attacked in separate fights during Wednesday morning's workout.

First, Austin King tangled with defensive lineman Ellis Wyms and linebacker Nate Webster and had to be separated by teammates. Minutes later, after being bumped by veteran Jack Golden during a scramble, Shaun King fired the football at the linebacker, striking him in the leg. Golden retaliated with a punch that missed just below King's chin.

"Spirits were getting a little too hot toward the end of practice," coach Jon Gruden said. "We've got too much work to do against each other until we start playing these games. This is football. Every once in a while there's going to be an altercation of some kind, we've just got to keep it to a minimum.

"I think the fans, and sometimes the journalists I've read, they like to see fights thinking that they're fired up. But sometimes, that's just downright stupid."

Gruden and players said the altercations were the result of an intense, full-speed goal-line scrimmage.

"There are certain guys that you never see get involved in an altercation and that's the guys that are taking a lot of reps," defensive tackle Anthony McFarland said. "Usually, the guys who get in fights have a lot of energy. Whoever they were this morning, they must have had a lot of energy.

"I guarantee you I'm not going to be a fighter. They can hit me and kick me and I'll go back to the huddle. I can't be wasting all my energy out there tugging on face masks and all that. It isn't doing any good anyway."

NAME: Michael Brown

HT/WT: 5-10, 220

POSITION: Linebacker

COLLEGE: Louisville

BACK IN THE DAY: Four-year starter for the Cardinals at linebacker and a preseason candidate for the Butkus Award, Brown posted 304 tackles, five sacks, five forced fumbles, six interceptions and six fumble recoveries in college.

LITTLE KNOWN FACT: Brown was a first-team all-state selection in Kentucky who rushed for 2,069 yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior. He also averaged 16 points per game as the sixth man for the state's third-ranked basketball team.

QUOTE: "I knew this was a good situation, simply because they like speed," Brown said. "Speed, quickness and agility. And quick thinking is one thing that I believe I can bring to the game."

"That's hard to say, because when you say a guy looks good (as a sumo wrestler), what you're really saying is he's a fat guy."

- Defensive tackle Anthony McFarland, when asked which Bucs player would look the part of a sumo wrestler.

Today's lineup
Bucs