The addition of Dwayne Rudd has turned an already speedy linebacking crew into a track team.
By ROGER MILLS
Published July 29, 2003
LAKE BUENA VISTA - Bucs linebackers coach Joe Barry has been giddy most of the offseason. In a defensive scheme built for speed, Barry has the great fortune to have Derrick Brooks and Shelton Quarles, two of the fastest linebackers in the game.
But his recent grin has been more about the newest addition to the group.
Free agent Dwayne Rudd, who signed a two-year deal April 8 and will fill the hole created by Al Singleton's departure to Dallas, has turned an already quick unit into a track team.
"Sometimes, you're scared because in the NFL we'll practice so much in no pads, you get teased a little bit," Barry said. "You'll say, "Dang, that guy is fast!' And then he puts on the pads and there's no carryover. But with this guy, he's as fast as advertised. No doubt about it."
His new teammates also have taken notice.
"I think he might be our fastest linebacker," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "Brooks might kill me for saying that. That boy can flat out get it. He can run. When you add that kind of speed ... it's just a matter of him getting acclimated and (adding) just another piece of this puzzle that we are putting out there."
It is coming together nicely. After 17 practices, Rudd and teammates will head to Tokyo today to play the Jets in a preseason game Saturday. He will do so knowing that a lot was accomplished in his first three months with the Bucs and that his speed appears to be a perfect complement.
"This is exactly what I wanted," said Rudd, 27, who is entering his seventh NFL season. "I could have gone several places, but once I was released and once I heard Tampa Bay (had an interest), there was no question. No way in the world I was going to turn down a chance to play in this defense."
Safety John Lynch said: "Dwayne's been a top-flight player in this league for a long time and I know he's excited about the opportunity to come in and play in a system that I think really showcases his abilities. I'm excited to see it."
In turning over the strongside linebacking duties to the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Rudd, who spent most of his six previous seasons playing on the weak side, the Bucs are convinced they will get more range and big-play capability than they got from Singleton.
"The nice thing is in the last year in Cleveland, he played some strongside," Barry said. "It's not completely brand new to him. The thing that he's got to pick up is the terminology. What the Browns called apples, we call oranges. So, he's got to get that terminology picked up."
One thing is certain: Rudd isn't here to sit on the bench. Since the Vikings made him the 20th overall pick in 1997, he has spent the bulk of his NFL career on the field. The former Alabama standout had 46 starts in 61 games before signing a two-year deal with Cleveland.
With the Browns, Rudd started 31 of 32 regular-season games and recorded 195 tackles.
But as solid a performer as he has been, he is best remembered for another kind of big play.
In the 2002 opener against the Chiefs, the Browns had a 39-37 lead. At his 40, Chiefs quarterback Trent Green appeared to be sacked as the clock ran out.
Rudd, in a moment of exuberance away from the play, removed his helmet to celebrate what he thought was a victory. Green, however, managed to get the ball to tackle John Tait, who rumbled 36 yards to the Browns 24.
Rudd was assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty. Because the game cannot end on a penalty against the defense, kicker Morton Anderson converted to give the Chiefs a 40-39 win.
"I'm human. I made a mistake," Rudd said. "We win together and lose together. I find myself talking to young guys and making sure they learn from it. I've been very open with that stuff. Hey, I was 100 percent wrong. I got fined for it. I apologized for it. I don't know how many years I'm going to hear about it. To me, it's a joke. I don't think coach (Jon) Gruden would have brought me here if he thought I was going to do it again."
Gruden said Rudd's infamous gaffe has overshadowed his many accomplishments.
"It was an accident," Gruden said. "He thought (Green) was sacked and he was excited. It wasn't like he got a (flagrant) personal foul. It's too bad, really. Cleveland ended up making the playoffs and he was a big part of that. He's a great guy. I love his enthusiasm and I'm confident he's going to keep that thing (helmet) strapped on for us."
Rudd said he accepts that until he achieves more accolades as a pro, he likely won't be allowed to live down the helmet caper.
"I haven't been to the Pro Bowls, I'm not Derrick Brooks, I'm not Lynch, I'm not those guys who have so much of those things to outweigh a big mistake like that," Rudd said. "To me, I understand the game and respect the business. ... If you want to talk to Lynch about being the hardest hitter and to Brooks about being the smartest linebacker and to Sapp about being a quarterback killer, (then you can talk to) Dwayne Rudd about being the helmet-thrower."
Is it an issue with teammates?
"When I go into the meeting room those guys accept me as being a guy who is coming in to upgrade their defense, period," he said. "These guys want to win a Super Bowl again. That's all they talk about. ... They don't take personal issues that you guys wonder about or people joke about."
