Bucs

Dilger's knees standing up to high expectations

The veteran tight end has proved his value and toughness despite injuries.

[Times photo: Brendan Fitterer] Warren Sapp tries to entertain before the start of the Bucs morning practice, which was cut short by rain.

LAKE BUENA VISTA - It was in the middle of June at the end of organized workouts, and tight end Ken Dilger felt something weird in his right knee.

Not painful, just weird.

After returning to Indiana, Dilger conferred with team doctors, and an MRI showed a pea-sized calcified cartilage deposit bouncing around the knee, just under the skin. Two weeks before training camp Dilger had the deposit removed.

He is back at practice, another knee issue put to rest, another barrier overcome.

Ignoring the swirling questions about his knees and creeping rumors about how much longer he wanted to play, the Bucs saw something in Dilger, 32, last season and signed him to a three-year deal after he was released by the Colts.

"There are a lot of guys, as they play on into their careers, who have issues medically," coach Jon Gruden said, "and when they take a physical, maybe the physical isn't looked at as positively or optimistically by some staffs as others. But here's a guy who never missed a play or a snap or a start in Indianapolis for a period of years.

"It's been well documented that a veteran player, a guy who's done it in this league for a long period of time, if he shows up on your campus and tells you he can keep doing it, there's a good chance that he can keep doing it if you give him the opportunity."

Entering his second season in Tampa Bay the veteran has squashed concerns about his value and longevity and entrenched himself in the offense.

"In this league right now there are two different types of tight ends," Bucs tight ends coach Art Valero said. "There are guys who catch the ball and guys who are glorified offensive linemen. There are very few hybrids, guys who can do both. I think Ken is a throwback, one of the guys who can do both. We don't have a tight end who we can flank out wide and go 40 yards downfield. But there aren't many of those guys."

To understand Dilger today, it's best to understand Dilger's yesterday. A four-year starter at Illinois, Dilger was the Colts' second-round draft pick in 1995 and quickly proved his value. Through his first two seasons Dilger played in all 32 regular-season games, starting 29. He had 84 receptions and eight touchdowns.

Over the next five seasons Dilger missed three games, one because of a concussion, two because of a hamstring pull, none because of a bad knee.

But the knee began to cause problems, and though Dilger made it to the Pro Bowl in 2001 he required offseason surgery. It raised doubts again, for him and others.

"When I had knee surgery there was a question in my mind of whether I can come back from it," Dilger said. "How was my knee going to perform down in Tampa on the grass, doing all the running that Gruden asks of his tight ends? There were doubts, especially when everybody saw the X-rays, saw the MRIs. They looked bad."

Not to the Bucs. Tampa Bay, feeling a need to upgrade that position and convinced Dilger would not be slowed, signed him, made him a starter and never blinked.

"He's only getting better since coming to Tampa, coming to warm weather, coming to grass," Valero said. "Last year was a great indication of what Ken Dilger can do. As we went longer in the season he took over 85 percent of our offensive reps. He continued to get better and was strong later in the year."

In a passing game that shares the ball, Dilger produced 34 catches and two touchdowns in the regular season and added seven catches for 88 yards in three playoff games. He didn't miss a game or a practice.

"Coming down here, Coach saw what I could do and thought I could fit the system, and he promised me he would take care of me in training camp and he did," Dilger said. "I think I answered all the critics last year."

But this is a new season, and even on old knees it brings new expectations. Dilger said the Bucs have monitored his workload in camp and will do so until the Sept. 8 opener in Philadelphia.

"I haven't missed any practices, but (Gruden) has limited my reps on the seven-on-seven (drills) and stuff like that when I don't need to be out there running around a lot," said Dilger, who does limited work with heavy leg weights. "My body feels good. My knees don't hurt. It's working out well."

But what of Dilger's future? With one year left on his contract after this season, Dilger said he is preparing for life with his wife Heidi, daughter Jessica and son Zachary. He has thought that after next season, his 10th in the league, he will reassess his future.

"It's a young man's game," he said. "I've always said I would be in for 10 years and done, but I will decide that after next season when I see how my body feels, what my family says. When I got cut by Indy, I said I wanted to get to 10. It says something about a solid career.

"I planned my financial and home situation to be ready for when I retire. If I decide to play another year, I'll have to figure out how much money is it worth to put that extra wear and tear on my body."

One thing is certain: Dilger isn't letting a sore knee make that decision for him.

"(The doctors) told me they couldn't believe I was still playing," Dilger said. "The last surgery I had, before training camp this year, the doctor said I'm going to have problems with me knees later on in my life. I said, "Who's not? Even (non-athletes) have problems with their knees.' Technology in 20 years is going to be better."

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