The Bucs receiver takes time out of his holdout to direct some youth players.
By RICK STROUD
Published June 29, 2004
ST. PETERSBURG - Keenan McCardell finally reported to camp Monday.
After sweating through several practices, the Bucs receiver talked about his love for the game and missing his teammates.
Does this mean the holdout is over?
Not exactly. His appearance came at the Keenan McCardell Football Camp at Eckerd College and did not signal an end to his impasse with the Bucs.
In fact, the 34-year-old McCardell reiterated his plan to sit out the 2004 NFL season unless the Bucs restructure his contract and pay him like a No. 1 receiver.
"I try not to envision that, but I'm ready to do what's right," McCardell said about missing the season. "That's the way I feel. I love to play football, but I just want to do what's right.
"I said that earlier. If there's not (any movement), I can't come (to training camp)."
McCardell, a no-show at the Bucs' mandatory minicamp last week, has two years remaining on his contract that will pay him $2-million and a $500,000 roster bonus this year and $2.75-million in 2005.
The 12-year veteran led the team with 84 catches for 1,174 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns while being named the team's most valuable player. He wants to be paid like an elite receiver, an increase that could nearly double his salary, but the Bucs said they have no plans of signing him to a new deal.
On Monday, he wore a T-shirt that that read "I Survived the Keenan McCardell Football Camp" and directed more than 50 players through three practice sessions.
"Our goals are to teach kids about football, but more importantly teach them things football brings to them as far as their life skills," McCardell said. "One big thing our coaches stress is leadership. I want these kids to come out of this as leaders. When they go back to their schools, their high schools, they're the leaders, the quiet ones that jump out of their shell to be a leader and their coaches are like, "Wow, he's made a drastic improvement over the summer.' "
With McCardell holding out in his hometown of Houston, the biggest improvement has been made by Cowboys free agent Joey Galloway and first-round pick Michael Clayton.
Meanwhile, McCardell skipped all 14 voluntary full-squad workouts and could be fined up to $1,000 for ditching minicamp. That fine could increase to $5,000 per day for any missed time at training camp, which begins July 31.
On Monday, he appeared relaxed and in extremely good physical condition, the result of private workouts. But he said he missed his teammates.
"Oh yeah, you know, it's football," McCardell said. "I love football, I miss the guys, but the situation is the situation right now.
"I kind of said what I said earlier in the paper and stuff like that. I mean, I meant what I said. Fair is fair and that's all I'd like to be treated as - fair. That's about it."
AROUND THE LEAGUE: Police used a Taser to subdue Jaguars guard Chris Naeole before arresting him on a charge of disorderly conduct. Naeole, 29, got into in a shoving match with employees of the Ritz Bar in Jacksonville Beach as the bar was closing. Despite an officer's order to stop, Naeole lunged again at an employee. ... The Bears signed second-round draft pick Tank Johnson to a five-year contract. The defensive end from Washington was the 47th overall selection. ... An arrest warrant was issued for former NFL receiver Andre Rison, who owes $184,787 in two states for overdue child support payments, attorney's fees and interest.
- The Associated Press contributed to this report.
