Frustrated Jurevicius lights into Gruden

By RICK STROUD
Published November 21, 2004

TAMPA - It wasn't Keyshawn Johnson chewing off his ear for more passes. It wasn't Keenan McCardell shaking him down for more money.

But after practice Thursday, coach Jon Gruden went head to head with another veteran receiver.

Four times during an animated, five-minute discussion, Joe Jurevicius turned his back to walk away while Gruden was talking. Four times, he returned to finish a point.

Since returning from back and knee surgery three games ago, Jurevicius has caught just six passes for 67 yards and no touchdowns. The low point came in last weekend's 24-14 loss at Atlanta in which Jurevicius rarely saw the field and had only one reception for 3 yards.

Gruden was asked if Jurevicius was frustrated.

"I'm sure he is, I'm sure he is," Gruden said. "He's got a lot of pride, he's been through a lot with the rehab to get well, with the knee, with the back. I think, in his own mind, he's probably a little bit frustrated. But he's a team guy and he knows it's a long battle back."

What followed was likely the bone of contention between Gruden and Jurevicius.

"Even though you're back playing, you don't miss a year and a half of football and show up in Week 9 and say, "Hey, I'm back, man,' " Gruden said. "I don't care what anybody tells you. You've got to work through that."

Jurevicius insists he's healthy. He wants to demonstrate he's capable of playing the way he did before a torn knee ligament in Week 2 last season against Carolina and subsequent back injury.

"I wouldn't step out on a football field if there was any difference," Jurevicius said. "I think that's the biggest thing. If I wasn't feeling healthy, I wouldn't be there."

It's ironic that Jurevicius would have to convince Gruden of anything.

Thanks to some nudging by the Bucs coach, Jurevicius probably rushed back too soon from his knee injury to play again in 2003 when the right thing would've been to have surgery and get ready for 2004.

Jurevicius believes he trained too vigorously to get ready for training camp and suffered a herniated disc in his back.

Jurevicius rarely has much to say, which is why his words have such an impact. Nobody should question his toughness after watching him leave the bedside of his dying infant son, Michael William, and fly to Philadelphia to make the game-changing reception in the 2002 NFC Championship Game.

Gruden has struggled with an ever-changing cast of receivers.

"It's been a long way back for (Joey) Galloway, for crying out loud," Gruden said. "Charles Lee has had ups and downs physically. We're just trying to find a healthy guy who can go out and play, and we just hope throughout the rest of this season Joe can regain his image as Joe Jurevicius and it's coming on, it's getting better. "

Of course, it would help Jurevicius - and the entire offense - if the Bucs could run the football and stay out of long distance situations.

"I think right now the biggest thing is we've got a football team that's searching for wins," Jurevicius said. "Whatever my role is on this football team is what I do. I'm going to keep that between me and Jon and what I feel I could do and let things go from there. But Jon's got a great stable of wide receivers, he's using everybody and if things work out differently in terms of an offense, if we protect better, run the ball better or catch the ball better, things open up for everybody."

Does that mean Joe Jurevicius will start playing like Joe Jurevicius?

"Absolutely, that's my whole goal," Jurevicius said. "In due time, we'll see him."

[Last modified November 21, 2004, 00:16:21]