Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
By RICK STROUD, Times Staff WriterJohn Wade couldn't move. Near the end of a morning practice at Disney's Wide World of Sports, the Bucs center cramped so much from dehydration that he could only lean against a golf cart summoned to carry him from the field.
TAMPA - John Wade couldn't move. Near the end of a morning practice at Disney's Wide World of Sports, the Bucs center cramped so much from dehydration that he could only lean against a golf cart summoned to carry him from the field.
After receiving several bottles of intravenous fluids, Wade returned a few hours later for the afternoon workout. The cramps reappeared as well. This time, trainers used a wheelchair.
"I've had cramping issues since I came to Florida and played in Jacksonville," Wade said. "Coming from the north, in West Virginia, the heat has ... always taken a toll on my body."
Did Wade consider taking a practice off?
"No," he said. "Never. I guess it's not in my vocabulary."
Wade hasn't given in to the heat or one of the most hotly contested position battles in camp: a too-close-to-call competition with Sean Mahan to start at center.
Wade started the first preseason game, Mahan the second. Players and coaches insist nothing has been decided. But a hint might have come Tuesday, when Mahan took the first reps with the starting offense.
"It's definitely a positive to have started the Miami game," Mahan said. "But John is a seasoned veteran, and he's a great player. So he's still getting his reps."
What adds more drama to the competition is both started all 17 games last season.
Wade, 31, came off a dislocated knee that kept him out of the final eight games of 2004. For most players, it's a career-buster.
"It felt good to make it back from that injury," Wade said. "I don't get all the credit. The doctor had to fix it, and the trainers were in there helping me work relentlessly."
Mahan, 26, has a lot riding on the decision as well.
He has started 25 straight games, 17 at right guard last season and the final eight at center in 2004 after Wade went down.
"I'm very proud of (the streak), and I hope to continue it a long time," Mahan said.
At 6 feet 3, 301 pounds, Mahan is a little smaller with shorter arms than Wade (6-5, 295), but he is a little more athletic. At times last season, he was overpowered at guard, and coaches believe he's better suited at center.
When Tampa Bay drafted guard Davin Joseph in the first round, Mahan's fate was sealed: take Wade's job at center or sit.
Wade is an unflappable veteran who easily recognizes defensive fronts and does a nearly flawless job of helping the quarterback make the correct protection calls.
Despite the cutthroat nature of their jobs, Wade and Mahan remain great friends on and off the field.
"It's not the ideal situation, but what happens on the field stays on the field," Mahan said. "Off the field, we're good friends."
In fact, after a play, it's common for one to approach the other and ask what he saw.
"Not only are they pro football players, but as the expression goes, they are both a man's man," offensive line coach Bill Muir said. "Both of them look at it like they're fiercely competing with each other, but when they walk off the field, there is no animosity. In fact, on the field, you hear the dialogue between them. They're not necessarily trying to help one another, but (trying) to be on the same page.
"Eventually, you've got to make a decision, and somebody is going to be disappointed. But at the same time, I think there's no doubt they all will contribute in a certain way."
Unless you are a perennial Pro Bowl player, NFL teams are always looking for the younger man to take over.
And there's even more urgency with Mahan, who signed a one-year contract worth $1.573-million. He will become an unrestricted free agent after this season. Meanwhile, Wade restructured his contract and is signed through 2009.
"It'll be tough," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said.
"We've given one guy a start and gave the other guy a start. We tried to even up the playing reps.
"Both of them play center with our (left-handed quarterback), and both of them have played center with our right-handers. We've come out and practiced and tried to throw the ball on 10 consecutive plays and tried to run it on 10 consecutive plays. We've tried to gather clues in practice to determine who's the best for us. They're both going to play at some point for us whether at center or guard or wherever."
Wade has learned to keep his head down and ignore the outside chatter. Whether he is working with the first team or not doesn't affect his play.
"That's just the way it is in this business. Everybody wants to be a starter and do what they can to keep their job because it is a job," Wade said. "It's how we make our living. You just put it on tape and let the coaches evaluate it."
If Gruden has made a decision, he isn't saying.
"Who knows?" Gruden said. "Maybe we'll have messenger centers."