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Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 2, 2001
Warren signs with Browns
BEREA, Ohio -- A slimmed-down Gerard Warren joined the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday with a hefty contract.
Warren, who admitted being overweight during the team's minicamps, ended his contract holdout and arrived at training camp after signing a six-year, $33.6-million deal.
"I'm just here to complement this defense and hopefully take the Browns to the Super Bowl," Warren said.
Dressed in shorts and a Browns baseball cap, Warren appeared to be at least 15 pounds lighter than he was when he participated in the club's final minicamp in June.
Back then, he looked slow during drills and said he was out of shape after hitting the banquet circuit following an All-America junior season at Florida.
Warren said he has been working out two hours daily with the Gators football team in Gainesville, and weighed in at 315 pounds -- seven pounds lighter than his listed playing weight.
"I'm relieved and happy to be back," he said.
Cleveland is shifting second-year end Courtney Brown to the right side of the defensive line alongside Warren, giving the Browns a formidable front.
Coach Butch Davis said Warren has missed some valuable practice time, but can make it up quickly.
"He's going to make a lot of rookie mistakes," said Davis, who added that Warren wouldn't be punished for missing 14 practices. "There's nothing punitive other than what he has already done to himself."
Warren said it was difficult waiting around for his contract to be finalized, and stayed in touch with running back James Jackson for updates from camp.
"It was eating me up," he said.
Warren is scheduled to practice for the first time today and said he expects to play in the scrimmage Saturday at Edinboro, Pa., against the Buffalo Bills.
BILLS: Tired of watching, linebacker Corey Moore argued his way back onto the active roster.
At his relentless urging, Moore was activated off the physically unable to perform list after missing the first six days of training camp at St. John Fisher College outside of Rochester, N.Y.
Moore's impatience boiled over after he spent the morning session on the sideline, because team trainers considered him out of condition after missing time while recovering from being shot in the left leg in June.
"I argued with the trainers," Moore said. "I told them I'd rather be out here instead of standing around and getting stiff."
With the blessing of coach Gregg Williams, the training staff allowed Moore to participate in the light afternoon practice.
"It felt good. You can stand on the sidelines and get all the mental reps you want, but that only helps a little," Moore said. "Mentally, I'm about as high as I can be right now considering all the circumstances that I've been through. But that's all behind me."
EX-RAIDER SENTENCED: Former quarterback Todd Marinovich was admitted into a six-month drug treatment program.
"Lucky you," Superior Court Judge Stephen A. Marcus told Marinovich as he approved the six-month period instead of a longer stint. Marinovich will return to court on Sept. 7 for a progress report.
The 32-year-old Marinovich was arrested in December near downtown Los Angeles when police said they found heroin after stopping him for driving a car without a license plate.
He pleaded no contest March 27 to a felony heroin possession charge, avoiding a prison sentence at that time by agreeing to enter a yearlong treatment program that included counseling and group sessions.
Last month, he was allowed to enter another drug program under terms of Proposition 36, a voter-approved initiative intended to place non-violent drug offenders in treatment instead of jail.
Wednesday's hearing was to determine whether he would spend 90, 180 or 270 days in treatment.
OBITUARY: Dan Towler, who helped the Los Angeles Rams win the championship in 1951 and led the league in rushing a year later, died in his sleep Wednesday morning at his home in Pasadena, Calif., his daughter, Roslyn said. He was 73.
Towler played with the Rams from 1950-55 after being selected in the 25th round of the 1950 draft following his career at Washington & Jefferson.
A 6-foot-2, 225-pounder, Towler gained 3,493 yards on 672 carries in 67 games for the Rams, and scored 43 touchdowns. He also caught 62 passes for 665 yards. He was a member of the Rams' renowned "Bull Elephant Backfield" with Dick Hoerner and Paul "Tank" Younger.