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By DARRELL FRY, RICK STROUD and ROGER MILLS
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 21, 2001
TAMPA -- Keyshawn Johnson knows he still doesn't have a single catch in the preseason.
"I've got zero catches for zero yards and zero touchdowns," Johnson said. "Zero, zero, zero." He also thinks nothing of it.
Johnson said the Bucs are making a concerted effort to get him the ball and that will be more evident as he gets to play more, perhaps as early as Saturday when starters are expected to go three quarters against New England.
"They're trying to get the ball to me," Johnson said.
"There's nothing to worry about. I'm real confident in this situation with Clyde (Christensen) and what he's doing offensively. I couldn't say the same with (Les Steckel)."
Johnson caught two passes in the preseason opener against Miami. But one was ruled out of bounds and another nullified for an offsides penalty.
"I don't think we're struggling. We're missing a few things here and there," Johnson said. "You look at that first Monday night game, Brad (Johnson) was really 5-for-5. He hit me on the deep ball. My fault for going outside the numbers. If I'm a yard inside the numbers, I don't go a yard out of bounds. He hits me on third down, Frank Murphy is offsides. He hits Warrick (Dunn) a couple times on a checkdown. He hits Dave Moore and Dave drops it. That's 5-for-5 to me."
Johnson is eager to get more work in the final two preseason games when the Bucs begin concentrating on starters.
"If we play three or four quarters, I might see the ball," Johnson said. "We can't play nine plays or 10 plays. Last week, I had to beg (coach Tony) Dungy to let me go in with (Shaun) King to try and get a rhythm going."
STILL A WEEK AWAY: Mike Alstott said Monday he isn't going to test his injured left hamstring Saturday against New England.
He ran some pass patterns Monday and said the hamstring felt good. "I'm very happy with the progress," he said. "We're sticking with the game plan -- do a little more this week and then practice all next week and then play against Atlanta and then get ready for Dallas."
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Monday was the first day since training camp ended that the Bucs worked out at One Buc Place. "It is a little nice to be back and be in a normal routine," Dungy said. "I thought training camp was good. I think we're ready for one-a-day (practices) now and ready to really get into our game-type preparations." Practices are closed to the public.
COMINGS AND GOINGS: The Bucs claimed former Jacksonville punter Aron Langley, who was with Tampa Bay briefly as a free-agent in 1999, and cut punter Jason Malecki and receiver Margin Hooks.
HOWDY NEIGHBOR: The Bucs and South Florida coaching staffs have become quite friendly.
USF coaches have been guests at Bucs' training camps and practices last year and this year. And Bucs coaches have visited USF practices.
Bulls coach Jim Leavitt, who attended a recent Bucs training camp workout, said the Bucs staff sometimes shares thoughts on the game.
"It's all a credit to Tony Dungy," Leavitt said.
Bucs officials said the relationship has been mutually beneficial.
"It was a natural thing and it just kind of happened," director of player personnel Tim Ruskell said. "We both have been very open. We know each other on a first-name basis. It's working out for us. Obviously, we don't ever want there to be a talented kid over there that we don't know about."
REPORTING LIVE: Rookie tight end Dauntae Finger figures he's going to be around the NFL one way or the other.
Finger hosted sports-talk radio and television shows while at North Carolina, and hopes to parlay that into a career as a sports commentator if pro football doesn't work out.
Finger became interested in a sports broadcast career as a high school freshman when he saw Ahmad Rashad interviewing Michael Jordan on NBC's NBA Inside Stuff.
"That's probably the best job you can have in the world," Finger said. "It's the perfect job."