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McFarland plans to let tackles speak for him

The former first-round pick isn't worried about closer scrutiny now that Brad Culpepper is gone.

By ERNEST HOOPER

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 23, 2000

TAMPA -- Bucs defensive tackle Anthony McFarland will take over for Brad Culpepper after the popular veteran was released Monday, but McFarland admits he won't be his equal in one category.

Talking.

While Culpepper was one of the most loquacious Bucs, McFarland produces concise, no-nonsense answers.

"You'll see me more than you'll hear me," McFarland said. "That's the way I've always been, and that's the way I'll stay."

As long as they see him a lot in the opponents' backfield, Bucs coaches won't have a problem with McFarland's quiet off-field demeanor. From every thing the team has seen in the preseason and off-season, they have no reason to believe McFarland won't be a force on the highly rated defense.

"He just kept getting better and better and better," defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin said. "Sometimes you draft a No. 1 draft pick and you hope he'll be that way. Sometimes you draft a No. 1 draft pick and they don't even show up all season the second year. A lot of (this decision) had to do with Anthony McFarland.

"Anthony McFarland had a tremendous off-season, starting back in March. Not that Brad didn't work hard too, but McFarland really is an outstanding football player. I think you'll see that."

Generally, players were surprised by the decision to let Culpepper go, but they also quickly added that McFarland has had an outstanding camp. Defensive end Steve White, who replaced starter Regan Upshaw last year and had a solid season, said McFarland is ready.

"Of course, it's going to be hard to replace a guy who has been around here for so long and has had a leadership position with this team for so long, but we have to do it," White said "Things like this happen in football.

"You have a guy who has been a real good player and has played through injuries and gave us his all on the field," White said. "(But McFarland) has come on very well, especially as far as pass rushing is concerned. The guy has got a real good motor and real good quickness. The guy has a likeness to (Warren) Sapp, and that's a real good comparison as far as I'm concerned."

McFarland attributed his success after a quiet rookie season to having a higher comfort level.

"I took the approach coming to camp that this is my second year and I felt a lot more comfortable with a lot of things, so now I had a chance to really compete," McFarland said. "Not that I wasn't competing last year, but I really had a good chance of competing this year. That's all I did. You really can't worry about all the intangibles, what's going to happen. You just go out and be the player you are, the guy you are, and that's what I did."

McFarland said he learned a lot from Culpepper but won't look back at what might have been if Culpepper had stayed. The coaches won't either, because of their confidence in McFarland and in third-year pro James Cannida, who will sub for McFarland when McFarland comes out or spells fellow tackle Warren Sapp.

Cannida, who was a sixth-round pick from Nevada, has eight tackles and a sack in three preseason games. That's more than McFarland (four tackles, one sack) and Culpepper (two tackles, no sacks) combined.

"My wife (Ieesha) told me to turn on the television and I was like "Wow,' " Cannida said of Culpepper's release. "It was the furthest thing away from what I thought would happen.

"They still have more moves to make, so I have to take it one day at a time and try to get through Kansas City first and try to see how everything takes place after that. I don't look at it as an automatic thing."

Cannida and McFarland recognize the level of scrutiny will be higher now that they have to fill a sizable void. And both are prepared to deal with the scrutiny.

"Sometimes life is not fair," said McFarland, who was the 15th overall pick. "Sometimes you just have to take things as they come. I really don't worry about pressure or worry about the eyes being one me. When you play at a school like LSU, the SEC, the eyes are on you every week. When you get drafted No. 1, the eyes are on you.

"Now, it's no different."

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