que41
Starter
- Joined
- May 10, 2004
- Messages
- 210
- Reaction score
- 0
By Greg A. Bedard
Thursday, August 12, 2004
DAVIE  It should have been the most exciting time of Kendall Newson's life.
The rookie wide receiver had made the Dolphins' practice squad last year and the regular-season opener was just days away. Newson was surrounded by players pumped up for a real game, but he couldn't get excited.
That's what 10 games in the NFL Europe league followed by a grueling training camp in the South Florida heat will do to you.
EMAIL THIS
PRINT THIS
POPULAR PAGES
"I was like, 'I can't really get excited for another season to be starting,' " Newson said.
Newson's three months with the Rhein Fire forced him to miss all of the Dolphins' off-season camps, so he arrived in Davie weary and confused.
"I didn't know enough with what I was doing out there, wasn't comfortable with it, wasn't into it as much," Newson said. "I was mentally tired and physically tired and it took a lot more to get up for the season."
Flash forward a year and Newson can't wait for the Sept. 12 opener against Tennessee. He's fresh and eagerly accepting the challenge to fill the void at No. 3 receiver since David Boston went down with a season-ending knee injury.
Newson has performed so well in camp the Dolphins are in no rush to sign a free-agent receiver.
"He has had a great off-season,'' coach Dave Wannstedt said. "He wasn't in NFL Europe, he was here the entire time. He has gained a lot of confidence. I know that (receivers coach) Jerry Sullivan really believes in him."
The Dolphins had enough faith in Newson last year to keep him around, but the former Jacksonville seventh-round draft pick was slow to develop.
"He really didn't play as well as we had hoped," Wannstedt said.
Newson's best chance to excel last season came in his home state. The Middle Tennessee State record holder for career receptions and yardage was activated in Week 9 against the Titans. His homecoming started perfectly, with two catches for 55 yards, but Newson later had a ball deflect off his hands for an interception as Tennessee dominated the Dolphins 31-7.
Newson played in five more games, but had no catches.
"I was in there but I wasn't mentally there to perform at a high level in the NFL," he said. "The game was going so fast and I was still trying to understand what the quarterback just said. You can't be in there like that. When you hit a play, you have to know what you have to do, get to the line and run it. Last year wasn't like that."
This year, the Dolphins need Newson to come through.
"I understand that I have to prove myself," he said. "I know that more things are expected of me, and I'm ready to prove to the other players and the coaches around me that I can play this game."
Larry Fedora knows Newson can succeed. Fedora, now the offensive coordinator at Florida, was an assistant when Newson played at Middle Tennessee State.
"That kid is one of the hardest-working players I've ever been around," Fedora said. "There were times we had to put a couple of bags of fluid in him after practice. He keeps going until he can't go anymore. You won't find a player that practices harder than he does."
Newson's best friend, Jeremy Harts, has seen firsthand how hard Newson pushes himself.
"He's always been a hard worker," said Harts, who is a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates' Class AA team in Altoona, Pa. "I don't even like to work out with him because he likes to go two or three times longer than I do."
One year ago, Newson was dreading the start of the regular season. Now, he can't wait for Saturday night's pre-season opener against Jacksonville.
"There's no player on earth who practices good and can't do it in the game," Newson said. "It will come down to being comfortable, being confident, knowing what you're doing and not being fearful. Last year, I was none of those things. I wasn't comfortable or confident. I was fearful of going out there and making a mistake. I was so timid.
"This year I won't be timid. I'll be relaxed. I'll be calm. I know what I'm doing."
lets hope so
Thursday, August 12, 2004
DAVIE  It should have been the most exciting time of Kendall Newson's life.
The rookie wide receiver had made the Dolphins' practice squad last year and the regular-season opener was just days away. Newson was surrounded by players pumped up for a real game, but he couldn't get excited.
That's what 10 games in the NFL Europe league followed by a grueling training camp in the South Florida heat will do to you.
EMAIL THISPRINT THISPOPULAR PAGES "I was like, 'I can't really get excited for another season to be starting,' " Newson said.
Newson's three months with the Rhein Fire forced him to miss all of the Dolphins' off-season camps, so he arrived in Davie weary and confused.
"I didn't know enough with what I was doing out there, wasn't comfortable with it, wasn't into it as much," Newson said. "I was mentally tired and physically tired and it took a lot more to get up for the season."
Flash forward a year and Newson can't wait for the Sept. 12 opener against Tennessee. He's fresh and eagerly accepting the challenge to fill the void at No. 3 receiver since David Boston went down with a season-ending knee injury.
Newson has performed so well in camp the Dolphins are in no rush to sign a free-agent receiver.
"He has had a great off-season,'' coach Dave Wannstedt said. "He wasn't in NFL Europe, he was here the entire time. He has gained a lot of confidence. I know that (receivers coach) Jerry Sullivan really believes in him."
The Dolphins had enough faith in Newson last year to keep him around, but the former Jacksonville seventh-round draft pick was slow to develop.
"He really didn't play as well as we had hoped," Wannstedt said.
Newson's best chance to excel last season came in his home state. The Middle Tennessee State record holder for career receptions and yardage was activated in Week 9 against the Titans. His homecoming started perfectly, with two catches for 55 yards, but Newson later had a ball deflect off his hands for an interception as Tennessee dominated the Dolphins 31-7.
Newson played in five more games, but had no catches.
"I was in there but I wasn't mentally there to perform at a high level in the NFL," he said. "The game was going so fast and I was still trying to understand what the quarterback just said. You can't be in there like that. When you hit a play, you have to know what you have to do, get to the line and run it. Last year wasn't like that."
This year, the Dolphins need Newson to come through.
"I understand that I have to prove myself," he said. "I know that more things are expected of me, and I'm ready to prove to the other players and the coaches around me that I can play this game."
Larry Fedora knows Newson can succeed. Fedora, now the offensive coordinator at Florida, was an assistant when Newson played at Middle Tennessee State.
"That kid is one of the hardest-working players I've ever been around," Fedora said. "There were times we had to put a couple of bags of fluid in him after practice. He keeps going until he can't go anymore. You won't find a player that practices harder than he does."
Newson's best friend, Jeremy Harts, has seen firsthand how hard Newson pushes himself.
"He's always been a hard worker," said Harts, who is a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates' Class AA team in Altoona, Pa. "I don't even like to work out with him because he likes to go two or three times longer than I do."
One year ago, Newson was dreading the start of the regular season. Now, he can't wait for Saturday night's pre-season opener against Jacksonville.
"There's no player on earth who practices good and can't do it in the game," Newson said. "It will come down to being comfortable, being confident, knowing what you're doing and not being fearful. Last year, I was none of those things. I wasn't comfortable or confident. I was fearful of going out there and making a mistake. I was so timid.
"This year I won't be timid. I'll be relaxed. I'll be calm. I know what I'm doing."
lets hope so