Lendale White and an alleged Valentine's Day beating

Meeting Lendale White on a football field is likely a violent collision. And according to reports out of Denver, meeting him in traffic can be the same. A Colorado fender bender on February 14th apparently resulted in a heated exchange between the former Trojan and the driver of the other vehicle involved. The allegations claim that pushing and shoving became more violent when White began beating the other man with a belt and buckle. The victim, Leslie Joe Hoch, was treated at an area hospital for wounds suffered in the attack.

No arrests were made, and no charges were filed. After an investigation, the authorities concluded that the evidence contradicts the statements of the report. Both the Tennessee Titans and the NFL are aware of the incident, With Titans coach Jeff Fisher offering no comment. White was said to be in full cooperation with the police, as the investigation moved forward.

White plead guilty to a disturbing the peace charge last year, and is currently on probation.

Lendale White rumbles over hapless Lions

Lendale White doesn’t fear a microphone or hesitate to voice is displeasures. But of course, we already knew that, from his days at USC. As any other poster boy for disgruntled players would be, White was vocal in last weekend’s post-game interview that followed a 34-13 loss to the Jets, a game that gave the once perfect Titans their only blemish on the season. He was frustrated in carrying the ball just 3 times in 4 quarters of play, and alerted listeners and his coaching staff of his feelings. By midweek, most wondered if White had allowed his mouth to stuff him into Jeff Fisher’s doghouse, since it’s never a good idea to air dissensions between player’s and a coaching staff. Instead, Fisher said the topic had been discussed and there were no ill feelings between himself and White. And if anyone had speculations that Fisher’s statements were an attempt to cover up an incident possibly boiling in the Tennessee locker room, that was all squashed on Thursday, as both White and the Titans went back to the formula for success, drubbing the Lions 47-10.

Against the Lions, White ran for 106 yards on 23 carries, with a long of 25. He also contributed 2 touchdowns to tie Atlanta’s Michael Turner’s league leading 13. White had been the league leader in the category, until the lack of opportunities last weekend shut him out. Rookie Chris Johnson added another 125 yards on the ground against the hapless and helpless Lions, giving evidence of the franchise in Detroit being the NFL’s biggest turkey on Thanksgiving, and likely the worst team I’ve witnessed on a professional field. How bad are the Detroit Lions? Even Vince Young completed a 57 yard pass in this game, entering in relief of Kerry Collins.

Last week, Woody Paige of ESPN's "Around the horn" called White "another Denver loud mouth". He also said his mouth is the reason he fell in the NFL draft. I'd have to disagree with the latter. It was a question of work ethics that caused the slide. If it was about being a loud mouth, players like Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, and Chad Johnson wouldn't be worth much in a free agent market, and obviously they are. Lendale White may not be in the best shape, but there's no denying his production on the football field, something the teams picking before the Titans failed to foresee.

White Cassel: Not a burger story; or is it?

Lendale White is still physically larger than he needs to be, and his jersey still grips tightly around the burger patties in the middle, but the big guy can still rumble. USC’s all time leader in rushing touchdowns (52) has taken his end zone sniffing to the NFL. His Tennessee Titans are 6-0, and Lendale has 8 touchdowns in the six games played. 3 of those scores came on Sunday, including an 80 yard burst through the middle of Kansas City’s defense. He finished the game with 149 yards on 17 carries. As he was the thunder to Reggie Bush’s lightning as a Trojan, he maintains that role as a tandem with rookie running back Chris Johnson. White and Johnson combined for 317 rushing yards against the woeful Chiefs.

On Monday night, quarterback Matt Cassel passed for 3 touchdowns, as the Patriots rolled the Denver Broncos 41-7. Cassel was sacked 6 times in the game, an indication that he still holds the ball too long, trying to make something out of nothing. But if you’re keeping score, season stats and comparison look something like this:

Matt Cassel- 6 tds, 4 ints
Carson Palmer- 3 tds, 4 ints
Matt Leinart- 0 tds, 0 ints
J.D. Booty- 0 tds, 0 ints

Patience is a virtue.

DOH-mer Of The Week- Clash Of The Titans

We’ve had a week of Vince Young’s near nervous breakdown, with just about everyone coming out to speak in his behalf before he finally gave statements of his own, which in short said, “Everything’s cool with me.” Who am I to say things aren’t cool, despite what our media sources are making it out to be? He’s not even my DOH-mer, because I don’t know the facts of the situation, but he did face the embarrassment of an important lesson that went unlearned. Every male should know, once you reach adulthood, you should never allow your mommy to speak for you. It’s even worse when you play a contact sport against grown men trying with all their might to bring you pain, and your mom is using the media as her canvas and painting you as a b*tch. And for all you mothers out there reading this, take note. I know you spend the majority of your lives running to the defense of your little ones, but the last thing they need in their adult lives is a new crop of “Yo Momma” jokes generated by you and hurled in their direction.

My DOH-mer is even bigger than that story, because he helped create it. If you go back to the 2006 draft class, the Titans, picking in the third spot, had a choice of future quarterbacks for the franchise. The coaching staff didn’t want a quarterback from a one read passing offense, with a Wonderlic score equal to Karl’s of “Slingblade”. But the owner, Bud Adams, being a Houston man chose the hometown boy and put him in those Tennessee blues.

Now, before the Longhorns’ fans start jumping out of their seats with their “HOOK’EM”, and start talking about his “offensive rookie of the year” award, allow me to give a one word description. BULLSH**! Sure, he broke a rookie rushing record for quarterbacks that had stood since 1969, but the forward pass has come a long way since then. Yes, he took over the quarterbacking duties and his Titans went 8-5 in that stretch, but it appears the defense was the anchor to the ship. And yes, he made it to the Pro Bowl, by filling in for an injured Philip Rivers. How does a QB with a 66.7 passer rating get to Hawaii? That number ranked him 31st in the league, and only 31 QBs qualified for the ranking. That’s artificial excellence, which never lasts long. If you don’t believe me, ask the once cheered Rex Grossman about how short lived that excellence can be when your team underachieves. There honestly wasn't much to choose from in the 2006 offensive rookie class. It's not like anyone was giving an Adrian Peterson type performance.

The Titans made the wrong selection, and it didn’t stop there. There were other options. And though Matt Leinart is riding pine in Arizona behind a former NFL and Superbowl MVP, the difference is that Leinart would do anything to get on the field, while Young allegedly wants to get off. Being a franchise in Tennessee, where Vanderbilt just happens to be located, how could you not pick Jay Cutler? NFL scouts raved about him, and they were obviously correct. Cutler is the best quarterback of the 2006 draft class, and he's from your own backyard.

After the first f*** up, it got worse. With Young still not adapting to NFL defenses, the Titans were left with a choice, and they chose to fire offensive guru Norm Chow and make him the scapegoat. Chow has a successful track record of NFL quarterback production, but somehow that was overlooked, since Vince still couldn’t pick up a blitz or read coverage, and only think about those “French fried taters”. Then we hear the news about the police spending a couple of hours last week looking for the quarterback. But in Tennessee, coaches and fans have been in search of one for about 3 years now.

My DOH-mer now has a dilemma, the same as the management in San Francisco. He’s invested a ton of money in a franchise quarterback, but the franchise is moving on without him. If Kerry Collins is successful in the upcoming weeks, do you dare bench him when Young is healthy enough to return? Well, Collins is from Lebanon Pennsylvania and not Houston Texas….so, maybe?

Titans release Mike Williams

I’ve said it plenty times before, only to be wrong, but I’ll say it again. Mike Williams has appeared on his last NFL roster. If he finds another GM willing to give him a shot, it would surprise me. Although Mike was great at USC, he lacked development of personality and skills, when he dumped 2 years of college eligibility to fight the NFL and attempt to squeeze into the draft as a sophomore. Everything the NFL didn’t want in a wide receiver was found in Mike Williams. He was slow, had no hands, out of shape, and had a bad attitude. It’s remarkable that he was given this many chances, but not odd, when you consider all the coaches giving him a tryout after he left Detroit were linked to USC. Maybe the next stop can be Canada or coaching on a college sideline. He has the knowledge but not the skills and tools to succeed, so he can probably assist in the development of some younger talent.

Clueless…as if….

Matt Leinart admits he was clueless in camp last year, but I think his slump had already revealed that. Matt was clearly not the same quarterback that commanded the offense under Dennis Green. Ken Whisenhunt’s offense had a different look, and he appeared lost at the line. He claims he has a better perception this year, which will enable him to command the Cards offense again in '08. If the Arizona offensive line can block anyone, it would be pretty hard for any of their QBs to fail. The cards receiving corps is one of the best in the NFL, even with Boldin disgruntled about his contract.

Keary on…

Brandon Marshall is still facing a possible NFL suspension. If a suspension comes, Keary Colbert is in a great position to showcase his talent. Mike Shanahan has been singing Colbert praises, and the former Trojan may actually be a better fit with the Donks than he was in Carolina.

Smith down but not out….

Steve Smith is struggling with a groin injury in camp, but isn’t in any danger of sliding in position. Unlike earlier reports that Smith could be threatened by Mario Manningham, that no longer appears the case. Camp has been a struggle for Mario, as he struggles to find separation against defensive backs. One of those DBs is our own Terrell Thomas, who continues to perform well. Thomas locked down Manningham in the 2007 Rose Bowl, so why should it be a surprise in Giants camp.

Last Hoorah For Mike Williams?

It seems like yesterday that Mike Williams was clad in the cardinal and gold and wearing that No. 1 on his chest. The memories of spectacular catches and dominating performances are still fresh. By his sophomore year, Williams was averaging an unbelievable “1 touchdown for every 5 touches”. He was alerted by the Downtown Athletics club that he was in consideration for the Heisman Trophy. He was a first team all American and AP national champion, but quickly things changed.

After losing a battle with the NFL for early entry, Mike sat out an entire year from football, and still managed to become the 10th overall pick in the 2005 draft. That would become the highlight of his NFL career, as he has appeared on 4 different NFL rosters since entering the league. Mike Williams is a bust, but not without another chance. This upcoming season with the Tennessee Titans could possibly mark the last hoorah in the NFL tour of Michael Williams.

There’s a mutual respect between Titans coach Jeff Fischer and troubled receiver Mike Williams. Fischer, the Trojan grad, and Williams, the former Trojan star, are in a position where each needs the other. The Titans are desperately in need of targets for Vince Young, and Williams is in desperate need of keeping his job. Of all the rosters Mike has appeared on, this may be the most logical fit.

Tennessee represents the first playoff team for Williams, after struggling in Detroit and Oakland. It’s also a place without a true No. 1 receiver, as the Lions featured Roy Williams, and the Raiders split Porter out wide. There isn’t the pressure of comparison that often leads to criticism and disappointment. The Titans run a system where the passing game supports the run game, and not vice versa. They also feature a quarterback that struggles with accuracy, so the bigger the target, the better.

But before Williams could even take the field, Fischer laid out his expectations and demands. If Williams is going to continue to struggle with his weight and work ethics, he cannot be a part of this team. Williams arrived at the Titans OTA’s 30 pounds lighter, early, and ready to work. There is no more guessing. This is the last stop. It may have come 3 years late, but it seems as if Mike Williams has finally matured. “Now or never” situations are usually good for speeding along that process.

I believe a decision to try and force early entry into the NFL, that eventually cost him is college eligibility, is something that slowed his growth. But looking at his companion (Maurice Clarett) who also pushed the courts for sophomore entry, the house of busts is far better than that house of bars. There is no guarantee that Williams will make the Titans final cut or even survive the season, but I wish him the best for going out trying, rather than sitting back, as in years past, expecting automatic roster spots based on collegiate tape and statistics.

Thanks for the memories, Mike. Fight On!