In Da News 9/19/2007
Team Must Handle Success
In Constructive Fashion
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com
Posted 09/18/2007
The first time Head Coach Mike McCarthy said it, it raised a few eyebrows. He had just finished coaching his first NFL regular-season game. His team had just been thrashed, 26-0, by arch-rival Chicago. And one of McCarthy's comments toward the end of his post-game press conference last Sept. 10 was that the biggest challenge his team would face would be handling success. Come again? Well, it turned out McCarthy didn't have to be overly concerned about his team's ability to navigate some rough patches. The 2006 Packers battled back from a 1-4 start and a 4-8 record with a month to go to finish 8-8 and almost sneak into the NFC playoffs. "I think every football player that comes through these doors has a natural, survival mentality to overcome," McCarthy said this week. "I don't think they get to this level in professional sports without that. So for them to overcome adversity I think it's something a lot of them innately do." Now, at 2-0 to start 2007, the Packers will find out if they're just as adept at handling that bigger challenge, the one McCarthy claimed way back when. More >>
Related --
McCarthy trying to help young team handle success
Associated Press
GREEN BAY -- On the master list of things the Green Bay Packers have had to worry about over the past few years, letting success go to their heads probably ranked somewhere in between not selling enough No. 4 jerseys and running out of cheddar. Until now, that is. After their 35-13 road victory over the New York Giants on Sunday, the Packers are off to a surprising 2-0 start after losing four of their first five in each of the past three seasons. Now second-year coach Mike McCarthy is trying to keep his young players from getting caught up in their first taste of success in games that really matter -- a task he called "the toughest hurdle to handle in football." Especially with San Diego coming to town on Sunday. McCarthy said Monday that most of the professional-caliber athletes he has been around have a natural "survival mentality" that helps them overcome adversity. Success, he said, actually can be harder to handle. "My problems I've had with individuals as a position coach and as a coordinator have been handling success," said McCarthy, a former offensive coordinator in New Orleans and San Francisco. "That may be a big game, getting a national TV interview, a big contract. We were very conscientious of that, and we talk to our team about that a lot." More >>
Starting to see returns
Career finally kicks off for Williams
By LORI NICKEL / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Sept. 18, 2007
"I'm excited about Tramon. You have DeShawn (Wynn) back there, too, that's a nice complement. When Will Blackmon is ready, we'll also get him back there. Flexibility is important, you never have enough depth, and I'm just excited with what Tramon has done with his opportunities." -- Mike McCarthy
Green Bay - The search was on for a dynamic kick returner and just a couple of months ago the Green Bay Packers thought they might have found one in Will Blackmon. So it was a serious setback when Blackmon was sidelined in training camp with a fracture at the base of his thumb.In his place, the Packers threw in 5-feet-11 cornerback Tramon Williams, a practice squad guy a year earlier. Williams could have just been a plug until Blackmon's return. But so far, Williams has been way more than just a guy. More >>White's play extra special
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
GREEN BAY — You won't see folks wearing his jersey in the stands, unless maybe his family makes the trip from South Carolina and has a few custom made. You won't see him hosting a local TV show, or promoting a local car dealership or furniture store. No, odds are many of the Green Bay Packers' faithful — save for the hard-core, depth-chart aficionados — wouldn't even know who Tracy White was if the reserve linebacker and special teams ace hadn't recovered a fumble in each of the Packers' two victories to open this season. "A lot of the fans," White said this week, as the Packers (2-0) prepared for Sunday's measuring-stick game against the San Diego Chargers (1-1) at Lambeau Field, "they don't really see the big part special teams play in the game." Well, those who didn't do now. More >>
Published by PackerPundit On Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 5:29 AM.
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