yonas
11-02-2006, 03:29 PM
Great article on our FS Marlon (mr. President) McCree. Feel good story, good to see Marlon getting what he deserves.
By Union Tribune writer: Kevin Acee
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/chargers/20061102-9999-1s2chargers.html
:Cheers:
Astute investment in safety Marlon McCree has paid off in big way
By Kevin Acee
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
November 2, 2006
SCOTT LINNETT / Union-Tribune
Through seven games, offseason acquisition Marlon McCree has rewarded the Chargers with proven leadership ability in the once-ragged secondary.
Marlon McCree went to look at houses last night.
He feels confident he is staying here awhile. Finally.
McCree has never been in an NFL city long enough, or with enough money, to invest in the local real estate.
I had become so accustomed to hearing all the 'but that' and 'but this' about myself, McCree said. I've been underrated year after year after year. They've always found a way to discount me.
No longer.
The Chargers made one significant free-agent signing this offseason, investing big money in a journeyman safety.
While the populace yawned, Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith and the defensive staff were thrilled with their coup. McCree was coming off a big season (and a bigger postseason) for the Carolina Panthers. And the Chargers had inside information (and the inside track) because defensive backs coach Brian Stewart had coached McCree in Houston.
Yes, he was undersized at 5 feet, 11 inches and 200 pounds. Yes, he had played for three teams in five seasons.
But this was a playmaker, the Chargers said. This was a leader, they said.
Through seven games wherein he has intercepted a pass, returned a fumble 79 yards for a touchdown and completely revamped a secondary's work ethic and on-field acumen it appears they were right.
A few weeks before the season, others on the defense had already noticed great improvement in the secondary. They quietly acknowledged the secondary was a mess in 2005, and they credited McCree with the turnaround.
The difference has so far manifested itself in the Chargers' pass defense being ranked sixth in the league, an improvement of 22 spots over the final ranking last season.
A playmaker
Free safety Marlon McCree has made big plays wherever he's played. A list of his stops:
Jacksonville (2001-03): Tied a franchise record with six interceptions in 2002.
Houston (2003-04): Set a team record with a 95-yard interception return.
Carolina (2005): Had two interceptions in his first playoff game (against the New York Giants).
Chargers (2006): His 79-yard fumble return last week was the third-longest in team history.
Note: In 2003, McCree was waived after playing two games with Jacksonville and was claimed by Houston.
McCree quickly introduced the idea of accountability and group film study to a young secondary. No one in that group denies there is ego to spare among the defensive backs, but with a mix of unrelenting fervor and genuine humility, McCree won them over. He is not afraid to call out a teammate and not slow to point out his own mistakes.
As a group we've grown up, cornerback Quentin Jammer said. In order to be the best, we've got to put our egos aside, and we've got to take direction from somewhere. Marlon came in and kind of took it upon himself to be that guy. The thing is, Marlon doesn't want to be in charge. Marlon wants everybody else to kind of do it. But he can't help himself. He's a natural leader.
Since Rodney Harrison was released following the 2002 season, some defensive players have opined that the lack of a veteran leader stunted the growth of Jammer, Drayton Florence and Terrence Kiel.
You've got to have that veteran, McCree acknowledged. I'm not comparing myself to Rodney Harrison, but I know my experience and my knowledge of the game have helped.
McCree projects a calm and confidence that suggests he has been in the league longer and that he has been more of a fixture. But that presence is actually the product of lessons learned while being unwanted.
It was at a minute past midnight on March 11 that McCree's career was validated, his life changed and he knew his reward was coming.
It was then, in the first moments of the free-agency period, that McCree's phone rang.
Jon Gruden was calling. A few minutes later, Marvin Lewis rang in.
What the coaches of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cincinnati Bengals both said, in essence, was that McCree should not take his scheduled trip to San Diego, that their team would beat any offer the Chargers made.
There, on the phone, in his bed, as McCree spoke with the two coaches, he was thinking, They can't be talking to me.
He had been a free agent a year earlier, and only Carolina had offered him a deal one year for $640,000.
I was begging people, he recalled.
After a year in which he went from third string in training camp to starter in the season's second game, intercepted three passes in the regular season and another two in the playoffs, McCree realized what got a man appreciated.
It all comes down to winning, he said. The No. 1 thing was, 'Where can I go and win right now?' I'd been on a 6-10 team where I had six interceptions and 85 tackles, and no one heard of me. Houston was 5-11 and 7-9, and no one heard of me. I go to Carolina, sign a one-year contract, started and we go to the NFC championship. One year later, the same teams that said, 'We'll pass' are calling me at 12:01.
Less than 24 hours into free agency, while at dinner with some of the defensive coaches, McCree got word from his agent that a deal with the Chargers was done. It was for five years and $16 million, about $6 million of that payable in the first 12 months.
The youngest of eight children of a single mom, a seventh-round draft pick, an NFL nomad, and now appreciated so much that he was a millionaire.
And a leader.
It was so gratifying, he said. I was finally starting to see the fruits of my labor. Words can't express how emotional it was. I was in disbelief. It's been a long journey. . . . I always wondered how my journeys in the NFL would pay dividends. And I think I'm starting to see it pay off.
Great article, and Im glad we have Marlon here in SD.
By Union Tribune writer: Kevin Acee
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/chargers/20061102-9999-1s2chargers.html
:Cheers:
Astute investment in safety Marlon McCree has paid off in big way
By Kevin Acee
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
November 2, 2006
SCOTT LINNETT / Union-Tribune
Through seven games, offseason acquisition Marlon McCree has rewarded the Chargers with proven leadership ability in the once-ragged secondary.
Marlon McCree went to look at houses last night.
He feels confident he is staying here awhile. Finally.
McCree has never been in an NFL city long enough, or with enough money, to invest in the local real estate.
I had become so accustomed to hearing all the 'but that' and 'but this' about myself, McCree said. I've been underrated year after year after year. They've always found a way to discount me.
No longer.
The Chargers made one significant free-agent signing this offseason, investing big money in a journeyman safety.
While the populace yawned, Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith and the defensive staff were thrilled with their coup. McCree was coming off a big season (and a bigger postseason) for the Carolina Panthers. And the Chargers had inside information (and the inside track) because defensive backs coach Brian Stewart had coached McCree in Houston.
Yes, he was undersized at 5 feet, 11 inches and 200 pounds. Yes, he had played for three teams in five seasons.
But this was a playmaker, the Chargers said. This was a leader, they said.
Through seven games wherein he has intercepted a pass, returned a fumble 79 yards for a touchdown and completely revamped a secondary's work ethic and on-field acumen it appears they were right.
A few weeks before the season, others on the defense had already noticed great improvement in the secondary. They quietly acknowledged the secondary was a mess in 2005, and they credited McCree with the turnaround.
The difference has so far manifested itself in the Chargers' pass defense being ranked sixth in the league, an improvement of 22 spots over the final ranking last season.
A playmaker
Free safety Marlon McCree has made big plays wherever he's played. A list of his stops:
Jacksonville (2001-03): Tied a franchise record with six interceptions in 2002.
Houston (2003-04): Set a team record with a 95-yard interception return.
Carolina (2005): Had two interceptions in his first playoff game (against the New York Giants).
Chargers (2006): His 79-yard fumble return last week was the third-longest in team history.
Note: In 2003, McCree was waived after playing two games with Jacksonville and was claimed by Houston.
McCree quickly introduced the idea of accountability and group film study to a young secondary. No one in that group denies there is ego to spare among the defensive backs, but with a mix of unrelenting fervor and genuine humility, McCree won them over. He is not afraid to call out a teammate and not slow to point out his own mistakes.
As a group we've grown up, cornerback Quentin Jammer said. In order to be the best, we've got to put our egos aside, and we've got to take direction from somewhere. Marlon came in and kind of took it upon himself to be that guy. The thing is, Marlon doesn't want to be in charge. Marlon wants everybody else to kind of do it. But he can't help himself. He's a natural leader.
Since Rodney Harrison was released following the 2002 season, some defensive players have opined that the lack of a veteran leader stunted the growth of Jammer, Drayton Florence and Terrence Kiel.
You've got to have that veteran, McCree acknowledged. I'm not comparing myself to Rodney Harrison, but I know my experience and my knowledge of the game have helped.
McCree projects a calm and confidence that suggests he has been in the league longer and that he has been more of a fixture. But that presence is actually the product of lessons learned while being unwanted.
It was at a minute past midnight on March 11 that McCree's career was validated, his life changed and he knew his reward was coming.
It was then, in the first moments of the free-agency period, that McCree's phone rang.
Jon Gruden was calling. A few minutes later, Marvin Lewis rang in.
What the coaches of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cincinnati Bengals both said, in essence, was that McCree should not take his scheduled trip to San Diego, that their team would beat any offer the Chargers made.
There, on the phone, in his bed, as McCree spoke with the two coaches, he was thinking, They can't be talking to me.
He had been a free agent a year earlier, and only Carolina had offered him a deal one year for $640,000.
I was begging people, he recalled.
After a year in which he went from third string in training camp to starter in the season's second game, intercepted three passes in the regular season and another two in the playoffs, McCree realized what got a man appreciated.
It all comes down to winning, he said. The No. 1 thing was, 'Where can I go and win right now?' I'd been on a 6-10 team where I had six interceptions and 85 tackles, and no one heard of me. Houston was 5-11 and 7-9, and no one heard of me. I go to Carolina, sign a one-year contract, started and we go to the NFC championship. One year later, the same teams that said, 'We'll pass' are calling me at 12:01.
Less than 24 hours into free agency, while at dinner with some of the defensive coaches, McCree got word from his agent that a deal with the Chargers was done. It was for five years and $16 million, about $6 million of that payable in the first 12 months.
The youngest of eight children of a single mom, a seventh-round draft pick, an NFL nomad, and now appreciated so much that he was a millionaire.
And a leader.
It was so gratifying, he said. I was finally starting to see the fruits of my labor. Words can't express how emotional it was. I was in disbelief. It's been a long journey. . . . I always wondered how my journeys in the NFL would pay dividends. And I think I'm starting to see it pay off.
Great article, and Im glad we have Marlon here in SD.