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Three weeks after an appendectomy, Bengals right guard Bobbie Williams pronounced himself "102 percent" for the game Sunday against the Oakland Raiders. He might wish his ears were zero percent. That’s because he’ll line up against defensive tackle Warren Yapp, er, Sapp. Sapp might be at the tail end of his career, but his mouth will never stop. "He’s going to be talking even when he’s retired," said Williams, who as a Philadelphia Eagle faced Sapp with Tampa Bay. "That’s what he does. It’s part of his game.
"You take it for what it’s worth, but you can’t let it get you out of your game." Williams is an easygoing guy, always quick with a hearty chuckle. He won’t try to match Sapp’s mouth. "Not at all," he said. "What you see is what you get. I look and I smile and then I go back to work." Sapp and Williams could have been teammates. As a free agent in 2004, Sapp thought he was coming to Cincinnati. "They snatched the offer off the table," Sapp said in a conference call with Bengals media. "I called back in 57 minutes and they took the offer off the table. They said they were bidding against themselves." Bengals coach Marvin Lewis had no desire to explain what happened. "That’s old news," he said. If Sapp retains any bitterness, he is keeping it to himself. He said he won’t have extra motivation Sunday. After all, it’s not the first time Sapp has faced rejection. Reports of a failed drug test caused him to fall to 12 th in the 1995 draft when he was expected to be among the first few picks. "I learned a long time ago, about 12 years ago, that people have a tendency to pick what they think they need or what fits their situation better," he said. "I guess I didn’t fit their situation." Perceived to have slipped as a player in recent years, Sapp has shown with his seven sacks this year his tank is not empty. "He’s not the old Warren Sapp, but he’s still one of the premier pass-rushers in the league," Williams said. Given his ultra-competitive nature, it’s easy to imagine Sapp being miserable on a 2-10 team. But he said he endures by concentrating on each down and each game and in setting an example for younger teammates. Raiders coach Art Shell described him as a "true treasure" for his team. "He’s like a coach out on the field," Shell said. "He’s helping these young guys learn how to play defensive line. "He’s teaching them technique. He also goes to the offensive linemen and talks to them about things they’re doing that will help their games. He’s a very good person to have on our team." McNeal faces added charge
Receiver Reggie McNeal’s scheduled court date yesterday in Houston on charges of resisting arrest was postponed until Tuesday.
McNeal also will face an additional charge of possession of a dangerous drug after police found him with Promethazine, a prescription antihistamine. The new charge is a Class A misdemeanor.
Columbus Disptach http://columbusdispatch.com/bengals/bengals.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/09/20061209-E3-01.html |
