Mr Cowboy
06-23-2004, 07:41 PM
June 23, 2004
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) -- Running back Troy Hambrick knew it was time to leave the Dallas Cowboys.
``I didn't feel that energy when I walked in the door anymore,'' he said Wednesday after his first minicamp practice with the Oakland Raiders.
The man who replaced Emmitt Smith in Dallas was waived this spring after a talk with coach Bill Parcells led Hambrick to start skipping offseason conditioning workouts. He wanted a fresh start, and three days after hitting the free agent market, Hambrick was signed by the Raiders to compete with Tyrone Wheatley, Justin Fargas and Amos Zereoue for the starting tailback job.
ADVERTISEMENT
``He is a very physical back with good vision,'' Raiders coach Norv Turner said. ``He's not in as good of condition as we'd like him to be. He needs to have a great month.''
Hambrick, who rushed for a career-best 972 yards and five touchdowns last season, but averaged just 3.5 yards per carry, said Turner doesn't have to worry about him. He did miss Tuesday's practice for personal reasons, but Hambrick said he has hired a personal trainer and will come to training camp in top shape.
``And it's not like if I ran some more right now, I would die on him on the field or anything,'' Hambrick said.
Oakland lost starting running back Charlie Garner to Tampa Bay through free agency, and Turner would like one back to emerge and take 250 to 300 handoffs.
Wheatley is the favorite. He ran for 678 yards on 159 carries (4.3 average) last season and Turner said he has had ``a very good offseason.'' Turner also praised Wheatley's ``great quickness in the hole.''
Fargas ran for 203 yards on 40 carries (5.1 average) and Zereoue ran for 433 yards on 132 carries (3.3) before Pittsburgh waived him after signing Duce Staley.
All but Wheatley are in Alameda for this three-day minicamp. Veteran players over the age of 30 were unofficially given the week off so the younger players could get an intensive crash course with the playbook.
Turner is looking forward to a spirited battle.
``We have a bunch of guys who see themselves as starting tailbacks,'' Turner said. ``It will work itself out when we get to camp.''
Hambrick never became the man in Dallas and his time was up when the Cowboys selected running back Julius Jones in the second round this year. He had taken the No. 1 tailback job last summer after Dallas released all-time NFL rushing leader Smith for salary cap reasons.
Hambrick started all 16 games in 2003, carrying 275 times for 972 yards and catching 17 passes for 99 yards. But his 3.5-yard average was one of the lowest among NFL rushers with more than 800 yards.
``It was hard replacing Emmitt because I didn't have Emmitt Smith's offensive line or Emmitt Smith's quarterback,'' Hambrick said.
He also said reports Parcells didn't want him anymore are false. He was waived because he wanted a fresh start and missed workouts to force Parcells' hand.
``After last season, I went to Parcells to ask him, `Where do I stand?' `` Hambrick said. ``And he gave me my props and said maybe the team was going to go with a smaller back. Then, when they drafted a running back, I figured maybe it was time to go.''
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) -- Running back Troy Hambrick knew it was time to leave the Dallas Cowboys.
``I didn't feel that energy when I walked in the door anymore,'' he said Wednesday after his first minicamp practice with the Oakland Raiders.
The man who replaced Emmitt Smith in Dallas was waived this spring after a talk with coach Bill Parcells led Hambrick to start skipping offseason conditioning workouts. He wanted a fresh start, and three days after hitting the free agent market, Hambrick was signed by the Raiders to compete with Tyrone Wheatley, Justin Fargas and Amos Zereoue for the starting tailback job.
ADVERTISEMENT
``He is a very physical back with good vision,'' Raiders coach Norv Turner said. ``He's not in as good of condition as we'd like him to be. He needs to have a great month.''
Hambrick, who rushed for a career-best 972 yards and five touchdowns last season, but averaged just 3.5 yards per carry, said Turner doesn't have to worry about him. He did miss Tuesday's practice for personal reasons, but Hambrick said he has hired a personal trainer and will come to training camp in top shape.
``And it's not like if I ran some more right now, I would die on him on the field or anything,'' Hambrick said.
Oakland lost starting running back Charlie Garner to Tampa Bay through free agency, and Turner would like one back to emerge and take 250 to 300 handoffs.
Wheatley is the favorite. He ran for 678 yards on 159 carries (4.3 average) last season and Turner said he has had ``a very good offseason.'' Turner also praised Wheatley's ``great quickness in the hole.''
Fargas ran for 203 yards on 40 carries (5.1 average) and Zereoue ran for 433 yards on 132 carries (3.3) before Pittsburgh waived him after signing Duce Staley.
All but Wheatley are in Alameda for this three-day minicamp. Veteran players over the age of 30 were unofficially given the week off so the younger players could get an intensive crash course with the playbook.
Turner is looking forward to a spirited battle.
``We have a bunch of guys who see themselves as starting tailbacks,'' Turner said. ``It will work itself out when we get to camp.''
Hambrick never became the man in Dallas and his time was up when the Cowboys selected running back Julius Jones in the second round this year. He had taken the No. 1 tailback job last summer after Dallas released all-time NFL rushing leader Smith for salary cap reasons.
Hambrick started all 16 games in 2003, carrying 275 times for 972 yards and catching 17 passes for 99 yards. But his 3.5-yard average was one of the lowest among NFL rushers with more than 800 yards.
``It was hard replacing Emmitt because I didn't have Emmitt Smith's offensive line or Emmitt Smith's quarterback,'' Hambrick said.
He also said reports Parcells didn't want him anymore are false. He was waived because he wanted a fresh start and missed workouts to force Parcells' hand.
``After last season, I went to Parcells to ask him, `Where do I stand?' `` Hambrick said. ``And he gave me my props and said maybe the team was going to go with a smaller back. Then, when they drafted a running back, I figured maybe it was time to go.''