Bucs' Galloway and Hilliard examples of older WRs excelling

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Bucs' Galloway and Hilliard examples of older WRs excelling

By Jeffri Chadiha
ESPN.com
(Archive)

Updated: December 4, 2007

nfl_g_galloway_580.jpg
Brian Bahr/Getty Images
Joey Galloway (left) and Ike Hilliard have led Tampa Bay's turnaround from a 4-12 team last season. Galloway, 35, and Hilliard, 31, are defying the odds against receivers getting better as they age.

Tampa Bay wide receivers Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard made a vow during the offseason that they've managed to keep through 12 games this year.

The Bucs posted a 4-12 record and both players knew they couldn't take any more of those seasons. The 35-year-old Galloway and 31-year-old Hilliard had to do whatever it took to help Tampa Bay start winning.

"We knew we were privileged to still be around because receivers usually don't last this long in this league," Hilliard says. "So we decided that we were going to do our best to get this thing turned around. As long as we were going to be here together, we figured that's what we had to do."

The Bucs haven't just changed their fortunes. They've firmly entrenched themselves in first place in the NFC South with an 8-4 record that partly can be explained by the efforts of Galloway and Hilliard. Tampa Bay's receiving duo has been steady and reliable, and they've proven that being past one's prime isn't an excuse for a lack of production.

In fact, Galloway and Hilliard are representative of what's been happening around the league this season; a handful of receivers in the 30-and-over crowd have enjoyed stellar years.

New England's Randy Moss, who will be 31 in February, has proven that his skills haven't eroded now that he's past his 20's. Terrell Owens has been putting on a show in Dallas even though he turns 34 on Friday. Donald Driver and Derrick Mason -- both nearing 33 -- are also past the 70-catch mark.

Seattle's Bobby Engram, who turns 35 in January and spent last season as a fourth option in Seattle's offense, is on pace for the best season of his 12-career with a team-high 72 receptions.

Still, no team has asked more of two starting receivers over the age of 30 this year than Tampa Bay. Galloway apparently hasn't lost any of his mercurial speed as the years have passed. Right now he's the oldest receiver among the top 15 players in receiving yards (he has 891) and he just torched New Orleans for seven receptions and 159 yards last Sunday. Galloway has 49 receptions and his yards-per-catch average (18.2) ranks second only to Houston's Andre Davis (18.3) in the league overall.

Hilliard, on the other hand, is the quiet possession guy. His career was thought to be fading away when the New York Giants asked him to take a pay cut and a demotion three years ago. All he's done this season is lead the Bucs with 55 receptions.

This isn't just about talent, however. It's about two old receivers finding the right coach at the right time in their respective careers. It's already well known what Bucs coach Jon Gruden can do with older quarterbacks but he's also at his best with older wideouts.

Irving Fryar was 33 years old when he enjoyed his best years under Gruden when the coach was an offensive coordinator for the Eagles in the mid-1990's. Gruden also had Tim Brown and Jerry Rice in Oakland when both were in the twilight of their careers and he helped 33-year-old Keenan McCardell produce an 84-catch, 1,174-yard season in Tampa Bay during the 2003 campaign.

The point here is that Gruden doesn't worry much about age. He cares mostly about players knowing how to operate in his offense.

"Gruden has had a lot of success with veteran guys because he can trust them to pick up his system," Hilliard says. "He also throws so many shifts at teams and he uses so much motion that he forces defenses to get into certain coverages that create matchups we can take advantage of. Every time we go out, he has a game plan that gets the best out of us."

Galloway adds that Gruden has learned how to handle players of an advanced age. When Galloway first arrived in Tampa Bay following a trade with Dallas in 2004, both he and Gruden were so thrilled to be together that they spent hours chatting about the best ways to utilize Galloway's electric speed. In fact, Galloway worked himself to the point that he tore his groin and eventually missed six games. Ever since then, Galloway has taken Wednesdays off during the regular season so he can keep his legs fresh for Sundays.

Since Galloway already takes immaculate care of his body in the offseason, that extra rest has been invaluable. He's averaged 1,172 receiving yards in his last two seasons and he's about to post three consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns for the first time in his 13-year career.

And this is a guy who also has two torn anterior cruciate ligaments in his medical history.

"Jon has done a good job with my schedule," Galloway says. "The season is so long that it can be a grind. Besides, he realizes that it's more about the mental side of the game than the physical side at this stage of my career."

Both Galloway and Hilliard also give credit to the presence of quarterback Jeff Garcia for their success this season, but it's hard to not see this as a beneficial setup for all involved. Backup Luke McCown actually filled in for an injured Garcia in that win over New Orleans and threw for 313 yards on 29-of-37 passing.

You don't do that without receivers who can deliver. And Hilliard and Galloway have proven to be as dependable as they come.

Of course, they probably won't get their just due unless Tampa Bay goes deep into the playoffs. When Moss and Owens have the kind of years they're enjoying, it's impossible for most other receivers to get noticed.

But Galloway and Hilliard are also at that stage of their careers at which notoriety doesn't mean as much as it once did. They've helped turn the Bucs back into contenders again. That is more than enough to keep them happy at their age.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=chadiha_jeffri&id=3140908
 
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