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Charles Bricker | Sports Columnist
January 1, 2008
It was July 30, 2000, a day after rookie tight end Anthony Becht's first exhibition game for the New York Jets, and he couldn't have felt much better about the fat first-round contract he'd hard-balled out of Bill Parcells.
"I didn't block well, but I had three catches, one for a touchdown, and when I saw Parcells on the practice field walking toward me I figured he's going to high-five me," Becht recalled.
"What he told me was, 'If you ever block like that again, I'll send you back to West Virginia so fast you won't know what hit you.'"
Charles Bricker Charles Bricker Bio | E-mail | Recent columns
Thus began the most tension-filled year of Becht's NFL career and his one, unforgettable season with Parcells.
"I can say this," Becht said as he stood at his locker in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' locker room Monday: "There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't see him on the practice field, or the hallway or somewhere on the premises that he didn't let me know I wasn't doing enough.
"There wasn't a day I was comfortable, as far as just being able to mess around and have a good time."
And when it wasn't Parcells pushing him, driving him to reach his potential, it was his position coach, Ken Whisenhunt, who is now coach of the Arizona Cardinals.
"Every day we'd break up the tight ends meeting and Whisenhunt would hold me back. Then he'd tilt his head back and tell me, 'You're just not getting it done. We need more out of you. It's not just catching the ball. You've got to block and do other things.' You knew he was repeating what Parcells had told him.
"It was just a very uneasy time for me. There was no breathing room. But, from that year on, it molded me into what I am today."
What he is today is an eight-year player who is going to the playoffs for the fifth time. He hasn't been nearly the significant receiver he was in college, but if he's not the fastest elephant in the herd at 280 pounds, his hands are good and his blocking excellent.
Asked if he ever had a pleasant conversation with The Tuna, Becht broke into a wide smile.
"Once. It was before the draft and I'd taken my visit to the Jets. I walked into the weight room and Parcells was on the treadmill. He stopped, turned around and smiled at me.
"'Hey Becht, come here. I want to talk to you. I want to let you know we have you ahead of Bubba Franks [of the University of Miami] right now. I like what you do. You can catch, you can block. I like what you bring to the table. Are you going to be able to do that for me if we bring you here?'
"There was some giggling and laughing and I'm thinking, 'You know, this guy is not that bad.'"
Becht laughed again at the memory of that crazy assumption. "I'm sure it took a lot out of him to smile," he added, sardonically.
It was the only year in Parcells' 19 seasons as a head coach that he had absolute power over his club's football operation—the same authority Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga gave him 12 days ago. And Parcells had a record four first rounders in that very mediocre 2000 draft.
He took defensive end Shaun Ellis at No. 12, linebacker/defensive end John Abraham at No. 13, quarterback Chad Pennington at No. 18 and Becht at No. 27.
It's obvious that Becht admires Parcells, not in spite of the way he was treated in his rookie year but because of it. But he's not certain Parcells' gruff personality is still workable in the NFL.
"This is a tougher time for him to bring his coaching style into this league. I think it can still work, but it's just different times, different players, different mind-sets," said Becht. "Still, I think he can do it."
This is the final year of Becht's two-year deal with the Buccaneers. Could he see himself coming south to rejoin Parcells in 2008?
He grinned. "I am south," he replied. That was a great season he had with Parcells. I suspected he wasn't looking for a second.
Charles Bricker can be reached at cbricker@sun-sentinel.com
January 1, 2008
It was July 30, 2000, a day after rookie tight end Anthony Becht's first exhibition game for the New York Jets, and he couldn't have felt much better about the fat first-round contract he'd hard-balled out of Bill Parcells.
"I didn't block well, but I had three catches, one for a touchdown, and when I saw Parcells on the practice field walking toward me I figured he's going to high-five me," Becht recalled.
"What he told me was, 'If you ever block like that again, I'll send you back to West Virginia so fast you won't know what hit you.'"
Charles Bricker Charles Bricker Bio | E-mail | Recent columns
Thus began the most tension-filled year of Becht's NFL career and his one, unforgettable season with Parcells.
"I can say this," Becht said as he stood at his locker in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' locker room Monday: "There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't see him on the practice field, or the hallway or somewhere on the premises that he didn't let me know I wasn't doing enough.
"There wasn't a day I was comfortable, as far as just being able to mess around and have a good time."
And when it wasn't Parcells pushing him, driving him to reach his potential, it was his position coach, Ken Whisenhunt, who is now coach of the Arizona Cardinals.
"Every day we'd break up the tight ends meeting and Whisenhunt would hold me back. Then he'd tilt his head back and tell me, 'You're just not getting it done. We need more out of you. It's not just catching the ball. You've got to block and do other things.' You knew he was repeating what Parcells had told him.
"It was just a very uneasy time for me. There was no breathing room. But, from that year on, it molded me into what I am today."
What he is today is an eight-year player who is going to the playoffs for the fifth time. He hasn't been nearly the significant receiver he was in college, but if he's not the fastest elephant in the herd at 280 pounds, his hands are good and his blocking excellent.
Asked if he ever had a pleasant conversation with The Tuna, Becht broke into a wide smile.
"Once. It was before the draft and I'd taken my visit to the Jets. I walked into the weight room and Parcells was on the treadmill. He stopped, turned around and smiled at me.
"'Hey Becht, come here. I want to talk to you. I want to let you know we have you ahead of Bubba Franks [of the University of Miami] right now. I like what you do. You can catch, you can block. I like what you bring to the table. Are you going to be able to do that for me if we bring you here?'
"There was some giggling and laughing and I'm thinking, 'You know, this guy is not that bad.'"
Becht laughed again at the memory of that crazy assumption. "I'm sure it took a lot out of him to smile," he added, sardonically.
It was the only year in Parcells' 19 seasons as a head coach that he had absolute power over his club's football operation—the same authority Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga gave him 12 days ago. And Parcells had a record four first rounders in that very mediocre 2000 draft.
He took defensive end Shaun Ellis at No. 12, linebacker/defensive end John Abraham at No. 13, quarterback Chad Pennington at No. 18 and Becht at No. 27.
It's obvious that Becht admires Parcells, not in spite of the way he was treated in his rookie year but because of it. But he's not certain Parcells' gruff personality is still workable in the NFL.
"This is a tougher time for him to bring his coaching style into this league. I think it can still work, but it's just different times, different players, different mind-sets," said Becht. "Still, I think he can do it."
This is the final year of Becht's two-year deal with the Buccaneers. Could he see himself coming south to rejoin Parcells in 2008?
He grinned. "I am south," he replied. That was a great season he had with Parcells. I suspected he wasn't looking for a second.
Charles Bricker can be reached at cbricker@sun-sentinel.com
