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Big hits or not, Green is ready
Edwards expects his starting QB's biggest challenge to be jitters
By Tully Corcoran
The Capital-Journal
At some point Sunday, Warren Sapp or Derrick Burgess or Michael Huff is going to hit Trent Green.
Green will hit the turf, the crowd will gasp. Mothers will cover the eyes of their children.
Then, with any luck, Green will arise, return to the huddle and call another play.
"I think once he gets the snap from center and he goes back and it's a pass and he sets up in the pocket, if he gets knocked down, you'll go, `OK, that's done,' " Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said. "He might go out there and hit somebody himself just to get it over with."
Green says because of the medical treatment he's received and caution he's taken, his head, which suffered a severe concussion in Week 1 during a violent collision between Bengals defensive end Robert Geathers' shoulder pad and the Arrowhead turf, is at no greater injury risk than it was entering the Bengals game.
Knowing that has eased his nerves as he faces his first live defense in half a season.
""I don't anticipate having (fear) on Sunday," Green said. "Just because of some of the things I've been through early in my career. No, you can't play the position with fear, and I don't anticipate doing that."
Nonetheless, Edwards expects Green's biggest challenge Sunday will be overcoming the jitters.
"It's kind of like before opening day, all players get anxiety because it is opening day," Edwards said. "He has another opening day all of a sudden because he's missed a lot. He'll be excited, but he's a pretty calm guy. He will have butterflies, obviously, and be excited."
In the interim eight weeks, reserve Damon Huard was so efficient, Edwards was running out of adjectives to describe his play. All along Edwards said Green would regain his starting job as soon as he was healthy. Green trusted his coach, but it wouldn't have been the first time Green was injured and lost his job to a relatively unknown backup.
With the St. Louis Rams, Green blew out his knee in the 1999 preseason and former grocery boy Kurt Warner replaced him on an otherwise promising Rams squad. Warner, of course, won the league MVP award and led the Rams to a Super Bowl win. Green never played for St. Louis again.
"There's always concern, especially since it's happened to me before," Green said. "But I have confidence in what I do. I had confidence in myself in '99 that when I came back and had an opportunity to play, that I'd play well. It was nothing against Kurt. He played great, and obviously was the league MVP. But it didn't make me think any less of myself, and I think that's something you have to have."
There was much speculation around Kansas City regarding when, if and how Green would return. Some suggested Huard keep the job. Some suggested the Chiefs wait until the offensive line was healthy and others wondered if the Chiefs would split time between Huard and Green, just to be safe. In the end, Edwards decided to start Green the first game he was available.
"I feel more comfortable with the situation we're in now where I'm going to be starting the game where you get into a rhythm and get going," Green said. "I've never been a big fan of either splitting series or 'you take these two quarters and you take these two quarters'. I've never been a big fan of that. I like to come out of the tunnel for pregame warm-ups knowing that you're going to be the guy and the whole mental approach that you have is one that I'm very comfortable with."
http://cjonline.com/stories/111706/chi_green.shtml
Edwards expects his starting QB's biggest challenge to be jitters
By Tully Corcoran
The Capital-Journal
At some point Sunday, Warren Sapp or Derrick Burgess or Michael Huff is going to hit Trent Green.
Green will hit the turf, the crowd will gasp. Mothers will cover the eyes of their children.
Then, with any luck, Green will arise, return to the huddle and call another play.
"I think once he gets the snap from center and he goes back and it's a pass and he sets up in the pocket, if he gets knocked down, you'll go, `OK, that's done,' " Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said. "He might go out there and hit somebody himself just to get it over with."
Green says because of the medical treatment he's received and caution he's taken, his head, which suffered a severe concussion in Week 1 during a violent collision between Bengals defensive end Robert Geathers' shoulder pad and the Arrowhead turf, is at no greater injury risk than it was entering the Bengals game.
Knowing that has eased his nerves as he faces his first live defense in half a season.
""I don't anticipate having (fear) on Sunday," Green said. "Just because of some of the things I've been through early in my career. No, you can't play the position with fear, and I don't anticipate doing that."
Nonetheless, Edwards expects Green's biggest challenge Sunday will be overcoming the jitters.
"It's kind of like before opening day, all players get anxiety because it is opening day," Edwards said. "He has another opening day all of a sudden because he's missed a lot. He'll be excited, but he's a pretty calm guy. He will have butterflies, obviously, and be excited."
In the interim eight weeks, reserve Damon Huard was so efficient, Edwards was running out of adjectives to describe his play. All along Edwards said Green would regain his starting job as soon as he was healthy. Green trusted his coach, but it wouldn't have been the first time Green was injured and lost his job to a relatively unknown backup.
With the St. Louis Rams, Green blew out his knee in the 1999 preseason and former grocery boy Kurt Warner replaced him on an otherwise promising Rams squad. Warner, of course, won the league MVP award and led the Rams to a Super Bowl win. Green never played for St. Louis again.
"There's always concern, especially since it's happened to me before," Green said. "But I have confidence in what I do. I had confidence in myself in '99 that when I came back and had an opportunity to play, that I'd play well. It was nothing against Kurt. He played great, and obviously was the league MVP. But it didn't make me think any less of myself, and I think that's something you have to have."
There was much speculation around Kansas City regarding when, if and how Green would return. Some suggested Huard keep the job. Some suggested the Chiefs wait until the offensive line was healthy and others wondered if the Chiefs would split time between Huard and Green, just to be safe. In the end, Edwards decided to start Green the first game he was available.
"I feel more comfortable with the situation we're in now where I'm going to be starting the game where you get into a rhythm and get going," Green said. "I've never been a big fan of either splitting series or 'you take these two quarters and you take these two quarters'. I've never been a big fan of that. I like to come out of the tunnel for pregame warm-ups knowing that you're going to be the guy and the whole mental approach that you have is one that I'm very comfortable with."
http://cjonline.com/stories/111706/chi_green.shtml