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Raiders' rookie accustomed to hype
It took only one play in high school for Huff's star to start shining
By Steve Corkran
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
ALAMEDA - Michael Huff's collegiate career at the University of Texas ended with people wondering if there is anything he can't do on a football field. He played every secondary position, returned kicks, blocked kicks, whatever coaches asked him to do.
If people only knew how far he had traveled to get to that point.
Four years earlier, Huff arrives at the school's campus in Austin, confident but uncertain what awaits him. His father, Michael, is there to temper any unrealistic expectations.
"When his father dropped him off he said, 'Coach, Michael is really fast, but he's not a great football player. See what you can do with him,' " recalled Duane Akina, the co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Texas.
It isn't long before Akina realizes there isn't much Huff can't accomplish. Huff developed into an instant starter his freshman season and remained a starter through Texas' final game, a Rose Bowl victory over Southern Cal for the national championship in January.
A little more than three months later, the Raiders selected Huff at No. 7 in the first round of the NFL draft. Today, he is right back where he was when he arrived at the University of Texas, draped by lofty expectations and the subject of much hype.
Huff is hesitant to make any bold predictions about the impact he'll have on the Raiders. His sole focus is to be prepared for whatever they throw his way and rely upon his immense athletic talent to make that a reality.
To that end, Huff has been preparing for this moment since his Texas career ended.
Most of his college teammates attended a ceremony at the White House in their honor on Valentine's Day. While they hammed it up with President Bush, Huff worked out in Tempe, Ariz.
"He will gain his respect from the veterans, from everybody, because of who he is ... ," Akina said. "The Oakland fans, coaches, everybody, is going to love him."
No one loves Huff more than his mother, Birdie King. She was so protective of the lone child she had with his father that she refused to let him play football when it first sparked his interest.
"He was 9 years old and he wanted to play," King said from her home in Irving, Texas, a short distance from Texas Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. "When he asked, I told him the team was full."
In reality? "I kind of lied to him," she confessed. "I didn't want my baby to get hurt."
King had no recourse but to give in the next year, when Huff learned that his Little League coach also coached the youth football team.
"I couldn't tell that story again," King said.
Huff dabbled in football, baseball, basketball and track well into high school. His mother envisioned her son being a baseball player.
Huff was unsure which sport he wanted to pursue, so much so that he turned down a spot on the Nimitz High School varsity football team his sophomore year so he could play more on the junior varsity.
He got summoned to the varsity once the playoffs started that season. Huff thought he was there as a reward for his play on the junior varsity. His coaches had other ideas.
Late in a playoff game at Texas Stadium against The Colony High School, Huff got sent in as an extra wide receiver. Run a post route, his quarterback instructed him.
Huff used his sprinter's speed to blow past the defender, caught the ball and turned the play into a game-tying touchdown. Huff didn't play the rest of the game. Nimitz won the game in double overtime.
One play, one touchdown, a star is born.
"That is when I realized that I could play football at a high level," Huff said. "That was the turning point."
Some so-called experts criticized the Raiders for taking Huff instead of a quarterback, with Southern Cal's Matt Leinart and Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler still available.
After all, the Raiders lack a marquee quarterback, and safeties usually don't go in the top 10. Huff is only the third safety drafted with a top-10 selection since 1991 -- the Dallas Cowboys took Roy Williams at No. 8 in 2002 and the Washington Redskins snared Sean Taylor at No. 5 in 2004.
Yet, the decision to pick Huff was made by Raiders managing general partner Al Davis three weeks or so before the draft, according to a person in the front office.
Huff clocked a blazing 4.34-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine in Indianapolis in February. Davis craves speed. The Raiders needed a replacement for departed veteran defensive back Charles Woodson.
Huff grew up imitating Michael Jackson in song and dance. To this day, he still owns every Jackson album and video, his mother says. Yet, when it comes to football, Huff patterns himself after Woodson.
He called Woodson soon after getting drafted to ask permission if he could wear the No. 24 jersey Woodson donned from 1998-2005. Woodson consented. He also made himself available to Huff if he ever needs advice.
Fortunately for the Raiders, Huff differs from Woodson in many ways. Woodson disdained practicing, watching videotape of games and lifting weights. Not Huff.
"He had a work ethic about him and he really worked on mentally seeing the game," Akina said. "He came in with great track times, had great physical size, but he wasn't a polished physical player. He was smart enough to look at it on tape and understand it. ... If he doesn't get it the first time, he's going to work harder at it. You're going to know he's giving you his best shot."
The Raiders already are seeing many of the things that Akina and the other Texas coaches did for four years. It's enough to make fans salivate over the prospect of the Raiders finding a stud safety for the first time since Rod Woodson retired in 2003.
"He'll come in and help us right away with his ability to play the position of safety who also has the ability to be a coverage guy for us," Raiders coach Art Shell said.
Is there anything he can't do?
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/sports/football/nfl/oakland_raiders/14522659.htm
It took only one play in high school for Huff's star to start shining
By Steve Corkran
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
ALAMEDA - Michael Huff's collegiate career at the University of Texas ended with people wondering if there is anything he can't do on a football field. He played every secondary position, returned kicks, blocked kicks, whatever coaches asked him to do.
If people only knew how far he had traveled to get to that point.
Four years earlier, Huff arrives at the school's campus in Austin, confident but uncertain what awaits him. His father, Michael, is there to temper any unrealistic expectations.
"When his father dropped him off he said, 'Coach, Michael is really fast, but he's not a great football player. See what you can do with him,' " recalled Duane Akina, the co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Texas.
It isn't long before Akina realizes there isn't much Huff can't accomplish. Huff developed into an instant starter his freshman season and remained a starter through Texas' final game, a Rose Bowl victory over Southern Cal for the national championship in January.
A little more than three months later, the Raiders selected Huff at No. 7 in the first round of the NFL draft. Today, he is right back where he was when he arrived at the University of Texas, draped by lofty expectations and the subject of much hype.
Huff is hesitant to make any bold predictions about the impact he'll have on the Raiders. His sole focus is to be prepared for whatever they throw his way and rely upon his immense athletic talent to make that a reality.
To that end, Huff has been preparing for this moment since his Texas career ended.
Most of his college teammates attended a ceremony at the White House in their honor on Valentine's Day. While they hammed it up with President Bush, Huff worked out in Tempe, Ariz.
"He will gain his respect from the veterans, from everybody, because of who he is ... ," Akina said. "The Oakland fans, coaches, everybody, is going to love him."
No one loves Huff more than his mother, Birdie King. She was so protective of the lone child she had with his father that she refused to let him play football when it first sparked his interest.
"He was 9 years old and he wanted to play," King said from her home in Irving, Texas, a short distance from Texas Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. "When he asked, I told him the team was full."
In reality? "I kind of lied to him," she confessed. "I didn't want my baby to get hurt."
King had no recourse but to give in the next year, when Huff learned that his Little League coach also coached the youth football team.
"I couldn't tell that story again," King said.
Huff dabbled in football, baseball, basketball and track well into high school. His mother envisioned her son being a baseball player.
Huff was unsure which sport he wanted to pursue, so much so that he turned down a spot on the Nimitz High School varsity football team his sophomore year so he could play more on the junior varsity.
He got summoned to the varsity once the playoffs started that season. Huff thought he was there as a reward for his play on the junior varsity. His coaches had other ideas.
Late in a playoff game at Texas Stadium against The Colony High School, Huff got sent in as an extra wide receiver. Run a post route, his quarterback instructed him.
Huff used his sprinter's speed to blow past the defender, caught the ball and turned the play into a game-tying touchdown. Huff didn't play the rest of the game. Nimitz won the game in double overtime.
One play, one touchdown, a star is born.
"That is when I realized that I could play football at a high level," Huff said. "That was the turning point."
Some so-called experts criticized the Raiders for taking Huff instead of a quarterback, with Southern Cal's Matt Leinart and Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler still available.
After all, the Raiders lack a marquee quarterback, and safeties usually don't go in the top 10. Huff is only the third safety drafted with a top-10 selection since 1991 -- the Dallas Cowboys took Roy Williams at No. 8 in 2002 and the Washington Redskins snared Sean Taylor at No. 5 in 2004.
Yet, the decision to pick Huff was made by Raiders managing general partner Al Davis three weeks or so before the draft, according to a person in the front office.
Huff clocked a blazing 4.34-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine in Indianapolis in February. Davis craves speed. The Raiders needed a replacement for departed veteran defensive back Charles Woodson.
Huff grew up imitating Michael Jackson in song and dance. To this day, he still owns every Jackson album and video, his mother says. Yet, when it comes to football, Huff patterns himself after Woodson.
He called Woodson soon after getting drafted to ask permission if he could wear the No. 24 jersey Woodson donned from 1998-2005. Woodson consented. He also made himself available to Huff if he ever needs advice.
Fortunately for the Raiders, Huff differs from Woodson in many ways. Woodson disdained practicing, watching videotape of games and lifting weights. Not Huff.
"He had a work ethic about him and he really worked on mentally seeing the game," Akina said. "He came in with great track times, had great physical size, but he wasn't a polished physical player. He was smart enough to look at it on tape and understand it. ... If he doesn't get it the first time, he's going to work harder at it. You're going to know he's giving you his best shot."
The Raiders already are seeing many of the things that Akina and the other Texas coaches did for four years. It's enough to make fans salivate over the prospect of the Raiders finding a stud safety for the first time since Rod Woodson retired in 2003.
"He'll come in and help us right away with his ability to play the position of safety who also has the ability to be a coverage guy for us," Raiders coach Art Shell said.
Is there anything he can't do?
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/sports/football/nfl/oakland_raiders/14522659.htm