Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 26, 1994 TAG: 9407270061
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The former Division I-AA All-American at VMI, in the first week of training camp, is no more certain about his NFL future than he was in past Julys. After all, it's the fifth consecutive summer he's working for a different head coach.
``I'm a little puzzled right now,'' Stock said Monday during the first week of training camp in preparation for what he hopes will be his fourth NFL season. ``I've kind of been pinched off to the side. I guess that's because I wasn't able to work in the spring and summer.
``It's so early in camp, I suppose I'm just waiting for the chips to fall. Last year was disappointing, really disappointing. This is just puzzling.''
When the heralded ``Posse'' receiving trio rode off into the Washington sunset, Stock's future seemed somewhat secure with the Redskins. He wouldn't be a star, but he was reliable, glue-fingered, one of the fastest players on the team and could be quite special on special teams.
Gary Clark, Art Monk and Ricky Sanders are history, but Stock's stock has sunk because an injured left hamstring kept him out of the club's first minicamp under new coach Norv Turner and then some summer work.
When Turner and his staff arrived and watched film, Stock was considered the third wideout, behind free-agent signee Henry Ellard - who ranks 12th all-time in NFL catches - and Desmond Howard.
Now, third-round rookie Tydus Winans and Stephen Hobbs also play in front of Stock, and Stock's one-time Keydets teammate, Gregory Clifton, is on his heels as the fifth receiver.
``I have no idea, to tell you the truth, how many receivers they'll keep,'' said Stock, 28. ``I'm certain I'll be here. I think I can be in the top three, but getting as few reps [plays] as I am, that's tough to do.''
Counting his last season at VMI (1988) and a spring in the World League with Sacramento, Stock is learning his seventh different offensive system. He's hoping his special-teams grit will help him, but he thought that would be the case last year, too.
Instead, in a 4-12 beginning and end for coach Richie Petitbon, Stock made the Redskins' 53-man roster, but was placed on the inactive list for 13 games. His game-to-game status was often doomed because the injury-torn offensive line needed bodies.
Stock's three-game totals? Two tackles on punt coverage and one play at wide receiver.
That followed a 1992 season he spent on the NFL's physically unable to perform list when an injured right hamstring kept him out of training camp and more. He was the final cut by Green Bay in '91. He last caught an NFL pass in the 1989 playoffs as a rookie for Pittsburgh, for which he was a sixth-round draft pick.
The frustration is as obvious on Stock's face as his goatee - yes, a VMI man with facial hair - and he admits the new coaching staff ``may already have in mind who they want to play.''
That group doesn't seem to include him.
``There are a bunch of guys fighting for jobs,'' said Terry Robiskie, who coaches the Redskins' receivers. ``We haven't talked about how many receivers we'll keep. It's early.
``Mark is certainly not behind mentally. He knows what we're doing. All of our receivers right now need to do the same thing - catch the ball. It's timing. It's concentration.
``When we saw Mark on film, we saw someone who worked hard, who was tough and aggressive. He gets after it.''
The difficulty for Stock is he hasn't been given much of a chance to get after anything. He played little in Saturday's scrimmage against the Steelers.
``Seven years of never once having a consecutive offense to play, that makes it a case of having to prove myself over and over,'' he said. ``I know I can play in this league.''
And if Stock doesn't make this Washington squad? If he sees his opportunity not arriving, does he hope he'll be released early so he might find a job elsewhere?
``I'm not even thinking that far in advance,'' he said.
No matter what happens, Stock does have a measure of security. With his three seasons in the NFL, he's fully vested in the pension plan. Last season, as frustrating as it was, earned him that.
Now, Stock just wants to know where he stands, because during practice, he seems to be standing too much.
by CNB