THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, April 24, 1995 TAG: 9504240159
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Skin Notes
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ASHBURN, VA. LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
The Washington Redskins say they are so pleased with the Dexter Nottage Experiment that they decided to repeat it Sunday. That explains their decision to use a fifth-round pick for defensive end Rich Owens of Lehigh.
``A fun pick,'' is how general manager Charley Casserly described it.
Nottage hadn't played college football in two years, but the Redskins nabbed him in the sixth round of the 1994 draft. He wound up playing in 15 games, recording 34 tackles at end last season.
This offseason, Nottage has moved to Washington, grown to 290 pounds and assistant coach Bob Karmelowicz beams when he speaks of Nottage's future.
Owens is 6-foot-6 and just 255 pounds, though Karmelowicz predicts he'll be 278 pounds by the start of training camp in July. After two injury-plagued seasons, he played nine games at defensive end last season, recording 76 tackles and 10 sacks.
``He's got Kevin Carter's body, but he's another project,'' Karmelowicz said, referring to the University of Florida defensive end who was the sixth player selected overall. ``There's lots of want-to in him.''
Karmelowicz traveled to Bethlehem, Pa., last week to see Owens. He was awed by Owens' 35 1/2 vertical leap, 10'7'' broad jump, and a 4.66 40-yard dash that made the assistant coach question the accuracy of his equipment.
``There are times you've really got to shake the bushes,'' Karmelowicz said. ``He's raw. There are things he doesn't know he doesn't know. But if everything works out right, he has the athletic ability to go to the Pro Bowl. The other guys (who could have been drafted at that spot), maybe on their best day could get you through two or three games. This guy could be a starter.''
Owens hired an agent hoping to land a free-agent tryout. His being drafted was never considered.
``It's so hard to describe, coming from a school like Lehigh,'' said Owens. ``It's the last thing you expect to see. When I got that call, it was like, `Oh my God.' My hands still haven't stopped shaking.''
Owens, from inner-city Philadelphia, was recruited by several Division I-A schools, including Virginia, out of high school. But none offered an athletic scholarship and he opted for Lehigh, a Division I-AA school. Lehigh doesn't offer football scholarships, and he will graduate in a couple of weeks ``owing a lot of money.''
The league minimum salary is $138,000, making that debt soething he could take care of in no time if Karmelowicz's instincts prove correct.
WHAT'S MY LINE: The drafting of 6-5, 300-pound Brian Thure in the sixth round gives the Redskins hope for some depth at the most critical spot on the offensive line - tackle.
They need it, because line coach Jim Hanifan confirmed Sunday that last year's second-round pick, Tre' Johnson, is penciled in at right guard this season, with Ed Simmons staying beside him at tackle.
That wasn't supposed to be the way it worked out when Johnson was drafted a year ago. But Hanifan has determined that Johnson has a better chance to star at guard than outside at tackle, where his relatively short arms are a drawback.
``We started working him there two weeks and he has all the earmarks to be a hellacious guard,'' Hanifan said. ``His pulling ability, his trapping ability. He's immensely strong and he has a lot of quickness. He can play tackle, but I'd really like to put him at right guard and get the ball rolling on his career.''
Some experts think Thure projects better at guard than tackle. Hanifan disagrees, at least at the beginning of the evaluation process.
``We liked his quickness, he runs well, he's an aggressive kid, and he possesses a mean streak,'' Hanifan said. ``We'll start him at tackle, because from what we see on film, he's got the size and strength.''
COMING: The Redskins signed a second punter late Friday, journeyman Kent Sullivan. He began kicking with Chicago in 1989 and 1990, then with Houston in 1991, Kansas City in 1992, Houston again in '93 and San Diego during part of '93 and in the Chargers' 1994 training camp.
GOING: The Eagles announced Sunday that they have signed ex-Redskins' middle linebacker Kurt Gouveia. He joins another former Redskins starter, guard/center Raleigh McKenzie, with new Philadelphia coach Ray Rhodes. by CNB