DATE: Sunday, September 14, 1997            TAG: 9709140260

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C17  EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: RALJON, MD.                       LENGTH:   54 lines

SKINS' POURDANESH READY FOR TOUGH TASK

The Washington Redskins decided a couple of weeks ago that before Shar Pourdanesh could face the best pass-rushers in the NFL, he had to be Malcolm-ized.

So after practice several times a week, they summon Pourdanesh, their burly 6-foot-6, 312-pound mountain-range offensive tackle to a far end of Redskin Park. Then they summon Malcolm Hamilton, a 6-1, 225-pound rookie practice-squad linebacker who may not have the muscle to play in the NFL, but possesses the speed and agility. They line up across from one another.

The object is simple: Hamilton is to beat Pourdanesh and sack the ``quarterback,'' in this case line coach Russ Grimm. Pourdanesh is to do everything he legally can to keep Hamilton from sniffing Grimm's cologne.

Except Hamilton doesn't use his own moves. This day, he has been instructed in what Arizona's Simeon Rice does best and most often. Today, he is Simeon Rice. Last week, he was Pittsburgh's Greg Lloyd.

``It's been fun,'' Hamilton admitted. ``I try to give him to best possible picture of what those guys do. The coaches give me their best moves, then I mix them up when I go against Shar.''

Pourdanesh got off to a rocky start against Carolina's Lamar Lathon, allowing a half-sack. But last week he shut out Lloyd, one of the game's most feared rushers.

``Working against Malcolm really helped,'' Pourdanesh said. ``He gave me a great look last week, a great workout, and I was prepared. I felt comfortable against him from the start.''

After the game, several Redskins congratulated Hamilton. They told him he came at Pourdanesh three times harder than Lloyd did.

``The compliment was nice, but I'm not looking for them,'' Hamilton said. ``I'm doing this to make Shar better and to better myself.''

Rice may be a different. He's 6-5, 260 pounds, five inches taller and 35 pounds heavier than Hamilton. Last season, Rice tied Leslie O'Neal's rookie record for sacks, with 12 1/2. This season, he already has five. No one from Cincinnati or Dallas could contain the second-year pro from Illinois.

``He's got speed and quickness like I've never seen,'' Hamilton said. ``For his size, he's amazing. He beats you around the outside with a move so fast it's almost impossible to stop.''

The Redskins have a gameplan for Rice on the early downs. Run at him, wear him down, tire him out. It worked against Lathon in the opener, it worked against Lloyd last week.

Hamilton doesn't just run at Pourdanesh. When he beats him, he stops and helps Pourdanesh understand what he could have done to have won the confrontation.

``I've learned a little from these guys,'' Hamilton said. ``Unfortunately, I don't have their natural ability. I've learned more from (Redskins linebackers) Ken Harvey and Marvcus Patton, and even that's not enough. I've got to find my own strengths, work on that, then hope that's enough for the coaches to give me a chance of my own.''

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