Post by Striktly on Aug 11, 2007 3:03:26 GMT -5
www.charlotte.com/sports_breaking/story/232016.html
IN MY OPINION / TOM SORENSEN
Deloatch may have found new home
TOM SORENSEN
If I sound a little nervous, I am. Tonight my player will make his Carolina Panthers debut.
Every training camp I find a future star. He's never a high draft pick. That's too easy. I look for qualities the Panthers scouts and I like to call "intangibles."
Obscure players I've discovered from the side of the practice field include such future standouts as Jake Delhomme and Reggie Howard.
In fact, every player I have nominated has gone on to a stellar career, often in sales or construction.
I have no idea whether my new guy can sell a house or build one. But he won't have to. The man could be to defense and special teams what Delhomme is to offense.
The New York Giants were the first team to cut him, so watch Curtis Deloatch make them regret it tonight.
Here's his story.
Deloatch, 25, is a cornerback out of Ahoskie, about 300 miles northeast of Charlotte. Growing up, he planned to be a basketball star. Football was what they played in the backyard.
When he was a junior at Hertford County high, a friend talked him into going out for football. He quickly became a starter, which meant that he had to tangle with a certain Southern Nash star in two sports.
Julius Peppers "was the same size he is now (6-7, 283) and I was about 180," Deloatch says, smiling. He is always smiling. "Everybody knew about him. He was a tailback and a kick returner and he did the triple jump. He was ridiculous."
So when you saw Peppers turn the corner, what did you think?
"I thought, man," says Deloatch. "Him being so big and us being so little, there was already a sense of fear. You better hit him low because if you hit him high it's over."
Deloatch did dunk on Peppers, almost. The ball had come off the rim and Deloatch went high to grab it and then went higher and threw the ball back down into the hoop. Then he saw the ball come back out. Then he saw Peppers.
"I didn't even realize he was under there," Deloatch says. "I asked somebody, was that Julius? Man, I wish that ball had gone in."
Deloatch attended N.C. A&T but not to play ball. Then a coach, Wayne Hicks, who had seen him play in high school, invited him to walk on. Deloatch did. Two seasons later, he was an All-American.
Although he wasn't drafted, the Giants signed him, and he played in every game as a rookie and the next season started 13 games. Then evil New York waived him, and wise New Orleans picked him up.
Remember the Monday Night Football game in the Louisiana Superdome last season, the first game in New Orleans after Katrina? It was the feel-good game of the season. Stars in the dome that night included U2, Green Day and Deloatch.
Ninety seconds into the game, Atlanta's Michael Koenen went back to punt, Steve Gleason blocked it and Deloatch recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.
There should have been confetti. The building shook. The whole city did. The Saints would win by 20, and for an evening New Orleans was OK again.
Deloatch dunked the ball over the goal post and ran to the bleachers, extending the ball from his right hand as if he wanted every fan to touch it.
"It's just a feeling I can't even explain," he says. "We celebrated for 20 minutes. I thought I was going to get fined. It probably changed our whole season, that play and that game, and it just feels great to be part of it."
The Saints let him go and the Panthers picked him up.
What's it like being back in his state? Deloatch, who is 6-2, pats the pocket that holds his cell phone. He says old friends call at least 10 times a day.
The conversations go like this: "Man, we just called to see how you're doing. We care about you. And don't forget our tickets."
"They all want Indianapolis and Dallas," says Deloatch, smiling again.
On Oct. 28, Peyton Manning and the NFL champion Colts take on Carolina and Deloatch at Bank of America Stadium.
I feel another feel-good story coming on.
IN MY OPINION / TOM SORENSEN
Deloatch may have found new home
TOM SORENSEN
If I sound a little nervous, I am. Tonight my player will make his Carolina Panthers debut.
Every training camp I find a future star. He's never a high draft pick. That's too easy. I look for qualities the Panthers scouts and I like to call "intangibles."
Obscure players I've discovered from the side of the practice field include such future standouts as Jake Delhomme and Reggie Howard.
In fact, every player I have nominated has gone on to a stellar career, often in sales or construction.
I have no idea whether my new guy can sell a house or build one. But he won't have to. The man could be to defense and special teams what Delhomme is to offense.
The New York Giants were the first team to cut him, so watch Curtis Deloatch make them regret it tonight.
Here's his story.
Deloatch, 25, is a cornerback out of Ahoskie, about 300 miles northeast of Charlotte. Growing up, he planned to be a basketball star. Football was what they played in the backyard.
When he was a junior at Hertford County high, a friend talked him into going out for football. He quickly became a starter, which meant that he had to tangle with a certain Southern Nash star in two sports.
Julius Peppers "was the same size he is now (6-7, 283) and I was about 180," Deloatch says, smiling. He is always smiling. "Everybody knew about him. He was a tailback and a kick returner and he did the triple jump. He was ridiculous."
So when you saw Peppers turn the corner, what did you think?
"I thought, man," says Deloatch. "Him being so big and us being so little, there was already a sense of fear. You better hit him low because if you hit him high it's over."
Deloatch did dunk on Peppers, almost. The ball had come off the rim and Deloatch went high to grab it and then went higher and threw the ball back down into the hoop. Then he saw the ball come back out. Then he saw Peppers.
"I didn't even realize he was under there," Deloatch says. "I asked somebody, was that Julius? Man, I wish that ball had gone in."
Deloatch attended N.C. A&T but not to play ball. Then a coach, Wayne Hicks, who had seen him play in high school, invited him to walk on. Deloatch did. Two seasons later, he was an All-American.
Although he wasn't drafted, the Giants signed him, and he played in every game as a rookie and the next season started 13 games. Then evil New York waived him, and wise New Orleans picked him up.
Remember the Monday Night Football game in the Louisiana Superdome last season, the first game in New Orleans after Katrina? It was the feel-good game of the season. Stars in the dome that night included U2, Green Day and Deloatch.
Ninety seconds into the game, Atlanta's Michael Koenen went back to punt, Steve Gleason blocked it and Deloatch recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.
There should have been confetti. The building shook. The whole city did. The Saints would win by 20, and for an evening New Orleans was OK again.
Deloatch dunked the ball over the goal post and ran to the bleachers, extending the ball from his right hand as if he wanted every fan to touch it.
"It's just a feeling I can't even explain," he says. "We celebrated for 20 minutes. I thought I was going to get fined. It probably changed our whole season, that play and that game, and it just feels great to be part of it."
The Saints let him go and the Panthers picked him up.
What's it like being back in his state? Deloatch, who is 6-2, pats the pocket that holds his cell phone. He says old friends call at least 10 times a day.
The conversations go like this: "Man, we just called to see how you're doing. We care about you. And don't forget our tickets."
"They all want Indianapolis and Dallas," says Deloatch, smiling again.
On Oct. 28, Peyton Manning and the NFL champion Colts take on Carolina and Deloatch at Bank of America Stadium.
I feel another feel-good story coming on.
