BBG7
09-25-2007, 09:35 PM
http://news.steelers.com/article/82207/
Parker a man on the move
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
By Teresa Varley
Steelers.com
Running back Willie Parker is at the top of the list these days, leading the NFL in rushing. Parker leads the league in both carries, with 74, and yards with 368 through three games.
They are numbers, though, that Parker doesn’t pay a lot of attention to.
”My sister always tries to keep track and tell me you are here or there,” said Parker. “I don’t listen. I try to stay away from statistics. People can surpass you at any time.”
Parker is not worried about the number of carries that he is getting early in the season. He knows head coach Mike Tomlin is going to use him as much as needed and feels confident that he can stay strong for the long haul.
“A lot of the guys I looked up to carried the ball almost every play in the NFL,” said Parker. “By me being a little back nobody thinks my body can hold up. I take real good care of my body. I know it’s a long season. There is more to it than lifting weights, you have to soak your body. I am prepared for it.”
Parker has rushed for 100-yards in each of the Steelers three games this season and it doesn’t look like he is going to slow down any time soon.
"He's a complete back," said coach Mike Tomlin. "He runs inside. He runs outside. He gets a lot of credit for his speed, and he's very fast, but he's a tough runner. He gets tough yards. He's a competitor. He gets better with each carry. He wants the ball. He wants to be part of it. He wants to be the reason we win."
He is hoping to do his part this week to help the Steelers win a key game and one with a little something personal involved. The team will be facing their former offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, now the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.
“They know everything about me,” said Parker of the Cardinals. “I wish I was in the meeting room. I just want to know what he is telling his team what my negatives are. That’s all I want to know. Nothing else.”
* * *
The Steelers had their first kickoff return for a touchdown in almost five years on Sunday when Allen Rossum took one 98-yards for the score.
And while everyone was singing Rossum’s praises, he was giving credit to his blockers, saying if it weren’t for them the touchdown never would have happened.
The return was designed to go up the left side, but a hole opened in the middle and Rossum took off.
"It just kind of opened up," said Rossum. "That shows the guys on the backside did their job. It means guys on the other side who aren't involved in the play did a good job. It started with my wedge, but nobody was close to touching me.
“I just took the hole that was there. It worked out just fine. My blockers did a tremendous job. Without them, I couldn’t do anything. I'm not saying it was easy, but the way they blocked on that play, my 4-year-old could have scored."
Parker a man on the move
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
By Teresa Varley
Steelers.com
Running back Willie Parker is at the top of the list these days, leading the NFL in rushing. Parker leads the league in both carries, with 74, and yards with 368 through three games.
They are numbers, though, that Parker doesn’t pay a lot of attention to.
”My sister always tries to keep track and tell me you are here or there,” said Parker. “I don’t listen. I try to stay away from statistics. People can surpass you at any time.”
Parker is not worried about the number of carries that he is getting early in the season. He knows head coach Mike Tomlin is going to use him as much as needed and feels confident that he can stay strong for the long haul.
“A lot of the guys I looked up to carried the ball almost every play in the NFL,” said Parker. “By me being a little back nobody thinks my body can hold up. I take real good care of my body. I know it’s a long season. There is more to it than lifting weights, you have to soak your body. I am prepared for it.”
Parker has rushed for 100-yards in each of the Steelers three games this season and it doesn’t look like he is going to slow down any time soon.
"He's a complete back," said coach Mike Tomlin. "He runs inside. He runs outside. He gets a lot of credit for his speed, and he's very fast, but he's a tough runner. He gets tough yards. He's a competitor. He gets better with each carry. He wants the ball. He wants to be part of it. He wants to be the reason we win."
He is hoping to do his part this week to help the Steelers win a key game and one with a little something personal involved. The team will be facing their former offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, now the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.
“They know everything about me,” said Parker of the Cardinals. “I wish I was in the meeting room. I just want to know what he is telling his team what my negatives are. That’s all I want to know. Nothing else.”
* * *
The Steelers had their first kickoff return for a touchdown in almost five years on Sunday when Allen Rossum took one 98-yards for the score.
And while everyone was singing Rossum’s praises, he was giving credit to his blockers, saying if it weren’t for them the touchdown never would have happened.
The return was designed to go up the left side, but a hole opened in the middle and Rossum took off.
"It just kind of opened up," said Rossum. "That shows the guys on the backside did their job. It means guys on the other side who aren't involved in the play did a good job. It started with my wedge, but nobody was close to touching me.
“I just took the hole that was there. It worked out just fine. My blockers did a tremendous job. Without them, I couldn’t do anything. I'm not saying it was easy, but the way they blocked on that play, my 4-year-old could have scored."