Guest oldschooler Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 'Project' has some company By Kevin Goheen Post staff reporter Every NFL training camp has one. Every year there is one player who receives more attention than others from a coach and is most on the opposite end of the coach's yelling. That's been Odell Thurman's world ever since he arrived five days late to Bengals training camp at Georgetown College, his tardiness caused by a contract holdout. If head coach Marvin Lewis has been shouting or pulling a player over for some one-on-one time, that player has usually been Thurman. Now that Thurman's college teammate at Georgia, Bengals first-round draft choice David Pollack, has signed a five-year, $10 million contract and has officially become Thurman's NFL teammate, expect Pollack to receive the same treatment. He certainly does. "Coaches can't be like 'Ahhh, you messed up that play' and give you a tap on the butt," said Pollack Wednesday following a press conference to announce his signing. "What's the motivation? Odell has it. He is his biggest critic. I'm my biggest critic. There's nothing no one could say to us that we don't already know or that we don't already think we know. Scheme and stuff, that's different, but I'm talking about when we mess up we're hard on each other." Thurman had worked his way back from his holdout into the starting spot as the Bengals' middle linebacker. He strained his knee Monday night and has not practiced the past two days. His status for Friday night's preseason game at Washington is questionable. The injury isn't considered serious and Thurman should return to practice sooner than later. On or off the field, however, he knows he's getting Lewis' extra attention, and he welcomes it. "I would say (I'm a) project, not whipping boy," Thurman said after practice Monday morning. "It doesn't matter what you do, I'm never 100 percent so coach is going to stay on me all day." The fact that the Bengals drafted two players from Georgia isn't a coincidence. The team also signed fullback Jeremy Thomas as an undrafted free agent from Georgia this year and defensive end Robert Geathers was a fourth-round draft choice last year. Geathers currently tops the depth chart at right end. "(Thurman) doesn't get yelled at. He gets corrected," Lewis said. "He's been coached hard already at Georgia. I think all of those guys have. They've been coached hard - well coached and coached hard - and are used to it. They know there is right and wrong, and somewhere in the middle comes the football player who has to take hold. I think they understand that part of it, too, is so they are not robotic. "That's a good thing because that's the other side of it when you get a guy who gets paralyzed. They can play football and they, I think, understand the principles of why you do things and how you do things. That's the foundation that we want to sink in." [b]LINEMAN WAIVED[/b] - Offensive lineman Dan Lynch, an undrafted free agent from Catawba College, was released Wednesday to make room for Pollack on the roster. [b]STICK TO THE PLAN[/b] - Lewis doesn't expect Pollack's holdout to change the role the team envisioned for him when they drafted him. He'll still make the move to outside linebacker and be used as a situational pass rusher. "I think when he gets on the field with us and he starts playing the role expands," Lewis said. [b]STANDING UP[/b] - Pollack was barraged with questions concerning his contract holdout, why it was so long, whether or not he owed his teammates or fans any apologies and if he thought the absence had tarnished his image. He adroitly answered every question that came his way, another skill he undoubtedly learned while playing at Georgia. [b]Some samples:[/b] On not being at training camp and disappointing fans, including some who had traveled all the way from Oregon with hopes of seeing him: "I thank them for being great Bengals fans. If you're driving from Oregon you must really love the Bengals and I thank you for your support." On any possible damage his image as a hard-working team player may have taken, especially after Lewis called the holdout "a shame" this week: "I don't worry about, that's the first thing. I didn't know I had that reputation until you just said it. I don't read what y'all write, I don't watch the news or any of that stuff." On his agents, Tom Condon and Ken Kremer: "I hired the best agents in the business in my mind and they've done a phenomenal job in every aspect. It's been more than I could have asked for, the way they've communicated with me and the way they keep me involved, the way they do their job is second to none in my mind. It's my job to let them do their job and that's what I did." [b]NEWLYWEDS[/b] - Pollack was married this offseason and he and his wife, Lindsey, have already bought a house in this area. The 23-year-old said he's happy with his automobile (a 2000 Chevy Blazer) but being a homeowner has been a learning experience. "Actually, I already bought the furniture, which I didn't realize how much a woman can spend on furniture," Pollack said as his wife stood in the back of the press conference room. "I learned that quickly. We're not furnishing a whole house, that's for sure. We're trying to call our friends and bum stuff from them." [url="http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050818/SPT03/508180307/1022"]http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../508180307/1022[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Lucid| Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 [quote name='oldschooler' date='Aug 18 2005, 08:45 AM']"Actually, I already bought the furniture, which I didn't realize how much a woman can spend on furniture," Pollack said as his wife stood in the back of the press conference room. "I learned that quickly. [b]We're not furnishing a whole house, that's for sure. We're trying to call our friends and bum stuff from them[/b]." [right][post="132955"][/post][/right][/quote] If I had a friend who just signed a contract worth 10 [b]MILLION[/b] dollars, and he called me up to bum furniture, I think my head might explode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer_Rice Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 I'd lend him my glasses and one of my old pay stubs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BengalsOwn Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 [quote name='Lucid' date='Aug 18 2005, 08:00 AM'] If I had a friend who just signed a contract worth 10 [b]MILLION[/b] dollars, and he called me up to bum furniture, I think my head might explode. [right][post="132958"][/post][/right][/quote] Yeah. This guy needs to stop the "money don't mean a thing to me" act. That's just pathetic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mongoloido Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 [quote name='Lucid' date='Aug 18 2005, 09:00 AM'] If I had a friend who just signed a contract worth 10 [b]MILLION[/b] dollars, and he called me up to bum furniture, I think my head might explode. [right][post="132958"][/post][/right][/quote] I'd sell my used furniture to him for a reasonable price... sort of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cool JJ Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 [quote name='Homer_Rice' date='Aug 18 2005, 11:26 AM']I'd lend him my glasses and one of my old pay stubs. [right][post="133023"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote] [img]http://forum.go-bengals.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/24.gif[/img] no shit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Dan_Bengals_FL- Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 [quote name='BengalsOwn' date='Aug 18 2005, 11:45 AM']Yeah. This guy needs to stop the "money don't mean a thing to me" act. That's just pathetic. [right][post="133034"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote] Agreed!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Lucid| Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 [quote name='Homer_Rice' date='Aug 18 2005, 11:26 AM']I'd lend him my glasses and one of my old pay stubs. [right][post="133023"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote] [img]http://forum.go-bengals.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/24.gif[/img] No Shit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Master Shake Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 Is Kevin Greene still working in camp? If not can we bring him back now that Pollack's here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IndianaBengal Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 Wow!!!! [img]http://forum.go-bengals.com/public/style_emoticons//26.gif[/img] This kid has a lot to learn about life and money. That is no suprise to me though. Two out of three marraiges end in divorce. The #1 reason for divorce is $$$$$$$. Don't try to get your buddies old furniture bub. Probly some stains on there that you don't want. [img]http://forum.go-bengals.com/public/style_emoticons//24.gif[/img] This post just isn't rite. I Know. sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bengals1181 Posted August 19, 2005 Report Share Posted August 19, 2005 [quote name='Master Shake' date='Aug 18 2005, 07:28 PM']Is Kevin Greene still working in camp? If not can we bring him back now that Pollack's here? [right][post="133396"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote] I'm sure he could. It's not like he's up to much these days. lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted August 19, 2005 Report Share Posted August 19, 2005 [quote name='IndianaBengal' date='Aug 18 2005, 07:39 PM']Wow!!!! [img]http://forum.go-bengals.com/public/style_emoticons//26.gif[/img] This kid has a lot to learn about life and money. That is no suprise to me though. [b]Two out of three marraiges end in divorce.[/b] The #1 reason for divorce is $$$$$$$. Don't try to get your buddies old furniture bub. Probly some stains on there that you don't want. [img]http://forum.go-bengals.com/public/style_emoticons//24.gif[/img] This post just isn't rite. I Know. sorry. [right][post="133401"][/post][/right][/quote] It's not that high. Last I heard it was 1 out of 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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