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Henderson column: Stovall Never Had A Doubt He Could Do Job

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Joe Henderson/The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 28, 2007

Updated: 10/28/2007 01:11 am

The now-weekly appearance of the injury cart on the turf last week at Ford Field meant that one player's pain had turned into another player's opportunity. And so it was that as receiver Michael Clayton was driven to the locker room with an ankle injury, the time had come for Maurice Stovall to show that all the potential he possesses could translate into production.

He has been something of a mystery since the Bucs took him in the third round of the 2006 draft. He has been a mostly invisible man at 6-foot-5, a tempting target who could also never get on the field even though he is praised by his teammates and coaches for his ability and preparation.

Jon Gruden has said lots of nice things about him since Stovall arrived here - particularly in training camp this summer, when he appeared to put a lock on the No. 3 receiver's job.

That is, until the regular season began.

Then, he just didn't play. Gruden thought the other guys were better, so Stovall was back at his familiar place on the sidelines when the Bucs had the ball. He didn't ask why and the coaches didn't tell him. He just waited.

'I felt I did everything I was supposed to do as far as knowing what to do - making plays, working hard, coming in on time, the whole nine yards. I was at peace with myself,' he said.

'There are things you can't control. Why cry? Keep working, keep developing. I just had guys in front of me. It didn't feel good. But at the same time, it's just motivation to work harder and when situations come up, you have to take advantage of it.'

And then, he added a simple declarative sentence that says much about this young receiver from Notre Dame.

'I never doubted myself.'

Teammates Have Confidence

Well, it really is his time now. He'll be the third receiver today when the Bucs host Jacksonville at Ray-Jay. Injuries have chipped away at the receivers - Clayton will miss a few games, Mark Jones is out for the year and Paris Warren was lost for the season in the final exhibition game. But that calamity also has created a chance for Stovall to prove his confidence is justified.

'How good he is, he'll determine that,' Gruden said. 'We're anxious to see where he is. We're confident in him and we need him. With that said, let's see what happens.'

What happened last week was a good sign. With a little more than two minutes to play, Stovall shielded a defender away from the ball and caught a 4-yard scoring pass. It was his first catch of the season. It was his first touchdown as a pro.

'He brings the work ethic, a certain attitude to the field. He definitely wants the opportunity, and he's a big body out there,' quarterback Jeff Garcia said. 'Last year he showed that he's capable of making plays on the field and now it's just a matter of plugging him in, allowing him to gain confidence in plays that he has opportunities to run and just giving him chances to make plays.

'He's capable, just like he showed last Sunday, being a big body and positioning that big body to make a critical catch and score a touchdown like he did.'

Indeed, he would seem to be the perfect receiver for the West Coast offense.

By the way, he thinks so, too, but getting to this point has been a bit of a process.

He began to play more toward the end of his rookie season, starting the last two games. The natural progression would have been more playing time this season, but when that didn't happen, yes, he was surprised.

No, he didn't like it.

'Of course it's hard. Everyone wants to be a starter; everyone wants to play. But you have to realize and learn that you have to wait your turn,' he said. 'When situations pop up as far as someone getting hurt, you have to stress to yourself to always be prepared because you never know what's going to happen.

'It's not something I stress over right now. I really don't care for it. It's in the past and there are just certain things that you can't control. What you can control is what you put on film, what you do out there every day against defensive backs, and how you carry yourself on the offense. All I can do is control what I do and leave the rest up to God and the coaches.'

He Has To Step Up

We know what has happened. We also know what needs to happen from this point on.

'He has worked his butt off and prepared the best he can to get on the field,' receiver Ike Hilliard said. 'Mo is going to be fine.'

He needs to be. Stovall has to produce if this season of promise is to continue. At 4-3, coming off a loss and playing at home, this game looms particularly large for the Bucs.

And Stovall.

'Unfortunately, the circumstances when someone gets hurt, your teammate, you have to step up and be in the lineup and make plays,' he said. 'Unfortunately, Michael and Mark both got hurt, but we have guys that can get the job done, including myself. Both Joey Galloway and Ike are still healthy.

'We're still going to get things done and take care of business.'

Indeed, to be suddenly thrust into the lineup for a team trying to make the playoffs could be one of those crossroads moments for a player's career, a time when it happens or it doesn't. The implications either way are large.

It's not the way one would ask to receive such an opportunity, but too often in the NFL it's the only way that chance ever comes.

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