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Media Day Notebook: Arizona Cardinals

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The Tampa Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 28, 2009

STATING A CASE

Edgerrin James isn't shocked that so many NFL players emerge from the state of Florida. A product of Immokalee High and the University of Miami, the Cardinals tailback believes he gained a competitive edge growing up in Florida.

"In the state of Florida, you can play year-round," James said. "I think that's the biggest difference. You have football year-round and you have the kids playing at an early age."

Katherine Smith

WELCOME TO PRIME TIME

Media Day isn't exactly known as a cauldron of hard-hitting journalism, so Deion Sanders' six-question interrogation of Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald for NFL Network was right in line with what was expected Tuesday.

Fitzgerald had spent 10 minutes answering questions from reporters - thoughtfully and eloquently at times - when Sanders stepped around the fence keeping the rest of the horde a few feet away from the receiver and sidled up with a carefully considered opener:

"Larry," the man they called Prime Time said with some measure of gravity, "are you excited about this game?"

Fitzgerald paused, perhaps hoping there was more to the question, before realizing that was it and doing his best to muster a professional response.

"It's truly an honor to be here," Fitzgerald said. "I'm extremely excited."

Marc Lancaster

TAKING IT ALL IN

Nathan Hodel has played in every Cardinals game since the 2002 season opener, and his employers thought enough of him that they signed him to a four-year contract in the spring of 2008.

Why haven't you heard of Hodel? Well, he's Arizona's long snapper. A good one who hasn't missed a game snap in seven seasons, but a long snapper nonetheless. As such, the 31-year-old had plenty of idle moments during Media Day.

"There's probably a reason I'm sitting in the highest row in the stadium of anybody," Hodel said. "But it's cool, man - if I wanted some glory, I would have tried to be a quarterback. Kurt Warner's sitting down there fielding a couple. I'm cool with being under the radar."

Hodel passed the time by melding with the media crowd around him, pulling out his professional-looking Canon EOS 5D camera to take photos of teammates. A communications major at the University of Illinois who holds an MBA in marketing, Hodel is hoping to move into a career in photography and graphic design after his playing days.

It's safe to say his collection of behind-the-scene shots from this week should be pretty impressive.

"I got a few candid ones that maybe the other photographers can't get, being with the team and stuff," he said. "A lot of guys will want copies. I'll take photos now and then put them up and kind of forget about them, then play the game and relive it through the pictures."

Marc Lancaster

FORMER STARTER SAYS HE'S NOT FINISHED

Arizona QB Kurt Warner is grabbing the spotlight this week for leading the Cardinals to the Super Bowl, but his predecessor does not believe his own career is finished.

Matt Leinart was Arizona's first-round pick (10th overall) in 2006 and was expected to lead his team to this plateau. Leinart started as a rookie and completed 214 of 377 passes for 2,547 yards, with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. However, Leinart lost his job to Warner this season and has played sparingly since.

"You want to play, but at the same time, I've accepted my role this year," Leinart said. "I've been ready to play every week. Whenever my number is called, I'm ready to go. I've taken the opportunity to learn, and we'll see what happens from there."

Warner is an unrestricted free agent, so it's possible Leinart could regain the reigns of the team. Until then, he said he intends to learn more and improve from the bench.

"I definitely think experience is huge in the development, especially quarterback," Leinart said. "I do think you can learn from the sidelines. Really, what I try to do, I get the play, obviously, in my earpiece, and I try to visualize, 'OK, this is where I would go with the ball,' and a lot of times Kurt is going there."

Anwar S. Richardson

A SOFTER SIDE OF SAPP

Former Bucs DT and current NFL analyst Warren Sapp held court during Media Day, and his take on the success of Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald was particularly interesting.

"This kid Fitzgerald is just so refreshing because we're just sick of all the prima donnas that walk around this league," Sapp said. "To see him and guys like Indianapolis' Reggie Wayne and Houston's Andre Johnson have the kind of years they had is great. And none of us really even looked up and saw it happening because they do it so quietly, the way it's supposed to be done. I mean, to see him and Kurt Warner in this spotlight, it's a storybook story. It's beautiful."

Roy Cummings

FROM THE COUCH TO THE HISTORY BOOK

Eight weeks ago, Arizona P Ben Graham was unemployed and unsure about his football future. The New York Jets cut him after four games, and New Orleans released him after one. After Arizona cut Dirk Johnson, Graham joined his third team this season.

"Eight weeks ago I wasn't on a team," Graham said. "The only team I had was my wife and kids at home with me. I still can't believe it. I still pinch myself everyday, every time I turn on the TV, pick up the newspaper or see someone wear a Super Bowl hat."

Graham not only is making his first Super Bowl appearance, but the first for any Australian. Graham is a former Australian Football League player who signed with the Jets in 2005.

"I'm proud to be the first Australian," Graham said. "Proud to follow in the footsteps of other Australians that have been in this league and to represent my country."

Anwar S. Richardson

PARTY LIKE IT'S 2010 OR 2011

While this is the first Super Bowl for the majority of Cardinals, this is QB Kurt Warner's third.

Any advice?

"What I'm telling my teammates is the Super Bowl parties will be there next year and the year after, and if you're fortunate enough to go out and play and win the game, that big ring that's on your finger gets you access to all those parties," Warner said. "You can make up for that time in the future. Don't worry about getting it all in this week."

Brett McMurphy

TWO OF A KIND

Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley said he believes the Cardinals have benefitted from his "unique" relationship with QB Kurt Warner.

"We have a good person-to-person or man-to-man relationship," Haley said. "I think that's critical. He counts on me on Sunday, when my voice comes into his helmet, that we're putting him in the best position to succeed, and that's a lot of trust.

"There's a huge trust there, and we've been able to build that over the past two years like any player-coach would. The coordinator-to-quarterback relationship is a critical one to which there has to be some uniqueness."

Haley said he and Warner have similar personalities, leading to some disputes.

"We get into it all the time," Haley said. "We're both very competitive, but I think that's what makes it go. I can push his buttons and he can push mine."

Brett McMurphy

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