DETROIT LIONS 2004 PLAYER JOURNAL ENTRIES

Joey Harrington
09/16/04 - Preparing for Texans 3-4 Scheme
I'm sure they're going to have surprises for us, but that's going to happen week to week. No one's going to come in and play exactly the same as the week before. I expect to see something different, but the good thing is we've had a couple weeks to prepare. We're as prepared as anybody in the league to play against a 3-4 defense right now because we've seen it a couple time with Pittsburgh and Baltimore in the preseason. It's mainly how you block it. You have to change up a few protections and you've got to make a few different calls. It's just a different look than you're used to seeing day in and day out. It's no better or no worse, it's just something different and you've got to kind of get used to it.

Boss Bailey
08/25/04 - Dealing with Knee Injury
I was a little bit surprised, but I wasn't really disappointed about what happened. I've been through a few things before with my knees, and I know the good times are going to come again. I just have to work through the tough times right now. My knee hasn't touched the floor since the day of the surgery because it's very important for me to keep the weight off it. I'm basically going to do what the doctors tell me. For the long run, it'll probably be for the best. I'm feeling good. I can spend time with my family and my newborn now. I have things I'm looking forward to. I'm still working out my upper body and still trying to be around and being a part of the team as much as possible-or at least until I get off the crutches and move around a little better. But right now I'm feeling pretty good.

Joey Harrington
08/20/04 - Playing Clevland Saturday
I want to continue on what we did last game. We put together an 80-yard, seven-minute drive, converted two first downs, threw the ball down the field a little bit, checked down a couple of times, and we spread the ball around. I'd like to see Kevin Jones in there. I'd like to see him run the ball a little bit—see how he does. Other than that I don't think there's anything else we really want to work on—except being as consistent as last game. Our offensive line did a terrific job. The offensive line has never been an issue to me. Someone told me that no one in league history has been sacked fewer times with at least 1,000 attempts. I think I've been sacked 18 times in two years. David Carr was sacked 75 times in one season, and now I'm going into year three and I'm at 18. They’ve done a terrific job for me my entire time here. To see us come out and run and throw the ball as well as we did is a good tribute to them. I don't know how much I will play against the Browns. We'll talk about it tomorrow. I would anticipate the usual progression for each game — one series, one quarter, two quarters, three quarters. That's the general rule for around the league. My guess would be sometime until the second quarter, maybe. That's just a guess. Coach Mariucci has his own agenda sometimes.

Joey Harrington
08/12/04 - Our receivers and our first game
The receivers in the preseason game are going to get put into situations that you can't simulate in practice. You can talk about them in the meetings and you can go through them on the field but until you get thrown in front of 60,000 people and you have a live defense going in front of you, you just can't simulate that. Checks, adjustments and certain routes will adjust certain ways against different coverage so there are a lot of things that change during the course of the game. We'll see what they know and see what they recognize on the fly and then we'll reevaluate from there. David Kircus has grown out of his enigma status. Last year you'd look at David and ask yourself "what is he thinking" sometimes. But he has so much talent and now he's showing it. David is playing very well. He’s playing smart and he's making plays when he has a chance. He's doing very well. I think he's impressing some people. This first game is kind of a tune-up – a chance to get our bearings and see how we match up against everybody else and see what we need to work on because you can't create a game situation in practice. You can put up a clock and pretend you have crowd noise, but until you've got someone else bearing down on you it's a lot different.

Joey Harrington
08/05/04 - Tutoring the Younger Guys
I do it quite a bit and I like it. I like being in that position as a quarterback. Especially because you come in as a young quarterback and you don't know what's going on. You're put into a situation with guys who may have had experiences with other quarterbacks, know the offense better than you and you are expected to come in and lead them. That's a tough deal to walk into. Now I've got a group of guys who are fresh and looking to me to learn. It is fun because it puts more pressure on me. I have to know every single position out on that field because if someone comes up to me, and says "Hey - what do I have on XYZ route." I've got to tell him "You've got this at this depth and if this happens, here is how you adjust." It puts a little more pressure on me, which I like.

Roy Williams
08/04/04 - Starting with the fundamentals
It's fun to be a here, working, and going against Dre Bly and the rest of the guys everyday, seeing the guys everyday; but now it's time to get ready for football. Practice was good. I had an advantage of everyone else; I had fresh legs. I had a pretty good practice today. I think with training camp, you start back with the fundamentals. That's one thing I need to do. That's one thing I need to emphasize on my game. They got on me. It's my first day. It was pretty hard playing the waiting game with the contract negotiations. I just sat at the hotel room, and I hung out with myself. I got my mind prepared for practice and the whole season, and I can't wait to get started. I got caught up Sunday. Coach Mariucci had me watching the team meeting from the first day. I went over play installations of the first two days, and I caught up and had a good first practice. It's better to be there than to watch them on TV.

Tai Streets
08/04/04 - We have a deep corps
How do the Lions receivers compare to the 49ers of 1999? We had Jerry Rice, TO, J.J. and me - that's pretty good. But this group compares favorably, very favorably. Roy and Charles are going to be exceptional, when it's all said and done; and then you have someone like Hakim, who's lightning fast. Just go down the list, we have a deep corps.

Jason Hanson
08/03/04 - Signed Contract Extension with Lions
I can't think of anything more exciting than, most likely, finishing my career here. If I do what I'm supposed to do, I can be a career Lion. That's something that I've wanted to do. I've been here long enough that I want to see this thing through. I was excited about getting the contract. I don't plan on kicking forever-it's going to take a lot for me to stay on top of my game for five years - but I'll do. I'm glad I'm going finish my career as a Lion.

Joey Harrington
08/02/04 - I have to be a leader
I walk into this season knowing that this is my team. As the quarterback and as someone who is now considered a veteran in the huddle, I have to be a leader. I have to be someone who shows the younger guys how to do things correctly. Am I comfortable being the leader? Absolutely. That is my comfort zone. I don't like sitting back and watching other people doing it. From fifth grade, the second I stepped on the field, that's been my role. Last season things started to click. Now that was last year with a bunch of different guys and now I'm, in a sense, starting fresh. But as far as my confidence in this offense, I'm looking to continue how I was feeling at the end of last season. I was making too many mistakes. But I was making mistakes because I was trying to force the ball because we weren't being productive. Everybody says, 'Well, you've got to be productive in this offense.' And I said, 'OK, well I guess that means I've got to throw the ball down the field.' So I start firing into coverage and, lo and behold, the ball ends up in the other team's hands. But I realize that in this offense it's almost the exact opposite. In order to be productive in this offense, you have to throw the ball short. You have to take the safe route even if it means, on third-and-18, you throw the ball for six yards. That is what this offense is about. If you don't have the ball down the field, check it down and things will continue to open up for you. In theory we've got one of the fastest teams in the league right now with Charles and Roy and Kevin. But essentially they're all rookies. The three of them will make some plays, but they'll also make some mistakes. It's just a matter of how quickly they can grow up. When we win football games, the stats will come. I'm tired of losing. I'm so tired of losing. To go through so many years of being on top and getting used to that feeling of walking out of a game knowing that you were the better team out there to this S these last two years have been miserable.

Kevin Jones
07/22/04 - My dream to get to the NFL
I just always do a lot of extra work - just to stay on top. I always try to be the best I can be. It was a little bit confusing when I first got here. I'm liking that they pass the ball to the running backs; so, hopefully, it will be a good offensive season for me. (You) just got to keep going through life. Right now, this has been my dream to get to the NFL; so, I'm just working hard to be the best I can be and help the team win. It's a good competition, friendly competition [with Bryson, Pinner, and Gary]. But I'm just here to earn a job and help the team win.

Keith Smith
07/13/04 - I want to make a difference
Mini camp was everything that I expected. When I went out there, I was able to pick up things fast and I knew everybody was gonna be fast. I learned the defense more and more each day. I knew that it would be complicated, but the more I did it, the better my adjustment. The rookie class is great, we have a lot of good guys in the draft. Overall, everybody communicates with each other. I used to think the vets aren¹t going to really help you out, but they do the best they can. We have great practice facilities. It's seems very relaxing. I am adjusting real well right now with the practice schedule. The process for the off season workouts is great, I was able to benefit from everything. Looking at things from mini camp, my coach was able to tell me what I need to work on. The whole process has been real smooth. My first goal is to make the roster and get in and contribute right away to help this team. I don't want to just be on the team, I want to make a difference. I haven't had any roadblocks in the way that have stressed me out. When training camp gets here, things may be a little bit different. Things are pretty laid back, with conditioning work. The rookie symposium was a great thing. It really tells you your mistakes before they happen. They put it out there and let you know what not to do.

Stephen Alexander
06/07/04 - Signed with Detroit
I'm excited to join the Lions. I think we've got a lot of really young talent offensively, a lot of playmakers and hopefully I can just come in, fill my role and we can get this thing rolling. This is a fairly new system for me. I spent one year in this system during my fourth year in the league in Washington. I actually had this exact system the year I went to the Pro Bowl with Minnesota's coaching staff. Sherm Lewis was the coordinator then. I have had a little bit. I recognized some of the terminology this morning in the meetings, but it is going to take me a while to get all the little ins and outs and the little detail stuff down. I'm going to be here at least through the month of June. I am here by myself. My wife is back in Oklahoma, so I'll have nobody nagging on me so I am going to spend as much time as I can up here watching film. Don't tell her I said that. I am going to try to see how all of the plays unfold, all the little calls and stuff. I think the big thing about being here is just hanging out with the guys. I am a new face to everybody, so I am going to try to meet as many people as I can. That way, when training camp rolls around, everybody is familiar with each other and we can just get it rolling.

Charles Rogers
06/01/04 - Shoulder Feeling Good
My shoulder is much better now and it's getting better everyday. My confidence also is built up. My shoulder injury last year was just a minor setback and that¹s just life. You have setbacks in life. This is just a little setback. I¹m doing my thing and I¹m just happy to be out there. I'm feeling good. I'm out there practicing. I don¹t feel tentative or anything like that. I¹m just having a good time.

Roy Williams
05/26/04 - Reliving Draft Day
It's a dream come true to be in the NFL. I almost didn't go to the draft in New York because it's so nervewracking. My mom talked me into going and said it was a once in a lifetime thing, so I went to New York and it worked out because the flight from New York to Detroit wasn't that long. It was fun when I got picked. It was Coach Mariucci and Matt Millen on the phone and they welcomed me to the family and I got on the plane and when I got here I got to see them draft Keith Smith. When I first got here for mini-camp I was kind of homesick. What made me feel a lot better was that Cory, Rod and Big Shaun were here so it made me feel a little more comfortable. Still, there's no place like home and I couldn¹t wait to get back home and my body was hurting from the mini-camp.

Fernando Bryant
05/10/04 - Playing Alongside Dre Bly
It's been fun because I was so glad when Dré made the Pro Bowl last year because knowing Dré - we came out together in 1999 and we knew each other, we knew of each other when we were coming out. We met down at the Senior Bowl and we talked then and we've kept in touch through our whole careers, just checking up on what we call the "Class of `99'. It's great being able to play with somebody you know, somebody you can relate with, that you know some of the things that he's been through, some things he's had to work through. You respect him. He came out and he had a very good season last year. Anytime you can play with somebody like that, it's great. You can tell the Lions went out and had a goal. Up to this point, everybody is just trying to get to know each other and everything. You can tell that they've reached their goals - team speed, aggressiveness and willingness. I think not only did they bring in speed, but they brought in a different mindset-players who know how to win and who expect to win. I think that's helped more than anything.

Joey Harrington
05/03/04 - First Mini-Camp is Encouraging
We're definitely a younger, faster team right now. With a couple of the balls that I threw out there, I kind of did a double take ­ just looking across the board how much quicker we're moving. By the same token, we had a lot of guys with their heads spinning and that¹s just a normal first day for a young player. I thought we looked real good. For it being this early and this young, I thought we looked pretty good. We addressed two very important needs this off-season. We need to run the football. We need to have a threat outside that other tackle and we addressed those this season with size and speed. I think it's nice that we can sit here and that in theory all of this stuff is going to work out. Realistically, Roy Williams is young; Kevin Jones is young; Charles Rogers is young. When we can all get on the same page it's going to be a fun offense to work with, but there's going to be some growing pains along the way. That's not to say that I'm not thrilled to see everybody on the field at the same time. They got a taste of it today. I heard Roy telling somebody, I think he was on the phone, "I run, I come back and I run, I come back and I run; they give me a play off and then I come back and I run." He¹ll get a taste of it in this camp but it is only for two days. It's not really until you come in July and you¹re going everyday for six weeks straight, twice a day, 14 hours a day, that it really sinks in.

Damien Woody
04/13/04 - Our Goal is Playoffs!
From the time I visited Detriot until I signed my contract, they seemed like they were committed to winning. You could see it in their facilities, the people in their organization, from Mr. Ford all the way down and especially in Coach Mariucci. Everybody wants to change the atmosphere around there and the people in Detroit want a winner. It's a good situation to go into. I think the reason they brought me in is because I come from a winning team. I think they want to surround their team with guys who have playoff and Super Bowl experience and I think a good offensive line is a quarterback's best friend. In New England, me and the other guys did a good job of protecting Tom Brady so he could do his job. That's the type of attitude I'd like to bring to Detroit. We have a very young, talented line, and I want to bring some veteran leadership that I gained from New England so Joey Harrington has the chance to be successful.

My goal is to help get the Lions into the playoffs. That would be a tremendous goal. I think it's definitely possible to make a turnaround like that. I don't see any dominant team in our division, so I think anything's possible.

Brock Marion
03/29/04 - Moving on to Detroit
I had been contacted by a few teams since leaving Miami. I took visits to the NY Giants, Seattle, Cincinnati and here in Detroit. I was contacted by just about everybody to be honest with you. I was looking for a team where I liked the coaches and the organization and for somebody that's going to shoot you straight and shoot you a fair deal. That's a big reason why I'm here. I came into town briefly and I have to leave right away and get home to my wife and six kids to make sure they're ready to make the transition and to get them up here. I bring experience and a winning attitude. I've been on a winning team ever since I've been in this league. There's a lot of gratification from winning a Super Bowl whether you're good, at the bottom of the barrel or the middle of the road. To come from the bottom and go all the way to the top ­ there¹s a lot more gratification than from just being on the top all of the time.

Fernando Bryant
03/08/04 - Thankful to be in Detriot
I want to thank the Ford family for bringing me to Detroit. I can't say enough about them. Coming from Alabama with the tradition there and going to Jacksonville and trying to build something there with Coach Coughlin, when you come here and you see the family atmosphere that Coach Mariucci brings to this organization ­ it's amazing. I knew of Dick Jauron because he was the defensive coordinator at Jacksonville before I got there. Matt Millen, what can you say about Matt. Not what the press says, what we say. I'm excited about the opportunity to play with Dré Bly. I'm sure you're going to hear a lot about the OClass of 1999. It means something to you when you play with someone you know. To play with him on the other side of me and to know what he's about and to know how much this organization put into him last year and how much he gave back to the organization. That's what I want to do. Regardless of what everybody thinks of you, when you go and you visit teams and you hear this and you hear that, everybody has some good things and some bad things to say about you. The ones that want you and want to invest in you, those are the ones that mean something to you. The Ford family and Detroit, they have something special here, they really do. We want to win. This thing about waiting three or four years, that's not what we're about. We want to win and we want to win now. Obviously the Ford Family and Detroit Lions want that too because they're going out and getting players. A lot of organizations aren¹t doing that right now. I'm happy to be here. I'm aggressive. I'm not going to say that I take chances. I study my opponent and I try to give my team the best opportunity to win. I don't care how long I have to stay over here to try and get it done. I've only been in the league five years. In Jacksonville, with the turnover there, I was one of the oldest players their. You have the younger players that come in that need a little help and I have no problem doing that. There's a way to do everything. I'm going to have fun. Football is sport. We get paid to play a sport. If you're not having fun at what you do then you shouldn't be doing it and I'm going to have fun.