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| | | | | | | |  Thursday, November 16, 2000
Getting Crazy with ... Washington WR Albert Connell
By Marc Connolly
MondayNightFootball.com
Every week throughout the 2000 NFL season, ABC Sports Online senior writer Marc Connolly interviews one player from that week's upcoming Monday Night Football game on a variety of topics. In Week 3, Connolly caught up with Washington Redskins wide receiver Albert Connell, who caught 62 balls for 1,132 yards last season. Here's what transpired:
Connolly: The Redskins didn't draft you until the fourth round in 1997. I bet you can name the receivers drafted before you.
|  | | Albert Connell is one of the most explosive receivers in football. |
Connell: I remember it like yesterday. I was supposed to be in the top five (receivers) with the others -- Ike Hilliard, Yatil Green, Reidel Anthony and Rae Carruth. To fall off that far, I was devastated. I watch those guys, and I keep tabs on all them because I felt I should have been up there with them.
Connolly: What are you like on Sundays. Any one thing you do to get motivated?
Connell: I am quiet and get into a zone. I go sit in the back of my locker and listen to some music. Anything that's fast to get me going.
Connolly: What type of music would I find in your car CD player?
Connell: First of all, you'd find 10 speakers in there because I like my music loud. I listen to everything. Lots of rap. Gangsta rap gets me motivated before the game to go out there and knock somebody's head off (laughing).
Connolly: Lot of base?
Connell: Oh yeah. I love the base.
Connolly: When you were at Trinity Valley CC, did you ever think you'd be a 1,000-yard receiver in the NFL?
Connell: No, not this quickly. It was rough then. I could have gone a lot of different routes when I was there. In Texas they had all kinds of tests if you wanted to play Division I. I had to take it like five or six times. I just stayed with it. I had to get 60 hours in two semesters and go to summer school to get there. I had to be dedicated and do certain things. Texas A&M was the best school recruiting me and they hadn't put too many receivers in the NFL. But I stuck at it and things started going my way. Coach [R.C. Slocum] finally had to get me the ball and I made the plays.
Then to get here [Washington] and start by my third year and have that many yards -- that was amazing! I knew the day would come, but never did I think so fast. When I was a rookie I was behind a bunch of great guys like Henry Ellard, Alvin Harper and Leslie Shephard. I figured they'd be around a long time and I'd have to get mine here and there. But it didn't happen that way. I had to jump into a role real fast. It really is amazing.
Connolly: What do you think would have happened to you if you didn't get your scores higher and make up all those credit hours?
Connell: I really don't know. I don't think I'd be playing football. I'd probably be down in Florida up to no good. I grew up in a rough neighborhood, and was raised by my grandmother and my aunt. I could have taken a different route. One of my closest friends, Al Harris, plays safety for Philadelphia. We went to the same high school, but he didn't take the tests, and he transferred to Division II but still made it. I knew I could do the same thing, but I also knew I could do the schoolwork and that I was a Division I player. I wasn't going to settle for anything less.
Connolly: Time for some Deion questions. Now, I know you had some run-ins in the past and there were some stories that came out in the preseason when you first met. Are you guys close now?
Connell: The process was rough at first. The only thing that was in the back of my head was that I didn't want him coming here because he really took a cheap shot at me last year. He got here and I thought, "Oh, I'm gonna get him." It never happened, though. Believe it or not, we're good buddies now. After the things we went through, we're real close now. Deion's a great guy. We clown around a lot because he's got a great sense of humor. We're both from Florida, too, so we're all "home team" and this and that. It's cool.
Connolly: I know first-teamers don't square off at practice, but what was it like going against him in training camp?
Connell: That's all we did is go at it in camp. He'd make me work and I'd make him work. He's got me ready to do some things I feel that will help me out a little more this year as far as going against different corners.
Connolly: Such as ...
Connell: He knows a few tricks of the trade on both sides, since he's played both ways. So he tells me certain things to do and what corners look for. Corners watch films and read where you're going to line up, so he has taught me how to disguise it so it won't give them a good idea of what you're going to do. It's helped me a lot.
Connolly: You're lucky with Champ Bailey, Deion and Darrell Green all on your team because that means you don't have to face them. With Deion in Washington, is there a guy out there you have trouble with?
Connell: Most of them are guys we won't play this year. But in our conference, there's always Aeneas [Williams]. He's always been a solid corner and someone I've battled with in the past. Jason Sehorn. Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent. Those guys have already been good. With Deion on our side it helps because he was always the best. Now I got three of the best corners on my team.
Connolly: That upper-echelon of receivers may include just a few names. Jimmy Smith, Keyshawn and Randy Moss come to mind. If you could trade places with one of those guys for one day right now, would you?
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Connolly: Are you the most underrated player on the Redskins? 'Yeah, I think so.' What about league-wide? 'Yep. No doubt about that. I really feel that way.' ” |
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— Albert Connell with Marc Connolly |
Connell: No, for what? I'm there myself. Those guys are in great situations, but so am I. We play the same position and I can make the same plays they make if I get the opportunity. I'm gonna make those. We're gonna be a better offense than we were last year, we've just had a slow start. No way would I trade places with any of those guys.
Connolly: I know you were quite the baller growing up and even thought of playing at Texas A&M. Flat out: are you the best hoopster on the Skins?
Connell: Oh yeah. No doubt.
Connolly: Anyone even close?
Connell: No.
Connolly: Champ Bailey is taking some reps at receiver and guys like Deion and Charles Woodson have done it in the past. How come receivers never take reps at corner?
Connell: I know it, huh? I told them that I think I can get back there and play a little safety here and there. I played it in high school. It's odd, though. It's always crossed my mind why more wideouts don't play some corner. I think I could do it.
Connolly: Could you cover Deion and Champ if you went out there right now?
Connell: Oh yeah. With those guys on a straight go route I could cover them. But if it was an underneath route, I'd be worried about what was going on in the field and would get lost up in it. Actually, I don't know if I could do both. Those guys [Deion and Champ] are great athletes and they can go both ways over me.
Connolly: You grew up in Fort Lauderdale in the '80s. You must have had Duper and Clayton posters up in your room.
Connell: Even better -- those guys lived in my complex so they'd be out playing football with us. They never knew I'd be in the league someday. Mark Clayton lived in a corner condo. I look back and think how I use to idolize those guys. It's odd, but yet a lot of guys from my neighborhood play or who have played in the league.
Connolly: Like who?
Connell: Michael Irvin, Isaac Bruce, Frank Sanders. A bunch of receivers, huh? Let's see, Brian Blades, Bennie Blades -- them too. It's amazing isn't it? I always look at that and think how we'd be a pretty good all-star team.
Connolly: What's the most interesting thing you've ever seen a receiver do to improve the grip on his hands or gloves?
Connell: Not too many guys that have been around me have done too much. You hear stories, though. I heard that this one guy used to walk around with duct tape on his hands all day until the game and then take it off so his hands would be sticky. Crazy stuff like that. Guys have used Stick 'Em or have done things to their forearms so that when the ball lands there it stays put. I always wear gloves, so I've never worried about that.
Connolly: Are you the most underrated player on the Redskins?
Connell: Yeah, I think so.
Connolly: What about league-wide?
Connell: Yep. No doubt about that. I really feel that way.
Connolly: I mean, how come we haven't seen any No. 83 jerseys in the stands?
Connell: You think that too? I always think that. I'm glad someone else thinks it. I gotta get my PR people to get my jersey in the store. No, I'm kidding though. I don't think about stuff like that a lot. I do think I'm right up there with those (league best receivers) guys. I mean, I led the league in yards-per-catch last year -- Mike [Westbrook] and I tied for that. It was in my first year as a starter too. I got plenty of time for that.
Connolly: Last two questions - Best and worst part about being a NFL player?
Connell: Best part -- the money (laughing). Hey, that's a straight-up answer. It's probably being a part of something. Being around all these guys -- all these Hall of Famers who can teach me things. Like now with Andre [Reed] being here. It makes me want to get better.
The worst thing is dealing with critics and people that criticize me when they don't know me. Everybody seems to have an opinion since they can watch you and see what you do. That really bothers me. But that's about it.
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