Archives for March 2010

‘Prior to 2009, Klopfenstein spent three seasons with St. Louis, which selected him in the second round of the 2006 draft. In 49 career games, Klopfenstein has 34 receptions for 397 yards and two touchdowns.’

‘Klopfenstein, who was re-signed on Thursday, was active for four games with Buffalo last season and had one catch for 11 yards. He’s a four-year NFL veteran who initially signed with the Bills in November after Derek Fine sustained a season-ending knee injury.’

‘Klopfenstein (6’5" 262) was originally signed by the Bills last season on two separate occasions (Nov. 18, Nov. 28). He appeared in just the season finale for Buffalo making one reception for 11 yards in the 30-7 victory over the Colts.’

‘Posluszny addressed the students about his educational history and his path to Penn State University after high school. He said that when he was recruited in high school to play football in college he would get nervous talking with coaches. He thought they were going to ask intense football questions regarding what type of player he was. He was surprised to find out that the first questions asked were, “What kind of student are you?” and, “What kind of relationship do you have with your teachers?”‘

‘Where does one start with Gibran Hamdan, the second quarterback in two days signed by the previously pivot-free Toronto Argonauts?’

‘The Bills need more size on the defensive line, particularly at nose tackle, with their planned move to the 3-4 scheme. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Kennedy has been in 4-3 defenses since entering the league, but lined up over the center in St. Louis.’

‘The Bills need to upgrade their line, and Kennedy could fill a void. He’s coming off a strong season and is turning into a late bloomer after being labeled a first-round bust in St. Louis.’

‘Hamdan probably could have taken more money to remain in the U.S., but he did not want to sit on the bench anymore. “I had options,” Hamdan said. “But I’m looking for an opportunity to help lead a team to a championship, to make an imprint on an organization, and this is the best place for me to do that. I don’t want to toil on a roster with no role. That became difficult.”‘

‘Hamdan was recently released by the Buffalo Bills after being their third-stringer last season but that scrap of data hardly speaks to those qualities that continue to open doors for him as an athlete. Hamdan hails from a unique background. His father, Latif, is Palestinian; his mother Laila is Pakistani. The dad is a nuclear engineer with a PhD who now works for the U.S. government. The mom owns several beauty schools in the Washington, D.C. area. She started off by cutting hair to support her family when all was lost in Kuwait.’

‘The six-foot-four, 220-pound Hamdan was an NFL free agent and was said to be interested in Toronto because it offered the best chance to play immediately.’

‘Their grandmother Cindy McCarey won the school visit last year because of a contest she entered when she bought a Pepsi product at a Tops store. As the experience finally unfolded today, the 6-foot-2 player was patient and gracious as he stopped to smile and pose again and again for photos with kids and grown-ups.’

‘The Steelers signed unrestricted free-agent tackle Jonathan Scott to a multiyear contract, agent Jordan Woy confirmed today.’

‘The two-time Pro Bowl player was due the roster bonus on Tuesday. But there’s a provision in his contract that he must first pass a physical. Schobel failed his end of season physical because of an elbow injury, which was surgically repaired this offseason.’

‘"I love the Bills," Green said via a conference call with reporters. "There’s a lot of tradition. I’m glad to have the opportunity to play here and be a part of the pride, history and tradition."’