Football News and Updates

Seahawks WR Jackson out until late August

Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said top wide receiver Darrell Jackson likely will not play until the team's Aug. 26 exhibition game at San Diego.

Jackson, who had a career-high 87 receptions in 2004, had surgery on his right knee Oct. 12 to repair torn cartilage. He missed 10 games but returned to catch 20 passes in three playoff games, including five for 50 yards in Seattle's Super Bowl loss to Pittsburgh.

But weeks after that game, Jackson had a second knee surgery. He is watching training camp practices from the sidelines wearing his practice jersey, team visor and a smile.

"He's on a program to get his leg straightened," Holmgren said. "His knee is pretty good, but his muscles in his quad and so on have to be stronger, so he doesn't re-injure anything.

"He's right on schedule. We're setting a target date of a third preseason game."

Holmgren also said that D.J. Hackett, who had been getting Jackson's preseason practice plays with the first-team offense, will miss two to three weeks with a strained right hamstring. Hackett was injured while catching a pass in the end zone on the final play of practice.

Hackett, who caught 28 passes with two touchdowns last season, spent the day watching practice with an electric stimulation device wrapped to the top of his right leg. He limped while walking slowly.

Seattle's passing game is already missing starting tight end Jerramy Stevens. He has said team trainers expect him to be out until the third week of August following April 25 surgery on his left knee.

Defensive back and special-teams player Jimmy Williams twisted his ankle during drills and was limping noticeably on his way off the field. His prognosis was not immediately known.

2006-08-04 15:27:35

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NFL officials get a stylish new look

Coming this fall to an NFL stadium near you: fashion-forward referees.

Gone are the traditional vertical black-and-white stripes that have been a staple of the league seemingly since its inception and that live on in Foot Locker stores and DJ booths around the country. In their place is a flashier look that features wide white stripes and thin black stripes that flare around the shoulders and upper arms.

In addition to giving their annual lecture on rules changes for the upcoming NFL season, several referees debuted the new threads this week at New York Giants training camp. Not everyone was enamored of the new look.

"They should be riding on a horse at Saratoga," one spectator cracked while watching the officials oversee a practice session.

Making a fashion statement was not the primary motivation behind the decision to make the change, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. First was the desire for a lightweight, more efficient fabric that would be cooler in hot weather and warmer in cold weather.

"The material of our shirts was very heavy, so everybody wanted a different material," said Walt Coleman, an NFL referee with 18 years' experience. "Everybody loves the material, and the shirts are really comfortable. I think everybody's just not totally sold on the style. My son said to me, 'I can't believe you're changing your shirts!'"

The second aim was to make the uniforms more easily accommodate the gear referees need to carry, Aiello said, which includes more layers of clothing in colder weather.

"The biggest reason we changed was to upgrade the performance quality of the uniform," he said. "The third reason was to give the uniforms a more modern, updated, distinctly NFL look."

Referees will wear the new Reebok-designed shirts and the traditional white knickers for most games and will switch in cold weather to black full-length pants that will allow more room for additional layers.

Aiello wasn't sure when the league switched to the vertical stripes but noted that NFL referees in the 1930s wore "solid white dress shirts with bow ties and beanies."

When asked his opinion of the new uniforms and whether he would have an easier time locating referees during games for a little spirited exchange of ideas, Giants coach Tom Coughlin replied, "Are you kidding? I'm just glad to have them out there. And I've usually been able to find them pretty well."

2006-08-04 15:23:06

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T.O. Misses Practice With Sore Hamstring

Whether he's wearing different-colored shoes or socks, sporting tights or shorts, Terrell Owens' practice uniform has looked different each day in practice.

But on Thursday, Owens offered a much different look, sporting a gray sweatshirt and blue athletic shorts as he strolled onto the field some eight minutes after the start of practice.

Owens missed practice to rest a sore left hamstring here at the River Ridge Complex. The veteran receiver said this is the first hamstring injury of any kind he has experienced in his career.

"It's a little sore, but that's how it is," Owens said after his 20-minute one-on-one session with rookie receiver Sam Hurd following practice. "You get into camp and injuries are just part of the game. I wouldn't say I'm injured, just a little sore. I would say we're taking precaution."

The injury does not appear to be serious, with the wide receiver possibly able to return to practice as early as Friday morning.

"Well, I'm not sure," Owens said. "I'll just stick with the treatment that the trainers have me on. We'll just see how it goes."

Owens worked closely with the team's conditioning staff during practice, but also had a 10-minute conversation with owner-general manager Jerry Jones on the sideline. Owens then talked with head coach Bill Parcells for about five minutes during a break period in practice.

"He always wants the guys to be out there on the practice field," Owens said of Parcells. "My mindset is no different. I'd rather be out there practicing than sitting there pedaling on that bike all day."

2006-08-04 15:19:18

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