At this time last season, Tracy was a senior at William & Mary preparing for the team’s season opener against Virginia. He heard about Sintim, a former Cavaliers standout who was selected in the second round of the 2009 draft by the Giants, who wanted him to transition from a 3-4 outside linebacker to a 4-3 strong-side linebacker.

Tracy did not study his move until a year later, when he became the 2010 version of Sintim, albeit a sixth-round pick moving from a 4-3 defensive end to a 4-3 outside linebacker.

“We’ve done that before,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “Clint Sintim did it. So naturally, it’s a different spot. But it’s a spot that he can, at this level, play, and the nice thing is that you can rush him, too.”

Tracy enhanced his chances of making the roster with an impressive second preseason game, when he led the team with nine tackles and knifed through the Steelers’ offensive line to make stops in the backfield.

“Granted, it might have been second- and third-team people, but to go out there and make plays, it’s definitely a confidence booster,” Tracy said. “Especially because I’m making the transition.

“After that, I felt more comfortable in my position and my coaches have more confidence in me.”

At 6-2 and 248 pounds, Tracy has a linebacker’s body. Trevor Andrews, William & Mary’s defensive line coach, said Tracy has a linebacker’s skill set and played end only because he provided superior pass-rushing ability against spread offenses.

Defensive ends dropped into pass coverage in the Tribe’s scheme, and Andrews said coverage will not be as much an issue for Tracy as the nuances of the position and reading the keys on each play. To that point, Sintim said his biggest hurdle was what to see — not to what to do.

“It’s training your eyes, trying to figure out what you’re looking at,” Sintim said.

“There’s so many moving parts. And to be honest, he’s doing a lot better with his eyes than I was my first year, and I had a little more experience with it.”

When a defender starts at the line of scrimmage, Sintim said their window of vision is limited, which narrows the requirements on a given play. He saw the offensive tackle and possibly the fullback.

“Now, you’re off the ball, you see the guard, the tackle, the quarterback, fullback, H-back, misdirection,” Sintim said. “Especially with our team, there’s a lot of moving parts. Sometimes, it’s not as clean to see.”

Tracy enjoys playing in space, which defensive ends seldom experience.

He credited all the linebackers for helping him with the move, but Sintim is one of the few who can express empathy.

Some of the best advice from Sintim was not about the transition, but instead about the mental toll of learning a new position while trying to make the team. It’s acceptable to be frustrated, Sintim has told Tracy.

Tracy said the most fruitful of plays in practice occur when he makes mistakes. That way, he knows what to correct. Coughlin said Tracy improved through training camp, and the rookie acknowledged a difference between his first and second exhibition games.

“I’m still learning it, and I’ve been here a year longer than he has,” Sintim said.

“I don’t think it’s one transition where you have a month, and it’s like, ‘Boom, I got it!’ Or a year. You continue to get better and better the more you see things.”

Although Hills saw extensive playing time last week against the New York Giants, the former Texas Longhorn said the wait was difficult at times.

“It was hard. It was really hard,” said Hills, according to Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. “You want to go out there and really help. I have never been one to complain. I have always worked hard. I have been waiting in the wings for my chance to go out and perform and be ready when they call.”

Hills has performed well in the Steelers’ first two preseason games, proving that hard work and perseverance pays off.

“Any time you are not playing you start to question yourself a little bit,” said Hills. “The thing I had to remember is everybody has to wait their turn to get on the field. Once I grasped that concept, I was able to just work on me, fine tune my technique, get stronger in the weight room, get better on film work and breaking down individuals and defenses so when I do get my opportunity I have done it before and I can go out there with all of the confidence in the world and they can trust me.”

Gordon made a highlight-reel, one-handed interception at the beginning of the fourth quarter against the Chargers, the team he previously played with for three seasons. He said making a play against a former team adds something, but he doesn’t really care who’s on the other side of the field.

He said he just wants to get noticed.

Gordon had been turning heads creating turnovers in practice, causing secondary coach Dave Campo to call Gordon the leader in the battle for the fourth cornerback spot.

Head coach Wade Phillips said Gordon seems to intercept a pass every day. But he hadn’t displayed his playmaking ability in a game until now.

Gordon was released by the Chargers in 2009, and he let his team know what they were missing Saturday. The interception came a quarter after Gordon was beat deep by San Diego wide receiver Seyi Ajirotutu for a 56-yard gain.

“It was my fault,” Gordon said. “I should have stayed back. I was just trying to make plays, and sometimes they get you. I take the blame for it. I never point the finger at my teammates. It’s part of football. You’ve got to stay focused and keep playing.”

And keep playing he did. He said bouncing back from a poor play is essential at cornerback.

“It was great just coming back making a play,” he said. “It felt good being out there competing and coming back. I’m real familiar with this field and these guys.”

After experiencing little action during the regular season in his time with San Diego, Gordon said he hopes this year will be different.

“I’ve been fortunate and blessed that I’ve had some great preseasons,” Gordon said. “But I haven’t really had the opportunity to play in the regular season. I’m just looking for my opportunity.”

Cornerback Cletis Gordon has been more of a “practice hero.” He has undeniably recorded the most interceptions among the secondary throughout training camp. He’s been nothing less than a ball hawk. It seems every other practice he has at least one interception.

He’s done it against backups and starters alike. Gordon picked off quarterback Stephen McGee twice during one day of two-minute drills in San Antonio. In another practice, he intercepted a Tony Romo pass in the end zone, proceeding to cruise down the sideline.

Even in one-on-one drills, where cornerbacks are at a distinct disadvantage, he recorded two interceptions in a single practice at the Alamodome. His ability to create turnovers allowed secondary coach Dave Campo to call Gordon the leader for the fourth cornerback spot.

Gordon’s play in Oxnard hasn’t subsided. He snagged an interception during seven-on-seven drills Sunday and followed that with another interception the following day.

Campo said when players work correctly on technique and hand placement in practice, it usually translates to the game. He said Gordon has done well with that in his brief stint with the Cowboys.

But thus far in his career, Gordon’s ability to create turnovers hasn’t translated to games.

He failed to grab an interception in three previous seasons with the Chargers. Now Gordon has the opportunity to show to Campo and his coaches what they’ve seen in practice isn’t a fluke – that he’s not just a “practice hero.” And the fifth-year cornerback can do it against his former team on Aug. 21.

“I think he’ll get juiced up for the game,” Campo said. “He’s been there. I think he knows their receivers, and he pretty much knows where their splits are.”

Gordon strained his neck in the Hall of Fame game, forcing him to sit out the preseason home opener against the Raiders. But he returned to practice in Oxnard in time for this weekend’s matchup against the Chargers.

“I look forward to playing against my ex-teammates and coaches,” Gordon said. “It’s a chance to go out there and compete against those guys. I’m ready to show what I can do.”

Gordon said he might have a little extra in the tank for the team that passed on him in 2009.

“Anytime a team releases you, you feel like it’s a motivating factor for you,” Gordon said. “I just want to go out there and perform well. That really is on my mind. I’m going to leave everything on the line.”

He has a great set of hands, he is possibly the picture-perfect target for star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and given his youth, is set to go a very long distance in green and gold.

However, aside from all the hoopla that surrounds Finley at the present time, I can’t help but feel that a mild Packer star has been neglected in the entire process.

In case you haven’t already discovered who I am talking about, or you simply didn’t bother to read the headline, I’m talking about Donald Lee.

The former starting tight end for the Green Bay Packers has seen his career take an impromptu turn for the worse in the span of 12 months.

When it came to Donald Lee, what you saw was just about what you got. He was a very simple player, who had a knack for finding open patches on the field, and at the end of the day, became a very stable tight end in the Packers arsenal.

But now, I find myself writing about Donald Lee in the past tense, as if he has retired, or is sitting in the pool of never-to-sign free agents.

So why is it that most of the Packer Nation seem to have forgotten No. 86, and instead have chosen to focus on the oh-so-promising Green Bay Packer offense?

Well, aside from the obvious Jermichael Finley factor, much has contributed to Donald Lee’s demise.

Firstly, some of the blame could be pinned on Aaron Rodgers. It’s by no means a fault, but given the fact that Rodgers has relied heavily at times on Greg Jennings and Donald Driver, Donald Lee’s assistance wasn’t always necessary on many passing plays.

Secondly, much of the blame could be placed on Donald Lee himself. Looking over his stats, he was a fairly capable starting tight end, but had a tendency to go through good and bad seasons.

For example, during his 2007 season that saw Brett Favre lead the Packers to the NFC Championship Game, Donald Lee capped off the year with 575 yards.

Unfortunately though, this was only to be replaced by a more dismal 2008 season that featured a much lower 303-yard posting.

But before we go and point the finger at one player or another, is it important for all NFL fans in general to realize that the Donald Lee era is far from over.

For you see, when it comes to the Green Bay Packers, they have a tendency to mix things up a lot, particularly in the passing game.

You’d think that with two solid wide receivers such as Donald Driver and Greg Jennings on the roster, the need for much younger guys to fill in would stray a little in Lambeau Field.

However, in fact, head coach Mike McCarthy has taken the very opposite approach, and has kept a solid rotation flowing, that features just about every wide receiver on the active roster.

Therefore, this simple fact alone shows that we may see at least a glimpse or two of Donald Lee this season.

But as great as this all seems, the question must be asked, why would the Packers want to utilize Donald Lee if they already have Jermichael Finley?

Well, it is quite arguable, but given the fact that Finley is only young, and Lee does have some experience at the tight end position, the coaching strategy may be to use Lee in more risky situations.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the Packers will look to build Finley’s confidence immensely this season.

However, if a quick slant pass is needed on a fourth down, perhaps Lee may be slotted in somehow to get the job done.

When it comes right down to it, unfortunately for any Lee fan like myself out there in Packer Nation, we probably won’t see ol’ No. 86 in action like we once did.

To quote Boomer off of NFL Blitz, “Nobody doesn’t like Donald Lee,” so lets just hope that this once reliable player still gets to see the green field on any given occasion.

Bring on the Jermichael Finley era, but let’s not forget all that Donald Lee has done for the Green Bay Packers. He played a hand in a near-Super Bowl season in 2007, and has had numerous great moments with Aaron Rodgers.

I won’t ask you to stand up and applaud or salute some kind of Donald Lee shrine, let’s just appreciate. Donald Lee has contributed to the Packers we know and love today, and maybe, just maybe, he will continue to in the future.

Tomlin’s new contract will carry him through 2014. His previous contract, signed when the Steelers hired him in ’07, had one year and an option left. The five-year deal was worth an average of $2.5 million annually.

The Steelers have not yet announced Tomlin’s new contract and financial terms were unavailable.

Steelers president Art Rooney, who negotiated the deal with his coach, is on vacation and could not be reached for comment.

In similar circumstances, Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, with two years left on his first deal, signed an entirely new five-year contract in February that reportedly will pay him an annual average of between $5.5 million and $6 million.

In the past when the Steelers extended the contract of former coach Bill Cowher, the terms of the original deal would remain in place and the new salary would not kick in until the new extended portion of the contract began.

Whisenhunt was a candidate to replace Cowher, who resigned as Steelers coach after the 2006 season. Instead, Whisenhunt took Arizona’s offer to become the Cardinals’ head coach and the Steelers hired Tomlin.

Whisenhunt and Tomlin received virtually identical contracts of four years and an option year that averaged $2.5 million annually.

If Tomlin, 38, and the Steelers followed suit and negotiated a comparable contract again, it would be the highest contract the team has paid its head coach. For that to happen, however, an entirely new contract would have had to be done and it does not appear to have happened.

Tomlin’s record as coach is 31-17 in three regular seasons.

Since Cowher succeeded Chuck Noll as their coach in 1992, the Steelers traditionally extended his contract whenever there were two years remaining on his old deal. Sometimes the extension would be for two years, others for three.

They did that until the sides could not come to terms before the 2006 season and Cowher resigned with one year left on his deal.

Often, those contract extensions came well before the start of training camp, and as Tomlin’s fourth camp at Saint Vincent College approached its July 30 start with no news on a contract extension, speculation took hold as to whether the Steelers even wanted to negotiate one.

Tomlin’s 2009 team failed to defend its Super Bowl title when, after a 6-2 start, it lost five in a row and tumbled to 9-7.

There were reports shortly after the season that Tomlin would fire offensive coordinator Bruce Arians at the behest of the front office.

While Tomlin did fire several coaches, he kept Arians. Tomlin and Art Rooney denied there were any pressure to fire Arians.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10194/1072422-66.stm#ixzz0tZJX0xxq

Fans of Indianapolis’ NFL franchise filed in and out of Meijer’s parking lot, getting autographs from players and cheerleaders, taking trips down a giant inflatable blue-and-white slide and posing for pictures with Colts’ mascot, Blue.

The Colts’ annual Make It Personal tour had a little bit for everybody.

“I love the fact that they’re coming all the way out here,” said Fred Rains, who was sporting matching Peyton Manning jerseys with his 5-year-old son, Fate.

“I really like being around a lot of Colts fans. … It’s just great getting around a lot of people who like the same thing.”

Do they ever.

A steady stream of fans decked out in Colts gear received autographs from players Jamie Silva and Dudley Guice, and took a look around the team’s traveling museum.

Silva is a defensive back and Guice a wide receiver.

“This is a great opportunity to get the fans involved, because the fans are our No. 1 priority,” Guice said. “If there weren’t any fans, there wouldn’t be any Indianapolis Colts.”

The defending AFC champions just missed another Super Bowl title when they fell 31-17 to the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV.

Indianapolis opens the preseason Aug. 15 against the San Francisco 49ers.

The Colts’ first regular-season game is Sept. 12 at the Houston Texans.

“A lot of people dream of growing up and being pro football players and putting smiles on kids’ faces when they meet you,” Silva said. “It’s pretty cool.”

Guice signed with the Colts as a free agent in January. A product of Northwestern State, he originally signed with the Tennessee Titans in 2009.

“It’s a world-class organization,” Guice said of the Colts. “It’s definitely a privilege and it’s definitely an honor. I’m just trying to take it all in.”

The Miller family of Richmond has taken in several Colts’ fan events over the years.

Graham, Andrea and their 8-year-old daughter Summer were first in line Tuesday as they waited for the autograph session to start.

“Every year we come out here,” said Andrea Miller.

Graham Miller has been a fan for 15 years. “They’re an honorable team,” he said.

The Make It Personal tour has 17 more stops until July 21.

That includes a trip to the North-South All-Star Classic game July 16 at North Central High School in Indianapolis, and a July 19 visit to the Delaware County Fair in Muncie.

“The guys are very receptive who come do this. They enjoy going out and seeing the fans,” said Joe Fonderoli, who works on-site with the tour. “It’s a different aspect that they don’t get on game days, and fans don’t get on game days.”

Added Silva: “It’s huge for the guys on our team to get out around the state. … It kind of unites the Colts with everybody around the state and shows why the Colts’ fans are such loyal and good fans.”

Yes, this sounded a little familiar to Jessie Armstead, too. That’s why Armstead, a special assistant/consultant for the Giants, sought out Adrian Tracy before the Giants first rookie minicamp practice.

“That was definitely a shell-shock to me,” an appreciative Tracy said, “to have him coaching me and saying to carry on the tradition of No. 98. So I kind of looked at clips of him on YouTube, when he played at Miami, and some of when he was playing up here. The biggest thing I got from that is just the attitude and the tenacity he had every time he played.”

Playing at Armstead’s level obviously is an excessive expectation. Armstead made five Pro Bowls, despite that he was an eighth-round pick out of Miami in 1993.

Tracy, a sixth-round draft choice, is eager to utilize Armstead’s expertise. But before training camp begins he’ll concentrate mostly on the adjustments of playing linebacker.

The 6-2, 248-pound Tracy was a four-year starter at defensive end for William & Mary, but every NFL franchise he spoke to before the draft indicated that he projected as a linebacker at this level. The Giants will try him on the strong side, but they realize he’ll need time to adapt to playing a foreign position.

Tracy hasn’t played linebacker regularly since his freshman year at Potomac Falls (Va.) High School, but he impressed the Giants scouts when he played linebacker in the Texas vs. The Nation college all-star game three months ago.

“He is athletic, tries hard,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “We have seen him [play linebacker] in an all-star game, so I think he can do it. It is going to take a little bit. There are a lot of things that take place when you are out there in space. He doesn’t have his hand on the ground, like he has played most of his life.”

Like Armstead, Tracy grew up rooting for the Cowboys. He hopes, though, that he can make this tricky transition from end and become the type of player Giants fans appreciate.

“I’m learning,” Tracy said. “I’m getting more comfortable in my stance. I’m not in a rush to put my hand in the dirt, but wherever they need me is where I’ll play. Right now, I’m trying the SAM linebacker spot out, seeing how that works. Hopefully I can make the transition and contribute.”

A second-team All-Ivy receiver and special teams returner, Walters finished the 2009 season ranked second in the Ivy League in receiving yards per game (76.4), fifth in receptions per game (5.0) and tied for second with six receiving touchdowns. He also led the conference in yards per catch with 15.3. Walters ranked No. 5 nationally in all-purpose yards per game with 171.6 –– the second-best mark in a season by a Cornell player since Ed Marinaro, whose 1971 campaign saw him finish as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. Named Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Week three times in 2009, Walters led the Ancient Eight in kickoff return yards (777) and came in at No. 2 in punt return yards (174) and average per return (6.7).

During his 2009 campaign, Walters ranked in the top 20 among active players at the Football Championship Subdivision level in 14 categories, and posted three games with more than 200 all-purpose yards. Walters will graduate in May holding Ivy League records for career punt and kick return yards with 972 and 2,790, respectively.

His cousins Damon and Salim have each enjoyed successful NBA careers, while another cousin Chris Mims spent eight years as a lineman in the NFL. Stoudamire, a Centennial graduate, will test his football skills at the highest level after signing a free-agent contract with the San Francisco 49ers over the weekend.

The second-team, all-American cornerback out of Western Illinois was hopeful of hearing his name called Saturday during the later rounds of the NFL Draft. His phone buzzed a few times, but a card with his name on it never made it to the podium.

But just because the custodians were sweeping up in New York didn’t mean that NFL teams were heading home for the night.

“A lot of teams were calling,” his agent Rodney Edwards, with Goal line Football Management said. “Ten minutes after the draft we were negotiating contracts.”

The most interested parties were San Diego, the New York Giants and San Francisco. Edwards had studied the rosters of several potential suitors, searching for the best spot for his client to land. The Giants had eight cornerbacks in the fold, while San Francisco had just five on their roster – one being seventh round pick Phillip Adams out of South Carolina State, who was taken about an hour earlier.

In fact, Adams and Stoudamire are expected to battle for one of those final spots on the 53-man roster through off-season workouts and the preseason in August. The first steps on that journey begin this weekend with the team’s rookie mini-camp.

“I walk in faith and God had a plan for me,” Stoudamire said. “This is about a love for the game. I wasn’t asking for millions of dollars, I just want a shot to get my foot in the door. I’m pumped up to show my value and get that spot. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

His first stop after the draft party was to a local sporting goods store to purchase some 49ers’ hats for friends. He didn’t get out the door without being recognized.

“It’s been great. I’ve been getting all kinds of texts and phone calls,” Stoudamire said. “I went out to buy some hats, and people started coming up to me for autographs. I’ve never had people do that before.”

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