| | Thursday, February 1, 2001
Tough guy Gannon ready for Pro Bowl
Associated Press
HONOLULU -- Rich Gannon won't allow a shoulder separation to
keep him from playing in his second Pro Bowl.
|  | | Rich Gannon threw 28 touchdown passes and only 11 interceptions in 2000. |
"Playing in the Pro Bowl is a great opportunity, it's an honor
to be recognized by your peers," said Gannon, who will start at
quarterback for the AFC on Sunday. "I've been working very hard to
make sure I'd be ready to play."
That's exactly what his coaches and teammates would expect from
the 35-year-old Gannon, whose career has blossomed since he joined
the Oakland Raiders in 1999 after playing most of his first 11 NFL
seasons in a backup role with Minnesota, Washington and Kansas
City.
"He'd play hurt, that's the kind of guy he is," said Raiders
guard Steve Wisniewski, who will play in his eighth Pro Bowl.
Gannon was injured in the second quarter of the Raiders' 16-3
loss to Baltimore in the AFC championship game on Jan. 14 when
340-pound Ravens defensive lineman Tony Siragusa landed on him
after he released a pass.
"He's just a legitimate tough guy," said Raiders tackle
Lincoln Kennedy, another Pro Bowl player who blocks for Gannon.
"He's a bona fide trooper, as we like to call him, a real
leader."
After he was injured, Gannon left the game, returned in the
third quarter and was mostly ineffective before leaving for good in
the final period.
Siragusa wasn't penalized for the hit, and Gannon was seething
afterward. The NFL later fined Siragusa $10,000.
"It's over," Gannon said Wednesday. "I expressed my opinion
on it, I thought it was bad. It's over, it's done, the league
handled it."
Gannon said he hasn't heard from Siragusa and doesn't expect to
be contacted.
"I don't know if that's ever happened, a guy gives you a late
hit and then calls you on the phone," he said.
Wisniewski said he believes Siragusa knew exactly what he was
doing when he landed on Gannon.
"Of course he meant to hurt him, that's part of football,"
Wisniewski said. "I think our defense knocked out about 10
quarterbacks this season."
The Raiders opted for Gannon over Jeff George after the 1998
season, signing him to a four-year, $16 million contract after he
passed for a then-career high 2,305 yards with the Chiefs.
"I remember some raised eyebrows," recalled Raiders coach Jon
Gruden, who will coach the AFC in the Pro Bowl.
Gannon quickly quieted any doubters, passing for 3,840 yards and
24 touchdowns in 1999.
He threw for 3,430 yards and 29 touchdowns with only 11
interceptions this season, and was second on the NFL's top rushing
offense with 89 carries for 529 yards and four touchdowns in
leading the Raiders (12-4) to their first AFC championship game in
10 years.
"My career has been filled with peaks and valleys," Gannon
said. "I was never really given an opportunity until 1999. I had a
brief opportunity with the Vikings in 1992, then Dennis Green came
in and went in another direction."
Gannon said he always knew he could succeed.
"I kept working at it, I knew all I needed was the
opportunity," he said. "Jon Gruden and the Raiders gave me that
opportunity. I think Jon had a lot to do with signing me, he wanted
me, he stuck his neck out for me."
Gruden said it wasn't just him.
"We saw a lot of qualities we felt our team needed, an athletic
playmaker who fit what we wanted to do," Gruden said. "He had a
fire about him. He was in great command of the offense, managed the
game well. He replaced a guy (George) who was very talented.
"Rich deserves all the credit, he's been recognized as a
top-flight player in this league."
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