This is just how Reeves expected Tommy Maddox to play

Posted 7:57AM on Monday 11th November 2002 ( 22 years ago )

PITTSBURGH - Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Reeves always knew Tommy Maddox could be a dominating NFL quarterback. His proof came on Sunday. Maddox passed for a Pittsburgh Steelers record 473 yards but the game with Atlanta ended in a 34-34 tie. Back in 1992, Maddox was a junior quarterback at UCLA and Reeves was the head coach of the Denver Broncos. Reeves used his first-round draft pick to select Maddox and the choice was widely regarded as a huge mistake. Since then, Maddox has bounced among several NFL teams and played in secondary leagues like Arena Football and the XFL. He also spent time out of football, selling insurance. Reeves coached the New York Giants in between the Broncos and Falcons, and he and Maddox both know how difficult the NFL can be. Reeves seems almost embarrassed that his role in Maddox's Cinderella story gets mentioned. "Tommy Maddox is the one you need to pat on the back," Reeves said. "You look at what he went through. Anytime you get rejection, and I've experienced it twice, it hurts. It hurts deeply and you start to doubt yourself. "To have him come back and persevere and play the way he has, I'm proud of him. I'm extremely proud of him because he's been through a lot of adversity and he's playing as well as anybody at that position right now." Maddox even went to training camp with the Falcons in 1997 but he was cut. Later, Maddox sent faxes to every team in search of a job and the Falcons were among the teams that weren't interested. "We had already tried that twice," Reeves said. "It wasn't going to work." Reeves said the situation may have been uncomfortable because it could have been perceived as a coach trying to justify a questionable draft decision he had made years earlier. Maddox and Reeves had a chance to talk before and after the game. Maddox said that having familiar faces on the opposing sideline added to his motivation. "I love the guy (Reeves) to death and I wanted to beat him," Maddox said. "And (Falcons defensive coordinator) Wade Phillips traded me. I wanted to beat him, too." Maddox said it's only natural to enjoy competing against friends. "I compete against my brother harder than anybody," Maddox said. He apparently had the same feeling about competing against his old coaches. Maddox pounded his fist on the table and said, "Man, I wanted that game." --- FIRST IMPRESSION:@ Because the Falcons are in the NFC, it should be a while before the Steelers see them again. That's fine with a lot of the players, who were exhausted after chasing quarterback Michael Vick through a game that lasted nearly 4 1/4 hours. Some Steelers defensive players became annoyed during the week about the constant questioning regarding Vick and his ability to escape the rush and serve as a running threat. "He's a terrific player," Steelers linebacker James Farrior said. "He's going to be one of the best. He's still young and he's still learning but I think he has the capability to be one of the best in the league." Vick was largely contained running the ball, carrying 10 times for 52 yards with an 11-yard touchdown run in the final minute of regulation. Linebacker Joey Porter, who had one of the four sacks of Vick, said he was surprised the quarterback didn't move around more than he did. "He's more relaxed than I thought he was going to be," Porter said. "Everybody was telling us he was going to run here and there. He dropped back and threw the ball. He wasn't really worried about the pressure. He just sits back there and wants you to run up on him and make him miss." --- JUST FOR KICKS:@ It seems like some of Steelers coach Bill Cowher's biggest decisions have to do with kicks. Last week in Cleveland, Cowher chose not to attempt field goals in three fourth-down situations. In Sunday's game, he had Todd Peterson try a 48-yard field goal in overtime, even though Peterson has struggled and Heinz Field has been tough on kickers in its two seasons. The Steelers were facing fourth-and-2 from the 28 when Cowher called for the field goal, which was blocked by Falcons receiver Brian Finneran. "I wanted to give our team a chance to win the game," he said. "If we hadn't made it on fourth down, then we would have deprived our team of an opportunity to win the game." Finneran ordinarily doesn't play on the field goal team but the Falcons put him in because he's 6-5. He said he tried to block a field goal in college and wound up with a separated shoulder. "A bunch of fat guys fell on me," he said. Meanwhile, Cowher passed on a chance to kick a 50-yard field goal later in overtime. Josh Miller's punt pinned the Falcons at their own 12. "The circumstances of the game are out of my control," Peterson said. "Coach Cowher makes all the calls." --- STAR SEARCH:@ The Steelers honored golf legend Arnold Palmer in a halftime ceremony that included a highlights tribute on the scoreboard. Palmer is a native of Latrobe, Pa., where the Steelers hold training camp. He said he's played golf with Cowher and offered this scouting report: "He's up and down. He can hit it. He can put it away pretty well." Palmer said he's also played with Steelers Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw ("A pretty good golfer") and current running back Jerome Bettis. International Boxing Federation lightweight champion Paul Spadafora was also on the Steelers sideline. Spadafora is from nearby McKees Rocks.

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