I'm coming late to the party on this particular article, but it's a demonstration of what Lawyer Milloy has to offer the team. I would argue that his skillset is clearly declining, but from a leadership standpoint there's nobody who embodies the tough-nosed captain than Milloy. With Pet Rhino's tougher regime, he's the guy I want rookies looking to for advice and guidance. Case in point:
"I always feel like I'm the glue, without saying too much," Milloy said. "I had six or seven years of being in the spotlight, having the cameras on me, but at this point in my career -- having several Pro Bowls and I've been in a Super Bowl and having a chance to win it once -- I want some of these young guys to be in the spotlight. For me, I just want to be behind the scenes making sure that the boat is going in the right direction."
A couple of rookies, defensive end Jamaal Anderson and cornerback Chris Houston, who played well in mini-camp and looked comfortable at last Thursday's organized training activity practice, could earn starting jobs. Despite the lofty expectations for the draft picks, they'll have to prove themselves to Milloy.
"They all have the same name to me, and that's 'Rookie,' " Milloy said.
That last quote just kills me. If I was a rookie with big expectations and you're greeted by a veteran who's only willing to call you 'rookie', I know I'd be motivated to work my ass off just to get dap from him. I'm encouraged in general by the comparisons to Belicheck, who is probably the world's least cuddly person but gets results out of his players year after year. If there's anybody to take a last ditch shot at fixing Vick and pulling this team together, Petrino's it.
It just won't hurt to have Milloy backing him up, that's for sure.