Home >  Sports >  Steelers

Tuesday, January 14, 2003

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Two Steelers coaches might leave for other jobs. Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey traveled to Mobile, Ala., yesterday for not one job interview but two. Steelers President Dan Rooney gave Jacksonville owner Wayne Weaver permission yesterday to talk with Mularkey about the Jaguars' head coaching job. Mularkey was scheduled to have his second interview last night with the Cincinnati Bengals for their vacant head coaching job. Bill Cowher yesterday gave new University of Kentucky Coach Rich Brooks permission to talk with Steelers linebackers coach Mike Archer about becoming defensive coordinator for the Wildcats. While there have been reports in Kentucky for days that he would be hired, Archer said he has not talked with anyone about the job. Archer left Kentucky as assistant head coach in 1996 to join Cowher's staff. Steelers linebackers have been a strength of the team throughout his tenure, with five players going to Pro Bowls -- Chad Brown, Levon Kirkland twice, Jason Gildon twice, Kendrell Bell and Joey Porter. Archer's son, Jeff, plays baseball at Kentucky and his daughter, Betsy, also attends Kentucky.

RB Jerome Bettis will have surgery on his ailing left knee to remove torn cartilage, a condition not previously disclosed publicly. Bettis was hurt in a game Oct. 21 against Indianapolis and it was announced he had a mild tear of the medial collateral ligament in his knee. But Bettis revealed yesterday that torn cartilage caused most of the problems he had after the injury. Bettis missed virtually four games with the injury and finished with 666 yards rushing, the second-lowest in his career. Amos Zereoue started the playoff games as Bettis carried only once against Cleveland and three times against Tennessee. "This year, I was nowhere near 100 percent," Bettis said. "We understood that going in. It was just a matter of how much pain I can endure. I'm on one leg. I think a lot of people forgot about the fact that I've been playing with torn cartilage in my knee. And everyone just thought this was the best you get. Well, it's not. I've been hurt all year. When I did get hurt, I was the only running back available other than Amos, and I couldn't have surgery. There was only one back. [Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala] had a torn pec muscle, so it was one of those situations you had to gut it out for the team. That wasn't a problem. I did that. I'll have it cleaned up and I'll be ready."

Bettis said he and Cowher talked yesterday about getting healthy and coming back ready to play next season. "I've never expected to come in and assume the job is mine," Bettis said. "I always told the guys behind me to take my job. That's always been the attitude I've taken. I'll be there ready to rock and if someone outworks me, they should get it."

QB Tommy Maddox signed a contract extension through 2006 in the summer when he was the backup to Kordell Stewart that will pay him only $725,000 in salary next season. With Stewart's expected release, the Steelers could renegotiate to pay Maddox more like a starting NFL quarterback. Maddox, though, said he won't push for it. "I haven't thought about it, worried about it. Nobody's talked about it. Those are things that really aren't too big of a concern to me. That's something my agent will probably bring up, but I won't bring it up. Whatever happens, happens, but I am very happy with where I'm at. I love this organization. I love playing for this organization and that is the least of my concerns."

Starting left OT Wayne Gandy becomes an unrestricted free agent March 1 if the Steelers do not sign him before then. He would like to stay put, but not for reasons involving the climate. "I would love to come back. Pittsburgh has kind of grown on me over the last four years, but that will uncover itself over the next six weeks. The only thing I hate about Pittsburgh is the weather. I'm from Florida, so some sun would do me good. This 10-11 days without seeing the sun thing y'all have going on is just terrible. But I've gotten used to playing in it and things are going very well, so hopefully we can do something in the next couple weeks."

Coach Bill Cowher has informed his coaches that they will not have to attend the Senior Bowl practices this week in Mobile, Ala., as they normally do. He will give them two weeks off instead.