Winslow levels Roosevelt Williams during drill
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BEREA - Coach Butch Davis said his team needs to ``dial it up'' in practice. Kellen Winslow Jr. was listening.
He dialed; Roosevelt Williams rang.
In the first practice after Saturday's 24-3 preseason loss to the Tennessee Titans, the Browns' rookie tight end sent a message during a seven-on-seven drill. Winslow, taking part in just his third practice since signing a $40 million contract last week, caught a pass from quarterback Kelly Holcomb on a crossing route. The defense wasn't tackling and wasn't in full pads, but Winslow lowered his shoulder and leveled cornerback Williams as he came up to touch him down.
It was probably the most shocking hit of training camp, thus far, in part because of its ferocity and in part because it was unexpected during the limited-contact drill.
The instant reaction from the fans gathered at the training facility was excitement. The reaction from Winslow's teammates and coaches was a little more mixed.
``I think it was very unprofessional,'' said Williams, a three-year veteran. ``For him to lower his shoulder, I mean I'm looking out for him. I was in (zone), I see him before he sees me. But it's football, if you are going to play like that, play every day.''
There was no immediate reaction from Winslow. Like last Saturday after he was flagged for a personal foul, team officials did not permit the media to ask Winslow questions.
But in the wake of the loss to Tennessee, when the team admittedly came out soft, some other Browns saw the fiery hit as a positive step.
``Kellen Winslow only has one speed and I love that about him, that's what we need,'' defensive tackle Gerard Warren said. ``I told him to keep doing what you're doing, just because someone else isn't going your speed doesn't mean you're going out of practice tempo. We love that attitude, it is something extra in a good way.
``It is up to Roosevelt to protect himself on the field. If you got knocked on your (backside), wouldn't you think it was unprofessional? In that case, Roosevelt might've been going through the motions.''
Davis, who took some of the blame for his team being a little flat Saturday because practice wasn't at a high enough tempo, was more diplomatic than Warren. But his point was essentially the same.
``Yep, it was OK. I don't think he intentionally zeroed out Roosevelt Williams and attacked his manhood. I think maybe it just surprised Roosevelt a little bit that he was going to play at that level,'' Davis said. ``You have to play fast, whether you have any pads on or not.''
Winslow was known for his voracious habits when at the University of Miami and is perhaps serving notice that he intends to bring it with him to the next level. It might also be a response to the challenges of his teammates, who have been bringing him up to speed in rookie hazing since his arrival.
The hit nearly spawned the first fight of what has been a generally benign camp, but Williams saved it for another day.
``When I was laying on the ground there was a lot of things going through my head. I thought about my family, thought about my wife and I was professional and just went to the huddle,'' Williams said. ``But we've got a long season, that won't be the last we'll see of him. It's nothing personal, I just see how it is now.''
