AROUND THE NFL News and notes

Broncos: Denver cornerback Jimmy Spencer earned the nickname "Teacher" because of his willingness to help younger players. He's added "coach" to his title this season. Spencer was named an assistant defensive backs coach during the offseason, giving him a chance to become the NFL's first official player-coach since Dan Reeves did it with the Dallas Cowboys in the early 1970s. There are others who do the job unofficially -- offensive tackle Lomas Brown did it with Tampa Bay last season, and he referred to himself as the "assistant line coach." Defensive back Aeneas Williams, playing free safety for the Rams, has that role this season for an otherwise young secondary. Spencer, 34, is a 12-year veteran and still has to make the roster to have both jobs, but it looks like he can. "That guy can still cover, he's still competitive, he's a very valuable person, period," defensive coordinator Larry Coyer said. "He's valuable on the playing side and the coaching side. He's a class act." But alternating between pads and a clipboard has led to some long days. Spencer arrives at the Broncos' training facility before 7 a.m., then spends the day switching between practice and coaches' meetings. When coach Mike Shanahan holds late personnel meetings, Spencer doesn't get home until around midnight. "Sometimes it makes it tough getting your body going, so what I usually do is get in the whirlpools," Spencer said. "The cold whirlpool, the hot whirlpool, showers -- I do anything to try to wake myself up." It could pay off. Reeves is in his 23rd straight season as a head coach -- first with the Broncos, then the Giants, and now the Falcons.
Rams: At age 41, Sean Landeta is still alive and punting for St. Louis, still so adept at what he does that he's the only kicker the Rams have bothered to bring to training camp. This will be Landeta's 19th NFL season and second tour with the Rams, with whom he spent half of 1993 and 1994. His first 81/2 years were with the Giants, and he's also played for the Bucs, Packers and Eagles. He's probably best known for his whiff on a punt during a Giants-Bears playoff game in January 1986 -- a mistake that's still shown on highlight reels. What he wants to be known for is being the last survivor from the USFL, where his career began with the Philadelphia Stars under Jim Mora. To reach that goal, Doug Flutie, currently the backup quarterback in San Diego, needs to retire. "Heck, he could go for another five years," Landeta say of Flutie, who doesn't turn 41 until Oct. 23. "That means I'll have to go for six."
Titans: The smallest player on the Tennessee Titans' roster is making an almost improbable grab for a roster spot because he has something the NFL loves -- speed. Rober' Freeman is just 5-foot-9, but he's trying to win a cornerback job with top draft pick Andre Woolfolk out with a dislocated left toe. Freeman was an undrafted free agent out of Division II Clark in Atlanta, where he holds the school records in the 100 (10.4) and 200-meter dashes (21.08). Coach Jeff Fisher said Freeman might be able to match up against opponents' third receiver, who can be smaller and quicker. "Not only does he have speed, he can run and elevate at speed so it actually makes him a little taller than he appears," Fisher said.
Colts: Dominic Rhodes has hardly practiced since injuring his left shoulder on the second day of training camp. Apparently, the shoulder isn't the problem; his surgically repaired right knee is. "It's just not right, bottom line," he said this week. The Colts were counting on a healthy Rhodes not only to complement two-time NFL rushing champ Edgerrin James but also to give Indianapolis' high-scoring offense a new dimension with two-back sets and the ability to send James down the field for passes. But Rhodes has been bothered by injuries for the second straight training camp. On the second day, his shoulder popped out three times. He's practiced sparsely since. Rhodes had the same shoulder injury in college and hurt it again during his second NFL start. He played the final eight games of his rookie season wearing a shoulder brace. Last year, Rhodes again hurt the shoulder in training camp, then tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He missed the entire season. Team officials have insisted that Rhodes is further along now than James was last year because he has had almost a full year to recover. James tore his ACL in October 2001 and tried to come back last year just eight months after surgery.
Eagles: Reno Mahe came to Eagles training camp at Lehigh University and fought hard to become a backup running back. But that doesn't mean he hasn't been homesick. "I've never been so homesick in my life," said Mahe, an undrafted rookie free agent from BYU. "I've had times where I didn't know if I wanted to come back out (to practice). It was hard. But I had great support from my family. My wife told me, 'You don't have to play football.' But I don't want to have any regrets." Living in a dorm at Lehigh, about an hour-and-a-half drive from Philadelphia, and not knowing the area was difficult, Mahe said. Fortunately for Mahe and other players, the Eagles broke training camp at Lehigh on Friday. The Eagles played a preseason game in Pittsburgh on Saturday before resuming training camp on Monday in Philadelphia. "Training camp really helped you be tougher," Mahe said. "Being away from your family for so long, being out here in the middle of nowhere, having no idea where you are and going through two-a-days, it's hard. But it will all be worth it at the end." Mahe's wife, Sunny Tonga, an All-American volleyball player at BYU, is in Houston, Mahe said. She will visit him in Philadelphia and stay with family in the area. Other players are just happy to be able to sleep in their own beds. "Training camp isn't over," linebacker Ike Reese said. "We get to spend a little extra time at home with the family and sleep in my own bed, that's always a comforting feeling. The on-field work still has to be done. The same amount of time in the classroom. We just get out of the small dorm rooms and can sleep at home in our own beds."
Jets: New York guard Tom Nutten has told coach Herman Edwards that he is retiring. Nutten, who signed as a free agent in the offseason to replace Randy Thomas at right guard, did not practice with the team Thursday and told Edwards of his decision during lunch. He was competing for the starting job but apparently lost out to Brent Smith, who was practicing with the first team this week and started last week's preseason game against Cincinnati. Nutten also had an elbow injury that hindered his progress. He wasn't with the team for its game against New Orleans on Saturday. Nutten, 32, played six NFL seasons with Buffalo and St. Louis, where he won a Super Bowl ring. He played in 62 games, with 57 starts. Smith, signed as a free agent from in the offseason, hasn't played a regular-season snap in three years because of various knee injuries.
Bengals: In his first preseason game action for the Cincinnati Bengals last weekend, rookie quarterback Carson Palmer threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns by the New York Jets. When he finally hit a Bengals receiver in the end zone late in the fourth quarter, teammate Duane Clemons rushed to present him with the ball from his first touchdown pass in the NFL. But in a moment both revealing and enticing, Palmer declined the commemorative ball. "Don't worry about it," he told Clemons. "That's my third." Of such humble beginnings are NFL legends born. With that retort, the Bengals glimpsed their quarterbacking future. They like what they see. "The biggest thing that stands out about Carson is his humbleness and his character," said right offensive tackle Willie Anderson, an eight-year veteran. "Throwing those two picks the other day, I've seen other quarterbacks around here (do that) before where their head would be down. They just sulked. They'd never have come back and engineered a touchdown drive the way he did."
-- Wire reports