Friday, September 10, 1999Coaches, teammates welcome Pickens
'We need him,' says tackle Anderson
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The rap on Carl Pickens is he infects the Bengals' locker room with negativity. But on Thursday, he energized the place 72 hours before the season opener simply by walking through the door for the first time this season.
![[pickens]](http://bengals.enquirer.com/img/photos/1999/09/091099pikens1_150x102.jpg)
Bengals fan Rod Frohele displays a sign near Spinney Field Thursday.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
| ZOOM |Bengals President Mike Brown and Pickens' agent, Steve Zucker, thought Pickens could be ready to be one of the leaders on a team with 32 players who have three years or less of NFL experience.
“Just seeing him, the guys got up, they got moved,” said linebacker Takeo Spikes. “If he's ready to suit up Sunday, it would boost us.”
While Zucker met upstairs at the club's Spinney Field offices with Brown and his top aides, Katie and Troy Blackburn, Pickens popped down to the training room and locker room to check on his teammates before and after their one-hour practice. He held court in a lounge chair in front of the locker stall he had once said he'd never dress in front of again.
The last time Pickens played for the Bengals, coach Bruce Coslet ripped his effort. But there was none of that talk Thursday.
“I'll take him any day of the week,” said running back Corey Dillon. “I'd take him rolling out of bed at 6 in the morning and going on the field right now. I look up to Carl. He's been here the longest; he's a veteran, an All-Pro. He works hard.
“Carl's a good person. If you want to get on him about one game, what about all the games he's played here. If you want to measure a man by one game, I don't think that's right.”
On Thursday, radio reports accused Pickens of telling quarterback Eric Kresser in the 35-0 loss to Tampa Bay that ended last season not to throw him the ball because he would drop it. He also was accused of deliberately cutting off pass routes for quarterback Neil O'Donnell.
“That's water under the bridge,” Pickens said. “Things like that don't happen. It's a professional game played at a professional level. ... Those are just accusations.”
At 29, Pickens is already the franchise's all-time leading receiver with 473 catches, 57 for touchdowns. That gives him status on a team that struggled with the passing game in the exhibition season, going 11-for-55 on third down with the receivers behind Darnay Scott having trouble getting open.
Pickens wants to play Sunday, but he's not sure he's in shape, although he looks fit. Brown wants him to go slowly for fear of injury.
“We need him. We need that playmaker,” said right tackle Willie An derson. “They can't just shut down Corey or Darnay. We've got three good receivers in Pick, Darnay and Willie (Jackson).
“People who don't know Pick would be surprised,” Anderson said. “He's a good guy. He reminds me of my step-father. Tough love. He'll get on you, but that's his way.”
Brown acknowledges Pickens is “prickly,” but he also said he's “intelligent, engaging,” and chalks up much of his perception problem to him and the media being uncomfortable with each other.
Maybe the happiest and most anxious guy Thursday was rookie receivers coach Steve Mooshagian. Pickens' reputation for making life miserable for former offensive assistant John Garrett is legendary.
“We shook hands, looked at each other in the eye like men,” Mooshagian said. “I told him, "Carl, I don't make opinions based on other people's information. I'm going to make my own opinion. Just what I see in you.' He appreciated that.
“He's a competitor. I'm a competitor. I get frustrated, too. We might even have the same personality deep down. People show things differently. ... I've known him for an hour, and he's a great guy. That's all I'm looking at.”
Mooshagian handed Pickens his playbook, which reminded Pickens of this morning's 8:30 appointment with the coach.
“Don't be late,” Pickens told him with a smile.
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