Thursday, February 17, 2000
Booker had long trip home
Trek included Kansas City, Green Bay
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Vaughn Booker proved you can go home again, but it's never a straight line.
Taft High School. University of Cincinnati. A three-year Army stint. Back to UC.
Then to Winnipeg of the CFL. Then to the NFL, where he had a sack and forced a fumble for the Chiefs in a playoff game. Then a May 13, 1998, trade to Green Bay, where Booker started 14 games at left end last season as a run-stopper for $525,000.
On Wednesday, Booker's perseverance paid off in the deal of a lifetime, consummated just minutes from his boyhood home on Ezzard Charles Drive.
He becomes the third Bengal to hit the trifecta of also having played locally in high school and at UC, joining Woodward running back Clem Turner in 1969 and replacement safety Rob Niehoff of Roger Bacon in 1987.
Those familiar with Booker's five-year contract with the Bengals said he got a little more than $3 million to sign and a little less than the $2.5 million annually former Bengals backup nose tackle Kimo von Oelhoffen got in Pittsburgh.
“To see a guy work like he has and have it pay off in his hometown, you have to feel wonderful for the guy,” said Richard Katz, Booker's Cincinnati-based agent.
Katz also showed some per severance. After initial talks went nowhere Tuesday, he went to Spinney Field Wednesday morning from his Carew Tower office and dropped in on Bengals director of pro/college personnel Jim Lippincott.
The two hashed over some numbers and then Lippincott conferred with Bengals President Mike Brown. Katz got waved into the meeting, and the contract was being typed about an hour later.
“The last time I sat down with Mike was for Alex Gordon,” said Katz of a 1991 Plan B deal. “We didn't need calculators for that one. We did this time. The Bengals clearly stepped up and have shown they're trying to get to the next level.”
Booker made no bones about his desire to play for the Bengals, speaking several times Tuesday with defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and defensive line coach Tim Krumrie after he visited Monday.
“The way they treated me, the new stadium, the way I got along with the coaches — it really impressed me,” Booker said.
The Bengals like the way the 6-foot-5, 300-pound Booker slithers off blocks, can play anywhere along the line and goes all out every down.
They envision Booker playing every down, as opposed to last season when he played for the Packers mainly on first and second down for 49.7 percent of the snaps. He had 31/2 of his 131/2 career sacks last season, as well as 46 tackles. He averaged 38 plays a game.
“Stopping the run is probably one of my strong points,” Booker said. “I can pass-rush, but I really haven't been asked to do it consistently over my career. I've been seen as an any-ticket kind of guy, and that's fine with me.”
LeBeau figures to move end Michael Bankston to tackle next to Oliver Gibson in the middle and put Booker to the tight end side and end John Copeland on the open side. Converted linebacker Reinard Wilson probably will start at one end on passing downs, but LeBeau likes Booker's rushing abilities from both end and tackle and will give him chances to rush from the edge.
That leaves the Bengals with Glen Steele and Andre Purvis as backups along the line, which means they probably will draft a tackle. Purvis had surgery Tuesday on a partially torn tendon just above his left knee cap but is expected to be ready for camp.
Free agent Jevon Langford has to be wondering what's going on in the wake of the Booker signing. After telling the club he wanted to return and playing well early in the season before getting hurt, Langford has yet to receive an offer from the Bengals.
DILLON SURPRISED
Bengals running back Corey Dillon, a restricted free agent, was shocked to hear media reports that he was at Tuesday night's Cavaliers-Spurs game, as the Cleveland media keep pushing the Browns' interest in him.
Dillon told friends, “I was right here (at my Seattle home) taking care of my daughter.” He also said he had no idea why he would be at the game, since he couldn't name one Cavalier.
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