Monday, November 26, 2001
Houshmandzadeh sets punt return mark
By Tim Sullivan
The Cincinnati Enquirer
CLEVELAND — Faster than you can say Touraj Houshmandzadeh — and much faster than you can spell it — the Cincinnati Bengals discovered a promising playmaker Sunday afternoon.
Fielding punts because of injuries sustained by Peter Warrick, Houshmandzadeh set a franchise record with a total of 126 yards on punt returns in the Bengals' 18-0 loss to the Browns. The longest of them spanned 86 yards and provided the Bengals their closest glimpse of the goal line.
Houshmandzadeh has returned seven punts for the Bengals, averaging 20.6 yards per return.
“He was a wonderful punt returner in college,” special teams coach Al Roberts said. “He has good hands and he's a smart kid. Sometimes, he gets a little hyper and you have to settle him down. I just told him, "Run off the first block,' and that's what he did.”
Houshmandzadeh muffed a third-quarter punt — one of seven Bengals turnovers — but the rookie from Oregon State redeemed himself on the first play of the fourth quarter.
He fielded Chris Gardocki's punt on the first bounce at the Bengals' 9-yard line, and veered right behind a wall of blockers. He sprinted down the sideline behind Danny Farmer and reached the Cleveland five-yard line before the Browns' Aaron Shea could stop him.
“I don't remember much,” Houshmandzadeh said. “The first 15-20 yards, I know I just ran to the right. When I go over it in my mind, I think I could have scored. I wish I could have done a few things different.”
Houshmandzadeh wondered if he should have run along the sideline instead of trying to cut back through the traffic, letting Farmer clear his path to the end zone. The Bengals failed to convert his return into points, leaving Cleveland's lead at 12-0.
“If I get in (the end zone), we're down five points,” he said. “If I could have scored, maybe it could have been a spark ... If we had scored, it would have put us in the mindset that if we stop them and get the ball back, that we could win the game.”
Houshmandzadeh's run equaled the third-longest punt return in Bengals' history — Carl Pickens 95-yard return remains the club record — and it was the longest Bengals punt return that did not go for a touchdown.
“I was hoping he could have scored,” linebacker Takeo Spikes said. “A play like that would have energized everybody.”
Bengals Stories
PREP FOOTBALL PAGE
St. X, St. Ignatius prepare 2nd showdown
Ohio football playoffs
Kentucky football playoffs
XU's Chalmers takes charge
Xavier freshman wins A-10 honor
Ohio State sees Outback or Citrus
Miami, Florida top jumbled BCS
Heisman favorite anybody's guess
NY bowler wins Super Hoinke
Johnstown 3, Cyclones 2
Sports events this week
• Return to Bengals front page...
Houshmandzadeh sets punt return mark
