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Cheesehead
By TOM SILVERSTEIN and GREG A. BEDARD
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Posted: Oct. 3, 2007
Green Bay - If safety Nick Collins' bruised knee continues to bother him, Green Bay Packers rookie Aaron Rouse stands a good chance of making his first National Football League start Sunday.
Collins took part in only a limited portion of practice Wednesday and wasn't on the field during the time reporters were allowed to watch the workout. Injured Sunday while tackling Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson, Collins said it was too early to tell whether he would be able to play against Chicago.
"It's just a bruise," Collins said. "We're going to let the doctors decide. If they tell me not to go, get some rest, that's what I'm going to go. If they give me the opportunity to play, I'm going to play."
Two weeks ago, it was a long shot that Rouse would be active anytime soon given he had been out since Aug. 26 with a hamstring injury and hadn't been able to take part in full participation in a practice until the Friday before the San Diego game. He was inactive for the first three games.
Then, against the Vikings, he was not only active, he was elevated to the top backup at both safety positions. He wound up filling in for both Collins and Atari Bigby, who were forced out of action for a limited time because of injury.
"It felt good," Rouse, a third-round pick, said of his first NFL action. "I just had to be ready if something happened like Nick going down. I just had to be ready to go in at the drop of a dime. I went in there and I felt we never lost a step."
Rouse played only eight snaps, so it's hard to tell how he would do over an extended chance, but coach Mike McCarthy said he thought Rouse forced quarterback Kelly Holcomb to throw the ball into the ground on one play for fear of throwing an interception.
"It looked like he saw Aaron at the last second," McCarthy said. "Aaron had a chance to intercept that ball."
The Packers think the 6-foot-4, 223-pound Rouse can help them a lot on special teams, which is one of the reasons he was active Sunday. But he did not show the same aggressiveness that he had in practice, which was a disappointment for McCarthy. The coach said he thought Rouse probably needed to get acclimated to the speed of the game after being out so long.
"We look for him to be a potential matchup advantage for us on special teams," McCarthy said.
As for starting against the Bears, Rouse said he would be ready if called upon.
"I'm the type of the guy that loves a big play; I have a big appetite," Rouse said. "So when it's my time to go in there and get the job done, I'm going to do it. I'm always ready and I practice like I'm a starter already."
[email protected]
Posted: Oct. 3, 2007
Green Bay - If safety Nick Collins' bruised knee continues to bother him, Green Bay Packers rookie Aaron Rouse stands a good chance of making his first National Football League start Sunday.
Collins took part in only a limited portion of practice Wednesday and wasn't on the field during the time reporters were allowed to watch the workout. Injured Sunday while tackling Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson, Collins said it was too early to tell whether he would be able to play against Chicago.
"It's just a bruise," Collins said. "We're going to let the doctors decide. If they tell me not to go, get some rest, that's what I'm going to go. If they give me the opportunity to play, I'm going to play."
Two weeks ago, it was a long shot that Rouse would be active anytime soon given he had been out since Aug. 26 with a hamstring injury and hadn't been able to take part in full participation in a practice until the Friday before the San Diego game. He was inactive for the first three games.
Then, against the Vikings, he was not only active, he was elevated to the top backup at both safety positions. He wound up filling in for both Collins and Atari Bigby, who were forced out of action for a limited time because of injury.
"It felt good," Rouse, a third-round pick, said of his first NFL action. "I just had to be ready if something happened like Nick going down. I just had to be ready to go in at the drop of a dime. I went in there and I felt we never lost a step."
Rouse played only eight snaps, so it's hard to tell how he would do over an extended chance, but coach Mike McCarthy said he thought Rouse forced quarterback Kelly Holcomb to throw the ball into the ground on one play for fear of throwing an interception.
"It looked like he saw Aaron at the last second," McCarthy said. "Aaron had a chance to intercept that ball."
The Packers think the 6-foot-4, 223-pound Rouse can help them a lot on special teams, which is one of the reasons he was active Sunday. But he did not show the same aggressiveness that he had in practice, which was a disappointment for McCarthy. The coach said he thought Rouse probably needed to get acclimated to the speed of the game after being out so long.
"We look for him to be a potential matchup advantage for us on special teams," McCarthy said.
As for starting against the Bears, Rouse said he would be ready if called upon.
"I'm the type of the guy that loves a big play; I have a big appetite," Rouse said. "So when it's my time to go in there and get the job done, I'm going to do it. I'm always ready and I practice like I'm a starter already."