honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Saturday, December 27, 2003

Rams pick Tinoisamoa as team's top rookie

Associated Press

With one game left in the regular season and the playoffs still to come, St. Louis Rams rookie linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa already has earned one honor from his teammates.

The former University of Hawai'i standout was named the team's rookie of the year yesterday.

Tinoisamoa, a second-round draft pick, leads the team with three forced fumbles. He is third on the team with 103 tackles and has two interceptions, two sacks and one fumble recovery.

Rams players, who vote on the awards, also selected wide receiver Torry Holt as the team's most valuable player. Safety Aeneas Williams was the recipient of the team's Carl Ekern Spirit of the Game Award, which is given to the player who best exemplifies sportsmanship, work ethic, and commitment to his teammates.

REDSKINS

• Arrington gets 8-years, $80 million: Pro Bowl linebacker LaVar Arrington has agreed to an eight-year, $80 million contract extension with the Washington Redskins, his agent said yesterday.

Carl Poston said the deal includes $26.5 million in bonuses, most of which become available immediately. Under Arrington's current contract, he would have earned just under $10 million in salary and bonuses for the next three seasons.

TEXANS

• Spoof of 'cell-ebration' costly: The NFL has fined Houston Texans quarterback David Carr and center Steve McKinney for spoofing New Orleans receiver Joe Horn's cell-phone call in the end zone.

The amount of the fines was not immediately known.

Horn was fined $30,000 by the NFL on Dec. 16 for his choreographed celebration during New Orleans' victory over the New York Giants on Dec. 14. Horn made an end-zone call after teammate Michael Lewis handed him a phone that had been stashed under the padding protecting the goal post.

On Sunday, Carr and McKinney acted as if a cell phone was stashed underneath the goal post padding after Carr's 20-yard touchdown pass to Corey Bradford against Tennessee.

"Whatever. The league's being the league and we'll appeal it and probably get our money back," McKinney said. "I don't care. It was fun."

McKinney said he and Carr crafted their performance in the huddle just before the TD throw.

"We were just having some fun. We weren't trying to hurt anyone's feelings," Carr said. "We were trying to be character guys and standup guys for the NFL, and it didn't work out that way."

EXTRA POINTS

Bills: Pro Bowl guard Ruben Brown has been excused from playing in the Buffalo Bills' season finale at New England tomorrow for unspecified reasons. Coach Gregg Williams would only say that Brown was "not playing for personal reasons," adding he had not been suspended.

Broncos: Denver waived defensive tackle Luis Almanzar and linebacker Patrick Chukwurah yesterday and signed wide receiver Nate Jackson and running back Cecil Sapp from the practice squad.

Dolphins: Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams and fullback Rob Konrad are expected to play through injuries against the New York Jets on Sunday. Williams has battled a shoulder injury throughout the season, and Konrad is recovering from a concussion.