Center no longer has motorcycle; Bledsoe waiting until he retires
01:30 AM CDT on Tuesday, June 13, 2006
By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News
After he was drafted in the second round by the Cowboys in 2003, center Al Johnson made a dream purchase: a West Coast Chopper.
He no longer has it.
In the last two years, two of the NFL's top young talents suffered major injuries from motorcycle accidents.
Cleveland's Kellen Winslow missed the 2005 season because of a knee injury suffered while riding, and on Monday Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger suffered multiple injuries when he slammed face-first into a car windshield.
His status for training camp and beyond is not known.
But Johnson's decision to shelve his riding days looks wise. Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe used to ride, but he said Monday that's no longer the case.
"It's not worth it," Johnson said. "The risk isn't worth it. There's plenty of times to do that when your career is over."
According to multiple sources, the Cowboys do not have additional restrictions written into players' contracts regarding their off-field hobbies other than the standard language that was collectively bargained by the league and the NFL Players Association.
Is riding a motorcycle without a helmet dangerous?
The Steelers fans who hope to win back-to-back Super Bowls with Roethlisberger at quarterback might think so if he misses any time because of the injuries suffered Monday.
WHAT PLAYERS CAN DO AWAY FROM FOOTBALL
While most teams, agents and players pay attention to Paragraph 5, which lists the compensation, what a player can do away from football is in Paragraph 3. It reads:
OTHER ACTIVITIES. Without prior written consent of the Club, Player will not play football or engage in activities related to football otherwise than for Club or engage in any activity other than football which may involve a significant risk of personal injury. Player represents that he has special, exceptional and unique knowledge, skill, ability, and experience as a football player, the loss of which cannot be estimated with any certainty and cannot be fairly or adequately compensated by damages. Player therefore agrees that Club will have the right, in addition to any other right which Club may possess, to enjoin Player by appropriate proceedings from playing football or engaging in football-related activities other than for Club or from engaging in any activity other than football which may involve a significant risk of personal injury.
By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News
After he was drafted in the second round by the Cowboys in 2003, center Al Johnson made a dream purchase: a West Coast Chopper.
He no longer has it.
In the last two years, two of the NFL's top young talents suffered major injuries from motorcycle accidents.
Cleveland's Kellen Winslow missed the 2005 season because of a knee injury suffered while riding, and on Monday Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger suffered multiple injuries when he slammed face-first into a car windshield.
His status for training camp and beyond is not known.
But Johnson's decision to shelve his riding days looks wise. Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe used to ride, but he said Monday that's no longer the case.
"It's not worth it," Johnson said. "The risk isn't worth it. There's plenty of times to do that when your career is over."
According to multiple sources, the Cowboys do not have additional restrictions written into players' contracts regarding their off-field hobbies other than the standard language that was collectively bargained by the league and the NFL Players Association.
Is riding a motorcycle without a helmet dangerous?
The Steelers fans who hope to win back-to-back Super Bowls with Roethlisberger at quarterback might think so if he misses any time because of the injuries suffered Monday.
WHAT PLAYERS CAN DO AWAY FROM FOOTBALL
While most teams, agents and players pay attention to Paragraph 5, which lists the compensation, what a player can do away from football is in Paragraph 3. It reads:
OTHER ACTIVITIES. Without prior written consent of the Club, Player will not play football or engage in activities related to football otherwise than for Club or engage in any activity other than football which may involve a significant risk of personal injury. Player represents that he has special, exceptional and unique knowledge, skill, ability, and experience as a football player, the loss of which cannot be estimated with any certainty and cannot be fairly or adequately compensated by damages. Player therefore agrees that Club will have the right, in addition to any other right which Club may possess, to enjoin Player by appropriate proceedings from playing football or engaging in football-related activities other than for Club or from engaging in any activity other than football which may involve a significant risk of personal injury.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:30 PM
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