Cowboys add muscle on defense
From Ukraine, Olshansky known for his strength
By JOHN WHISLER
San Antonio Express-News
SAN ANTONIO — Igor Olshansky played five seasons in San Diego with the likes of LaDanian Tomlinson and Shawn Merriman, so he knows what it's like to see the media blow by to get to the stars.
But this time, it was different.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was about to give his first training camp interview, and, like ants at a picnic, reporters and photographers suddenly were swarming from every corner of the Alamodome floor.
Olshanksy, a defensive lineman signed by the Cowboys as a free agent in the offseason, barely seemed to notice.
“It's no big deal,” he said. “I get all the attention I need on the football field.”
This is the kind of reaction you'd expect from someone who has seen a lot during his life. He immigrated to the United States from Ukraine at age 7, and at 21 he became the first player from the former Soviet Union to be drafted by an NFL team.
Simply put, few in the NFL have come farther than Olshansky, or appreciate it more. Now 27, he's living the American dream as a member of America's Team. And he couldn't be happier about it.
“I like to think my journey has just started,” he said.
The Cowboys certainly hope so. They signed Olshansky to a four-year deal this spring worth $18 million to replace Chris Canty, who left via free agency for the New York Giants. He joins Marcus Spears, Jason Hatcher, Stephen Bowen, Marcus Dixon and Derreck Robinson at defensive end.
Prior relationship
Olshansky has a history with Cowboys coach Wade Phillips, who was his defensive coordinator for three seasons in San Diego.
At 6-6, 309 pounds, Olshansky is expected to team with nose tackle Jay Ratliff as primary weapons in stopping the run.
But Phillips sees Olshansky, who had 151 tackles with 11 sacks in 75 games with the Chargers, as more than a run stopper.
“He gives you some pass-rush ability, plus he can push the pocket,” Phillips said. “He can make sure the quarterback can't step up where the outside rushers, especially the DeMarcus Wares of the world, can come around the corner. That's why we got him.”
Long journey
In 1989 after he left Dnepropetrovsk, an industrial city of 1.2 million 800 miles south of Moscow, Olshansky, his sister and parents settled in San Francisco, where Igor's aunt immigrated 20 years earlier.
Already 6-5 in the 10th grade, Olshansky joined the basketball team at St. Ignatius High but soon was coaxed into playing football.
He earned a scholarship to Oregon, where he played for three seasons before entering the NFL draft.
At the 2004 NFL combine in Indianapolis, he wowed scouts by posting a time of 4.9 seconds in the 40-yard dash and jumping 331/2 inches from a standstill, both astounding for a man his size.
In the weight room, Olshansky was even more impressive. He benched 225 pounds a camp-best 43 times, and his reputation as one of the NFL's strongest players has continued to grow.
Pride in his roots
There's still more to Olshansky's story. He's one of the few Jewish players in the NFL, and even though he says he's not a strict follower of the Torah, he takes pride in his ethnicity.
“It's who I am; it's my culture, my roots,” said Olshansky, who sports a Star of David tattoo on each side of his neck.
Cowboys offensive lineman Kyle Kosier also is Jewish, something the two discovered just this past week during training camp.
“That's kind of cool to have a teammate share the same faith that I have,” Kosier said.
For Olshansky, the feeling is mutual. It's a connection that can only help him to fit in with his new team in a new city, where the glare of the spotlight figures to be brighter than it was in San Diego
“It's a bigger stage for me. You definitely feel the extra pressure,” he said. “But I just want to do my job, focus on winning games and make sure I don't let anyone down. ”
By JOHN WHISLER
San Antonio Express-News
SAN ANTONIO — Igor Olshansky played five seasons in San Diego with the likes of LaDanian Tomlinson and Shawn Merriman, so he knows what it's like to see the media blow by to get to the stars.
But this time, it was different.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was about to give his first training camp interview, and, like ants at a picnic, reporters and photographers suddenly were swarming from every corner of the Alamodome floor.
Olshanksy, a defensive lineman signed by the Cowboys as a free agent in the offseason, barely seemed to notice.
“It's no big deal,” he said. “I get all the attention I need on the football field.”
This is the kind of reaction you'd expect from someone who has seen a lot during his life. He immigrated to the United States from Ukraine at age 7, and at 21 he became the first player from the former Soviet Union to be drafted by an NFL team.
Simply put, few in the NFL have come farther than Olshansky, or appreciate it more. Now 27, he's living the American dream as a member of America's Team. And he couldn't be happier about it.
“I like to think my journey has just started,” he said.
The Cowboys certainly hope so. They signed Olshansky to a four-year deal this spring worth $18 million to replace Chris Canty, who left via free agency for the New York Giants. He joins Marcus Spears, Jason Hatcher, Stephen Bowen, Marcus Dixon and Derreck Robinson at defensive end.
Prior relationship
Olshansky has a history with Cowboys coach Wade Phillips, who was his defensive coordinator for three seasons in San Diego.
At 6-6, 309 pounds, Olshansky is expected to team with nose tackle Jay Ratliff as primary weapons in stopping the run.
But Phillips sees Olshansky, who had 151 tackles with 11 sacks in 75 games with the Chargers, as more than a run stopper.
“He gives you some pass-rush ability, plus he can push the pocket,” Phillips said. “He can make sure the quarterback can't step up where the outside rushers, especially the DeMarcus Wares of the world, can come around the corner. That's why we got him.”
Long journey
In 1989 after he left Dnepropetrovsk, an industrial city of 1.2 million 800 miles south of Moscow, Olshansky, his sister and parents settled in San Francisco, where Igor's aunt immigrated 20 years earlier.
Already 6-5 in the 10th grade, Olshansky joined the basketball team at St. Ignatius High but soon was coaxed into playing football.
He earned a scholarship to Oregon, where he played for three seasons before entering the NFL draft.
At the 2004 NFL combine in Indianapolis, he wowed scouts by posting a time of 4.9 seconds in the 40-yard dash and jumping 331/2 inches from a standstill, both astounding for a man his size.
In the weight room, Olshansky was even more impressive. He benched 225 pounds a camp-best 43 times, and his reputation as one of the NFL's strongest players has continued to grow.
Pride in his roots
There's still more to Olshansky's story. He's one of the few Jewish players in the NFL, and even though he says he's not a strict follower of the Torah, he takes pride in his ethnicity.
“It's who I am; it's my culture, my roots,” said Olshansky, who sports a Star of David tattoo on each side of his neck.
Cowboys offensive lineman Kyle Kosier also is Jewish, something the two discovered just this past week during training camp.
“That's kind of cool to have a teammate share the same faith that I have,” Kosier said.
For Olshansky, the feeling is mutual. It's a connection that can only help him to fit in with his new team in a new city, where the glare of the spotlight figures to be brighter than it was in San Diego
“It's a bigger stage for me. You definitely feel the extra pressure,” he said. “But I just want to do my job, focus on winning games and make sure I don't let anyone down. ”
posted by The Gryphon at 8:21 AM
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