Pro. Jake Delhomme

[NewsCopy]

CHARLOTTE - Don't let the smiles fool you. Quarterback Jake Delhomme of the Carolina Panthers isn't as happy as he would like to be. Yes, he is all smiles these days. Throughout the Panthers' June coaching sessions that wrapped up last Thursday, he was constantly joking with teammates, coaches and even reporters. Why not? Life is grand. His family is healthy, he is an established starter with all the NFL trimmings, including a lucrative contract extension he signed shortly after helping the Panthers reach the Super Bowl after the 2003 regular season. And, on paper at least, the Panthers look like they could be the class of the NFL next season. But something still gnaws at Delhomme deep inside. Despite his overall success as an individual last season and the team's run to another NFC title game, Delhomme hungers to take the last few steps to a Super Bowl title that have eluded him - and the Panthers - since Delhomme's ascension as the starting quarterback in 2003. "That's why you play this game," Delhomme said. "You don't play it to go 8-8, or 10-6 to get into the playoffs and play one or two rounds. You play it to get to the ultimate game - and to get to the ultimate game and win it." "We made a nice run last year, but it wasn't good enough. That's what it's about. You want to get in the big show. You want to be in there, and you want to be champions. "I'm envious of Pittsburgh. They're the champions right now." Sleepless after Seattle Delhomme, who turned 31 last Jan. 10, makes no secret of the fact that he desperately wants to add Super Bowl champion to his list of career accomplishments. And after losing in the Super Bowl XXXVIII by a field goal to the New England Patriots, and then losing badly at Seattle in last year's NFC championship game, he knows the bitter disappointment of coming tantalizingly close and not quite achieving the ultimate goal. The rest of the story Winston-Salem Journal Joe Menzer jmenzer@wsjournal.com

[NewsCopy]

There is no stat for leadership, but we all are aware of leaders who are successful. A leader is not necessarily the person who talks the most, has the best stats, or is the tallest/best looking person in a crowd. A leader is not made merely by bestowing a title upon them or gaining a certain position. A good leader leads by example. He or she is able to motivate others around them to do the unexpected. He or she is respected, has charisma, and does the right thing. In football, leadership plays a factor in every game. It propels a team to greatness and nearly all championship teams have good leadership as a staple. I was able to spend three weeks with the Carolina Panthers during the summer school. I spoke with players on a daily basis and asked them a few simple questions. I asked every player I spoke with to name the leaders on this team. Anybody that follows the Panthers can probably answer this question. But in this instance, I was looking for the FIRST name that came to the player’s mind. Without fail, Jake Delhomme was the FIRST person named as a leader by every offensive player. He is able to make all the players around him play at a higher level. This means holding off a blocker for one extra second to buy him more time to make a pass. This means getting the thought of how tired you are out of your head and keeping your focus on the game. This means giving your all at the end of the game in an effort to win it. There will be games this season that are won on talent. The Panthers will win some games where Jake is a non-factor because of the defense and the running game. There will be a game or two where the team gets outplayed and loses big. The games where Jake is most valuable are the games in which the team is close (either behind or ahead) in the fourth quarter and the game is on the line. It is in these situations where Delhomme is at his best, and there are stats to prove it. In the past three years, no other QB has had a higher fourth quarter rating than overall rating besides Jake Delhomme every year. He plays his best at the end when the game is close. His supporting cast is different each season, yet he has been consistently good in the fourth quarter no matter who is playing with him. This is no easy feat considering the fact that one should be most tired at this point in the game. Few players are able to consistently play their best in the end and bring everyone else around them up to that level. What do the players say he does that makes them play up to this level? The rest of the story By Andy Little

[RonMexico]

TREMENDOUS ARTICLE!

[CajunGator]

Jake was special I would love to see him play for UL do we have anyone like him today?

[JMV JustMyView]

Jake was special I would love to see him play for UL do we have anyone like him today?

Ah??He did play for the Cajuns...

[RaginFan2]

TREMENDOUS ARTICLE!

Couldn't have said it any better myself!

[NewsCopy]

OPELOUSAS - Woozy got his name from a knockout blow, one applied to his owner in a football game one day after his purchase, but on Saturday he had a knockout of his own. The two-year-old chestnut gelding blew through a gap just before the quarter pole and outran a talented field to capture the 41st renewal of the $150,000 D. S. "Shine" Young Memorial Futurity on Saturday at Evangeline Downs. Making only his second-ever start, Woozy wasn't among the favorites - except in the minds of trainer Jerry Delhomme, owner and son Jake Delhomme and jockey Wilfredo Lozano. "He was so calm and quiet from the get-go," said Jerry Delhomme. "We thought we had a chance. You can never be sure, but he's so sure-footed." "He's always done it right from the first time we galloped," said Jake Delhomme, whose status as an All-Pro quarterback for the NFL's Carolina Panthers helps support his passion for horses and racing. "He ran a good second half the first time out (the "Shine" Young trials in early June, where he finished second), and we thought he'd improve from that." Lozano had Woozy positioned outside nearing the far turn before splitting two horses entering the straightaway, and eventually covered the five furlongs in 59.71. Princess Deelite was just over a length back in second and heavy favorite Margarita Man, who beat Woozy in the "Shine" Young trials, was third. "I was waiting for a hole to open," Lozano said. "Once I got through there and he started running, I knew we had it." The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

Ask Jake Delhomme which he'd rather do, win a Super Bowl or own a Derby-winning horse, and there's no hesitation. "It's on two completely different planes," Delhomme said. "Horses are something I enjoy, but football is me. It's my makeup. It's what I do. As long as I can stay in football, it's the ticket for me." But ask him which he gets more nervous about - playing football or watching his horses run - and it's a slightly different story. "On the football field, I'm in control there," he said. "At the track, I don't have any control on what's going on." The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[ulforlife]

Hey people, I passed by Cajun Field yesterday at about 6:00 to check out the painting that is going on away side, and there was a small group of people around. So I started talking to one guy and he informed me that Jake Delhomme had been there for the day filming a commercial for a new RAZR phone that is coming out. He told me its got Carolina colors with the number 17 on it. My guess is it wont be available here but seems like Jake is the man these days! Thought you might be interested

[RaginCajun77]

So that's what was going on. I was talking to one of the football players and he told me they were filiming something with Jake at The Swamp.