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Jordy Nelson earns praise from Packers coach
By JEFFREY FLANAGANThe Kansas City Star
But Packers coach Mike McCarthy couldn’t figure out why anyone would question the pick. He got his man.
McCarthy, a former Chiefs assistant coach, fully admits he has a thing for big receivers. Nelson, at 6 feet 3 and 220 pounds, is a perfect fit for McCarthy’s system.
“Football has become a big man’s game,” McCarthy told me by phone. “And it’s become a big man’s game at that position.
“In our situation, with the conditions we play under late in the year, it’s a game of possession, and you need big targets who can be physical under tough conditions. We felt he could be one of those guys.”
McCarthy also was impressed with Nelson’s playmaking ability.
“Overall, when we saw him on film, we kept coming back to his production,” McCarthy said. “This is a young man who constantly produced, constantly got the job done somehow.
“We put emphasis on yards after catch. We’ve led the league. That has become an important element to our offense. His talents match our philosophy.”
As K-State fans know, Nelson is more than capable of racking up yards after the catch. He had more than 1,600 receiving yards last season and scored 11 touchdowns. He also gained 264 yards on just five punt returns — two for touchdowns — for a 52.8 average.
“You can’t really put your finger on any one thing about him other than he’s just a good football player,” McCarthy said. “He’s picked up our system very well. He’s a smart kid, a good kid. We think he’s going to fit in very well here.”
Baker gets $100,000
McCarthy, who got a degree in business administration at Baker University, knows the importance of giving back: He and the Packers contributed $100,000 for a football scholarship in McCarthy’s name.
“It’s all about giving back and remembering where your success came from,” McCarthy said. “I owe much of my success to what I learned at Baker. I still have friends there, and I still keep in touch with the people there. I won’t forget it.”
More fan conduct
The issue over the Chiefs’ “fan conduct code” and whether fans will be allowed to stand (yes, they will be, but no continuous standing) got me searching the conduct codes for other NFL teams.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ conduct code states that fans can be removed from the stadium for “displays of affection not appropriate in a public setting.”
What about a man making love to his beer?