Sunday, September 27, 1998

Cavalry arrives for Emmitt Smith, Cowboys

By Clarence E. Hill Jr.

Knight Ridder Newspapers

(KRT)

IRVING, Texas -- Sitting and waiting always has been tough on Cowboys running back Chris Warren.

Rather than wait on the bench, he left the mighty University of Virginia after two years and finished his college career at obscure Ferrum College of Division III status.

Rather than sit on the bench, Warren missed but five games due to injuries and never more than two consecutively in his first eight years with the Seattle Seahawks.

So perhaps you can understand the torture he endured while missing the first three games of the 1998 season rehabbing a severely strained left groin. His absolute disdain for sitting and waiting has put Warren, who was expected to miss four-to-six games, back in uniform far sooner than the doctors anticipated when he takes the field for Sunday's matchup with the Raiders.

"It feels like I missed half the season," said Warren, who said watching his teammates play was so tough that he tried to get as far away from football as possible on game days.

"I was excited about the season and the setback with the groin injury wore on me. But it's over now. I'm pretty much ready to go and get back on the field and be a part of what we started."

Warren, 30, is just happy the waiting game is over. After attending the Cowboys season opener against the Cardinals, Warren tried to watch the Cowboys' road games against the Broncos and Giants.

However, he found himself leaving and doing extra rehabilitation to expedite his recovery, unbeknownst to the Cowboys trainers. As a result, Warren reduced his original prognosis from four-to-six games to three games.

"I was working out, but they didn't know it," he said. "I was just doing little stuff, extra stretching and light jogging. There are some things you have to do on your own that trainers and coaches don't tell you. But I was determined to get back."

That Warren has healed faster than expected is no surprise to Cowboys running backs coach Clarence Shelmon, who said Warren has a history of returning early from injuries. Shelmon said he would have been surprised if Warren "did miss six weeks."

"I know this was hard on him and he was going to work to get back," said Shelmon, who coached Warren in Seattle. "He told me this (sitting out) was one of the hardest things he ever had to do. And this is a guy not given to a lot statements."

With starter Emmitt Smith hobbled by a strained groin, Warren's return couldn't have come at a more opportune time. Smith is slated to start and Warren will serve as the team's third-down back in passing situations.

However, Emmitt hobbling and Warren waiting in the wings is precisely why the Cowboys signed the nine-year veteran to a free-agent contract. Cowboys coach Chan Gailey brought in Warren to take some of the load off Smith and serve as an insurance policy. Smith missed parts of five games last season and the final three quarters of last Monday's victory against the Giants due to injuries.

"You better believe I'm glad to see him back, a back of that caliber," Gailey said. "You saw him in the preseason. He is an excellent runner, a good blocker. He can catch the ball out of the backfield. We can split him out and use him as a receiver. He does a lot different things. He brings a lot to the table for our football team."

Warren, who has 6,076 career rushing yards and is three-time Pro Bowl selection, also brings an understanding of his role. Warren said the experience of sharing the backfield in Seattle last season with Lamar Smith and Steven Broussard helped him prepare to be Smith's backup.

"It was hard at first when I was in Seattle because I didn't see any reason for splitting time," Warren said. "It's not a problem here. Emmitt is the starter. I am the backup."

Warren said he came to the Cowboys partly because of Shelmon's presence and partly because of the Cowboys' winning tradition.

Warren, who has never played in the postseason, had discussions with Chiefs and Patriots following his release from the Seahawks last spring.

"If just felt right for me to be playing here," said Warren, who said he took less money to play for the Cowboys than he would asked to go elsewhere.

Warren's three-year contract, $2 million contract with the Cowboys includes a $600,000 signing bonus. However, excluding incentives, he stands to make only $220,000 this season in base salary. His contract goes up to $550,000 in 1999 and tops out at $715,000 in 2000.

Shelmon said the situation is good for Warren and the Cowboys. He said Warren will make the Cowboys more potent because his style is different from Smith's.

"When you have a chance to have two Pro Bowl players playing a position, you can't get much better than that," Shelmon said. "And he and Emmitt are two different types of runners. Chris is more of a slasher and acceleration type of guy. Playing against both of them is going to cause problems for the defense. You have the freshness of two bonafide guys and then they hurt you in different ways."

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(c) 1998, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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