Raiders a Stopping-Stone to Super Bowl Fame for Jones

ATLANTA â€”  Anyone who followed the Raiders in Los Angeles in the early ‘90s probably was not surprised that St. Louis Ram linebacker Mike Jones made the Super Bowl-saving tackle on Tennessee’s Kevin Dyson at the one-yard line Sunday. . . .

As a Raider for six seasons, the first four in Los Angeles, Jones’ specialty was covering running backs who wandered downfield for passes. . . .

Jones, an eight-year veteran, was a running back at Missouri. . . .

Undrafted, he signed with the Raiders as a free agent and was switched to linebacker. . . .

He became a sure tackler during the summer that the Raiders sent him to play for the Sacramento Surge in the World League of American Football, which is now known as NFL Europe. . . .

Jones’ coach in Sacramento was former Buffalo linebacker Jim Haslett, a leading candidate to become the next coach of the New Orleans Saints. . . .

The Titans might have been able to run one more play if they hadn’t blown two timeouts earlier, one in the third quarter on second and goal from the Ram one-yard line and one with 8:33 remaining on first down from the Ram 24. . . .

Twilight Zone: The only two times the Rams have won the NFL championship, the winning touchdowns were scored in the fourth quarter on 73-yard pass plays--from Norm Van Brocklin to Tom Fears in 1951 at the Coliseum and in 2000 from Kurt Warner to Isaac Bruce. . . .

I’m pretty sure Barbara Walters and the other women from ABC’s “The View,� who said during the pregame show they liked to watch football because of the players’ butts, would have had a fit if male commentators had made a similar comment during the Women’s World Cup last summer. . . .

Super Bowl XXXV: Tennessee vs. Arizona.

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The Super Bowl program highlighted three prep stars in a feature titled “Tomorrow’s NFL Stars.� . . .

One was safety Matt Grootegoed of Santa Ana Mater Dei, who has committed to USC. . . .

Texas Christian Coach Dennis Franchione on recruiting: “It’s like shaving. You do it every day or you’re going to look like a bum.� . . .

The Bruins thought they had a great chance to sign Marcus Houston, considered one of the nation’s best running backs, out of Denver because his brother, Lovell, is a UCLA defensive back. But Marcus committed to Colorado. . . .

Members of the Pro Football Writers Assn., who didn’t vote for Jack Youngblood and Lynn Swann for the Hall of Fame must never have seen them play. . . .

Atlanta’s Dikembe Mutombo, averaging more than 20 rebounds a game over the last five games, has moved ahead of Shaquille O’Neal in that department and insists he will remain there. . . .

“I want to get 30 rebounds one night soon,� he said. . . .

Destined for the Laker bulletin board tonight in San Antonio is this quote from Spur Coach Gregg Popovich: “Portland is the most talented team in the league and the deepest. It’s not even close.� . . .

Eddie Jones continues to hear from the media that he will sign as a free agent after this season with Miami or Orlando to move closer to home. He is from Fort Lauderdale. . . .

“There is no truth to those reports whatsoever,� says Jones, who stands by his earlier commitment to re-sign with Charlotte if the Hornets make him the maximum offer of $86.625 million for seven years. . . .

On the imminent signing of Dennis Rodman by Dallas, Bill Walton told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: “The Mavericks are in a no-lose situation because it’s not going to cost them much money to sign Dennis. The only thing it’s going to cost them is possible loss of credibility with the fans, and that’s something they’ve been treading on a narrow line for a long time anyway.�

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Muhammad Ali visited the Super Bowl press center at the Hyatt Regency on Saturday night to watch the Mike Tyson-Julius Francis fight on closed circuit. . . .

Ali, having seen all he needed to see, left after the first round. . . .

The only meaningful exchange was between Tyson and Jim Gray in the post-fight interview. . . .

When Gray suggested that Tyson wipe his nose, the fighter said, “I’m a big enough man to squash you and be your friend, and I’m a fan of Pete Rose.� . . .

Gray would last as long with Tyson as the out-of-shape, outclassed Francis did. . . .

I wonder if Gray would sell the space on the soles of his shoes to an advertiser.

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Randy Harvey can be reached at his e-mail address: [email protected].