By Jerry DiPaola
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Los Angeles Xtreme quarterback and XFL Player of the Year Tommy Maddox holds the league championship trophy in the air after Los Angeles beat the San Francisco Demons 38-6, April 21, 2001, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo)
Turned down by Trent Dilfer and Scott Mitchell, the Steelers continued their quest to spend less money for a veteran backup quarterback when they signed XFL most valuable player Tommy Maddox on Tuesday. Former Pitt quarterback John Turman, signed as an undrafted rookie two months ago, was released.
Maddox, who received a two-year contract for about the minimum annual salary of $477,000, will be given an opportunity to win a backup job to Kordell Stewart. The Steelers also have:
Tee Martin, a fifth-round draft pick in 2000 who could enter the regular season as the No. 2 quarterback.
Kent Graham, who is due to earn $1.4 million and $1.9 million in each of the next two seasons.
Partially due to financial considerations, it would not be surprising if Martin and Maddox are the backups to Stewart when the season opens Sept. 9 in Jacksonville.
The Steelers had spoken to the agents for Dilfer and Mitchell previously this off-season, but Mitchell re-signed with the Cincinnati Bengals after negotiating with the Steelers. Dilfer, who remains unsigned after leading the Baltimore Ravens to a victory in Super Bowl XXXV, rejected the Steelers before an offer could be made.
Maddox was one of three free agents who worked out yesterday for scouts and coaches at the Steelers' practice facility on the South Side. Outside linebacker Chris Slade and tight end Andrew Glover were the others.
A first-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos in 1992, Maddox has been out of the NFL since he was cut by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He bounced between the Arena League and the XFL, and ultimately attracted the Steelers' attention with his desire to continue his career, despite repeated setbacks.
"Kordell has been through a lot, but the Steelers do not have a quarterback who has been through what Tommy has been through," said Maddox' agent Vann McElroy.
"He was on top, going to be the next John Elway, then he was at the bottom, in the Arena League. Sometimes coaches want a quarterback who has lived and learned and been humbled and you see what he is made of when he fights back. Anybody else in his position would have quit a long time ago."
"And he produced on top of that," Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert said. "That was intriguing to us."
Maddox, 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, led the Los Angeles Xtreme to the league championship in the XFL's first and only season. The upstart league, created by World Wrestling Federation promoter Vince McMahon, folded earlier this spring.
Maddox left UCLA after his sophomore season and was drafted by the Broncos. He started four games in 1992, but he struggled in backup roles with the Broncos, St. Louis Rams and New York Giants through 1995 before being released by the Giants in training camp in 1996. After being cut by the Falcons the following summer, Maddox was out of football for three years and worked in the insurance business, near Dallas, before playing for the New Jersey Red Dogs in the Arena League last year.
Maddox said the XFL experience was good for him. "It was a good opportunity for me and good competition," he said. "Anytime you can play and you are on national television, it's good."
With the Xtreme, Maddox completed 181 of 317 passes, and led the league in yards passing (1,996), touchdown passes (17) and interceptions (nine).
Glover and Slade left without signing contracts, but the Steelers could get back to them later. Colbert said both workouts went well.
"The vibe I got was, `We would like to have him, but we'll call you back when we're ready,' " said Slade's agent Brad Blank.
Glover has been one of the top pass-catching tight ends in NFL since the Oakland Raiders drafted him in the 10th round in 1991. Of his 208 career catches, 24 have resulted in touchdowns. His best season was 1998 when he caught 35 passes for 522 yards and five touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings. Glover, 6-foot-6, 252, caught 21 passes for 281 yards and four touchdowns for the New Orleans Saints last season.
"They faded me out of the picture," Glover said. "They have a lot of young guys that they want to develop."
Glover has not received much interest in free agency. The Steelers were the only team to invite him for a visit, although his agent has had conversations with the Arizona Cardinals.
The Steelers are eager to improve their depth behind starting tight end Mark Bruener, who missed minicamp with a knee injury. Bruener is expected to be OK for training camp, but his backups Corey Geason, Jerame Tuman, Matt Cushing and Ryan Sprague have totaled nine NFL receptions among them.
Note: The NFL will start its wild-card and divisional playoff games later in the day on two Saturdays this season in an attempt to attract larger television audiences. Two wild-card round games will start at 4:30 and 8 p.m. on Jan. 5. The divisional playoff games will start the same time on Jan. 12. Also, kickoff for four regular-season Saturday games will be 1:30 and 5 p.m. on Dec. 15 and Dec. 22.
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