Coach DeCamillis was a keeper
When Jim Mora was hired as Atlanta’s coach, he was immediately presented with a touchy situation: The son-in-law of former coach Dan Reeves was still on the Falcons’ payroll.
Surely, no one would have blamed Mora for dumping such a prominent reminder of the old regime.
But the rookie coach never considered getting rid of special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis, and it turned out to be one of Mora’s wisest decisions.
Throughout the season – and especially in the playoffs – “Joe D” has shown why he’s one of the best at overseeing this overlooked phase of the game.
“If you’re in the business, you keep track of who’s good at their position,” Mora said. “There was no hesitation to (keep) Joe. As a matter of fact, we had to convince him to stay because so many teams were after him.”
Last week, DeCamillis finally gained some national attention in a 47-17 rout of the St. Louis Rams. Allen Rossum set an NFL playoff record with 152 yards in punt returns, including a 68-yard touchdown on a trick play designed by the coach.
The Falcons lined up three players across their 30-yard line for the return, with Rossum in the middle. After catching the punt, he feigned a lateral pass to DeAngelo Hall on the right side, and took off up the middle. Rossum wasn’t touched on his way to the end zone.
Afterward, television cameras homed in on the guy who drew it up. While moving frantically down the sideline, DeCamillis got a hug from receivers coach George Stewart and an approving slap on the shoulder from Mora.
“He was part of the highlights,” Mora said, “and he should be because he’s a big part of this thing.”
Typically, DeCamillis shrugged off all the praise that’s coming his way. It wasn’t like this was some aberration. The Falcons ranked No. 1 in both punt return average and punt coverage during the regular season, and they were in the top 10 in two other categories.
“You’ve got to keep it in perspective,” DeCamillis said, taking out a moment from another grueling day of meetings and watching film. “You enjoy it for a day, then you go back to work.”
He can’t slow down now. The Falcons are one victory from the Super Bowl, but they’ll face a more formidable opponent in Sunday’s NFC championship game at Philadelphia.
“Philadelphia has a lot of outstanding athletes and a great special teams coach,” DeCamillis said. “We’ll have to come back down to earth.”
Nolan signs on to coach 49ers
Mike Nolan agreed to a five-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers to become the 15th head coach in franchise history.
Nolan, a longtime NFL assistant who was Baltimore’s defensive coordinator the past three seasons, accepted the job Monday and met with 49ers owner John York to work out a deal.
Nolan will be introduced today in San Francisco as the successor to Dennis Erickson, fired earlier in the month after the 49ers went 2-14 to match the worst record in franchise history.
Nolan is the son of former 49ers coach Dick Nolan, who won 56 games with San Francisco from 1968-75. They are the fifth father-son duo to coach in the NFL, and the first to coach the same team since Bum and Wade Phillips led the New Orleans Saints.
Future of Hackett, Brien up in air
New York Jets general manager Terry Bradway kept mum on the futures of offensive coordinator Paul Hackett and kicker Doug Brien – both took heavy criticism following the team’s heartbreaking playoff loss to Pittsburgh.
Brien missed field goals from 47 and 43 yards in the final two minutes of regulation Saturday, costing the Jets an upset over the heavily favored Steelers. Though Brien is signed through 2009, Bradway seemed noncommittal when asked whether the veteran would be back next season.
Hackett, under scrutiny for his conservative play-calling since joining the organization, could be gone in the near future. The Jets managed three points on offense in the loss, and had two combined touchdowns in four losses to New England and Pittsburgh.
Concessionaire ordered to pay
A jury in Hackensack, N.J., awarded $60 million to the family of a girl paralyzed in a car wreck caused by a drunken football fan.
Ronald and Fazila Verni were headed home from a pumpkin-picking trip in 1999 with their 2-year-old daughter, Antonia, when their car was hit by a truck driven by Daniel Lanzaro, 34. Antonia was paralyzed from the neck down.
Lanzaro, whose blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit, is serving a five-year prison term for vehicular assault.
The family sued Aramark, the New York Giants Stadium concessionaire, claiming vendors sold beers to Lanzaro even though he was clearly drunk.
A judge previously dismissed the Vernis’ complaints against the NFL, the Giants and the Sports and Exposition Authority, ruling they were not liable.
Bettis will likely start against Patriots
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis is all but certain to start Sunday in the AFC Championship game against New England.
Last week, coach Bill Cowher tried keeping the Jets guessing by not revealing whether Bettis or Duce Staley would start.
Bettis went on to run for 101 yards in a 20-17 overtime victory – his seventh 100-yard game in seven starts. But Staley, sidelined much of the second half of the season by a sore hamstring, ran well with 54 yards on 11 carries.
Staley’s performance raised questions whether he might return as the starter, but Cowher apparently doesn’t want to risk curtailing Bettis’ effectiveness by sitting him down early.
Missouri lineman enters draft
Missouri defensive lineman C.J. Mosley is passing up his final season of college eligibility to enter the NFL draft.
Mosley, who had 61 tackles and 6 1/2 sacks as a junior last season, signed with National Sports Agency, a player representative firm in St. Louis. By hiring an agent, Mosley loses his NCAA eligibility and cannot return to Missouri.