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Articles and News Willie Whitehead
Tuesday, November 4, 2003
Saints defensive end
wins player of the week award
Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS -- It's been quiet a week for Willie Whitehead, despite news from the team that he will be named NFC Defensive Player of the Week on Wednesday.
Whitehead earned the award with a big game in the Saints' 17-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Whitehead had a career-high three sacks (for 17 yards in losses), a forced fumble, a pass defensed and five tackles.
He couldn't celebrate Sunday's victory with teammates, however, because he remained in a Tampa hospital Sunday night suffering with dehydration.
Saints owner Tom Benson sent his private plane to get Whitehead on Monday.
"We didn't want any episodes to happen on the plane where he started going into convulsions or started cramping again," Haslett said. "Even with the short flight our trainer felt it was better to leave him behind."
Whitehead was given at least four liters of fluid after the Saints 17-14 victory over the Buccaneers, Haslett said.
"He only took about three plays off out of the 72 plays," Haslett said. "You really had to be there to really understand the heat."
AP Photo
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Chris Chandler
(12) is sacked by New Orleans Saints' Willie Whitehead.
The Oregonian
Nobody is to blame -- but himself
Sunday, December 5, 1999
By Ryan White of The Oregonian staff
I have never met, spoken with or otherwise occupied the same stadium as Willie Whitehead.
I wouldn't know the New Orleans Saints linebacker if he planted his helmet in my chest and drove me to the turf.
Because he plays for the Saints is reason enough to ignore everyone not named Ricky Williams.
Until Thursday, there was nothing particularly newsworthy about Whitehead, a player who had spent time in the Canadian Football League, World League and with four NFL teams since 1995.
But after sacking St. Louis quarterback Kurt Warner last Sunday, Whitehead made the throat-slash gesture. You know, the one the NFL banned. On Thursday, he became the first player fined under the new rule. Five thousand bucks.
That's still not what stood out about Whitehead, however. It was what he said about his gesture. Or, rather, what he didn't say.
Whitehead did not blame his indiscretion on his mother or father, aunt or uncle, niece or nephew, agent, dog or cat. None of them apparently abused him, ridiculed him or exerted undue pressure that caused him to snap and run a finger across his throat.
He did not feel the need to sue his agent for not preventing the action or for not including a contract clause that would prevent fines stemming from unsavory use of one's hands (a clause that could clearly come in handy in a number of other situations as well).
There seems to be no evidence of any of his cars being damaged in a parking lot that morning, thereby causing Whitehead to temporarily lose his focus and forget the league's newest mandate.
All appropriate medication had been taken. Or none was necessary. But it certainly wasn't the fault of a pharmaceutical company.
At no point did Whitehead blame the Saints' front office or coaching staff for failing to explain that no meant no.
His mailman didn't forget to deliver the mail. The bagger at the grocery store didn't break any eggs. The milk carton didn't leak. The neighbors hadn't been loud. The mechanic didn't gouge him for a new muffler.
It wasn't Hollywood's fault. Heck, this wasn't even the media's fault.
"They got me right there on film," he said. "Everybody's seen it. I did it."
Quite amazingly, this is what Whitehead admitted: I messed up.
"A fine will hurt bad; I make about the league minimum," he said. "But it's been almost as bad seeing it all the time on TV. I guess I've seen it 70 times. It's embarrassing."
Embarrassing? A player who doesn't enjoy seeing himself on television? Who is this guy? And can we force him to spend half an hour in a room with Latrell Sprewell?
Then again, why risk the chance of spoiling one of the few professional athletes to step forward and take some responsibility?
The merits of banning the gesture can be debated all day. What can't be argued is that Whitehead did it. Not even Whitehead found a way to debate it.
That is rare and, quite frankly, makes me feel kind of bad he got hit with the fine. The game against the Rams had been his first start. It was a first-quarter sack against possibly the best offense in the NFL.
"I don't know why I did it," Whitehead said. "I didn't mean anything violent or disrespectful by it. It was like my hand just betrayed me."
Oops, there it is. It was the hand's fault.
Sportsline
| 'Giving to
God' might lead to fine for Saints' Whitehead
Despite his contention the "throat slash" move he made Sunday holds religious significance for him, New Orleans Saints defensive end Willie Whitehead will be fined later this week, SportsLine has learned, for a gesture that league officials last week deemed illegal. "It definitely will be reviewed," league vice president of public relations Greg Aiello told SportsLine. But a second league official confirmed Whitehead will be fined, most likely $2,500.Saints coach Mike Ditka, who was fined earlier this season for making obscene gestures to the crowd at the Superdome, says he will punish Whitehead himself. "I think it's ridiculous," Ditka said Monday. "I told him if he ever does it again he won't play. I don't understand why they do it. "Sometimes guys get too exuberant, but this game deserves to be played with dignity. If you beat the other guy, fine. Wow for you because you're getting paid to beat the other guy. And if he beats you, fine. Let's not get in a frenzy about it. It's a football game. Handle it with class." The NFL ruled last week that the "throat slash" gesture, seen increasingly over the past month, would not be tolerated. If the move is construed as taunting an opponent, the player is to be penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. If it is directed at the stands, where it is ruled an offensive gesture, it is subject to review by director of football development Gene Washington.
What Willie Whitehead calls 'giving to God' the NFL calls taunting, and will cost him this week. AP Photo
D espite the guidelines, and a memo distributed to all teams last week, Whitehead was not penalized.In the first quarter of Sunday's game at St. Louis, the first-year pro from Auburn sacked Rams quarterback Kurt Warner, then leaped to his feet and drew his finger across his throat. "It wasn't that (throat slash)," insisted Whitehead when asked about the incident. "I was doing something else. I was giving to God." By the middle of the week, Whitehead will be contributing to the NFL. The Associated Press contributed to this report |
USA Today
Survival charge stops just short
By Mary Foster, The Associated Press
AP
Photo Bill Feig
Rams quarterback Kurt Warner (13) gets sacked by the Saints' Willie Whitehead
(98) during the second half. Saints defender Norman Hand (99), bottom left,
takes down Rams guard Tom Nutten (61), bottom right
The Sun Herald
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Saints' Whitehead
celebrates sack of Warner
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Willie Whitehead of the New Orleans Saints apparently missed the NFL's crackdown on the throat-slash gesture.
In the first quarter of a 43-12 win by the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, Whitehead sacked Kurt Warner. He celebrated by running his finger across his throat, an action that wasn't penalized but could leave Whitehead open to a fine by the league. Later, he said it was a misunderstanding. ''I do something that looks a little like a throat slash,'' Whitehead said. ''It wasn't that. I was doing something else, I was giving to God. Nobody said anything about it on the field.'' That was about the only incident since the league acted last week against the latest celebration gesture by NFL players, including such stars as Brett Favre, Keyshawn Johnson and Warren Sapp. Some players, including Sapp, responded by suggesting that the gestures were innocent displays of emotion and called the NFL, the ''No Fun League.'' That was a name applied in the early '90s when even handshakes among players after games were frowned upon. After negative publicity, that rule was quietly ignored. The only other throat slash recorded Sunday was by two fans at the Eagles-Redskins game in Landover, Md. After a Washington field goal gave the Skins a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, the stadium JumboTron showed two fans making the gesture. |
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman (8) gets off a pass as he is hit by New Orleans Saints defenders Willie Whitehead (98), Wayne Martin (93) during fourth quarter action in New Orleans, Friday, Dec. 24, 1999. The pressure caused Aikman to throw an incomplete pass. The Saints won 31-24. |
Tuesday, October 28, 1997 NO.
___ Elfrid Payton, MTL 14 Willie Whitehead, HAM 13 Shonte Peoples, WPG 13 Bobby Jurasin, SSK 10 Troy Alexander, SSK 10 Malvin Hunter, EDM 9 Virgil Robertson, BC 9 Joe Fleming, BC 9 Dave Chaytors, BC 8 DeWayne Patterson, CGY 8 Andrew Stewart, TOR 8 Joe Montford, HAM 8 Tyrone Rodgers, WPG 8
