BeeDee
08-08-2005, 10:14 AM
$50 million man
By Rick Cleveland
Clarion Ledger (http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050806/COL0504/508060366/1025)
http://cmsimg.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=D0&Date=20050806&Category=COL0504&ArtNo=508060366&Ref=AR&Profile=1025&MaxW=250
Deuce McAllister has become a Jackson
fixture, both in personal appearances,
like being Grand Marshall of the St. Paddy's
Day Parade.
The phone rang at the appointed time for our interview and the familiar voice on the other end asked, "May I speak to Mr. Cleveland?"
Deuce McAllister may have signed a $50 million contract last week, but some things never change.
It's a running joke going back to his days at Ole Miss. I tell him Mr. Cleveland was my daddy. Deuce apologizes. He can't help it, he says. That's the way his mama and daddy raised him in the tiny community of Ludlow.
Money hasn't changed him.
McAllister respects his elders, and he appreciates how — and where — he was raised.
That's why he preferred to sign an eight-year deal with the nearby Saints rather than shop his services around the league.
"You can't put a value on your family and friends being able to get in a car and come see you play," he says.
That's also why he has concentrated most of his off-the-field business interests in Jackson.
McAllister is certainly the biggest reason why the New Orleans Saints are bringing their annual Black and Gold Scrimmage to Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium tonight.
In fact, McAllister and teammate Fred McAfee, a Madison resident who played at Mississippi College, are essentially underwriting today's events. In other words, if ticket sales don't pay the expenses, McAllister and McAfee have agreed to make up the difference.
Sounds like a first to me, a risky one at that, and that's what I told McAllister.
"I don't know if it's a good business deal, but it's something both of us wanted to do," McAllister says.
"What we really wanted was to play an exhibition game in Jackson," McAllister continues. "We had talked to Brett (Favre) and Grady (Jackson) about how great it would be to play the (Green Bay) Packers in Jackson, but it just wasn't feasible. The Black and Gold scrimmage was the next best thing.
"Coach (Jim) Haslett approached me and asked if I thought it would work in Jackson," McAllister goes on. "I told him I thought it was a good idea. I know for a fact we've got a lot of Saints fans in central Mississippi.
"I hope Saints fans and just plain old football fans will come out."
Earning his keep
McAllister last week became the highest-paid Saint in history and the second-highest paid running back in the NFL behind San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson.
His eight-year, $50.1 million contract includes $7 million just for signing his name and reportedly will pay him $28 million over the next five years.
McAllister, 26, has earned all that by becoming the first Saint to have three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons despite playing hurt much of the time. He's more than just a runner. He also pass blocks exceptionally well and catches the ball like a wide receiver.
Seems hard to believe now, doesn't it, that NFL experts raised eyebrows when the Saints, who already had Ricky Williams, drafted McAllister? For once, the Saints knew what they were doing.
McAllister, the ultimate team player, has gained 5,199 yards from scrimmage since the Saints unloaded the eccentric Williams to Miami in 2002. The Saints have made numerous abysmal personnel moves through the years, but trading Williams and keeping McAllister has to rank as the club's best personnel decision ever.
Investing in Jackson
McAllister's new contract could well be good news for downtown Jackson development. McAllister remains bullish on helping make downtown Jackson a thriving entity similar those he sees as he travels around the NFL. To that end, he remains a key party in the proposed restoration the King Edward Hotel and also in converting the Standard Life Building into condominiums and apartments.
McAllister says he has met Frank Melton, Jackson's new mayor, and that "we're on the same page as far as trying to move the city of Jackson in the right direction."
McAllister has opened an auto dealership in Jackson and hints that another announcement concerning another Jackson business interest could be forthcoming soon.
"So many people have congratulated me on my new football contract over the last few days," McAllister said. "I'm actually a lot more proud of what I've done — and what I plan to do — off the field.
"The football just comes naturally and it's only going to last a few years. The off-the-field business is something that's going to last 20, 30 years and maybe a lifetime."
McAllister is obviously a man who puts his money where his heart is. Remember, he gave his alma mater, Ole Miss, a million dollars to help build an indoor practice facility back when his salary was approximately $1 million a year.
Help in the trenches
The Saints, who won their last four games last season after a 4-8, are intent on improving their running game. That's why they drafted right tackle Jammal Brown, a bruising run blocker, out of Oklahoma in the first round.
Brown, says McAllister, has tremendous physical skills but "has been a work in progress."
"Each day there are new things he has to learn," McAllister says. "Some days, it's like his head is spinning. That's why all these practices and Saturday's scrimmage are so important."
By Rick Cleveland
Clarion Ledger (http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050806/COL0504/508060366/1025)
http://cmsimg.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=D0&Date=20050806&Category=COL0504&ArtNo=508060366&Ref=AR&Profile=1025&MaxW=250
Deuce McAllister has become a Jackson
fixture, both in personal appearances,
like being Grand Marshall of the St. Paddy's
Day Parade.
The phone rang at the appointed time for our interview and the familiar voice on the other end asked, "May I speak to Mr. Cleveland?"
Deuce McAllister may have signed a $50 million contract last week, but some things never change.
It's a running joke going back to his days at Ole Miss. I tell him Mr. Cleveland was my daddy. Deuce apologizes. He can't help it, he says. That's the way his mama and daddy raised him in the tiny community of Ludlow.
Money hasn't changed him.
McAllister respects his elders, and he appreciates how — and where — he was raised.
That's why he preferred to sign an eight-year deal with the nearby Saints rather than shop his services around the league.
"You can't put a value on your family and friends being able to get in a car and come see you play," he says.
That's also why he has concentrated most of his off-the-field business interests in Jackson.
McAllister is certainly the biggest reason why the New Orleans Saints are bringing their annual Black and Gold Scrimmage to Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium tonight.
In fact, McAllister and teammate Fred McAfee, a Madison resident who played at Mississippi College, are essentially underwriting today's events. In other words, if ticket sales don't pay the expenses, McAllister and McAfee have agreed to make up the difference.
Sounds like a first to me, a risky one at that, and that's what I told McAllister.
"I don't know if it's a good business deal, but it's something both of us wanted to do," McAllister says.
"What we really wanted was to play an exhibition game in Jackson," McAllister continues. "We had talked to Brett (Favre) and Grady (Jackson) about how great it would be to play the (Green Bay) Packers in Jackson, but it just wasn't feasible. The Black and Gold scrimmage was the next best thing.
"Coach (Jim) Haslett approached me and asked if I thought it would work in Jackson," McAllister goes on. "I told him I thought it was a good idea. I know for a fact we've got a lot of Saints fans in central Mississippi.
"I hope Saints fans and just plain old football fans will come out."
Earning his keep
McAllister last week became the highest-paid Saint in history and the second-highest paid running back in the NFL behind San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson.
His eight-year, $50.1 million contract includes $7 million just for signing his name and reportedly will pay him $28 million over the next five years.
McAllister, 26, has earned all that by becoming the first Saint to have three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons despite playing hurt much of the time. He's more than just a runner. He also pass blocks exceptionally well and catches the ball like a wide receiver.
Seems hard to believe now, doesn't it, that NFL experts raised eyebrows when the Saints, who already had Ricky Williams, drafted McAllister? For once, the Saints knew what they were doing.
McAllister, the ultimate team player, has gained 5,199 yards from scrimmage since the Saints unloaded the eccentric Williams to Miami in 2002. The Saints have made numerous abysmal personnel moves through the years, but trading Williams and keeping McAllister has to rank as the club's best personnel decision ever.
Investing in Jackson
McAllister's new contract could well be good news for downtown Jackson development. McAllister remains bullish on helping make downtown Jackson a thriving entity similar those he sees as he travels around the NFL. To that end, he remains a key party in the proposed restoration the King Edward Hotel and also in converting the Standard Life Building into condominiums and apartments.
McAllister says he has met Frank Melton, Jackson's new mayor, and that "we're on the same page as far as trying to move the city of Jackson in the right direction."
McAllister has opened an auto dealership in Jackson and hints that another announcement concerning another Jackson business interest could be forthcoming soon.
"So many people have congratulated me on my new football contract over the last few days," McAllister said. "I'm actually a lot more proud of what I've done — and what I plan to do — off the field.
"The football just comes naturally and it's only going to last a few years. The off-the-field business is something that's going to last 20, 30 years and maybe a lifetime."
McAllister is obviously a man who puts his money where his heart is. Remember, he gave his alma mater, Ole Miss, a million dollars to help build an indoor practice facility back when his salary was approximately $1 million a year.
Help in the trenches
The Saints, who won their last four games last season after a 4-8, are intent on improving their running game. That's why they drafted right tackle Jammal Brown, a bruising run blocker, out of Oklahoma in the first round.
Brown, says McAllister, has tremendous physical skills but "has been a work in progress."
"Each day there are new things he has to learn," McAllister says. "Some days, it's like his head is spinning. That's why all these practices and Saturday's scrimmage are so important."