Camp survivor

By Compiled by Ernest Hooper and Roger Mills

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 28, 2000

In the spirit of CBS' Survivor series, the Times is asking Bucs players and coaches whom they would throw off the island, er, out of camp, and why. Here's today's episode:

Damien Robinson says he would throw out Anthony McFarland: "All of a sudden he thinks he can use these big words. His articulation skills have gone overboard."

Did you know?

Since 1997, the Bucs have played eight of 13 preseason games on Saturday. This season, none of their four exhibitions are on a Saturday (two Friday, one Thursday, one Sunday).

Fresh faces

NAME: Earthwind Moreland.

HT/WT: 5-11, 185.

COLLEGE: Georgia Southern.

POSITION: Defensive back.

NFL EXPERIENCE: Rookie (free agent).

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Named to the All-Southern Conference first team, Moreland was a key figure in the Eagles' run to last season's Division I-AA national championship. He said it was a meaningful experience because Georgia Southern lost the championship game the season before. As a senior, he started all 15 games and had 32 tackles.

GLORY DAYS: Growing up in Atlanta, Moreland said, some of his best times were playing for the Freedom Riders in the Martin Luther King Little League. A quarterback, he led the team to the city title four years in a row.

BRUSH WITH GREATNESS: At 16, Moreland, named after the R&B group Earth, Wind & Fire, got to meet the group's lead singer, Philip Bailey. Moreland's brother Xavier was backstage for a concert and asked for an autograph for him. Bailey didn't believe his name and asked to meet him first. Moreland still has the autograph.

TO MAKE THE TEAM: Moreland said he has to "really get into the playbook," so he is never behind. "I also have to pay close attention to what those guys are doing," he said.

QUOTE: "When you're in my situation, you have to make sure that you stay healthy. I can't afford to miss any opportunities because of injury."

Quotable

"If you fight in a game, it's ejection and a $7,500 fine. So it's the same thing in practice. If guys want to leave practice and pay $7,500, they can fight. No one seems to want to do that."

-- TONY DUNGY

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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