Nfl

If Chip Kelly drafted Matt Barkley, a quarterback virtually no one thought he could be interested in, then there is no reason to think that he can't start this season. History says fourth-round quarterbacks hardly ever start in the NFL, let alone as rookies. But the NFL is evolving and in certain segments becoming more like the college game than vice versa. And there's something about the Great Kelly Unknown that suggests anything is possible. There are some pertinent reasons to support Barkley's candidacy, among them his decision-making, accuracy, and moxie.

Gerald Hodges' football career has been about adapting, persevering, and producing. And now it will be about adjusting - to the NFL. The Penn State linebacker and former all-South Jersey performer from Paulsboro was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round, the 120th player chosen. "It's a blessing when my name was called, and now I get a chance to put a franchise on my helmet," Hodges said by phone. The 6-foot-1, 243-pounder began his college career as a safety but moved to linebacker.

WEEK 12

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - In the final days of Jovan Belcher's life, he could have taken advantage of numerous avenues for support provided by the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL. This past July, the NFL established an emergency hotline that operates 24 hours a day and connects players, staff, and family members in crisis with mental-health professionals who are not affiliated with the league or its teams. There are also numerous symposiums and support personnel whose jobs are to ensure the well-being of the players.

Conference Championships SUNDAY AFC: Baltimore at New England, 3 (CBS3) NFC: N.Y. Giants at San Francisco, 6:30 (Fox29) Super Bowl SUNDAY, FEB. 5 In Indianapolis Teams TBD, 6:30 (NBC10)

WE'VE HEARD IT thousands of times - professional sports aren't games. They are big businesses. This weekend in Los Angeles, Eagles rookies Zach Ertz and Matt Barkley are getting a taste of the NFL's big business as they take part in the NFL Players Association Rookie Premiere. Ertz, a tight end from Stanford drafted in the second round, and Barkley, a fourth-round quarterback out the University of Southern California, are two of 40 rookies invited by NFL Players Inc. - the marketing and licensing subsidiary of the NFLPA - to attend business seminars and connect with NFL sponsors, partners and licensees.

Penn State linebackers Gerald Hodges and Michael Mauti have signed contracts with Minnesota, the Vikings said Tuesday. Hodges, a Paulsboro graduate who will play one of the outside spots, was picked in the fourth round. Mauti, whose position is in the middle, was a seventh-round selection. Also signing was defensive tackle Everett Dawkins, a seventh-round pick out of Florida State. Muncie dies. Chuck Muncie, 60, a Pro Bowl running back with both the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers, died of heart failure Monday at his Los Angeles-area home.

CHUCK MUNCIE, a Pro Bowl running back with both the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers, has died at age 60, the NFL clubs and a family spokesman said yesterday. Muncie family spokesman Vintage Foster, of AMF Media Group in San Ramon, Calif., said Muncie died at his Los Angeles-area home on Monday from heart failure. Muncie was the Saints' first-round pick, third overall, out of California in 1976. He played 4 1/2 seasons in New Orleans before being traded in 1980 to San Diego, where he finished his 9-year NFL career.

BUDDY NIX yesterday stepped down as general manager of the Buffalo Bills. The 73-year-old Nix, confident he's put in place a young foundation capable of turning the Bills into a winner, decided it was a good time to relinquish his GM duties. "I think at some point, you've got to step aside and let young guys that are qualified have their shot," Nix said. "I never put a timetable on it. I always felt like I'd know when it was the right time. "And I think it's the right time.

OHIO STATE HAS always been kind to Eddie George. The former Buckeyes running back left the university second in the program's history in rushing yards, and third in rushing touchdowns. Add 1995 Heisman Trophy winner and College Football Hall of Fame inductee to the resume and there's no doubt George is permanently etched in Ohio State folklore. So, it comes as no surprise that George, a Philadelphia native, recently was named assistant vice president for business advancement at his alma mater.

Authorities said that former Detroit Lions wide receiver Titus Young has been arrested in California for the third time in a week. Orange County Sheriff's spokesman Lt. Joe Balicki said the 23-year-old Young was arrested late Friday in San Clemente for allegedly breaking into a home. Balicki said Young fought with deputies after a foot chase. He has been charged with attempted burglary, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. He was in custody Sunday on $75,000 bail.

Gerald Hodges' football career has been about adapting, persevering, and producing. And now it will be about adjusting - to the NFL. The Penn State linebacker and former all-South Jersey performer from Paulsboro was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round, the 120th player chosen. "It's a blessing when my name was called, and now I get a chance to put a franchise on my helmet," Hodges said by phone. The 6-foot-1, 243-pounder began his college career as a safety but moved to linebacker.

EAGLES SAFETY Patrick Chung spoke to a group of up-and-coming NFL coaches and personnel people yesterday at Penn's Wharton School about what the modern athlete expects from coaches and management. "Be honest. Respect. Have a relationship, because we're all in it together, man," Chung said afterward, when reporters asked about the panel session, part of a 3-day NFL Career Development Symposium. "We're here to play against the other team. We can't have fights inside . . . Respect, relationship, honesty.

After a hiring cycle that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called disappointing, the NFL hosted a career development symposium Tuesday at Penn's Wharton School. Eight new head coaches and seven new general managers were hired this offseason, but none of them was a minority candidate. In March, Goodell identified the symposium as way to improve the Rooney Rule, which was established in 2003 and requires a minority candidate to be interviewed in a head-coaching search. The rule was upgraded in 2007 to include searches for general managers.

AS OF YESTERDAY, Terrell Owens wanted to return to the NFL, or become a professional bowler. But check back tomorrow, the week's still young. Owens, who played for the Eagles for 2 years, but has been out of the league for 3, told Blindside.com that he recently worked out with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and that he would like to sign with the Patriots. "I think that's a no-brainer. You look at what they've done over the years. Under the tutelage of Tom and coach [Bill] Belichick, I think the sky would be the limit in terms of what I'd be able to do. " If the Patriots don't call, however, the 39-year-old Owens apparently has a backup plan.