Mike McGlynn is somewhat the forgotten man with Jeff Otah being projected to go somewhere in the 12-20 range of the NFL Draft. McGlynn is a mid-round pick. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve some puff pieces. Especially from the hometown papers in the Mahoning Valley. One focuses on his time in High School where he essentially lost two seasons — academics and injury.

Scouts weren’t scared off by the missed season, figuring (correctively) that an athletic lineman who stood 6-foot-5 and weighed 310 pounds could recover from a missed season. McGlynn verbally committed to Pitt the next July — Inglis was irritated he didn’t wait until after he had attended Ohio State’s summer camp in case Jim Tressel wanted to offer him a scholarship —and the big left tackle seemed poised for a terrific senior season.

For 3 1/2 weeks, he had one. Then, against GlenOak in the fourth week, McGlynn fractured his right fibula, ending his season. Making matters worse, his mom had just lost her health insurance, meaning he wouldn’t be able to rehab the injury.

Then an athletic trainer named Don Sherwood stepped in.

“Without him, I don’t know where I’d be,” said McGlynn. “He helped rehab me and got me back where I needed to be. I was 335 pounds and I didn’t have any way of rehabbing it myself.

“He got me ready for my career at Pitt. We’re best friends now. He’s like a brother.”

The other story focused on his versatility along an offensive line.

‘‘One of my strong points is my versatility,’’ McGlynn said. ‘‘We‘ll see what position I‘ll play. Some teams have me as a guard and some as a tackle, and I‘ve played center. I think where I‘m going to make it is at guard or center. Some teams think I‘m undersized (for tackle) and would prefer me at guard or center.’’

According to nfldraftscout.com, McGlynn is rated fourth among all guards. He‘s being projected as a third- or fourth-round pick.

In a more statewide look at  Ohio kids waiting for the NFL Draft, comes this tidbit about life in the McGlynn household.

Mike McGlynn, Pitt offensive lineman: An Austintown Fitch product, now 6-4 and 311 pounds, he had to weigh in every Saturday morning for youth football. ”It was cold, I’d be down to my underwear and my dad used to hang me upside-down so I’d lose a couple pounds to make the weight,” McGlynn said. ”When I was 9, I was playing with 12- and 13-year-olds.”

Coming soon in paperback: The upside-down diet.

Speculation has had McGlynn being selected by the Dolphins, Lions and Rams. Go figure. All teams with big issues on their O-lines.

The NFL Draft is a couple weeks away. Jeff Otah had his re-do of pro-day at Pitt. He had been battling an ankle injury, that has hobbled him for the last couple months.

Although the workout was closed and those in attendance declined comment, Otah was pleased with his performance in one-on-one drills against another former Pitt offensive tackle, Mike McGlynn, who likely will be drafted.

“I feel like I moved well today,” Otah said. “My ankle felt way better than it did. My change of direction was better. I was good with my hands and I finished (blocks).

“Hopefully, the coaches were impressed.”

One team that made a strong impression by its interest was the Carolina Panthers, which sent general manager Marty Hurney and head coach John Fox to see Otah. The Panthers own the 13th overall pick, and NFL.com analyst Vic Carucci projects them to take Otah in his latest mock draft.

Carolina was the only team to send top management — rather than scouts — to his workout. Well, the Steelers showed up as well, but “sent” isn’t quite the right word when they already work in the same South Side facilities.

According to a Carolina beat writer for the Charlotte Observer, Otah is one of a few Offensive Linemen those Panthers are considering.

The other candidates are Boise State’s Ryan Clady, Boston College’s Gosder Cherilus and Vanderbilt’s Chris Williams. Of the tackles, Williams is probably least likely to be picked by Carolina.

It looks more and more likely that Otah will be picked in the 12-20 range of the 1st round.

Antonio Bryant is still around. He’s signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jon Gruden needed WRs badly.

“Hopefully, one of our young receivers can step up. We’re going to need somebody to start hitting the ball out of the park consistently. We’ve added Antonio Bryant. Garcia played with him, McCown played with him and I did a lot of research on him. He’s got a lot of talent. He had a 1,000-yard year in Cleveland and he averaged 20 yards a catch with the 49ers in 2006. He’s had his problems sticking around, but he’s a talented, big player. He could be a really good player if he gets confidence and he trusts us. I’m excited to have him.”

Gruden doesn’t seem worried about his past — at least not publicly.

“I know some guys who have coached him,” Gruden said. “Walt Harris coached him at Pitt but (defensive line coach) Larry Coyer was on that staff. Jeff Garcia played with him in Cleveland. So did Luke McCown. So, we have an environment for him to take off. Whether he does or not will depend on him.”

Really, at this point it’s probably a low risk, high reward signing for Tampa. His other problems mean he wasn’t signed for a lot. He doesn’t have the contract or pull to be a real problem. If he doesn’t work or does disrupt, he’s gone. I’m hoping he gets it together, though.

As for Larry Fitzgerald, well, he’s a daddy according to the results of the paternity suit.

“My beautiful grandson is not a secret,” Mary Lou Nazario told me via telephone Tuesday. Reminded that it was April Fools’ Day, Nazario laughed and said she was dead serious that a Coconino County judge has issued an order confirming that Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is father of Angela Nazario‘s baby, Devin Nazario Fitzgerald, who was born Jan. 1, weighing 7 pounds, 6 ounces.

On Wednesday, a court official confirmed to me the authenticity of a paternity document that came into my possession.

Angela filed a paternity suit against Junior last year.

Good thing he just signed that new contract with Arizona. The mother is a former Raiderette (recent and older photos on that link) in her late 30s.

Jeff Otah will likely be drafted somewhere in the middle of the first round. A second straight year for Pitt to put a player in the 1st round of the NFL draft. It’s progress. Otah got a puff piece in USA Today as they were looking at O-linemen.

“It’s the best group I’ve seen in 24 years,” says Kevin Colbert, director of football operations for the Pittsburgh Steelers. “The majority of them can play the left side or play both sides. It’s unusual to have that many guys that big and that athletic and that productive.”

Colbert has had a bird’s-eye seat to watch Otah’s development. “Jeff’s an interesting kid that probably hasn’t played his best football yet because he’s not a real experienced guy as far as football is concerned and having playing experience. So there’s probably a lot of upside left in him,” Colbert says.

Meanwhile, Kris Wilson may finally get a chance to play now that he is out of Kansas City and the back-up to Tony Gonzalez. He joins the Philadelphia Eagles with a 3-year deal.

“I’m coming in here to play tight end,” Wilson said. “The coaches told me I’ll be working primarily at tight end. I think my skill set definitely allows for more success at tight end.

“My strengths are stretching the field, catching the ball, beating defenders one-on-one, mixing it up and blocking guys – a lot of the all-around things that tight ends do. I think at the tight-end position, you have to be a jack of all trades.”

Some of Wilson’s tight-end numbers at Pitt were impressive. He averaged 16.3 yards per catch and scored nine touchdowns his senior season.

Wilson was one of my favorites from that period. I complained at a lot of games that he didn’t get enough balls thrown to him.

Meanwhile, if you live in the Wilkes-Barre area, you can check out Rod Rutherford QBing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers of the af2.

“Rich called me all the time around this time to see if I wanted to play but I would always blow him off,” Rutherford said. “Everyone has a dream of playing in the NFL but I realize that my window of opportunity is smaller than it was when I first came out.

“If that opportunity comes I am not going to run away from it. I gave (Ingold) a call and he was happy to welcome me aboard. I am going to take advantage of this chance and do what I have been able to do my whole career.”

Rutherford signed a free- agent contract with the Carolina Panthers when he came out of the University of Pittsburgh. The Panthers released him in 2005 and he was picked up by the Steelers where he received a Super Bowl ring.

He spent a summer in Germany, serving as a backup before trying out with the Tennessee Titans. When nothing worked out with the Titans, he volunteered as an assistant with Pitt this past season.

…

“Honestly I would love just to continue to play at whatever level I can,” said Rutherford who has no experience with the indoor game. “Whether it is AFL or even coming back here, ultimately whatever I am doing it is going to be in football. You have guys who love to play with computers, I love the game of football.”

I just hope he has been wise with the money he has received in his time in the NFL.

Well Pitt’s pro-day for the NFL scouts was Monday. The main attraction, Jeff Otah, was unable to go because of a lingering high ankle sprain.

There were other seniors who worked out — Mike McGlynn, Joe Clermond, Darrell Strong and Kennard Cox.

McGlynn (6-4, 310), a four-year starter, started two games at right guard and nine at right tackle last season for the Panthers. But he is being projected as a guard by NFL scouts and coaches because of his height and arm length. However, what makes him an attractive mid-round prospect is that he has what Tomlin called “position flexibility.”

“That’s the good thing about him — he can play three positions,” said Arizona Cardinals offensive line coach/assistant head coach Russ Grimm, a former Steelers assistant who attended the workout. “He was a center before he played guard and tackle.”

Strong is an intriguing prospect because of his size (6-4, 268), athleticism and big hands, yet he is not ranked among the top tight end prospects in the draft. Part of the reason is that Strong began his college career as a quarterback, was switched to wide receiver and has only been a tight end for three years.

“It went good,” Strong said of his workout. “I think I did good in all the drills. I improved on all the things I did at the combine.”

Size likely will be a deterrent for defensive tackle Joe Clermond (6-3, 250), who was a productive player at Pitt and led the team last season with 10.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and was second team All-Big East. Colbert said Clermond would be an outside linebacker in the 3-4 style of defense the Steelers employ, but he could play end for a 4-3 team.

The more Pitt players drafted, the better.
Today is the start of spring practice. As is usual, there is a sense of optimism and excitement. This despite a slew of questions and upheaval.

Pitt opens spring football drills Tuesday with a four-way competition at quarterback, an overhaul on the offensive line and a coaching staff that features five new assistants.

That would be cause for alarm at some schools, but the Panthers’ 13-9 victory at No. 2 West Virginia in the season finale and 100th Backyard Brawl has provided optimism.

The challenge for Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt is to build on the momentum of that monumental victory, when the Panthers finally played the way he had long envisioned.

“We’ve got to get coaches and players feeling that confidence that we finished the year with,” said Wannstedt, whose Panthers are a preseason top-25 team in some polls.

The biggest issue will be the position battles. QB, Center, all along the O-line, Linebacker spots outside of McKillop still look open, CB, depth chart issues at WR.

There’s nothing like the spring practices to challenge the cynicism. There’s the anticipated — almost standardized — stories of off-season workouts; new coaches and new perspectives; position changes; players ready to step up; blind optimism; players coming back from injury and so on.

God help me, every year I get sucked into it and believe this year will be different. Can’t wait.

Why wait? Scott McKillop gets the first national puff-piece in the week before spring practice.

It’s a defender’s version of nature vs. nurture. Are good tacklers born or are they made? Good tackling may be all about technique. Ask any safety who has to listen to a coach berate him for lunging at a tailback. But if the player doesn’t have “a nose for the ball,” as coaches are wont to say, it doesn’t matter how good his technique is.

Take the case of Scott McKillop, the Pittsburgh senior linebacker who, in his first season as a starter, led his team in tackling. He led every other team in tackling, too. McKillop made more tackles per game than any player in the nation last season. His 12.58 stops per game is more than 1½ tackles higher than any other returning player averaged in 2007. That adds up to 151 tackles, or 91 more — that’s right, 91 — than Pitt’s runner-up, linebacker Shane Murray.

Let the unbridled optimism flow.

Draft profiles are starting to show-up. Pitt has 4 players likely to have their names called on draft days: Jeff Otah, Darrell Strong, Joe Clermond and Mike McGlynn.

While I was happy that Paul Dunn was asked to pursue other options by Coach Wannstedt, I don’t wish him ill. Dunn, afterall, is an alum. So, it’s good to see he landed a job with the Atlanta Falcons as an assistant O-line coach.

O-Line Coach Paul Dunn had to go. Arguably the O-line was not particularly strong when he started and between injuries and depth there were lots of excuses. The problem was that players didn’t seem to develop much. There was talent, but not much was done with it.

Consider that the O-line will almost certainly have two players drafted in the 2008 draft. Mike McGlynn will get picked up by somebody on day 2 (Insider subs.).

Pitt’s Mike McGlynn runs from drill to drill like his hair is on fire. It is hard to miss a 309-pound offensive lineman running at full speed down the field to get to a drill. While hustle and “want to” are great traits, he needs to settle down a little bit. McGlynn is an intriguing prospect because he could potentially fill in at every line spot in the NFL with the exception of left tackle. At this point, he is a master of none, but does have some upside, particularly as a guard. McGlynn is also able to deep snap, which adds to his versatility. If he gets the opportunity to snap for punts — it is a safe bet that McGlynn will hustle down the field.

Right now the speculation is 3d to 4th round, but more likely would be sometime in round 5 or after once the combines, scouting and measurements really happen.

Jeff Otah is the other, and everyone is putting him in the first round.

Mel Kiper, Jr. puts him at #13 to the Carolina Panthers (Insider subs.).

Don Banks at SI.com has him at #15 and the Detroit Lions (poor guy).

Todd McShay at ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. puts him all the way at #23 and the Steelers (Insider subs.).

The Steelers could use two of their first three picks on offensive linemen. They have bigger holes to fill inside at center and guard, but with his combination of size and skills Otah is far and away the best lineman available in this scenario. G Roy Schuening (Oregon State) and C John Sullivan (Notre Dame) could also become Steelers in later rounds.

Now Dunn did help develop Otah and McGlynn. Of course, by the same token, despite having two seniors who will be on NFL rosters next season, the O-line was still a joke and never got better.

So in that respect, it’s hard not to believe that new O-line coach Tony Wise has to be an improvement. Teaching and coaching wise, he better be. He’s been at the NFL for the last 18 years, and it’s hard to imagine he’s going to bring much initially to the recruiting side of things.

Tony Wise, now a former New York Jets employee, was the favorite and front-runner to get the offensive line coaching job. He’s coached with Dave Wannstedt in the past, and today he was hired.

“Tony Wise brings to Pitt an outstanding record of teaching offensive line play at the highest level,” Wannstedt said. “We started our coaching careers at Pitt together, and I was always continually impressed by both his coaching style and teaching ability. I know he is going to be an immediate asset for our players on and off the field.”

Obviously as a coach, he knows what to do to get players to be successful in the NFL. He coached for so long in the pros that he knows what the good players have and can teach it to his linemen at Pitt. Not only is it good for current players but it should help attract new recruits in the future.

He’s saying all the right things and appears to be enthusiastic about returning to Pitt and the college game. I’m already expecting better results than those of Paul Dunn.

Jeff Otah apparently is getting a lot of interest.

ESPN.com’s Todd McShay has left tackles Sam Baker (Southern Cal) and Jeff Otah (Pitt) going 20th and 23rd, respectively, in his mock draft, but Mayock said either might be available when the Dolphins pick first in Round 2.

Now I don’t know who actually watched the East-West game — aside from NFL scouts — but Joe Clermond apparently had a good showing.

Three front-office men independently mentioned Pittsburgh’s Joe Clermond as a player who helped himself. Clermond played as a down end for Dave Wannstedt, but several NFL teams wanted to see if he could play outside linebacker in a 3-4. The early results were encouraging.

Plenty of time for them to rise and fall on mock drafts.

Sundays are part of the weekend, but it never feels like it. The thought that Monday is around the corner sticks in the back of my mind all day. Ah.

A large number of football recruits visited this weekend for the hoops game against Seton Hall. The list includes verbals like Nix, Burns, and Sunseri plus some hopefuls (most notably AJ Alexander). They were able to pick up their 17th verbal from TE Justin Virbitsky.

Jim Snyder of Pantherlair.com is reporting that TE Justin Virbitsky gave the Panthers a verbal commitment today. Virbitsky is the Panthers 17th verbal commitment. Virbitsky is from Lakeland, Fla. and is being recruited as a “blocking” tight end. Virbitsky was a 3-year starter at Lakeland H.S. and was named to the 1st team Class AA as a defensive end. [PSI]

The “blocking” tight end style is more similar to John Pelusi’s game rather than Nate Byham. Byham is a great blocker but an even better pass-catcher.
Speaking of tight ends (there’s a dirty joke in there somewhere), Darrell Strong played in the Hula Bowl last night. The other Pitt player was Kennard Cox. Two other all-star games will feature former Panthers.

Two-time All-Big East defensive end Joe Clermond will play in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 19 in Houston, Texas. The game will be a 7 p.m. (ET) telecast on ESPN. Pitt’s defensive captain, Clermond (Tampa, Fla./Chamberlain) finished the season as the Panthers’ leader in sacks (10.5) and tackles for loss (13). His 53 total tackles tied for fourth. An outstanding pass rusher, Clermond’s .88 sacks per game ranked 11^th nationally (tied) and third in the Big East.

Pitt’s starting offensive tackles, Jeff Otah and Mike McGlynn, will play in the Jan. 26 Senior Bowl, held in Mobile, Ala. The game will kickoff at 3 p.m. (ET) and be televised by the NFL Network.

All-star games have never really excited me; now really planning to watch these unless I find myself really in need of something to do. NFL Draft Countdown has Otah going near the middle of the first round and says this about him:

Otah is still very raw and only has two years of division I experience but he has mind-boggling size (6-6, 340) and great athleticism with almost unlimited potential. In college he played left tackle and did a fantastic job but he might have to the right side at the next level and a good way to think of him would be as a poor man’s Jake Long with more longterm upside.

Teams and Detroit and Philly would be two teams drafting in the middle of the round that could use him on their o-line.

— A “marathon” negotiating session last week led to former Panther Darrelle Revis getting a deal done with the New York Jets. Aside from 1st overall pick JaMarcus Russell and Revis, every other 1st round pick had been signed. Revis has a bright future ahead of him, and SI’s Peter King lists him as a CB on his “All-Future Team.”

The Cleveland Browns thought enough of him to have him ranked as a top-five player in the draft this year — and the Jets thanked their lucky stars Revis was still there at No. 14. He’s got excellent cover skills and is a willing tackler.

— CBS SportsLine predicts Pitt will finish sixth in the Big East over UConn and Syracuse.

6. Pittsburgh: Which way you headed, Wanny? Without a proven quarterback and six new starters on defense, Dave Wannstedt is on the hot seat. Watch roadies at Virginia and Michigan State. They will be an indicator of his future.

Pitt and Cincinnati in the 5/6 spots seem to be a toss up. And the comment about Wannstedt being on the hot seat is a bit premature; but it got some talk in the discussion thread.

— Sports Illustrated devoted this week’s issue to previewing college football. They also have Pitt coming in at #6 in the BE with a 5-7 overall record and 2-5 in conference. Not a ton of love there — but they do give a nod to Oderick Turner who is going to be a little more widely known since he’s our top receiver right now.

— Both PSI and Kevin Gorman report that freshman offensive guard Chris Jacobson badly hurt his right knee and will need surgery. The procedure will like take place next week and though he will possibly miss the whole season, Wannstedt did not entirely rule him out for the rest of the year. Obviously, redshirting him is looking like the smart option.

— Beano Cook was a guest on Mark Madden’s show on ESPN Radio 1250. Cook, who Madden calls the “Pope of college football,” says Pitt’s home schedule is the worst it’s been since World War II. That’s not a joke — Beano knows. He also says that LeSean McCoy will see a ton of playing time this year and will make an immediate impact. I found it funny when Cook, at a young 75 years old, referred to McCoy as “Shady.” He also says McCoy will be Pitt’s running back for 3 years before jumping to the NFL.

Have to admit, I didn’t have a chance to watch the Saints exhibition game last night. Read through everyone’s comments later so, I almost feel like I did see it. Despite a statistically mixed bag and harsh self-criticism from Tyler Palko —

“Tyler did a pretty decent job for his first time out there with a significant amount of snaps,” New Orleans coach Sean Payton said. “His first interception was my fault. I thought he hung in there.

“He needs to learn how to protect the football better. In his first night, there are some things he did OK and other things he needs to work on. Those reps for him will be valuable to learn from the tape.”

Palko finished with 172 yards and a touchdown on a 17-of-25 slate. He showed his grit with a team-high 47 yards rushing on four carries. He also threw two interceptions, including one in the endzone.

“When you don’t come out with the win, it’s hard to feel good about it,” the rookie out of Pitt said. “I’d probably give myself a C-minus or D. We didn’t win and that’s not a good thing.

“There were some things I was not happy with. When you turn the ball over twice and you don’t win, it hurts.”

— Palko seemed to have won some people and has support from within the organization.

“I thought Tyler did a fine job,” said Brees. “Every young quarterback is going to make mistakes. What I liked is the way Tyler responded. He keeps on improving, and he’s going to get better.”

Palko finished 15-of-27 for 172 yards and was sacked twice. Still, he had mobility and escape instincts to finish with 47 yards, turning losses into positive yardage.

The kid who threw for 66 touchdowns at Pitt, second only to NFL Hall of Famer Dan Marino, suggests he’s a work in progress. But with Brees and Payton in his corner, he appears to have a better than decent shot to hang around and do some good if opportunity calls.

In the NFL, you never know when that opportunity might arrive. Obviously, the number one prayer offered by all Saints fans is directed toward the continued health, and well being, of No. 9.

In the case of Tyler Palko, living in a climate of a savvy coach and quarterback, the rookie could not be in a better position.

And he knows it.

That was one of the reasons Palko signed with New Orleans. Palko being kept by the Saints was echoed by one of the Saints beat writers.

Tyler Palko is going to be the No. 3 quarterback. This is just a prediction. Nothing official. But the rookie from Pitt is a favorite of Coach Sean Payton so he would have had to play really poorly to blow his opportunity. On the contrary, though, Palko played well. He led the Saints to two scoring drives, including a picture-perfect 2-yard touchdown pass to Robert Meachem on a fade route. All in all, Payton had to be pleased with his effort. Payton won’t like the interception he threw in the end zone but he had to love the way the rookie competeted and led the offense. Those are the kind of things Payton wants to see out of his young signal caller. As Drew Brees said last night, he was benched three times as a young quarterback for throwing interceptions. Decision-making will come in time.

Some weren’t as impressed and don’t think much of Palko’s game.

Free-agent quarterback Tyler Palko took over for Brees in the second quarter, and while his name rhymes with the immortal Shane Falco of “The Replacements” fame, the kid doesn’t have much of an NFL future.

(See strength, arm.)

The writer of that comment (Larry Holder of the Sun Herald) provides a neat little lesson in information and quote manipulation. From the Sean Payton quotes (take a look at the top of the post for the full quote) earlier it seems that he was reasonably happy with with Palko’s performance in the bigger picture. Now, how did Holder treat it in his notes on the game?

Saints coach Sean Payton said Palko did a “decent job.”

“He’s got to learn to protect the football better,” Payton said. “He did OK. Those reps are valuable and he will learn from them.”

It’s not at all uncommon. It’s just something to watch. Always much easier in two or more paper towns.

Glad I got that TE’s post off when I did, because the house lost power for almost 24 hours. Plenty of townships are in a state of emergency because of the rain/wind/other natural disasters. I was going to go over to McKnight Road until I saw on KDKA that it was covered in a foot or two of water — ugh. Hopefully all of you readers out there in the Pittsburgh area are doing well after an ugly day.

Another place that knows a little too much about rain and wind damage is the City of New Orleans, Tyler Palko’s new home. Palko, who turned 24 yesterday, is going to have an opportunity to take some big steps towards the Saints’ third-string QB job. Once Drew Brees plays the first quarter, Palko will be next in line to play against the Buffalo Bills’ defense tonight.

He’s going to get a lot more playing time than he did against the Steelers on Sunday — it’s expected that he’ll play deep into the second half.

“I just want to know what I have with a player, and the only way I can do that is play him,” Payton said. “I’m anxious to see his development, his progressions, his ball security, how he handles his decision-making and seeing if we can move the ball while he’s in there.”

He knows what he has to work with in order to impress the coaches.

“It’s exciting, but your window of opportunity is very small,” Palko said. “So you have got to make the most of it when you get your chances. . . . Here (at camp), you’re kind of like an afterthought. You have to continue to have the mentality of getting reps and stealing reps — watching Drew and Jamie, really taking from that.”

On Sunday, Palko was 4-for-8 for 53 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception. He also almost got teammate Robert Meachem killed while leading him over the middle with a pass.

The sense, even down in Louisiana, seems to be that Tyler Palko will have to really be terrible not to at least stay with the team this year. Coach Sean Payton personally contacted Palko about signing with the Saints if he wasn’t drafted, and Palko has been the first to arrive, last to leave player.

Yeah, you’ve heard it a million times, one of the oldest clichés: He’s the first guy on the practice field every morning, and the last one to leave every night.

But in the case of Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Palko, it’s true. He is the one guy who has been making the coaching assistants put in the most overtime throughout the first week of training camp.

…

“I’ve got a lot of work to do, so I’m just trying to get my extra work in. And when I get a chance to play in the preseason, hopefully the work will pay off,” said Palko, who shrugged off the notion that he’s trying to impress the coaches and evaluators with his regiment. “I don’t really believe in that. When you’re at this level, that stuff really doesn’t matter. If you’re good enough to play, you’ll be good enough to play.

“I just like to get out and get some extra work in, and I hate sitting around the locker room. So I guess that’s why I’m out there a little early.”

Still, the exhibition season will be big for the 3d stringer.

“Those live snaps you get at quarterback over the period of four or five games are very important,” Payton said. “I think for both of them, the preseason games will be important to evaluate that position.”

I can’t believe I’ll actually be watching the 3d quarter of an exhibition.

It is entirely possible I may actually watch a little of the Hall of Fame Game — beyond the first quarter — just to see Tyler Palko on the field in a New Orleans Saints uniform.

The former West Allegheny High School and Pitt star quarterback will play some time in the second half when the New Orleans Saints play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.

Drew Brees will start for the Saints and play a series or two. Backup QB Jamie Martin will finish the first half. In the second half, Palko and Jason Fife, who are battling for the No. 3 job, will split time.

“It’s accurate to say that those live snaps you receive at quarterback over the period of four or five games are very important,” Saints coach Sean Payton said.

Last year when the Saints won the NFC South Division and advanced to the NFC Championship Game, they kept only two quarterbacks most of the year (Brees, a first-team All-Pro last year, and Martin, a journeyman who’s only started eight games in his 12-year pro career.

New Orleans Coach Sean Payton seems to really want Palko to succeed.

There are some other youngsters to watch: second-year receiver Lance Moore could end up being the punt/kick returner; Rutgers free-agent cornerback Joe Porter has impressed while Payton mentioned Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko, another undrafted rookie.

Payton’s eyes lit up when he spoke of Palko’s passing background at Pitt, which is interesting because should the Saints lose Brees, their season figures to go downhill fast. Jamie Martin is the backup, but he isn’t physically imposing.

At the very least, Payton seems to believe Palko could become a solid back-up. Palko performed well in minicamps, but has made some mistakes in training camp. Big shock, it came from trying to do too much.

Often, he has struggled to decide where to throw before being forced to scramble out of the pocket. On one such occasion, as he rolled frantically to his right, the lefty attempted to flip a short backhanded pass about 10-yards down field, then watched it get intercepted and returned to the end zone.

“He’s had a lot thrown at him. … He’s probably pushed it a little bit to try to make plays,” Payton said after a recent practice. “He’s handled the installation well, but like any young quarterback, there is a lot going on in their minds and it’s moving pretty quickly. You just hope each practice he gets better.”

…

Payton did not seem terribly disturbed by Palko’s botched, desperate, backhanded pass, considering that it happened early in training camp. But Palko will need to avoid making the same mistakes twice.

“That indiscriminate decision where you are trying to force something can be common with young quarterbacks – and you have to eliminate them,” Payton said.

There are some habits that take a while to shake.

I’m sure tomorrow we can expect a story or two about Palko coming to play the team he grew up watching. The usual cliches are expected to be overused.