When Jerry left
the Steelers in 1998, I wrote the following for the UK Black &
Gold newsletter:
It's was a
sad day for Steeler fans when Jerry Olsavsky decided to leave the
team. The Steelers UK Supporters were at the game in Cleveland when
he took that terrible injury in 1993. His comeback was truely magnificent.
So much so, that several of the club members suggested we have a Jerry
Olsavsky award for the Steeler player showing the most courage each
year. If there is ever a Steelers Hall of Fame - Jerry should be in
it. The guy's got a lot of heart and deserves to be a starter somewhere.
During the1998
off season, Olsavsky signed as a free agent with Cincinnati. This
is what the Cincinnatti
Enquirer wrote about Olsavsky when he signed for the Bengals:
Olsavsky isn't
big either, but he's a favourite from Bengals defensive coordinator
Dick LeBeau's days in Pittsburgh in 1995 and 1996, when Olsavsky had
his best seasons. ''Jerry's one of the smartest players I've ever
coached,'' LeBeau said. ''He's the type of player I really admire.
He's been told all his life he's too small to play.''
But the 6-foot-1,
220-pounder won't be too small to start here. The
Bengals aren't pursuing Ricardo McDonald, a free agent who started
at right inside linebacker this past season. And LeBeau said if McDonald
does return, he could move to the outside.
So the Bengals'
starting inside linebackers are probably going to be
straight off the University of Pittsburgh Wall of Fame, with the third-year
Tumulty teaming with the 10-year vet Olsavsky.
''I'm thrilled.
I think he'll help with the leadership they've been talking
about,'' Tumulty said. ''He's won games and been to the playoffs.
I'm a little bigger than he is, but we're both instinctive players,
so-called smart players and we're not going to run a 4.5, 40 tomorrow.
I know him from seeing him at Pitt and we've hung out. A tough guy.
Good guy.''
Olsavsky says
he doesn't want to be handed the job, but it will be better than what
happened in Pittsburgh. After having a solid 1996, he was surprised
the Steelers went with second-year man Earl Holmes.
''That was
tough because I thought I played well in '96 and they had said that,''
Olsavsky said. ''Then they put a younger, bigger guy in there and
it was a little hard to take. Then I re-did my contract in the middle
of the season and I'm thinking, 'I'm doing my best, but I'm not the
happiest when I'm not playing as much as I wanted,' and they let me
leave.''
Olsavsky shrugged
when asked about The Sporting News perception, which is the Bengals
are the worst in the NFL at attracting free agents.
''I remember
always coming in here and the games were tough," Olsavsky said. ''It's a good place to play, the fans are good. . .
. They're on the upswing. They've got some talented players.''
Injury was to
hit Olsavsky again and the Cincinnatti Post wrote, "Spikes
and Simmons, the Bengals top draft picks, were being tutored in training
camp by nine-year veteran Jerry Olsavsky, but Olsavsky reached an
injury settlement with the team and was waived. ''He was like a second
coach to me,'' Spikes said. ''Sometimes when (linebackers coach Mark
Duffner) is working with somebody else, Jerry would show me the ropes
and tell me what to do. He was a big help.''
The only way
Olsavsky would be back in a Bengals uniform would be if the linebacking
corps was depleted by injury. The development of Spikes and Simmons
probably cut short the chances of Olsavsky playing a major role this
season.
Olsavsky was then
signed by the Ravens on October 28, 1998 before becoming an unrestricted
free agent again in 1999.
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