White says elbow is completely healed
TOM SILVERSTEIN
Green Bay Reggie White doesn’t have anything up his sleeve for the Dallas Cowboys, and as far as the Green Bay Packers are concerned, that’s a good thing.
White, the Packers’ Pro Bowl defensive end who injured his left elbow one week before the team’s Thanksgiving Day loss to the Cowboys, has been wearing a rubber sleeve on his arm for protection. But White said Wednesday there is absolutely nothing wrong with his elbow and that he is at 100%.
In fact, he insists it did not hurt him in the least bit the day of the game, even though doctors originally predicted he would be out for two to three weeks. He stands by his proclamation that God healed his elbow in time for him to play.
“It’s been fine,” he said. “The last time we talked, we talked about it being healed. It wasn’t hurting. I think a lot of people still think my arm is not well. And it is.
“I think some of the reason the media couldn’t take me saying that God healed me is because y’all can’t interview God. If I would have said a psychic or something, you would have interviewed him.”
When he was asked what he thought God might say, White said, “You’ve got to talk to him. You can set it up yourself.”
One person who probably wouldn’t mind if White’s elbow was hurting is Dallas left tackle Larry Allen. He found out in a most embarrassing way how powerful White can be.
Allen, a 6-3, 325-pound rookie, was sent sailing several times by White during the Thanksgiving Day game. It was a shock to everyone except those who see White play on a regular basis.
“I looked up and saw myself getting thrown on the replay screen,” Allen said later. “My college friends were calling me up, asking, “What is wrong with you?’ “
Allen is expected to work in practice this week against 6-6, 288-pound Chad Henning to help him prepare for White. It’s possible Allen and White won’t be matched up as often as the last game because the Packers have been playing White inside a lot.
{} Running back Emmitt Smith, who has been the focus of much of Green Bay’s defensive preparation this week, said on a conference call with local reporters that his injured hamstring was at about 90% to 95% strength.
Because the Cowboys were the division winner with the second- best record, they received a bye in the first week. That allowed Smith an extra week to work on rehabilitation.
“I think it helped a great deal,” Smith said. “It gave us a chance to relax, get the body to heal and to relax the mind. Not only that but it gave us an opportunity to get out there and get some work with each other and get back to jelling together.”
{} The Packers listed wide receiver Anthony Morgan (calf), tight end Ed West (ankle), fullback Edgar Bennett (foot) and tackle Joe Sims (knee) as probable. Safety Ray Wilson (hamstring) is doubtful.
{} Holmgren wouldn’t say if rookie offensive tackle Aaron Taylor will face team disciplinary action for being arrested for reckless use of a weapon last week.
“Any sort of action we take will be in-house, but rest assured I did talk to Aaron this morning,” Holmgren said. “He felt very bad about the whole thing, really. . . . He really wanted to come out and apologize.”
At the time Holmgren was asked about Taylor, news that safety George Teague faced a citation for discharging a firearm in De Pere city limits hadn’t surfaced.
De Pere police cited Teague after he fired eight rounds from a 9mm semiautomatic handgun into the air in his backyard at 12:07 a.m. Sunday.
{} The Packers announced a revised system for selling tickets should the team play host to the NFC championship game at Lambeau Field.
Sales of the tickets for the Packers’ first playoff game last Saturday were handled through Ticketmaster offices throughout the Midwest.
Ticket Director Mark Wagner said tickets would also be made available Monday at Lambeau Field and Milwaukee County Stadium. Sales through Ticketmaster would be limited to 27 offices in Wisconsin.
The Packers would play host to the championship game Jan. 15 if they get past the Cowboys and the Chicago Bears knock off the San Francisco 49ers. That would leave the Packers as the highest- seeded team in the NFC.
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