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Steelers Cowher: Poteat is special

Wednesday, October 25, 2000

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

He has made no promises about his quarterbacks, his receivers or many other positions, but Coach Bill Cowher vowed he will not change one thing again this season.

Rookie Hank Poteat will remain on the active roster.

Poteat returned two punts Sept. 17 at Cleveland for 43 yards, but Cowher made him inactive for the Steelers' Sept. 24 game against Tennessee. He was back returning punts for the next four games and has done well. His 15.1-yard average is second in the AFC.

"I deactivated him because of the roster situation, which will be the last time I ever do that," Cowher said. "He really has been a weapon."

Cowher, a former special teams player and coach, knows what it's like to have a returner like Poteat.

"I've been on those teams before. When you know you have a guy back there who can make people miss, you tend to hold your blocks a little longer or tend to go after another guy to finish the block.

"This guy, even though you may think he's down, he's never down. He almost broke one last week along our sideline. He almost popped out of there with about six guys around him."

Poteat's 54-yard punt return to the Cleveland 12 in the second quarter Sunday set up the only touchdown of the game.

"He has great vision, he has balance," Cowher said. "At times, he almost gets a little careless from trying to look before he catches the ball. He has excellent hands."

Cowher can envision the Ravens and other teams punting away from Poteat. The Browns did that once or twice Sunday.

"When they punt the ball to us I think we're going to start seeing what we saw last week, the thing going to the sideline.

"The good ones just have a great feel and vision for making cuts. I think that's one thing Hank has, the things sometimes you can't coach. Trying to coach him up may be the worst thing we do. Just let him go out there and run."

Cowher said he is not tempted to use Poteat, a reserve cornerback from the University of Pittsburgh, on offense the way Deion Sanders has been used on occasion.

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