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Sunday, March 09, 2003

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Football scouts have good eyes, but while watching some University of Miami players work out, Tom Modrak heard something that got his attention.

"One of the linemen was talking about using Tunch's Punch," said Modrak, the Buffalo Bills' assistant general manager. "I had to laugh."

Modrak laughed because the Tunch Punch, as perfected and taught by former Steelers tackle Tunch Ilkin, has become as famous among offensive linemen as the Full Nelson in pro wrestling.

What began as a bootleg video of his pass-blocking technique that swept around the NFL and college campuses has developed into a rewarding second career for Ilkin, a Steelers and Fox Sports broadcaster.

He teaches his Tunch Punch to various NFL teams, colleges and individual players. And now, he will market eight new instructional videos his expanding Pittsburgh company has produced that feature every position in football. The Athletic Training Network, a six-employee business founded by former Fox Chapel, Penn State and NFL lineman Leo Wisniewski, received a grant from the NFL to produce and market the videos aimed at high school football players.

They kicked off a 10-city spring marketing campaign yesterday with a clinic for high school players, coaches and their parents at the UPMC indoor complex on the South Side.

Wisniewski's company interviewed at least 30 NFL coaches and 50 players for the eight videos. Instructors include Steve Mariucci (quarterbacks), Tony Dungy, Mike Mularkey (tight ends and receivers) and Joe Greene (defensive line), among others.

In one of the videos, Ilkin displays the Tunch Punch technique, which he used effectively as a 265-pound tackle to bring big men to their knees. A man that size had to have an advantage when going against 300-pound defensive linemen, and Ilkin had it in his jab.

"He was so good with his hands," said Modrak, a former Steelers personnel man. "He played against bigger guys, and nobody could put their hands on him because he was so good with his technique."

"He was probably the best guy to use his hands I've ever seen," said New York Giants offensive line coach Jim McNally. "It's a quick punch. Boom! He'd block a big defensive lineman and knock him to his knees. All it is is him working hard at repetition over and over, using his hands, quick jabbing, punching."

McNally, one of the best in the business, had a hand in helping Ilkin get started in his new career. A tape of Ilkin and former Steelers lineman Craig Wolfley blocking in a Steelers practice somehow surfaced and was used by other NFL teams to display what quickly became known as the Tunch Punch after he retired.

College and pro teams began asking Ilkin to demonstrate it in the spring to their players. Ilkin made the rounds: the Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Auburn, Pitt, South Carolina and others. Individual players called and visited him for a few days to learn it.

While on such a job at Carolina, McNally, then the Panthers' line coach, asked Ilkin if he would like to make some videotapes of his technique. He lined him up with a company that produced them. The Tunch Punch phenomenon took hold.

"He's like a pioneer," McNally said.

About that time, his friend Wisniewski came up with the idea to form the Athletic Training Network that produces videos for the home and computer aimed at youth athletes, their parents and coaches. They have an office at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex.

"The company was Leo's vision," said Ilkin, who turned down offers to coach from the Lions and Steelers. "It's an opportunity to impact kids."

Pay it forward

Judging by the way they're searching for backup quarterbacks, the Steelers should bring Kent Graham back. They talked Friday to Gus Frerotte. In 2000, they had their choice between Frerotte and Graham and chose Graham, who again is a free agent. Maybe they learned from their mistake.

They really want Charlie Batch to re-sign with them. The problem they face, though, is they cannot give any backup more money than they're paying starter Tommy Maddox, and they're paying him like a backup. His salary is only $650,000 this year. Backup tight end Jerame Tuman will make more.

They probably will rip up Maddox's contract and give him a new one, if for no other reason than it would allow them to pay a backup quarterback more money.

He said it

Cornerback Corey Fuller, on the Cleveland Browns' locker room after he was cut (and subsequently signed by the Ravens): "There ain't no happy players in there."

Silent treatment

Steelers coaches and scouts are under a gag order not to talk publicly until after the draft in April, for fear they might give away some house secrets. If that's the case, the team should let them gab all they want, judging by what happened in the second round last year.

Steelers coaches and scouts also were not permitted to talk about players before the draft last year. Nevertheless, Buffalo President Tom Donahoe learned his former team wanted to draft Brigham Young defensive end Ryan Denney in the second round. The Steelers, with the 62nd overall pick, had Denney on the phone just as Donahoe swung a trade to move into the No. 61 slot and draft Denney.

You could see the smoke coming out of the Steelers' draft room. So, with the 62nd pick, the Steelers went to Plan B and chose Antwaan Randle El. They drafted another BYU defensive end, Brett Keisel, in the seventh round with their last pick, No. 242.

Not only did they end up with a captivating receiver in Randle El, but maybe the better of the two BYU players. Word is, Denney was a flop in Buffalo while the Steelers love Keisel's potential.

The motto for the Steelers: Talk more, not less.

Thumbs down

The Chicago Tribune called former Bears quarterbacks to get their opinions on what they believe the team should do at the position. Mike Tomczak did not think they should try to sign his former teammate with the Steelers, Kordell Stewart: "I'd go after Jake Plummer hard or Neil O'Donnell. Kordell is a tremendous athlete. Bottom line on Kordell is sometimes he's his own worst enemy because he puts so much pressure on himself to go out there and succeed."