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Wednesday, August 12, 1998 By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
Bill Cowher ranked it among the best practices in his seven years as Steelers coach, but Jahine Arnold won't list it among his favorites.
A sullen Arnold was in little mood to talk as he returned last evening to his dorm at St. Vincent College, his left arm in a sling after a collision in a non-tackling drill left him with a broken collarbone.
He will miss the next four to six weeks as the bad luck continued to haunt him in particular, and Steelers receivers and kick returners in general.
Lethon Flowers, elevated to Carnell Lake's old spot as the starting strong safety, smacked into Arnold in a 7 on 7 passing drill and the two came crashing to the ground. Flowers said he was merely going for the ball as he has been taught, but Arnold was so angry he refused to talk to him after the incident.
"I just want to let him know if he reads this that it wasn't intentional," Flowers said after practice. "He didn't want to speak with me after practice. I just want to apologize to him but that's how I practice. I'm full speed."
Arnold was dour when told of Flowers' apology.
"There's nothing I can do about it," he said before disappearing inside Rooney Hall.
The injury was the second suffered by the Steelers' top kick and punt returners over the past 11 days. Wide receiver Henry Bailey, considered their best kick returner, broke his ankle in two places Aug. 1 and will miss the season. He missed all of last season with a broken leg.
Arnold's numbers
Steelers Notebook: Modrak remains optimistic about Eagles, despite injuries
Arnold also missed last season after he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee working out in the spring. Saturday night against Buffalo, he stepped up and returned two kickoffs for 95 yards, one punt for 13 yards and caught two passes for 70 yards.
Now, this.
"Our team was counting on him to return kicks and be a fourth receiver," said Flowers, who was apologetic but unbowed.
"It's not going to change the tempo of my game. I can't practice half speed and get out in a game and go half speed. That's just who I am and I apologize for him being hurt."
Cowher chewed out Flowers on the field right after the play, but took a different slant with the news media after practice.
"That's what happens in football," Cowher said. "A lot of times you hit the ground and those things happen. I think it was the case of two guys going for a ball, a guy driving on the football. Certainly we have to use good judgment, but I think in this case, that's the nature of the game.
"Hey, we had a good practice today," Cowher said, the sound of his voice rising. "It was very spirited. It was very physical and I'm not going to say or do anything that would deter that. It was probably one of the best practices we've had since I've been here. It was a very physical, crisp practice. We had a few scuffles out there. I liked seeing that because maybe people are getting tired of being up here and there are some guys fighting for some jobs."
Flowers said Cowher's enthusiasm during practice and before the collision was infectious. On the play before the injury, wide receiver Courtney Hawkins and cornerback Lance Brown got into an argument.
"You know how Coach Cowher is," Flowers said. "He has his moments when he's fired up. I think that just trickles down to his players. When he started yelling and screaming, everybody buttons up that extra chin strap, getting ready to go. When Coach Cowher starts talking, you know it's business, so we just tried to handle our business today."
Flowers has practiced and played well since he replaced the departed Myron Bell at strong safety this summer, when the Steelers decided to put Lake at left cornerback. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett said Flowers has been better than Bell.
One of his best qualities is the kind of aggressiveness he displayed when he hit Arnold, even if it was a questionable hit.
"The rule is being smart," Flowers said. "If you have a clear shot for the ball, go for the ball. If there's any discrepancy if you're going to hit a receiver and hit the ball, then try not to do it. But when you're going full speed it's kind of hard to pull up off a ball when it's muddy out here.
"(Cowher) gave me a piece of his mind to let me know it was foolish. But at the same time, that's how I play."
If Arnold is out the full six weeks, he would not return until the week of the Steelers' fourth regular-season game, Sept. 27 against Seattle.
Will Blackwell, Hawkins, Andre Coleman and Mike Adams will all be in line to stake their claim to the void created in the punt and kickoff return games.
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