In the days leading up to Super Bowl 43, Arizona Cardinals corner back Antrel Rolle did the media rounds and gave an interview to 560 WQAM in South Florida. Rolle, a native of Miami and a former player at the University of Miami, was an All-American when the Hurricanes were more of a force on the college scene.

"The Big Dog" Joe Rose probed Rolle about a number of things at the beginning of the interview, but he eventually got on the topic of the struggling Hurricanes.

"These boys are hurting. Most of all, they're hurting themselves and they're hurting the program. I think they need to get that attitude back. Go steal a couple of cars, go break into a couple of houses. Do whatever it takes just to get that attitude back. Go out there and do something bad, it doesn't matter. We'll forgive. Just bring that attitude back to the 'U'. We need it."

I'm going to give Rolle the benefit of the doubt and think some of that can be taken with a grain of salt. Rolle wants Miami to get its swagger back. He wants them have a modern version of deplaning in camouflage at the 1987 Fiesta Bowl. You know, when Miami was labeled the "evil" side of the war between the Canes and Penn State. I really hope he doesn't want his Miami brothers to actually commits crimes.

But Rolle has to be cautious.

First, it was just three years ago when Miami brawled with Florida International University in what became a public embarrassment. That type of action is related to stealing cars, breaking into houses, etc. It's not the image ANYONE wants.

Second, Rolle was arrested in 2004 just before his senior season, for allegedly hitting a police officer. The charges were dropped, but again, you never want that kind of press.

There is such a thing as controlled swagger. Start winning football games and you can show a little flavor to get that Miami attitude back. Until then, you can steal all the cars you want, but a 7-6 record will just get you laughed at.

But I see why Rolle is stepping up to the plate and saying something. Miami is 26-25 since Rolle left for the NFL. In Rolle's four years in Coral Gables, the Hurricanes went 44-6 and won a national title. Not too shabby. Rolle called guys like Clinton Portis, Jeremy Shockey, Andre Johnson, Jonathan Vilma, Ed Reed, Willis McGahee, Bryant McKinnie, Kellen Winslow II and Sean Taylor, among others.

Miami is young right now, and Randy Shannon definitely needs some time to develop that talent. He's definitely bringing in some high-profile prospects, and if they don't stop being mediocre soon, I think you'll again see some changes.

(amny.com)

Too-on-One spent a few minutes with Cardinals defensive tackle Gabe Watson to get the dirt on his teammates:

Q: Who’s the best dresser on the team?
A: Antrel Rolle. He’s a clean-cut guy. Everything is neat about him.

Q: Who has the best car?
A: Edgerrin James, with that Lamborghini. That’s my favorite car. He actually called me and asked how to put it in gear. I told him everything about it.

Q: Who is the coaches’ pet?
A: Calais Campbell. Sometimes in meetings the coaches will say something that might not be right, and he’ll agree with it. Then one of us will say something that all the players agree with, and he’ll agree with the coach. I’m like, 'C’mon man, whose side are you on?’

(eastvalleytribune.com)

TAMPA — This state has its share of big-time football programs, with the University of Florida and Florida State leading the way in more recent years.

But when it comes to the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals, one school leads the way: the "U."

That's the University of Miami, the home of five national championships since 1983, two Heisman trophy winners and Cardinals players Edgerrin James, Antrel Rolle and Calais Campbell. (Although Florida State graduates Anquan Boldin and Darnell Dockett may disagree).

"I got text (messages) from Edge and Antrel right after I was drafted by the Cardinals," Campbell said. "It's a big brother-type thing."

As the Cardinals prepare for Sunday's Super Bowl at 6 p.m. at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium, these three players will be focused on the red and white -- but they still bleed orange and green.

"I'm always helping recruit (to Miami)," said James, an Immokalee native. "We're the ones that set the trend for everyone else (in Florida)."

James' commitment to Miami might be the most visible of the three Cardinals players -- the 30-year-old star running back made a $250, 000 donation to his alma mater in 2000, the largest amount of money ever donated to Miami by a former Hurricanes athlete, and the team meeting room is named after him. He was selected to the school's Ring of Honor in September.

But Rolle and Campbell also add to the South Florida feel on this Southwestern NFL team.

"It was like no other, man," Rolle said, reminiscing about his Miami team's national championship in 2001. "I've never been part of an organization where I didn't work for myself, I worked for the guy next to me. It was a team of brothers."

Of the three Cardinals from UM, Rolle best represents the program's glory years -- he was at Miami from 2001-04, when the Hurricanes advanced to the national championship twice and played in the Orange Bowl and the Peach Bowl his other two seasons.

A Miami-area native himself, Rolle attended South Dade High School, where he was an all-American, before choosing the hometown Hurricanes. The then-cornerback was an All-American in college, too, and a first-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference player as a senior. The Cardinals then chose Rolle eighth overall in the 2005 NFL Draft, and he has been a regular in Arizona's defensive backfield since, picking up five interceptions in 2007 and 77 tackles in 2008.

As for James, his future at Miami looked bright after the Hurricanes won the 1994 National Championship in James' junior year of high school. But Miami received NCAA sanctions in 1995 before James arrived, and his sophomore year the Hurricanes were 5-6, including an embarrassing 47-0 loss to Florida State. Still, James rushed for 1,098 yards on just 184 attempts.

James left Miami after his junior year as the only player in school history to post back-to-back seasons of 1,000 yards rushing or better. The program had started to rebound, with a 9-3 record in 1998 including a 49-45 win against then-No. 2 UCLA.

Despite Miami's recent problems, James' support for the Hurricanes hasn't wavered, even given his sanction-ridden experience there.

"You have to understand why the program is that way," said James, addressing the Hurricanes' 5-7 season in 2007 and 7-6 campaign in 2008. "We've had guys that are consistently good enough to leave. ... No other school could come back right away after losing that many players."

Campbell was part of that exodus from Miami. The rookie defensive end left the Hurricanes after his junior season and was picked up by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

"He's the baby of the group," Rolle joked. "But you've got to look out for him."

Campbell, 6-foot-8 and 282 pounds, was a first-team All-American for the Hurricanes after a streak of seven straight games with a sack as a sophomore. He was highly recruited by several big-time football schools after earning a Colorado high school record of 58 sacks in his four seasons.

"I had an opportunity to go a lot of places," Campbell said. "But I still had a good time at UM. To me, it still taught me what I needed to know ... They just need to get back that, well, swagger is what we called it when I was there."

(naplesnews.com)

TAMPA, Fla. -- Dexter Jackson's name came up yesterday. Arizona safety Antrel Rolle broached the subject because that Tampa Bay safety was the last defensive MVP of a Super Bowl, a feat Rolle aims to duplicate.

"He had three picks. Went to the house with one. That could be me. I'm definitely trying to steal that trophy," Rolle said of the Super Bowl XXXVIII star.

Yet, to Steelers followers, Jackson stands as a potential cautionary tale in the Steelers' Super Bowl XLIII match with six of its former coaches and four of its former players toiling for the Steelers West that is the Arizona Cardinals. Did Jackson perform so capably against quarterback Rich Gannon and the Oakland Raiders because new Tampa coach Jon Gruden schooled his Buccaneers about his former team?

"I don't know if it's a jump," rookie Cardinals cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie said of the inside Steelers information on hand for Arizona, "but I could say that they understand their [old] team a little better."

"We have a pretty good idea. ..." Rolle said of the Steelers' offense. "As I'm sure they have a pretty good idea of what we're doing. You always have a few wrinkles, a few trick plays here or there. But, at the end of the day, you still got to play football."

"I don't even think about that," added running back Edgerrin James. "In the NFL, there are really no secrets. That 'this guy likes to do that, this guy likes to do this,' you watch that on film. Nobody really gives you inside information unless they give you personal information, and I really don't want that."

(post-gazette.com)

TAMPA, Fla. — The numbers don’t lie. Arizona’s defense gave up a league-worst 36 TD passes this season — nine more than the closest pursuer.

But down the stretch of what has turned out to be a very surreal season for the storybook Cardinals, their secondary has suddenly become a primary reason for the defense’s success, particularly at the right cornerback and free safety positions, where a couple of first-round draft picks have picked up their games at just the right time.

You wouldn’t be lying if you called rookie RCB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, the 16th overall pick in the 2008 draft, a work in progress. Same goes for FS Antrel Rolle, the eighth overall pick in the 2005 draft, who was a cornerback his first three seasons in the league. But the progress that both of them continue to make has been impressive, to say the least.

As for Rolle, he’s still learning the nuances of his new full-time position and doing everything he can to master his craft. This offseason, he looks forward to spending much of his time working out with Ravens Pro Bowl safety and fellow Miami (Fla.) product Ed Reed.

“I think he is a real student of the game,” Rolle said of Reed. “He understands the game probably better than anyone. I heard he spends 25 hours a week studying film. So I figured if I put in 25 hours, or better yet 25-plus hours, maybe I can get to the same level as him.”

Rolle thoroughly enjoys his new role with the Cardinals.

“Yeah, I really do,” he said. “I’m around the ball a whole lot. I get to see the whole field. I get to help out on blitzes, both against the run and pass. I get to quarterback the defense. That’s a responsibility I’ve been more than willing to take on. It’s been a great fit for the Cardinals as well as myself.”

Rolle adds a unique extra dimension with his uncanny knack for scoring touchdowns once he gets his hands on the ball. He’s returned four of his eight career interceptions for scores, and in the playoff victory over Atlanta, his TD return of a fumble forced by teammate Darnell Dockett was the turning point of the game.

“My thing is, if I get the ball, I want to take it to the house every time and try to help out the offense as much as I can,” Rolle said. “I don’t try to get too outside of myself, but I know that, inside of myself, getting in the endzone is something I can do every time I get the ball in my hands.”

Rolle had some rough stretches at the beginning of the season after missing some time in training camp due to injury.

“As a result, he had to learn on the fly,” Austin said. “There’s no doubt that he’s a good football player, and it’s starting to show. Each week, he’s gotten more comfortable making calls, knowing what angles to take and directing our defense. And I think he will just keep on improving.”

(profootballweekly.com)

Maybe Antrel Rolle can provide some not-so-comic relief. Another media member already has him cornered.

"Three questions," Access Hollywood's Maria Menounos tells him. "First, name one of Brad and Angelina's children."

"Shiloh!" Rolle offers proudly.

"Next, who are Nick, Kevin and Joe?"

Rolle: "The Backstreet Boys?"

Menounos: "No, the Jonas Brothers."

Rolle: "Oh, right. The three dudes with the dark hair."

She later reveals that only one Cardinals player got all three Hollywood questions right.

Atta boy, Matt Leinart.

(azcentral.com)

TAMPA -- During the tough times, when it looked as if all they were doing in Arizona was wandering the desert, Edgerrin James, Antrel Rolle and Calais Campbell could find direction in their brotherhood.

The tie that binds them is the fact they all played at the University of Miami. And they argue that is every bit as important as one out of similar DNA.

''It really is a brotherhood,'' Rolle insisted Tuesday as the Cardinals continued preparations for Super Bowl XLIII against Pittsburgh. ``No matter what, it can never be broken. Nobody should even try.''

If you think there is nothing extraordinary about the bond between players at ''The U,'' examine the relationship the three Cardinals players share. They come from different Miami classes and teams that reached different levels of success.

But when they were united on the same Arizona roster, they connected. It was natural. It was expected.

''We have a special relationship,'' James said. ``It's a bond that has been going on for years with players from that school. It's something that no other team and no other school can duplicate.

``It's something that's super special. It's really hard to explain, but you talk to anybody from the University of Miami, they know what it's about.''
It's about men who wouldn't otherwise be friends becoming each other's support system.

When Campbell, 22 and still a rookie, was selected by Arizona in the second round of last April's NFL Draft, the first call he took was from the Cardinals. The second and third calls he took were from James, 30, and Rolle, 26.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB
''As soon as I got drafted by the team, they called me and welcomed me to the team,'' Campbell said. ``There's just that connection you have that comes from work ethic and knowing what you have to do to get where you want to be. We had that and learned that at UM and it carries over.

``So when I got to Arizona, these guys helped me with getting a house and showed me what people to talk to. They helped with simple decisions like places to eat. They took care of me like a little brother. They looked out for me.''

That apparently applies in times of trouble as well as triumph. And this trio has tasted both this season.

After being drafted as a cornerback in 2005 and enjoying only modest success his first two seasons, Rolle lost his starting job in 2007. James was the teammate who encouraged Rolle.

''Since I first stepped into this league, he's been that guy in my ear telling me the right things to do,'' Rolle said. ``He pulls you to the side and talks to you, he's not a spotlight person. He doesn't tell you what you want to hear, but he does tell you what you need to hear.''

Rolle handled the demotion by moving to safety, where he has become a ball-hawking, touchdown return waiting to happen.

Rolle has nine interceptions in his career and has returned four for touchdowns. He also had a fumble return for a touchdown during the playoffs.
James also has a playoff touchdown to go with his 203 yards on 52 carries. He is again a starter and a key to bringing balance to a pass-first Arizona offense.

But midway through the season, James was practically erased from the offense -- with 27 carries in 10 games between Oct. 5 and Dec. 21. He was benched in favor of rookie Tim Hightower.

It was a difficult time for the NFL's leading active rusher.

''You want to play,'' James said. ``This year I worked extremely hard in the offseason, and I had a chance to pass some of the greatest rushers of all time. You want to build on the previous year, and the previous year I had 1,200 yards, and that was a new system. In training camp we were doing certain things that looked like it was going to be promising, and then we were going in a different direction.''

It was a time in which James could lean on Rolle and Campbell.

''I was in the same situation as him last year,'' Rolle said. ``I got pulled from my starting job last year and every day there was a conversation with him. He'd say, `Antrel, keep balling, keep working, keep doing what you do. They're going to have to play you, they're going to have to put you on the field.'

LEARNING TO BE A PRO
'And so when the same thing happened to him, I told him, `Edge, you know who you are. I mean, the whole world knows who you are and it's going to come back. Trust me, it's going to come.' For whatever reason, the coaches thought he wasn't getting the job done. But he never let them keep him down.''

The professionalism James and Rolle showed this season didn't go unnoticed by Campbell.

He didn't start any games and had only 25 tackles on defense and 16 more on special teams, but Campbell learned by watching Rolle and James.

''The way Edgerrin carried himself and the way he came back was a great story,'' Campbell said. ``I learned all it takes is one opportunity to be at the top again. You can never get down on yourself. If something bad happens, you let it go into yesterday and think there's always tomorrow and try to better yourself.

``It was a good lesson to learn from a guy I think of as an older brother.''

(miamiherald.com)

4. Antrel Rolle is a right place, right time kind of guy: One week after a time fumbled recovery for a touchdown changed the game, Rolle found himself the benefactor of a tipped pass. Rolle has a knack for being an opportunistic defender and rarely misses a chance to grab a loose or tipped ball.

(nyj.scout.com)

Place a football in their hands, and some people make plays. Only a few make magic.

Meet Antrel Rolle, a young man who has turned 50 percent of his interceptions into touchdowns. And that's only half the story.

"I think it's just a Miami thing," Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. "Look around the league. Remember the late Sean Taylor? Every time he got his hands on the ball, he was going to the end zone. You saw (the Ravens) Ed Reed on Sunday, and what he's done his whole career. Antrel has that same knack for the end zone, the same swagger, effort and determination to change the course of the game."

These days, the best part of the Cardinals defense is no longer the depth of defensive linemen. It's the upgraded secondary. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is ascending toward becoming the team's best cover cornerback since Aeneas Williams, and Rod Hood is much better when battling the other team's lesser receiver. Meanwhile, Adrian Wilson is a Pro Bowl safety who'll hit you into the neighbor's living room, a man who knocked out quarterback Trent Edwards and personally derailed a promising season in Buffalo. After that game, Wilson actually received hate mail from enraged Bills fans.

But the story of Rolle is becoming absurd. He's not particularly elusive. He's certainly not that fast. He's built solid and muscular, and his lack of foot speed is partly why he was switched from cornerback to safety. Yet Rolle has somehow returned 4 of 8 interceptions for touchdowns, and the numbers should be even more incredible.

They don't count an interception Rolle returned for a score last season against Cincinnati (his third of the game), a touchdown wrongly nullified by penalty. The league acknowledged so publicly.

They don't count a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown against the 49ers earlier this season nullified by an offsides penalty on Wilson.

Rolle should be 6 of 10, a percentage that drops the jaw. He also returned a fumble for a touchdown in last week's playoff win against Atlanta.

By comparison, Reed is rightfully considered the master of the pick six, a man with an astonishing 1,144 career yards on interception returns. Playoffs included, Reed has returned 6 of 48 interceptions for touchdowns, a ratio that actually pales in comparison to his fellow Hurricane.

"Some guys just have that innate quality," Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "Sometimes, you say they're lucky. But when it creates a pattern, it's something different. Either Antrel's one of the luckiest people I've ever been around, or there's some type of talent there."

Rolle says he's always had a nose for the end zone. He was a running back for most of his young life, and he runs with the same kind of internal fury that pours from Anquan Boldin. He follows his blocks, stops with anti-lock brakes and innately understands all angles. His eyes are always well beyond the nearest tackler.

"Once I get the ball in my hands, I definitely know what to do," Rolle said. "I just keep my eyes on the bigger prize and if they touch me or grab at me, nine times out of 10 I don't feel it."

After a rough start, Rolle has finally found a comfort level. He was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2005 draft, and struggled with the pressure, the expectations and with Dennis Green's defense. He was at risk of becoming yet another Arizona draft debacle, a player the Cardinals chose over defensive beasts like DeMarcus Ware and Shawne Merriman.

"I was used to being a pressing corner, and my first two years here, it was mandatory that we played nine yards off the ball," Rolle said. "That threw me off a little bit."

Now, Rolle is developing fast. He wants to be the next Reed. He wants to "see what he sees." The two men are friends, members of the Hurricane fraternity, and Rolle vows to spend part of the upcoming offseason learning more from the master.

Once a target, Rolle is making them pay for throwing his way. For Cardinals fans, that's when the magic begins.

(azcentral.com)

Don’t be surprised down the stretch if you see the always-creative Cardinals running a few more well-timed offensive plays featuring S Antrel Rolle, similar to his nine-yard catch on a quick screen in the Week 14 win over the Rams. “I can see them getting the ball in his hands some more,” said one veteran insider. “He’s so good in the open field.” As for other Arizona defenders who could conceivably get thrown into the offensive mix, we’re told it’s quite possible the team might try to capitalize on CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie’s blazing speed and sneak a deep ball in his direction at some point.

(profootballweekly.com)

There was never a doubt that Antrel Rolle would commit himself to making a successful transition from cornerback to free safety.

"He just loves to play the game, and he doesn't care where he's playing," said Cardinals secondary coach Teryl Austin. "If you said, 'Trel, we have to line you up at nose tackle this week,' he'd say, 'All right, what do I have to do?' "

The questions about Rolle's move were more about time and space. How long would it take Rolle, who played cornerback in college and in his first three years with the Cardinals, to adapt to a position farther away from the ball?

Turns out, about a half a season. Rolle went through predictable rough spots early in the season, and his transition was slowed by an ankle injury suffered in training camp. He wasn't bad, but there were some bad angles taken and some tackles missed.

Over the past month, however, Rolle has settled into the free safety spot. Always a student of opponents' tendencies, he's now comfortable in applying the Cardinals defensive concepts to stopping them.

He returned an interception for a touchdown against the Rams in early November and had 12 solo tackles the past two games. He's even dabbled a bit on the offensive side of the ball, lining up at receiver and catching a pass for 9 yards last week against the Rams.

"When I see myself from Week 1 to Week 9 or 10, I'm like, 'Who is that dude out there?' " Rolle said. "I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. But that's all part of the process, you watch yourself grow, week in and week out."

Strong safety Adrian Wilson has played a large part in that process. Rolle has always been willing to study but had to grow accustomed to the physical differences between the two positions.

At safety, he also had to learn more about the entire defense. At cornerback, he usually had to worry about himself. Wilson taught him that knowing each position's responsibilities would help.

"It's not foreign for him any more to know what each guy is able to do," Wilson said. "It really helps our defense to have two guys (at safety) who kind of know what they're doing."

Wilson and Rolle are so comfortable now that they often play interchangeable roles. In past years, if a safety blitz was called and the offense flipped the strong side of the formation, Wilson moved to the other side, too.

Now, Wilson's just as likely to move back to safety and allow Rolle to move down. It's not always just Wilson coming down for run support, either.
"We know every formation, and we know each other's positions," Rolle said. "So at any given time, we have the ability and mind-set to adjust to formations. That's what we do, we just take chances. The best thing for a defense to do is keep an offense guessing."

Free safety has been a weakness of the Cardinals for years. They signed Terrence Holt in free agency last year, but he played poorly and was cut in the off-season.

Rolle, meanwhile, struggled at cornerback for portions of his first three seasons. The eighth overall pick in 2005, he excelled at playing the nickel corner and returned three interceptions for touchdowns last year.

There were rumblings all along that he would make a better safety than corner, and last off-season Rolle volunteered to make the move.

"Each week, he's getting better," Austin said. "I figured it would come; I wasn't sure how fast it would come. Boy, I couldn't be happier for him and the way he's played."

(azcentral.com)

The Arizona Republic reports the Cardinals used CB Antrel Rolle at receiver during yesterday's game against the Rams. He caught a quick outside screen and gained 9 yards to give the Cardinals a first down at the Rams' 12.



(ffmastermind.com)

Cardinals' free safety Antrel Rolle was named the "NFC Defensive Player of the Week" Tuesday after his performance in Sunday's victory over St. Louis.

Rolle registered four tackles and also returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown against the Rams.

The "pick six" was the fourth of Rolle's career, and the touchdown got the Cards on the scoreboard in a game they went on to win 34-13.

This is the third time Rolle has received the award - after receiving it twice last season - and he is the third Cardinal to be selected as a Player of the Week this season (Kurt Warner, Sean Morey).

(ktar.com)

I'll admit that I mistakenly threw this guy's name into Pro Bowl consideration during the offseason. Maybe I expected too much out of the guy while he's learning a new position or maybe he just doesn't have what it takes to be a top-flight player in this league. Antrel Rolle has taken a lot of heat for the secondary's inability to stop the big play in the passing game and for taking bad angles at times. The Cardinals have been burned by big pass plays several times and on at least a couple of instances it looked like Rolle bit on a play-action pass. In this defense, Rolle is being asked to play centerfield while Adrian Wilson roams all over the field and if Rolle can't stay deep, this secondary is very flawed. It does seem that he's got the physicality to play the position and he just has to get his head wrapped around a new role on the defense. Rolle was put in a tough situation because he was injured for half of the preseason, which slowed his progression, but he's got to get up to speed in a hurry. Hopefully Rolle continues to learn the position because if he becomes even an average safety and keeps plays in front of him, this defense has the talent and play making ability to terrorize opposing offenses.

(revengeofthebirds.com)

FS Antrel Rolle didn't play one of his better games last week. He missed tackles and he's yet to make the sort of game-changing plays the Cardinals had hoped he would provide when he moved from cornerback.




(michigan.scout.com)

Safety Antrel Rolle, who is just getting back to action after missing two weeks with a sore ankle, probably will play more than most starters Friday against Denver, Whisenhunt indicated.

Rolle is making the transition from cornerback.

From watching him in practice, “I think we’ve seen enough to believe he’s going to be a pretty good player at that position,” Whisenhunt said. But, “He needs to get a feel for the game and the speed of the game at that position.”

(eastvalleytribune.com)

Darren Urban, of AZCardinals.com, reports Arizona Cardinals FS Antrel Rolle (ankle) participated in practice Thursday, Aug. 21, but will not play in the team's preseason game Saturday, Aug. 23.



(kffl.com)

Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle will likely miss the team's preseason game against Chiefs as he is still recovering from a sore foot, according to the East Valley Tribune.




(nooffseason.com)

Free safety Antrel Rolle received a chance to return a punt last week and suffered a sprained left ankle in the process.

He suffered the injury as he was tackled for a 3-yard loss. Rolle missed practice Sunday and was replaced by Francisco.

But Rolle expects to return to practice in the next day or two. Coaches also plan to give him another shot at returning punts in preseason games.

(azcentral.com)

The Arizona Republic reports Cardinals HC Ken Whisenhunt was asked Tuesday if FS Antrel Rolle would return some punts in the preseason. He noted that Rolle returned four interceptions for touchdowns last year, although one was nullified by penalty. "The answer to that would be yes," Whisenhunt. "I would like to look at him in that role and see what he can do."

(ffmastermind.com)

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Antrel Rolle finally seems to have found his home in the NFL.

The Arizona Cardinals shifted him from cornerback to free safety this season, and it's a job that he's taken to naturally.

"It's coming pretty easy to me right now," he said.

Rolle was supposed to be the Cardinals' cover cornerback when Arizona drafted him out of Miami in 2005 as the No. 8 pick overall. But he struggled at the position. Lacking speed to keep up with receivers who went deep, he would play far off the line of scrimmage, leaving wide-open opponents in front of him.

Last year, under new coach Ken Whisenhunt, Rolle lost his starting cornerback spot. But he became the inside or "slot" player when Arizona went to a five defensive-back "nickel" defense.

And there he thrived. He became one of only 22 NFL players to return three interceptions for touchdowns in a season. He took two back for scores against Cincinnati, becoming one of 24 to do that in league history. He returned a third for a score in that game but it was called back because of a penalty.

Rolle's duties in the slot were similar to those of a free safety, and Arizona's coaches began thinking about moving Rolle.

"The light bulb kind of went on and we said 'Hey, this guy might be pretty good at that,'" Whisenhunt said.

The talkative Rolle said there's "three times" more information to learn about playing free safety than cornerback. That's meant a lot of studying before and after practice in training camp.

"I might have to be in there all day every day," he said. "I'm going to do whatever it takes for me to not miss a beat. I want to go in there and play confident and play comfortable and just not think so much."

With Pro Bowler Adrian Wilson at strong safety, Arizona should have a tough final line of defense. But Whisenhunt cautioned that learning the free safety position takes time.

"You have to be comfortable because there are so many situations that unfold," he said, "so many changes or adjustments that you have to make to formations, to offenses and their sets."

Rolle will get his first test Thursday when the Cardinals open preseason play at home against the New Orleans Saints.

"It's going to be invaluable for him to get some experience in games so he can see some of that live action and we'll see how he adapts to that," Whisenhunt said.

Rolle can't wait.

"I'm ready, man," he said. "I mean, the game can't come fast enough. I'm definitely going to be tested and I hope I get tested. I hope I'm not out there just covering air."

Whisenhunt said he's already noticed that Rolle has slipped nicely into his new position.

"I will say this about him: He does have a good feel," Whisenhunt said. "That was evident by the way he played last year in that slot position and how he was able to see the offenses and anticipate things."

Rolle would like to get a chance to return punts, but that job belongs to Steve Breaston, who excelled as a rookie last year.

"Right now Breaston's the man back there and he's doing a great job," Rolle said, "but if he needs a breather or two, I'll take the opportunity."

For now, Rolle will have to pick off passes to show what he can do with the ball.

During Saturday's practice, he intercepted Matt Leinart's pass and headed through would-be tacklers.

"Take it to the house if that was a real game!" someone shouted from the crowd.

"Every last one of them," the new safety replied.

(kvoa.com)

Former first-round draft choice Antrel Rolle is making the switch from cornerback to free safety, and if he can play as well as he did last year in the slot and as a part-time starter, the Cardinals could have one of the league's top safety tandems in Rolle and Wilson. Rolle picked off a career-high five passes last year, returning three for touchdowns, including two in one game. At safety he will be asked to do some of the same things he did as a slot defender last year.

He says the big adjustment for him is recognizing formations and seeing the whole field instead of focusing on one player or one part of the field. "Any move that's made by the offense can affect your alignment, your depth and your position. There's also a lot more [adjustment calls]. At corner you really don't have too many checks."

(cnnsi.com)

FLAGSTAFF - There's one thing you don't expect after you enjoy one of the greatest games ever for a defensive back:

A position switch.

That's not only what has happened to the Cardinals' Antrel Rolle. It's actually what he asked to do.

Rolle returned three interceptions for touchdowns - two that actually counted - Nov. 18 at Cincinnati playing as a third cornerback against the pass-happy Bengals. He ended up leading the NFL with three such returns in 2007.

Now, he's making the switch to free safety.

The reason: Rolle had enough of a roller coaster ride at corner since being picked in the first round in 2005 (No. 6 overall) that he was losing playing time.

He lost his starting job last year in training camp when free agent Rod Hood and holdover Eric Green outplayed him.

That made everyone question why he was drafted so high. But his huge game vs. the Bengals showed he should be on the field somewhere.

So Rolle figured he needed to make the switch.

"Last year was the first time I'd ever not been a starter in my life. I took that hard. I took that personal. I told myself no matter what happens from this point on, I'm never going to be on the sideline again.

"Toward the end of last season, I just gave it a lot of thought. I felt that position would best suit me. I was able to see the whole field, see the formations, see everything and make a good break on the ball."

Rolle joins Adrian Wilson at safety with Green and Hood remaining at corner, backed up by rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

"Antrel moving to safety really helps us a lot," Green said. "Being a corner, he knows what it's like to be out there on the island. With his ball skills, his ability to run and cover a lot of ground, will help us out a lot."

The Cardinals are hoping he's an upgrade over the departed Terrence Holt, who struggled, especially after Wilson went down with a season-ending heel injury.

As a safety, "You have to have cover skills," Rolle said. "You have to be able to hit. You have to be able to read the defense."

That means much learning in training camp and in exhibition games.

"As of right now, where I am I feel very good about it," Rolle said.

Rolle's roll will be particularly important considering the Cardinals like to use Wilson up near the line of scrimmage, where he can rattle opposing quarterbacks.

"As a free safety, you're the deepest guy on the field," Rolle said. "You can't let anything get past you."

Rolle still figures to play a corner's role when the Cardinals put an extra defensive back on the field.

That's what happened Nov. 18, when he enjoyed the kind of game even Hall of Famers only dream about.

"We used three corners pretty much the entire game," Rolle recalled.

Rolle said he studied Carson Palmer and the Bengals extensively. The result: interceptions that resulted in scoring returns of 55 and 54 yards.

"A game like that is surprising. At the same time, I knew I could do it because I prepared well."

In addition, in the game's waning moments, Rolle made another interception near midfield to preserve a big Cards' win.

What's more, he again danced down the field and into the end zone for what should have been a third score, a would-be first for an NFL defensive player.

But teammate Antonio Smith was called for a penalty for blocking Palmer; players are not supposed to hit a quarterback unless he's in a defensive position.

That's what the Cardinals believe was the case; the Cardinals interpreted the fact that the NFL declined to fine Smith as an admission that the penalty was a bad call.

Rolle can't help but be disappointed.

"You can't win 'em all. But I wish I'd won that one.

"It's still going in my record books. It might not be in the NFL record books, but it's still going in my record books."

(eastvalleytribune.com)

Antrel Rolle has drawn 22 flags in the past two seasons, including special teams penalties, third in the NFL behind Robert Gallery and Alex Barron.




(profootballprospectus)

Antrel Rolle never became the cornerback Arizona envisioned when the franchise made him the eighth player chosen in the 2005 draft. That doesn't necessarily mean Rolle is a bust.

Rolle flashed his talent last season when he picked off three passes in a game against Cincinnati. Coaches are optimistic Rolle can make a successful transition to free safety.

If that happens, the Cardinals could field a highly talented secondary featuring Rolle, Pro Bowl strong safety Adrian Wilson and rookie cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, the 16th player chosen in 2008.

(espn.com)

In football, spring accomplishments and evaluations come with an asterisk and a warning.

*These statements and observation might not hold true this fall, when regular-season games begin.

The Cardinals know that in May every team is undefeated and no player has failed. With that caveat out of the way, everyone seems confident that switching Antrel Rolle from cornerback to safety could be one of the key moves of the off-season.

"As far as purely playing the safety position, he's looked very comfortable and very confident," coach Ken Whisenhunt said.

It's a move many expected the Cardinals to eventually make when they took Rolle with the eighth overall pick in 2005. Some scouts back then thought Rolle would make a better safety than corner, and Rolle struggled at times during his three years at cornerback.

But Rolle appears to have all the tools to succeed at free safety: He's a good tackler, has good instincts, runs well and has the ability to intercept passes and run with them afterward.

As the team's third corner last year, he returned three interceptions for touchdowns, including two in one game.

Now, it appears Rolle will have the best of both worlds. He'll play free safety in the base defense and move to cornerback in some nickel situations.

"I think it was a good move," Rolle said. "I wanted to move back there. I felt like I could help the team more back there, roam around, pretty much freelance and be a deep safety."

Some cornerbacks resist such a move, and in his first three years, Rolle always maintained he would prefer to play corner. After last year, however, it didn't make much sense to keep him there.

Rolle had lost a starting spot to Eric Green and Rod Hood, and the club had cut last year's starting safety, Terrence Holt.

So the Cardinals moved Rolle and drafted cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the first round.

"I think the biggest thing for Antrel is he wants to be a starter, he wants to be a great player in this league," secondary coach Teryl Austin said. "I think he'll do whatever it takes to be that kind of player."

There is much to learn, however. Cornerbacks have to know just one side of the field, while safeties must take in the whole field and the entire offensive formation.

There are signals to be called, information to be passed on to linebackers and corners. The pursuit angles are different, as is the time he has to react to plays.

"The main thing I have to work on is reading the quarterback from that depth," Rolle said, "just slowing down a little bit. I'm used to being at corner, so my instincts are a whole lot faster. You have more time, and you can't get too antsy."

With the plan to keep him responsible for the slot receiver in nickel situations, Rolle will keep one foot in his old world.

"That's one of the things I mentioned that no matter what happened, I never wanted to move from the slot," he said. "That's a natural fit, being that I played there in college and I fit in pretty good there last year. It's a great position for me."

But it's only May and Rolle hasn't won the free safety job yet.

He's running with the first team, but he'll be pushed in training camp by Aaron Francisco and possibly Matt Ware.

"He looks like a natural for the position," Whisenhunt said. "I'm excited to see what he does in the preseason games and when we get the pads on."

(azcentral.com)

Nobody gets Antrel Rolle’s name right.

Everyone pronounces it “Ann-trel” – including teammates – and amazingly enough, that’s the pronunciation Rolle himself tells anyone who asks.

“Everyone says ‘Ann-trel, Ann-trel’ and you can’t go around correcting everybody so I just tell people ‘Ann-trel,’ ” Rolle said. “But it’s really ‘Ahn-trel.’ ”

Rolle hopefully has more trouble with the name switch than his current task of switching positions in the Cardinals’ defensive backfield. Drafted as a cornerback with the eighth overall pick in the 2005 draft, there were many at the time who thought Rolle would eventually become a safety.

After a few years struggling at cornerback – and then proving in 2007 with his five interceptions that he was very effective in inside coverage – Rolle became the candidate to replace the released Terrence Holt as starting free safety.

“He’ll have to look at things inside-out instead of outside-in, and that’s always a challenge for guys,” defensive backs coach Teryl Austin said. “There are some things he might struggle with early but I am sure by the end of the day he will be pretty good at it.”

Rolle called himself “a natural” for the free safety spot. The mental work is more intense, but he after playing all over the field growing up, finding a new spot isn’t a big deal.

Austin sees the same thing, saying Rolle “just likes to play.”

“If we told him you are going to be our starting Will linebacker or our starting guard, he’d be ‘OK, wherever you want me to play,’ ” Austin said.

It isn’t the prep work that concerns Rolle as much as the absent one-on-one battle he craved while playing cornerback.

“I love that one-on-one battle,” Rolle said.  “So I miss that. But now I’m the last line of defense out there, and I am up to the challenge.”

As for his name, Rolle is less concerned.

“I didn’t even know (how it was pronounced) until I was 7,” he admitted.

(azcardinals.com)

Antrel Rolle is being moved to safety and that could propel the Cardinals' defense to new heights. Rolle, the eighth pick in the 2005 draft, was drafted to be a "shut down" corner on the edge, but several coaches and scouts felt that his best position would be at safety. "After watching him play at Miami, I thought that he would be an average corner as a pro, but a Pro Bowl-caliber safety," said a former secondary coach of an AFC team. "His versatility stood out on tape ... as a multi-faceted guy with a high football IQ, he could cover in slot, blitz off the edges and be a factor against the run... all of his strengths as a player will stand out at safety."

The move to safety will require some work, but Rolle's experience last season should ease the transition. As the Cardinals' nickel corner, he had the chance to play as a deep middle player in some of their exotic sub-packages and the results were impressive. Rolle finished the season with five interceptions, including four made while playing as the nickel or safety in the sub-defense.

"He showed us last season that he could be a playmaker in the middle of the field, so we think moving him to safety full-time will greatly improve our secondary." said Cardinals' secondary coach Teryll Austin. "He teams with Adrian Wilson to give two athletic guys at the position, and that should allow us to be more creative with Adrian near the line of scrimmage."

The Cardinals used Wilson extensively as a box defender two seasons ago, and the eight-year vet registered eight sacks and four interceptions. But Wilson rarely spent time near the line of scrimmage last season, as the coaches lacked confidence in free safety Terrence Holt to use a lot of single-high safety coverage. That will change with Rolle at free safety. His athleticism, range and ballhawking skills are ideal for playing in the deep middle, and the Cardinals will surely tap into the versatility of both players to wreak havoc. "They have two Pro Bowl-caliber players at the safeties with multiple skills," said a former secondary coach of an AFC team. "That allows them to become more aggressive with their pressure packages because either guy is capable of manning the middle or getting to the quarterback ... that's a coordinator's dream."

(cnnsi.com)

As position battles go, you could certainly make a case for the No. 3 WR job generating the biggest buzz in the desert these days, now that free agent Bryant Johnson has signed with the division-rival Niners. “It couldn’t be more wide-open at the moment,” one team source said. But our vote goes to the battle at free safety that is expected to take place between converted CB Antrel Rolle, the team’s 2005 first-round pick, and hard-hitting fellow fourth-year pro Aaron Francisco. At this year’s Scouting Combine, Cardinals GM Rod Graves confirmed the team’s optimism about Rolle’s ability to effectively switch positions and upgrade a 2007 problem area. “The one thing we learned with Antrel was that there was a real confidence level when he was operating in the middle of the field,” Graves told PFW. “He is a great open-field tackler, and the tackling at the safety position (particularly by the recently released Terrence Holt) was a big problem. Antrel has been very receptive to the move.” But team insiders don’t expect Francisco — a smart, physical player when healthy — to go down without a fight in the battle for the FS job. In any event, Rolle is expected to continue operating as the nickel corner on occasion, which he did so well in 2007. As a result, he will likely be on the field at the same time as Francisco quite often.

(profootballweekly.com)

First, Arizona is planning to move former first-round pick Antrell Rolle inside to safety, where he'd be paired with Adrian Wilson, and the Cardinals have been quiet on free-agent corners despite a looming need.

(cowboysblog.com)

FLAGSTAFF – Antrel Rolle has heard the talk. It’s almost impossible not to hear it.

He – like his fellow returning cornerback, Eric Green – understands the pressure staring at them heading into this season.

“We definitely have to show what we have,” Rolle said. “(The naysayers) are looking for the same things we are looking for ourselves. I am my worst critic. We have to go out and make the big plays. That’s what we need.”

The Cardinals, who also added free-agent Rod Hood in the offseason to buoy the position, hope the cornerbacks can deliver just that. It is a major key to whether the Cardinals’ defense – which fell from eighth-ranked in the NFL in 2005 to 29th last year – can succeed.

Growing up in Florida, Antrel Rolle excelled as a high school football player and landed a football scholarship to the University of Miami. In four seasons at Miami, Rolle was credited with 183 tackles, five interceptions and also doubled as a return man, returning 13 punts in 2003 for 202 yards and one touchdown.

In the 2005 Draft Rolle was selected by the Cardinals with the eighth overall pick and became the first cornerback taken by the Cards in the first round since Tom Knight in 1997.

Rolle was impressive in the first three games of his rookie season before suffering a knee injury, which required surgery and kept him on the sidelines for nine games. Despite battling back from injury, Rolle recorded 28 tackles in his rookie campaign.

After a trying rookie year in which Antrel Rolle battled a knee injury, the former first-round pick returned for his second season with the Cardinals determined to prove his worth as the eighth player selected in the 2005 NFL Draft. Despite being matched up against the opponent’s top receiver, Rolle responded with a solid season, and as a 16-game starter he collected 87 tackles, one pass interception, 10 pass deflections and two forced fumbles.

In the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, Rolle led the team with eight tackles and two pass defenses in the Cardinals’ 34-27 victory.

In Week 5 Rolle had a stellar performance with a season-best eight solo tackles and one pass defense against Kansas City.

The following week against Chicago on Monday Night Football, the former Miami Hurricane logged two pass defenses and three tackles.

As the season wore on, Rolle continued to work hard and improve his overall game. In Week 12 at Minnesota, Rolle tied for second on the team with nine tackles and also added one pass defense.

The following week at St. Louis, Rolle posted three solo tackles and recorded his first forced fumble of his career in the Cardinals' 27-21 victory over the Rams.

In the home finale vs. Denver, Rolle recorded a new career high with 11 tackles and added a pass deflection against the Broncos.

Arguably the best performance of 2006 for Rolle was the final divisional game against the 49ers in Week 16 as he recorded two tackles, one pass defense, one forced fumble and snagged a key a fourth-quarter interception as the Cards defeated San Francisco 26-20.

With a full 16-game season now on his resume, Rolle will return for his third season in 2007 and has the tools and proven track record to be a solid contributor in the Cards secondary.

(azcardinals.com)

We are going to change some things defensively this year a little bit that will help him.  The biggest thing for Antrel is technique. From looking at him on tape, there are a little bit of inconsistency with his alignment and how he played things. Hopefully we will get those things cleaned up. My impression is he is a young player who wants to be good and that is a good sign.

(scout.az.com)

It’s clear now that Antrel Rolle, the Cardinals’ first-round pick in 2005, is better suited to play safety than cornerback. He has more knee surgeries (two) than career interceptions (one), and he can’t seem to cover a wide receiver without putting his hands on him.

(eastvalleytribune.com)

Arizona Cardinals cornerback Antrel Rolle was among UM alums who called Donna Shalala's office to endorse Randy Shannon for the head-coaching job. . . . We hear other schools have been pursuing Miami assistants Shannon (if he doesn't get Coker's job), Mario Cristobal and Tim Walton.
(herald.com)

When they were selected together on the first day of the 2005 draft, Antrel Rolle and Eric Green shared a goal of lining up across from one another in the Arizona Cardinals secondary.

They are not only manning the team’s cornerback positions but they are coming off their best game as a professional tandem. The duo combined for six tackles and four passes defensed as the Cardinals held the Bears to 148 passing yards.

Rolle, a first-round pick out of Miami, and Green, a third-rounder from Virginia Tech, played against one another in college, so they were familiar with one another’s style before landing on the same roster

FOXSports.com's Jay Glazer reported on this week's FSN's Pro Football Preview that Arizona Cardinals cornerback Antrel Rolle has been fined a whopping $12,500 by the NFL for his facemask of the Chiefs' Larry Johnson in Sunday's game.

Johnson injured his neck on the play and didn't practice until Thursday for Kansas City due to the injury; but he is expected to play against Pittsburgh this weekend.

On the play, Johnson was running free down the sideline when Rolle caught him, grabbed a hold of his facemask and dragged him down and out of bounds without letting go of the mask.

(foxsports.com)

Don't expect any more derogatory comments from Cardinals second-year CB Antrel Rolle, who suggested early last week that his team needed to consider making some personnel changes. We hear Rolle was read the riot act by the Arizona coaching staff and is a good bet to clam up in front of the local media for the foreseeable future.
(profootballweekly)

Arizona Cardinals cornerback Antrel Rolle was fined $5,000 for a horse collar tackle on Seattle Seahawks halfback Shaun Alexander. Alexander believes that is the injury that might have caused the fracture in his left foot.Information from ESPN.com's John Clayton and ESPN's Chris Mortensen was used in this report.
(abclocal.go.com)

All things considered, Antrel Rolle said he thought the Cardinals defense played well Sunday against the Rams. Well enough to win, anyway.

But the team's overall spirit irritated the Cardinals second-year cornerback, enough for him to say personnel changes should be considered.

"You got to have attitude, and we don't have it," Rolle vented after a 16-14 loss. "We don't have a swagger at all. How bad do you want it? I know I want it bad, but I can't speak for everybody else.

CB Antrel Rolle, the team's 2005 first-round pick who missed most of his rookie year to a knee injury, is coming back strong. He had an interception to set up a touchdown in a preseason game at Chicago. Rolle said later he thought the Bears were testing him.
(cardinalinsider.com)

Cornerback Antrel Rolle had most of his rookie season wiped out by a knee injury, but he has shown no signs of hesitancy during the Cardinals’ first three preseason games.

Rolle is coming off his best game of the preseason in the team’s win over the Bears. He recorded five solo tackles and made up for a questionable pass interference call with an interception of quarterback Rex Grossman.

“I knew I would be OK,” he said. “I tested my knee some before I was able to get back on the field. When I went back out there I was full go.”

It was Rolle’s physical nature that led the Cardinals to draft him with the eighth overall pick in the 2005 draft. His five tackles against the Bears and four solo stops a week earlier against the Patriots indicated he has lost none of his tenacity.