Jack Del Rio almost didn't take the job he just took. (Getty Images)

Newly named Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio may have come across as "Mile High" during his introductory press conference on Monday afternoon, but if he had listened to his inner circle, he would have never taken the job.

As certain as Del Rio was in his statements about where he plans to take his new unit and even answering the absurdly gratuitous question about Tim Tebow, the Broncos' newest coach admitted that the opportunity in Denver was one he was advised to turn down. A number of people Del Rio spoke with before taking this position told him to sit out this year and wait for another head coaching opportunity.

"I thought a lot about it," Del Rio said. "I had a lot of advice from many of my friends that are professionals out there. I had pretty much unanimous support that they thought I should stay out, but I love to compete. I love being around football, so it's not about money. It's about an opportunity."

Del Rio spent the better part of the past nine seasons as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, leading them to a 68-71 record and two postseason appearances. But with the Jaguars mired in yet another rebuilding year, Del Rio was axed in November and now rejoins head coach John Fox in Denver. The two were together when Fox was head coach of the Carolina Panthers and Del Rio served as the Panthers defensive coordinator in 2002 before leaving for Jacksonville.

"I spent just the one year with him, but during that time, I learned a great deal being a part of his staff and the way he conducted his business, the way he motivated the team and rallied the team and led the staff, the way he interacts with the building," Del Rio said.
"Those are all things that I believe in, and I look forward to being a great support for him here and helping him win."

The Broncos defense was credited for carrying an offense that was unpredictable and sporadic at times last year, but looking at the unit's performance over 16 games, there is plenty for Del Rio to improve upon. Rated the No. 20 defense overall in the NFL, the Broncos gave up 24.4 points per game, ninth worst in the league. As the Broncos option offense continues to develop, the defense will continue to be called upon to carry the offense through more games this upcoming season.

The Giants have a higher authority ... and we're not talking about Tom Coughlin. (Getty Images)

It was the week before Christmas and all through the team, not a playoff hope was stirring, not a sane one at least.

The New York Giants were just a handful of days from the Week 16 game against the New York Jets, with the Giants stuck at 7-7 and their season fast slipping away. Losers of four of their previous five games, it seemed as if the Giants were destined to finish second or even third in the NFC East. But then Gian Paul Gonzalez took the stand at the team's weekly chapel service and, before roughly two dozen players and coaches, began to challenge the players on and off the field where their motivation laid.

Gonzalez, a teacher in Union City, N.J., has spoken to the team several other times, but on this occasion he challenged the players spiritually and hit them with their responsibilities as husbands and fathers. But what surprisingly stuck was his challenge to them not just off the field but on it as well. When Gonzalez asked those gathered if they were "all in," his two words resonated in a way he didn't see coming.

A spiritual challenge would ignite a Super Bowl run and make believers of this Giants team in the rest of the NFL.

"I really had no idea; I was just glad I could hopefully encourage them on that night in December. It's a testament to the Giants and how hard they have worked and their determination and drive," Gonzalez told Yahoo! Sports. "It really exemplifies that when individuals join together and totally commit themselves to a common goal amazing results are possible and people will take notice - which I think is exactly what they are doing against all the odds. They are looking 'All In.'"

Giants chaplain George McGovern said that chapel attendance usually hovers in the mid-20s and that there has been no rush of new converts to fill the pews since Gonzalez's service and the team's improbable playoff push. But the challenge from the proverbial pulpit clearly spurred something in the way the Giants played.

Before the Jets game in his pregame speech, Giants defensive end Justin Tuck co-signed what Gonzalez said to the team, using the "All In" phrase in his speech. The Giants beat the Jets on Christmas Eve and the "All In" tag was used publicly by Tuck in his postgame remarks. The next week, 80,000 white towels filled MetLife Stadium with Gonzalez's words emblazoned on each one. The Giants won again with the crowd waving the "All In" towels as the players left the field, having clinched the division.

Talk about divine intervention.

Greg Schiano (Jeff Zelevansky/Getty)

Greg Schiano's decision to bolt from Rutgers to Tampa Bay comes at quite possibly the worst time for Scarlet Knights with National Signing Day just six days away. Rutgers was poised just 24 hours ago to finish with their best recruiting class in their history. Rivals.com has the Scarlet Knights with 17 verbal commitments and the No. 32 class in the nation.

But already, there are signs of unrest in the Rutgers camp. One program source, which spoke to Yahoo! Sports on the condition of anonymity, said several recruits who were expected to sign their Letters of Intent next week are beginning to waiver.

"It's already beginning to happen," the source said.

Greatness is just a step away ... or not. (Kristian R. Dyer)

Up through the NFL draft, Shutdown Corner blogger Kristian Dyer will be training at TEST Sports Club in Martinsville, N.J., along with roughly 20 players. All of these athletes are prepping for the NFL scouting combine, different pro days and of course, the NFL draft in April. A former college soccer player, Kristian was a playground legend at quarterback back in middle school but never played a down of organized football. He will be blogging about the life of training for the NFL draft and a career in the league as he lives it firsthand.

Martinsville, N.J. — And so it begins.

I look to my left and there is a Ray Wegrzynek, a 6-1, 305-pound defensive lineman out of Kean University with his hands on his hips, slowly girating his legs. To my right is Sharrif Harris, a running back out of Southern Illinois University with dreads to his shoulders. In the blink of an eye, they're both racing away from me as I play catch-up. I manage to stay about two steps behind them as we sprint 40 yards.

"Not too bad," I think to myself; after all, these guys have legit ambitions of playing in the NFL someday and I'm a slightly out-of-shape journalist who is more likely to be sidelined by Carpal Tunnel Syndrome than a hamstring pull. I get blindsided by big stories, not by linebackers.

As I walk back to the starting line, kicking up rubber pellets inside the 50-yard field turf of the TEST facility, I feel pretty good about myself. That's when I feel Skip Fuller's arm around my neck.

"Your head was all over the place. Your arms were stiff. You were up way to straight and you weren't running well at all. You were plodding like," Fuller said, pounding down with his feet to demonstrate what looked like Fred Flinstone trying to kick start his Flinstonemobile in ancient Bedrock.

"But other than that, I was OK, right?" I ask.

"Let's work on that first, back to the line," Fuller said.

Slowly I jog back, that sinking feeling in my stomach that I usually associate with a girlfriend finally realizing how cheap I am and dumping me. Already, I sense my draft stock plummeting and I might have to go the undrafted free-agent route. Fuller knows his stuff, his big smile and gregarious laugh giving no hint of a player who starred at West Virginia and played with the Miami Dolphins.

But clearly, I'm not one of these guys.

Victor Cruz shakes it at Modell's in New York. (Craig Warga/New York Daily News)

It may be spicier than the "Super Bowl Shuffle," but for New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, he is hoping it too will end with a victory dance and a hoisting of the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

One-on-one Salsa lessons were included! (Craig Warga/New York Daily News)Cruz has made famous a celebratory salsa dance - a tribute to his Puerto Rican heritage with the steps taught to him by his grandmother when he was in middle school. In his second year in the league, Cruz capped off his nine regular-season touchdowns with the little salsa dance, and while he has yet to do a postseason shake — his last touchdown was in Week 17 -- he did get the chance to teach Giants fans how to do his touchdown dance.

At an event at the Modell's Sporting Goods store on Tuesday night at the New York City flagship store on 42nd Street , Cruz shook his groove thing for dozens of fans.

Cruz, who "never took salsa lessons or a class" taught a collection of Giants fans of all ages the same steps that his grandmother gave him — steps he never dared try on the field in high school or college.

"There was no celebratory dancing in high school," Cruz said. "But once you get to the NFL, when you're young watching, you just want to have your own trademark stuff, so I'm fortunate to have something the fans can cling to. It's fun to do."

it's NaVorro Bowman's time to shine. (Getty Images)

The foundation for San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman's success was laid in high school — not an uncommon story — but the man who influenced him is anyone but common. Bowman wasn't led through the ups and downs of high school football by an older brother who played the game or a coach who went above and beyond in mentoring him.

Instead, at 18 years old, Bowman was befriended by former NFL linebacker LaVar Arrington; a friendship that helped him on the field and one he carries with him off the field as well.

Bowman met Arrington on a recruiting trip to Penn State and a bond was made. A connection was near instant, contact information exchanged and the two continued to talk well after Bowman left Happy Valley from his college visit to head back to his Maryland home. Eventually, Bowman would commit to the Nittany Lions and Arrington "let me wear his number" — the coveted No. 11 that Arrington wore during his storied Penn State career. Arrington rode his performance in Happy Valley to winning the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation's top linebacker, becoming the No. 2 selection in the 2000 NFL Draft and going on to have a solid NFL career.

"It was cool just meeting him that way. I just wanted to gain his knowledge and learn from him, whatever I could," Bowman told Yahoo! Sports. "I knew about the game already, I just wanted to go deeper. I just wanted to be better and learn from him and he was only too willing to share with me what he learned. I had to listen given everything he's done in his career."

Once on campus, Arrington and Bowman continued to talk and formed a friendship that is still a part of both their lives today. It is more than just two former linebackers who went to the same school, achieved success and moved on to the NFL — the bond extends beyond the football field.

"We talk about normal friendship things — things that don't even involve football," Bowman said. "But he gave me a lot of advice when I was coming up. He told me to treat your career like it is your business. Take care of it, watch it the same way; maintain it, stay focused."
The level-headed, thoughtful Bowman is not a man of many words but he's making a statement this season.

Bowman (53) has been a key man in the middle all season. (Getty Images)

Great quarterbacks inspire confidence. (Getty Images)

NFL Hall of Famer and New York Jets legend Joe Namath is contributing to Yahoo! Sports and the Shutdown Corner Blog during the playoffs to break down the key games, players and moments each weekend. Make sure you like the Official Joe Namath page on Facebook and visit the Broadway Joe site for plenty of other insight and gear from Namath, including video commentary from the legend.

There has been some crazy weather this week that will affect Sunday's playoff games. San Francisco? Well, let's just say that city looks like the animals are lining up two by two, waiting to get on the ark. Noah himself might need to get the two teams to the stadium with all the rain they're having. I know the 49ers and New York Giants have been talking about it and are aware that this could be a Mud Bowl.

And Chad Ochocinco tweeted this morning that he had to shovel out his driveway, which means that the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens will have to cope with cold and possibly snow, always a threat in the Northeast.

[More playoffs coverage: NFC: Giants-49ers | AFC: Ravens-Pats]

We've heard how the offense may have an advantage over the defense because they know where they're going — where the play is designed to take them on the field. Take a receiver for instance: he knows where he's going to take a break and that can make a backpedaling defender uneasy and likely to slip if the conditions are poor.

From my experience, footing is easier for the offense. But how often have we seen a receiver trip and fall and a defensive back says "Thank you very much" and runs into the end zone for a pick-six? It happens all the time, and there is no worse feeling in the world for the quarterback and receiver than when that happens.

For both sides of the ball, when there is bad weather, it is about the footing. People spend too much time talking about how weather impacts passing and getting a good grip on the ball. If you can plant your foot, you at least have a shot at a good throw.

These quarterbacks that are playing this weekend are all big guys; they should be able to get a good grip on the ball. Slips happen but it shouldn't be a deciding factor. One time in a game, I literally cut thumb tacks down — filed them down - and had them taped to my fingers. I went out to warm up and I got a better grip on the ball but a lot of time the ball stuck to my hand. So that ended that idea.

[Related: Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker gets better with age ]

If it is real cold, like in New England, you have to wear a passing glove. The only way to throw well with those conditions is to pass and get ready to throw with the glove on in preparation leading up to the game. It is different and you have to get used to it.

But too much fuss is made about all this weather. You don't change your game plan, but you quickly learn what you can and can't do efficiently. The wind is the major factor, more than the cold and more than rain or snow.

It was always tough sledding when playing the Bills. (Getty Images)

We played a game in Buffalo -- Joe Ferguson was the quarterback for the Bills, and I was quarterback for the Jets. That game still makes me cold with the freezing rain and swirling 40 M.P.H. wind. Get this: no team completed a forward pass until the fourth quarter and we lost 9-6. It was all about the cross wind, as the wind was never at your back. It just kept sweeping across the field.

That hopefully won't be the case this weekend, and I think Joe Ferguson would agree with me on that one.

Jason Babin became one of the NFL's most prolific sack artists in 2011. (Getty Images)

This past NFL season was certainly memorable for Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Jason Babin, who finished third in the NFL in sacks and enjoyed a monstrous eighth season in the league. Building on the 12.5 quarterback takedowns he registered with the Tennessee Titans in 2010, his game improved for a career-high 18 sacks this past season. Babin got a grasp on five questions from Shutdown Corner.

Shutdown Corner: Talk about a successful season with the Eagles, including those 18 sacks. It certainly was a career year and a memorable ride.

Jason Babin: My success is the team's success. It's one of those things to a certain degree that it's effort and ability but also how I benefit from what my teammates do and then it is up to me to perform.

I know how I prepare, how I eat, how I live my life. I know we're going to have more than 46 sacks as a defense next year. We will all build on this year, collectively and individually, and improve. It is really tough for me to have an offseason and down-time. I'm eager to get back out there.

SC: There's no denying that the Eagles disappointed this year with an 8-8 record -- after all they were a popular pick to win the division and make the Super Bowl. The finish was strong, with four straight wins. Is there a sense this team turned the corner at the end of the season?

JB: I'll say this - there was a lot of new parts and a lot of things we had to figure out on the sly. No one wishes that the season had gone this way, we know that and we feel that way too. But over the last few weeks, we figured out how to go from OK to friggin good. I think we found answers on both sides of the ball, answers we can take to next year.

SC: But it was still a letdown and a frustrating one at that. Why?

JB: We had the ability, the talent, everything was there. You can't get mad at the coaches. We went out there and just didn't play that well. Could we have gotten it done? Absolutely. I feel we can do better as we get ready for this next season.

SC: A lot of fans were down on your defensive coordinator, Juan Castillo. He came from the offensive side of the ball as a line coach to now being defensive coordinator. There was plenty of talk at the beginning of the season that didn't want him or head coach Andy Reid back.

JB: Early on, Castillo was more or less a transition, when you go from offensive line coach to coordinator, you're doing more than just coaching; you're creating a style, a system. So that can take time. It took a little longer to work out than we would have liked and I'm sure he would have liked.

I think there was a lot of growing going on and that's what makes him good as a coach. He listened, we listened — we all learned. None of us saw it going any other way and we expected coach Reid back, that was the player perspective. We weren't on the roller coaster of the media, the fans.