Former Abilene Christian receiver Johnny Knox proving quite a catch for the Chicago Bears

By CHAREAN WILLIAMS

Johnny Knox didn’t know the Chicago Bears’ history at receiver until long after they had drafted him in the fifth round. Coming from Abilene Christian, a Division II school, Knox was just happy to be getting a chance anywhere.

"They told me there weren’t that many [good] receivers to come through here," Knox said in a telephone interview.

The Bears have not had an All-Pro receiver since Dick Gordon in 1970. Chicago has had only one Pro Bowler since Gordon left after the ’71 season. That was Marty Booker in 2002. The Bears have drafted 14 receivers since 2000, including six in the first three rounds.

In his first three games, Knox has shown as much potential as any of them. He has nine catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns, including six receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown against the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers.

"I always felt I could be good enough to play at this level," Knox said. "It was just getting my shot to show everybody that I could make that transition from a small school to this level."

Knox is second in receiving yards among rookies behind only Tennessee’s Kenny Britt, a first-round draft choice who has 10 receptions for 166 yards and no touchdowns. He has replaced former ACU teammate Danieal Manning, who had replaced Devin Hester, as the team’s kick returner. Knox is fifth in the NFL, averaging 29.2 yards on his six returns with a long of 53 yards.

Knox, who ran the third-fastest 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine with a 4.34, still is a rookie. In the season opener against the Packers, Knox drew criticism for not fighting hard enough with cornerback Al Harris on a slant that turned into the game-clinching interception.

He said the veterans still occasionally remind him he’s a rookie, too.

But Jay Cutler has a history with unsung rookies. He turned Eddie Royal into a star last year. He’s turning Knox into one this year.

Kolb makes history

No one had ever done what Kevin Kolb just did. Not Donovan McNabb. Not Dan Marino. Not Brett Favre. Not Peyton Manning.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ backup started the past two games in place of the injured McNabb and became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300 yards in his first two career starts. Kolb, a former Stephenville star, had 327 yards in a victory over the Chiefs a week after throwing for 391 in a loss to the Saints.

"It hasn’t really sunk in yet," Kolb said Saturday in a telephone interview from his off-season home in Granbury. "You’re just kind of wrapped up in the moment. The biggest thing is just getting the monkey off my back, knowing I can play at this level. I proved to my teammates I can do it in a regular-season game. You want your teammates to know you’re reliable, that they can have confidence in you."

McNabb is expected to return next week, after the Eagles’ bye, and Kolb could end up as the No. 3 quarterback for the game against the Bucs because Philadelphia plans to continue to use Michael Vick in the wildcat. But the Eagles now have a good idea of what they have in Kolb: He is their future at quarterback, just as they thought when they drafted him out of Houston in the second round in 2007.

"It will be tough [to return to the bench], but I understand my role," said Kolb, who planned to attend the Baylor-Kent State game Saturday night. "I understand that it was my job to come in there for those games and lead the team and get some wins. I’m not going to cause a stir just because I’m going to go back and be the backup again."

White struggles

Roddy White missed nine days of training camp in a contract holdout before finally agreeing to a six-year, $49 million extension. His numbers on the field are down.

White has been targeted on 26 passes and has 15 catches for 119 yards, a 7.9 yards-per-catch average. He averaged 15.7 yards per catch last season and had a 15.4 career average on 230 receptions entering the season.

White’s longest catch this season is 17 yards. He had 16 receptions that went for 25 yards or more last season, and over his career, he’s had 36 explosive plays.

"It’s going to improve," White told reporters in Atlanta. "I just feel like I’m off to a slow start."

Charean Williams, 817-390-7760

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