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**RoyWilliams** · 08-02-2007, 01:14 PM

The Cincinnati Post - Something to prove

Quote:

Ed Hartwell is back in the familiar position of having to prove himself on the football field again. The Bengals were more than willing to oblige Hartwell's needs for this season.

Hartwell came into the NFL as a fourth-round draft choice in 2001 and then made a name for himself filling in more than admirably for star linebacker Ray Lewis at Baltimore in 2002. All of that proving earned him a big free-agent contract with Atlanta. Two years and two injuries later, Hartwell is back on the proving grounds as a backup with the Bengals trying to show the rest of the league that he can still play.

"Things happen and unfortunately I've been hurt the last two years. We'll see what happens," Hartwell said. "I believe in the man upstairs, I believe in God, I'm healthy, my knees feel good -everything feels good. That's a blessing in of itself just to come out here and run around pain free."

The Bengals signed Hartwell to a one-year deal this offseason, a deal that could net the seven-year veteran $1.5 million - a modest amount of money in today's NFL. The Bengals have asked Hartwell to play on the outside of their 4-3 base defensive alignment, a departure from his days with the Ravens and Falcons when he played on the inside.

Instead of showing up to training camp at 250 pounds, as he has been accustomed to, Hartwell arrived at Georgetown College at 237½ pounds, one-half pound lighter than the team asked of him.

Part of the lighter version of Hartwell was so his body would be more reactive as an outside linebacker. Part of it the reason was because the Bengals believe the weight loss will give Hartwell a better opportunity to prolong his career, whether that happens in Cincinnati or elsewhere.

The fact that Hartwell lost the weight has given the Bengals positive feelings that their investment in him has been worthwhile.

"He hasn't balked at one thing we've asked him to do," said defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan. "He came to me before we broke this summer and asked me what he needed to do. We sat down for 35-40 minutes going through everything we wanted to get mapped out and he knows how to lay that plan. That's a veteran guy coming in knowing what comes more and more important each year in his career. That gets him off to the right start."

Hartwell is second on the depth chart behind Landon Johnson at weakside linebacker. He has played in 77 games during his first six seasons, but only 13 in the last two seasons while he was with Atlanta. Hartwell was credited with making at least 140 tackles in each of the three seasons at Baltimore before he signed with the Falcons.

"He's a guy that brings a wealth of experience and veteran leadership into the mix. That's what we need," Bresnahan said. "We feel like it's a risk worth taking. He's a thumper, he's a physical player and to see him in pads and do things in the box he's not going to disappoint you. We've got to see what he's going to do in space and what he can do when he gets in the open field and see if he can continue to help us in that manner. You talk about a true pro in the meeting room and helping these young guys, he is exactly what we asked for."

Just being a veteran doesn't automatically give a player the label of "leader." The younger players might look at him that way initially, but it quickly becomes apparent whether or not the veteran deserves that role. The Bengals have a young linebacking group as a whole. Johnson and Caleb Miller, both entering their fourth seasons with the Bengals, have been around the locker room the longest and have credibility built up from within the organization.

Hartwell isn't afraid to be a leader and be there for the younger players, but he's also aware that he has to earn that role.

"You've got to get to know the guys, go through the trials and tribulations with them, you've got to cry with them and smile with them but at the same time you've got to bust your butt out there," Hartwell said. "You can't take downs off, you can't take days off. If you're healthy then you've got to be out there playing with them. That's when they'll trust you.

"It takes time. It's not just some overnight thing."