Teerlinck toes line, defends reputation

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The majority of NFL assistant coaches are anonymous figures, blending into the sideline among a sea of players. But not this one.

It is not because Colts defensive line coach John Teerlinck tips the scales at 300-plus pounds that he stands out among the smaller, sleeker players he coaches. Instead, it has been the multiple times he's been caught in the crosshairs of NFL controversy.

In 1996, Teerlinck was summoned to then-NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue's office, with the league essentially issuing a warning regarding his coaching approach. Teerlinck, who was coaching the Detroit Lions' defensive line at the time, was not officially fined, but his reputation took a hit. He was fingered by some opponents as a coach who taught defensive linemen to go low on the quarterback.

Then came an incident in the 2005 season with Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich, who made obscene gestures in Teerlinck's direction that were caught on national television. Leftwich said he was provoked by Teerlinck, whom Leftwich claims made an offensive comment toward him during the game. Teerlinck was also alleged to have made a throat-slash gesture to the crowd in Indianapolis that day.

So who is John Teerlinck?

"He's a different guy," defensive lineman Dan Klecko said of his fiery 55-year-old coach.

"Old school," added rookie lineman Ryan LaCasse, who played at Stoughton (Mass.) High.

The days leading up to Super Bowl XLI have put Teerlinck back into the spotlight, marking the first time he's spoken to the press since 1996. Had Teerlinck kept his silence, he could have been fined by the NFL, which strongly encourages players and coaches to be available to the media during Super Bowl week, and has levied fines against those who have declined.

Teerlinck explained that he felt "hung" by the media after his 1996 visit with Tagliabue at the NFL offices, unfairly targeted when "five quarterbacks got hurt and they thought we were teaching dirty tactics."

At the time, Teerlinck vowed not to speak with the media again.

"I felt I was treated unfairly and shied away," he said. "Actions speak louder than words. Just watch the tape, watch us play, and go from there."

Watching the Colts' defensive line is unlike watching most NFL defensive fronts. If the Patriots are big, strong, and athletic with the trio of Ty Warren (300 pounds), Richard Seymour (310), and Vince Wilfork (325), the Colts are on the opposite end of the spectrum with undersized, speedy players such as Dwight Freeney (260), Robert Mathis (231), Raheem Brock (270), and Anthony McFarland (290).

Teerlinck, who is in his 18th NFL season, has always favored smaller, more athletic lines in a 4-3 defense. He learned the approach from working under Hall of Fame coach George Allen with the Chicago Blitz of the United States Football League in 1984.

"We have one way of doing it and it works. We're small, quick, and we have to play that type of game," he said. "We don't try to stand in there and go jaw to jaw because we're not built that way. We have to try to utilize our speed and quickness."

The key players are Freeney (5.5 sacks in the regular season) and Mathis (9.5), who create pressure on the edges and dictate how an offense sets its pass protection. The Patriots, for example, heavily directed their protections to negate Freeney and Mathis in both matchups this season.

"They did a real good job; they always do. They're always one of the more formidable blocking-scheme teams we play," Teerlinck said. "We always get something new from them, something different, so we're scrambling to counteract everything they do. They wham you. They run power. They run toss. They have the whole thing. At times they zone, at times they don't. They've got the whole bag of tricks."

As for Teerlinck, a Colts official joked that he carries a stick of dynamite, and warned an out-of-town reporter who was looking to speak with him in the days leading up to Super Bowl XLI. But there were no fireworks, just a raspy-voiced, passionate coach who won two Super Bowl rings in Denver (1997-98) and said he plans to work three more years before retiring.

Teerlinck had no desire to address the allegations of teaching dirty coaching techniques, but Klecko defended his record.

"John and my dad [former Jets defensive lineman Joe] knew each other from back in the '80s; they worked together in Cleveland," he said. "It's been a great experience playing for him. He's a players' coach, and as long as we work hard, there are rewards for us. He never says anything like that, about going to hurt the quarterback."