Former Raiders coach Jon Gruden had a penchant for arriving at the team's year-round facility before sunrise. Often, then-quarterback Rich Gannon was already there preparing for that week's game.
Gannon's dedication cost him time away from his family and numerous off days. But his total immersion into his craft was cited as a primary reason for the Raiders' turnaround from an also-ran team into one of the NFL's elite in 2000-02.
It's going to take a similar approach by second-year quarterback JaMarcus Russell for the Raiders to break free from the tailspin that started on the heels of their January 2003 Super Bowl appearance, Gannon said.
"If your quarterback is not the hardest-working guy in the building, you have a problem,"
Gannon said in an interview on KNBR radio Thursday. "I don't know that he's quite there yet, and that's not a shot at him."
"You learn to do that. You learn to be that type of guy. If you're not the first one in and the last to leave, as an owner or as a head coach or as a play-caller, I'd be very concerned."
Gannon offered that assessment in response to Raiders Coach Tom Cable saying Dec. 2 that Russell needs to embrace his role as a team leader, forgo days off during the season and work even harder than he already has.
Cable said Russell has to be like another coach. That entails putting in more hours, more studying and taking on added responsibility.
"He has to continue to grow along those lines,"
Cable said. "Everyone else may get an off day on Tuesday, but he doesn't. He's got to find time to come in and work and study and get his hands on the early part of the plan as soon as possible and start to work."
Russell has made strides in that area, especially the past month, Cable said.
Gannon counters by saying these things should have been instilled in Russell during his rookie season.
"That's mind-boggling how, in this day and age, whether it be a coordinator or a head coach or a position coach, wouldn't demand that the guy come in on Tuesdays and do the work, or watch the film and make the preparation."
"And to make this comment a couple of weeks ago and say, 'Well, now we're going to make him learn how to be a pro.' Well, what were they doing the first year and a half that they had him?"
In Russell's defense, he missed training camp as a rookie and appeared in only four games. Things haven't worked out much better this season. Russell is working under his third play-caller and playing in an offense without a bona fide No. 1 receiver and behind some linemen who commit too many penalties and miss too many blocks.
Even so, there is a certain amount of pressure inherent in being a quarterback and a No. 1 draft pick.
"They always put (the criticism) on the quarterback and the head coach, no matter if it's good or bad,"
Russell said Thursday. "You have to be ready for that criticism, take it and let it roll off your back. That's just the name of the game. If you can't deal with that, then this is not the game for you."
Russell said he is prepared to do whatever it takes to succeed. At the same time, he acknowledges he has more "on his plate"
than he did in college.
Russell is confident things will improve. Just don't expect it to happen overnight.
"We're in one of those building stages of the process, and I'm happy to be a part of that because once things start getting going, then everybody wants to be praising (you), pat you on your back,"
he said. "But if you're not a real true fan, then I don't know what to tell you."
# Russell (ankle) and center Jake Grove (calf) were limited in practice but participated more than they did Wednesday, Cable said.
# Shane Lechler led AFC punters in fan votes for the Pro Bowl in February. Fan voting accounts for one-third of the total. Coaches and players also receive one-third of the vote. Results will be announced Tuesday.
# The Raiders-New England Patriots game Sunday sold out in advance of the league-mandated deadline. Therefore, it will be televised locally.
# Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel rejoined his teammates for practice Thursday, three days after his father's death. He is expected to play Sunday.
