A LOOK AT TWO OF SUNDAY’S RAM, RAIDER OPPONENTS : MIAMI’S JAMES PRUITT : Despite Rookie Errors, He May Be Right Type

Like children in the pre-Dr. Spock days, players selected in the fourth round of the National Football League draft are expected to be seen and not heard.

They’re not supposed to make headlines, they’re supposed to make sandwich runs.

The fortunate few who end up on the final roster don’t usually get many chances to be seen after the exhibition season, except on special teams.

So James Pruitt, the Miami Dolphins’ rookie wide receiver, won’t be used as a case study in pro football etiquette.

First of all, Pruitt was heard long before he was seen. And he came off sounding more like a Heisman Trophy winner than a fourth-round pick.

Most Dolphin fans had never heard of Pruitt when Miami made him the 107th player selected in the 1986 draft.

Most, in fact, had never even heard of his college. After learning that he had played little more than half the time at Cal State Fullerton and had caught just 74 passes in four seasons, they probably figured they wouldn’t be hearing much more about him, either.

Ah, but Pruitt was just starting to make headlines.

The day he was drafted, he told Miami reporters that he was “the prototype wide receiver.”

Folks hereabouts were happy with their own models, though, and began to wonder how Pruitt would categorize the Dolphins’ three current and former All-Pros--Mark Clayton, Mark Duper and Nat Moore.

Clayton, Duper and Moore were wondering, too.

Clayton’s first words to Pruitt were, “You ain’t no prototype. If anyone’s a prototype, it’s me. You ain’t even caught a pass in this league, yet.”

So much for hitting it off with the veterans.

Headline: Rookie Pruitt Draws Fine After Wrong Turn.

On the eve of his pro debut, Pruitt proved he certainly wasn’t the prototype plane catcher. He took a wrong turn on the expressway and missed the team flight to San Diego.

He managed to get a later flight, but the Miami fans were soon wishing he would have stayed home. He dropped two passes in the first half, one a sure touchdown, as the Chargers clobbered the Dolphins, 50-28.

Headline: Pruitt Out of the Doghouse.

Just when the fans--not to forget the Dolphin coaching staff--were sure the only thing this kid could catch was a cold, he proved them wrong--sort of.

In Miami’s second game, he caught a punt--well, he did drop it for a minute, but he picked it right back up--and danced 71 yards through the Indianapolis Colts for a touchdown.

Flop or phenom? It’s hard to pin a label on this guy. He was exciting, anyway.

Headline: Pruitt Courting Disaster.

For a while, Pruitt was leading the league in punt returns, but on Oct. 19, in a game against the Raiders, he muffed a punt that led directly to a Raider touchdown. It also marked the end of his punt returning.

Pruitt is still on the team, though, and still plays, mostly in long-yardage situations. He still is showing both flashes of brilliance and splashes of brain fade.

He has caught 14 passes, one for a touchdown, and sports a nice 16.4-yard average. All but one of his catches have been good for first downs. Actually, the other one was, too--for a while, anyway--until Pruitt lost a couple of yards trying to break a tackle.

Aren’t rookies wonderful?

“He’s made some very bad judgments at what seemed to be the worst possible times,” assistant coach David Shula said, managing a smile. “It seems like everything that could go wrong for James pretty much has. When he’s not sure of something and has to make a choice, he usually chooses wrong.”

James Pruitt sat outside the Dolphin training facility, talking about how eager he is to play well in front of his family and friends Sunday against the Rams at Anaheim Stadium, and trying to maintain a little perspective.

“They had enough confidence in me to let me return punts and they still call my number on crucial third downs,” Pruitt said. “I got off to a lousy start but I’m still here.”

Pruitt said he was only trying to explain his physical assets, which include a lean, 6-foot 2-inch build and a 39-inch vertical jump, when he used the word prototype. That was, after all, how he had been described by the scouts.

“It was a stupid thing to say, I guess, but I didn’t mean I was going to be All-World or anything.”

Many have questioned Pruitt’s judgment, but none have doubted his physical prowess or his work ethic.

Headline: Dolphins’ Pruitt May Be All He Claims.

“He’s a gifted natural athlete,” Coach Don Shula said. “And no one works harder in practice. He’s always the last one off the field.”

David Shula, Don’s son, can attest to that. He’s the guy out there in the humidity, throwing passes to Pruitt.

“To James’ credit, he’s worked very, very hard,” David Shula said. “He’s never missed a practice due to injury. He’s never been late. He’s been very attentive. And he’ll go every play in practice if you ask him to.”

Clearly, the Dolphins like what they see in practice. But on Sunday. . . .

“What James hasn’t done is make the adjustments he’s had to make during games,” Don Shula said. “And he’s made some typical rookie mistakes.”

But aren’t rookies supposed to make those mistakes? Isn’t asking punt-return duties of 22-year-old who hasn’t returned punts since his days at L.A.’s Jefferson High School asking a bit much? And isn’t this one of the most sophisticated passing offenses around?

“It’s tough for anybody to come in and be asked to play in crucial situations when it’s your first year,” said quarterback Dan Marino, who might have had the best rookie season ever. “Actually, I think he’s been picking things up pretty well under the circumstances.

“James has a lot of ability, and once you get an understanding of what you have to do in every situation, your athletic ability takes over and you flow more. When you’re indecisive, things seem to get out of sync.”

Pruitt has had a lot to learn and not much time to learn it. He turned his ankle playing basketball and couldn’t participate in the Dolphin mini-camp. He then went to camp with the New Jersey Generals of the now-defunct United States Football League before agreeing to terms with Miami.

In the meantime, he missed about 30 practices and meetings, which, according to David Shula, is usually “fatal” for a rookie.

“The system’s pretty complicated,” Pruitt said. “At Fullerton, you ran a pattern, and no matter what happened, you ran the pattern. Here, you have to adjust to everything. There’s all kinds of blitz break-offs and stuff.”

His shaky start hasn’t shaken his confidence a bit, though. Already, he has been screamed at by Clayton, Marino and most of the coaching staff.

Pruitt just shrugs.

“They’re all right, but yelling in my face won’t take the play back,” Pruitt said. “It’s a waste of breath. Just give me another chance and hopefully I’ll make something good happen. That’s why I wish I was still returning punts. I was nervous and made some bad plays, but once I got the ball, I think I showed what I could do with it.”

Pruitt is thankful he’s on an NFL team, but that’s just not enough anymore.

“Sure, I thanked the Lord that I made the team, but I expected to contribute more,” he said. “I can’t be content with just doing the little things. I won’t be satisfied with that. I expect a lot out of myself.”

Don Shula is not disappointed, though. “He’s done a lot for a rookie receiver already,” the coach said, smiling. “His numbers already are better than Clayton’s or Duper’s were in their first year.”