‘The Next Howie Long’ : That’s What McGlockton Could Become, Says . . . Howie Long

Getting Raider defensive tackle Chester McGlockton to do an interview during the first two years of his NFL career was practically impossible.

Whenever a reporter approached, he found a way to avoid answering questions. But unlike some players, McGlockton always declined politely.

“I just didn’t have anything to talk about,” the 6-foot-4, 315-pound McGlockton said. “More or less, I didn’t talk because I hadn’t done anything and there’s nothing to really say when you’re not talking about football.”

Early in his career, McGlockton’s silence was of little consequence, because he spent more time in the trainer’s room dealing with injuries than on the field.

A foot injury on the first play of his first exhibition game forced McGlockton to miss much of his rookie season and a “turf toe” injury limited him to a slow start last season.

So, whenever McGlockton drew the media’s attention, it usually wasn’t in a positive manner.

“You get injured and people get down on you, like you’re not (any good),” he said. “The media really did that to me my first year and it wasn’t really fair because I wasn’t healthy.”

So why is McGlockton talking now?

“Because last year I had at least a decent season,” he said. “And I feel that I did help the team a little bit.”

What changed was that as McGlockton recovered, he emerged as a dominant defensive force. With seven sacks and 78 tackles, the former Clemson star began to show why the Raiders had made him their No. 1 draft choice in 1992.

Against Cincinnati, McGlockton had a season-high 13 tackles and two sacks. Against Cleveland, he showed his agility with a 13-yard interception return.

Soon it became clear the Raider defense was better with McGlockton on the field. He broke his right leg in the Raiders’ wild-card playoff victory over Denver and many said later that his absence was a major reason Buffalo defeated the Raiders the next week.

McGlockton’s two biggest supporters, Coach Art Shell and former All-Pro defensive lineman Howie Long, said that he was only approaching his potential. His critics remained unconvinced.

“What they were really saying was, ‘You’re not (anything) now, but you could be good,’ ” McGlockton said. “I’ve been hearing that my whole life, so it’s nothing new. It just would be nice to see how I was with one healthy season before writing things like that.”

When he made himself eligible for the NFL as a redshirt junior, one draft publication had this to say about McGlockton:

“Positives: Huge and massive with tremendous weight and bulk. Super athlete for his size. Very strong and explosive. Great balance. Light on feet. Great speed for his size. Dominates in spurts. Unlimited potential.

“Negatives: Overweight underachiever. Lacks stamina and endurance. Only hustles and chases when he wants. Not a team player. . . . Shaky character. Has a variety of injury problems.

“Summary: Is one of the biggest, strongest, most gifted human beings you will ever see . . . but unless he improves his work ethic, he could be a coach killer.”

So far in the NFL, McGlockton has more than lived up to the positives. In the 27 games he has played, the Raiders are 17-10. Without him, they were 1-7.

The obvious problem for McGlockton has been avoiding injuries, which he blames on chop blocks by Green Bay’s Guy McIntire, when he was playing with San Francisco, and Denver’s Brian Habib.

“Two cheap shots put me out, two illegal cut blocks,” said McGlockton, who re-injured his broken leg in an exhibition game this year. “The league allows offensive linemen to get away with stuff like that, and I don’t think that’s right.

“I had never noticed until it started happening to me. I mean if you break my leg, you are messing with my livelihood. Football’s my life right now. It’s how I pay my bills.”

Long, who retired at the end of last season, helped McGlockton deal with his injuries.

“He really supported me and helped me when I was down,” McGlockton said. “A lot of people didn’t understand it and a lot of guys on the team didn’t understand our relationship, but he was really helpful to me when I first got here, on and off the field.”

The friendship between McGlockton and Long may seem odd, considering their backgrounds.

Long, 34, a white eight-time Pro Bowl player, was born and raised in Massachusetts. McGlockton, 25, is a black third-year pro from North Carolina.

Long played at Villanova, a school not known for its football program. McGlockton played at Clemson, where football is big-time.

Long, who was a media favorite, now works as a television commentator for Fox. McGlockton couldn’t care less about exposure.

“It’s like we’ve known each other our whole lives,” said Long, who moved McGlockton into his home for two months in 1992. “We socially just grew closer together off the field. He doesn’t see color, I don’t see color. I don’t see geography, he doesn’t see geography. We just call it the way it is.”

And although Long is no longer a Raider, the friendship thrives.

“We talk a couple times a week,” McGlockton said. “He even called me when I got hurt this year and said, ‘What the . . . ? I leave you alone and you get hurt.’ ”

Long says McGlockton could be a perennial Pro Bowl performer.

“I’m excited about the guy,” he said. “He has a lot going for him and I would like to see him become a great, great player. I would like to see him become the next Howie Long here. He can take that and take it even further. He has that kind of ability.”