Murray Gets His Point Across

Nine years, seven teams, 237 touchdowns. That’s how long it has been since Eddie Murray missed an extra point.

That’s an NFL record, which Murray set Sunday with three conversions, breaking Tommy Davis’ 32-year-old mark of 234 in a row.

Signed by the Minnesota Vikings three weeks ago after sitting out all of 1996, Murray broke Davis’ record after Cris Carter’s six-yard touchdown catch with 10:34 left in the second quarter as the Vikings took a 7-0 lead over the Carolina Panthers.

After his first conversion, Murray got a loud ovation from the fans, who surely appreciated his game-winning field goal at Arizona the previous week as much as his place in history.

“I was pretty emotional about it, and then the acknowledgment from the fans was extremely gracious of them,” Murray said. “I’ve only been here three weeks, and they seem to have put their arms around me like I’ve been here for 12 years.”

In his 17th season, Murray hasn’t missed an extra-point attempt since Dec. 11, 1988, when he played for the Detroit Lions. Murray spent 12 seasons with the Lions, and in the last six years has played for Kansas City, Tampa Bay, Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington and now the Vikings.

Murray’s record also gave Viking long snapper Mike Morris another place in NFL history. Morris snapped for each of Fuad Reveiz’s record 31 consecutive field goals in 1994-95.

“It’s fantastic,” Viking Coach Dennis Green said of Murray’s mark. “I can’t think of a better guy. I’m just happy we got him this year.”

TAMPA BAY’S NEW OWNER: BARRY SANDERS

Detroit running back Barry Sanders has four runs of 80 or more yards during his career, three of them against Tampa Bay. His 80-yard touchdown run in the first quarter against the Buccaneers stood as the longest scoring burst of his career until he went 82 yards for a score in the third quarter. He also had a career-best 85-yard run against Tampa Bay in 1994. His previous long scoring run was 75 yards against Cleveland in 1995.

WELCOME BACK, BUT TEAM IS STILL LOSING

How much did the Bears miss Curtis Conway? In his first game this season after sitting out six weeks because of a broken collarbone, Conway had the team’s longest reception--a 37-yarder. Chicago’s lone deep threat, he caught five passes for 77 yards.

THE BALL WAS SIGNED: ‘DON’T HURRY BACK’

James Stewart made the most of his opportunity.

After Natrone Means was sidelined by a sprained ankle on Jacksonville’s opening series Sunday, Stewart took over and rushed for five touchdowns to lead the Jaguars to a 38-21 victory over Philadelphia.

After scoring his fifth touchdown, Stewart gave the ball to Means, whose status for next week’s game at Dallas was unclear.

“You hate to see your partner go down,” Stewart said. “He’s been there for me, and I’ve been there for him.”

AND THEY DIDN’T GET HIM ANYTHING

When Bengal reserve quarterback Boomer Esiason entered the game with slightly more than five minutes left, he wasn’t planning anything fancy. “I basically told our offensive linemen ‘I’m not going to be back here running around. So if somebody doesn’t pick up who they’re supposed to be blocking, you’re going to get a ball in the back of the head on national television.’ ”

THIS OPENING DELAY SPONSORED BY LIPTON

The opening kickoff for Sunday’s Detroit-Tampa Bay game was delayed several minutes when the tee used by Buccaneer Michael Husted was declared illegal by referee Ron Blum. Husted’s tee did not exceed the league-mandated one-inch limit, but it was an adjustable tee that could have been raised above the limit. The Buccaneers fixed the problem by gluing it into the lower position.

HEY, FAVRE, GO WASH SEN. KENNEDY’S CAR

Ex-football star Steve Largent has a new project to tackle: helping NFL players land internships in Congress.

Largent, a Republican congressman from Oklahoma, pitched the idea in a recent letter to fellow lawmakers. He said players could work during the off-season in congressional offices in Washington or in a member’s district.

“NFL players have tremendous attributes that are not limited to the field,” Largent wrote.

An NFL program designed to help players prepare for a post-football career has placed more than 500 active players in internships over the past six years, Largent said.

Heidi Conlin, the NFL’s governmental affairs coordinator, insists the players want to be treated like other interns, whose duties include tasks such as running the copy or fax machine.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Big Rush to the End Zone

Most rushing touchdowns in one game:

ERNIE NEVERS6

* Team: Chicago Cardinals

* Date: Nov. 28, 1929

JIM BROWN5

* Team: Cleveland Browns

* Date: Nov. 1, 1959

COOKIE GILCHRIST5

* Team: Buffalo Bills

* Date: Dec. 8, 1963

JAMES STEWART5

* Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

* Date: Oct. 12, 1997

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

THE PLAYMAKERS

RUSHING

*--*

Player, Team No. Yds. TD BARRY SANDERS, Lions 27 215 2 JEROME BETTIS, Steelers 30 164 1 ROBERT SMITH, Vikings 23 120 1 EDDIE GEORGE, Oilers 30 106 0 TYRONE WHEATLEY, Giants 22 103 1 JAMES STEWART, Jaguars 15 102 5 RAYMONT HARRIS, Bears 27 101 1

*--*

PASSING

*--*

Player, Team Att. Comp. Yds. TD DAN MARINO, Dolphins 38 27 372 2 NEIL O’DONNELL, Jets 37 24 319 2 TRENT DILFER, Buccaneers 31 17 237 1 ERIK KRAMER, Bears 35 22 232 1 STEVE BEUERLEIN, Panthers 35 19 227 2 STEVE YOUNG, 49ers 30 19 223 3 SCOTT MITCHELL, Lions 20 16 222 1 STONEY CASE, Cardinals 33 18 222 0 JIM HARBAUGH, Colts 36 19 219 2 STEVE McNAIR, Oilers 30 16 199 3

*--*

RECEIVING

*--*

Player, Team No. Yds. TD IRVING FRYAR, Eagles 10 124 3 HERMAN MOORE, Lions 5 120 0 RAE CARRUTH, Panthers 6 107 1 HORACE COPELAND, Buccaneers 6 105 0 WAYNE CHREBET, Jets 5 104 1 ANDRE HASTINGS, Saints 4 96 1

*--*

*

--Compiled by Houston Mitchell