Campo Goes to Cleveland’s Defense

Dave Campo already knows what his first substitution will be as the Cleveland Browns’ new defensive coordinator.

At Friday’s news conference to announce his hiring, the former Dallas Cowboy coach flashed the diamond-studded Super Bowl ring he got as an assistant in 1994, when the Cowboys beat the Buffalo Bills.

“As soon as I come back here I’m going to have the ring on that defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Campo said with a smile.

Nice start.

But as any Brown fan can attest, it’s how you finish.

Campo, who was dismissed in Dallas on Dec. 30 after his third consecutive 5-11 season, has been reunited in Cleveland with Brown Coach Butch Davis.

Campo and Davis previously worked together as defensive assistants at the University of Miami and later under Jimmy Johnson in Dallas, where they helped the Cowboys win two NFL titles.

Campo won a third after Davis left, but the two have remained close friends. Together again, they’ll try to get the Browns to their first Super Bowl.

The 55-year-old Campo can’t wait to get started.

“There’s no question Butch has them going in the right direction,” Campo said of the Browns, who went 9-7 and made the playoffs in their second season under Davis. “I’m looking forward to getting back together with him and putting this thing together. There’s a lot of talent on this team.”

Campo got the chance to rejoin Davis after Foge Fazio retired on Tuesday, two days after Cleveland’s defense blew a 17-point lead in the second half and lost, 36-33, to Pittsburgh in the AFC playoffs.

The Browns also fired defensive line coach Ray Hamilton. Davis said he’ll interview candidates next week at the Senior Bowl.

Fazio’s sudden departure left the Browns seeking their fourth defensive coordinator in five years, and Davis knew exactly where to begin his search.

Davis spent six seasons (1989-94) with Campo in Dallas after working with him for two years on Johnson’s staff at Miami, where the Hurricanes won a national championship in 1987.

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Former Minnesota Viking coach Dennis Green won’t be coaching the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The team said Green withdrew from consideration. Jaguar spokesman Dan Edwards declined to say why Green dropped out, but it is believed he wants significant input on personnel issues.

Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops has declined a request to interview with the Jaguars. The team would not confirm any other coaching interviews.

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Chris Brown will skip his senior year at Colorado to make himself available for the NFL draft after a season in which he was the third-leading rusher in NCAA Division I-A.

Brown ran for 1,744 yards and 18 touchdowns despite sitting out two games because of a bruised sternum.

Oregon running back Onterrio Smith and teammate George Wrighster, a tight end, and Kansas State linebacker Terry Pierce also will make themselves available for the NFL draft.

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The NFL is considering fining New York Giant tight end Jeremy Shockey for throwing a cup of ice water that hit two children in the stands during the Giants’ playoff game against the 49ers.

The runner-up rookie of the year threw the cup over his shoulder in the first quarter after being heckled by fans when he complained about not getting a pass-interference call.

The NFL is reviewing the case, league spokesman Greg Aiello said Friday.

The Giants apologized and gave the boys a football. Later, they were invited to the Giants’ locker room, where Shockey signed the ball. The team mailed a second autographed ball to the brothers on Wednesday.

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Cincinnati Bengal defensive line coach Tim Krumrie is leaving to take the same job with the Buffalo Bills.... Offensive coordinator Sean Payton is leaving the New York Giants to join Coach Bill Parcells in Dallas. Payton will be an assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach for the Cowboys, who ranked 30th in offense last year.... Former Michigan State Coach Bobby Williams was hired as running backs coach of the Detroit Lions. He replaced Maurice Carthon, who was hired as Dallas’ offensive coordinator.