Tongue to help fill void at defensive back
The Shadow
By PHIL BARBER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
ALAMEDA - Ah, life was easy for Reggie Tongue a week ago, when he was
hanging out with his wife and 4-year-old son, Makiya, in Seattle.
"We were hanging strong, real strong," Tongue, the newest Raider, said
Thursday. "It was hard for me to leave him. Hanging out with him and racing
little remote control cars, just kind of kicking back and enjoying."
Now Tongue is once again dressing for NFL battle. Raiders personnel chief
Michael Lombardi, desperate for help at defensive back after injuries to
Charles Woodson and Derrick Gibson, called him Oct. 25, and the veteran
safety flew to Oakland for a tryout the next day. The Raiders phoned Tongue
again Tuesday, and he signed a contract and practiced Wednesday.
Tongue played nine NFL seasons with Kansas City (1996-99), Seattle (2000-03)
and the Jets (2004) before New York cut him in June. That means he was a
division rival of the Raiders for his first six years, though he swears he
bore no animosity.
"I don't hate anybody I play unless they're kind of dirty," Tongue said.
"The Raiders definitely have a stigma in the AFC. ... We always had a
rivalry with them."
After 4½ months of unemployment, Tongue is busy trying to learn the
terminology of coordinator Rob Ryan's defense. But he says he's ready
physically, and hopes to play against his old team the Chiefs on Sunday,
even if it's just on special teams. In the meantime, he isn't awed by facing
the likes of Randy Moss and Jerry Porter in practice.
"In my opinion, there's guys like Randy and there's guys like Jerry all
across the league on different teams," he said.