Long starting to feel more comfortable

BY CARL KOTALA • FLORIDA TODAY • October 10, 2008 Jake Long has never lacked for confidence in his ability to play at the NFL level. But up until now, the Miami Dolphins rookie left tackle has left most of the leadership -- the vocal side of it, anyway -- up to the veterans. Well, that's starting to change. When the Dolphins got the ball on their own 15-yard line with 5:55 to play in last week's game against the San Diego Chargers, Long told his teammates in the huddle that the offense was going to finish the game on the field -- which it did. "I was pretty excited then," Long recalled this week. "I just wanted to make sure everybody was still jacked up." Long wouldn't have thought twice about speaking up during his days at the University of Michigan, when he was working his way toward becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the... [read full story]