No Overrating Levens Now

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Herbert Dorsey Levens, a star born overnight in Lambeau Field in Sunday’s NFC championship game, was called the “most overrated player available,” by NFL draft expert Mel Kiper when picked in the fifth round from Georgia Tech by the Packers in 1994.

“I thought I was better than the fifth round,” said Levens, who led the Packers with an average of 66 rushing yards a game in their final four regular-season games. “Kiper dogged me, and there were bad things said, but fortunately the Packers gave me a shot.”

Levens ran for a personal NFL high 88 yards in 10 carries and had his first 100-yard receiving day with 117 yards on five catches. He scored the Packers’ first touchdown with an outstanding catch, and then set up their final touchdown with a 66-yard run off a screen pass.

“I never dreamed I would have a game like this,” Levens said. “I was wondering if I would even make the team three years ago; there are no guarantees, being drafted in the fifth round.

“But Coach Mike Holmgren has the ability to get different guys the ball, and it was my turn today. Two weeks from now someone else will have the big day.”

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Packer defensive Sean Jones, like many of his teammates, suggested that the world had given up on them after losses earlier this season to Kansas City and Dallas. No one seemed to recall hearing such criticism, but that didn’t keep Jones from crediting his teammates for overcoming all the so-called naysayers.

“Irrespective how everyone else perceives us, there will be some blockhead out there saying how we can’t win the Super Bowl now,” Jones said. “That’s fine because we’re not flashy, we don’t have national commercials, we don’t rape and pillage and you don’t see us on the front page of newspapers. We’re not sexy enough of a team for some people, and that’s OK.”

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Packer General Manager Ron Wolf, asked by a Milwaukee-area reporter to comment on the solid play of Green Bay’s offensive line, said, “They did an excellent job, and you guys maligned that group and you need to write a big apology. That should be the headline.”

Wolf also had an “I told you so” for his former employers in Tampa, who dismissed him. “A lot of people are complaining about being fired now after two years and relating it to the success of the two new free-agent teams,” Wolf said. “Well, I was the first two-year guy in Tampa.”

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Carolina quarterback Kerry Collins completed 19 of 37 passes for 215 yards, but two of his passes were intercepted in his second playoff game.

“The Packers played at a different level today,” Collins said. “The home-field advantage is huge, and it’s something we’re going to have to try to obtain next year. Brett Favre is as good a quarterback as there has been in a long time. I think he makes the difference in their team.”