There has always been more gruff than fluff with John Palermo, the former University of Wisconsin defensive line coach. Even today, during his on-going transition to the National Football League with the Washington Redskins, you can see the Lou Piniella (the fiery Chicago Cubs skipper) in Palermo, more so than the Lou Holtz (who nonetheless was a mentor to Palermo at Minnesota and Notre Dame).

Despite his exterior toughness, Palermo has always had a soft spot in his heart for his players, ranging from Tarek Saleh to Anttaj Hawthorne to Matt Shaughnessy. This particularly Badger trio has been singled out because of their roots: the state of Connecticut. Saleh is from West Haven, Hawthorne is from Hamden and Shaughnessy is from Norwich. Palermo recruited all three.

Palermo always had the sense, too, that Shaughnessy was going to be special from the first time that he stepped on the UW practice field and lined up opposite All-Big Ten offensive tackle Joe Thomas. Even though he was a true freshman, a still maturing 18-year-old, Shaughnessy impressed Palermo with his willingness to mix it up with Thomas. "I'll tell you right now, he's a pretty good football player,'' Palermo cooed.

Check that.

Morning doves coo.

Palermo is more likely to crow than coo.

But you get the point.

Palermo saw Shaughnessy's upside.

At one point, Palermo felt Shaughnessy could be as good as any defensive linemen that he has ever been around -- barring injury, the key phrase. As it is now for another former Palermo disciple and UW product, Erasmus James, who's trying to make a comeback with the Redskins after an injury-checkered layover with the Minnesota Vikings. "If we can keep him healthy, I think Ras has a chance to contribute,'' Palermo said.

Turning his attention to Shaughnessy, who will be going into his senior year with the Badgers, Palermo noted that he hadn't talked to him since the injury. In mid-April, ironically enough, in the final contact practice before the spring game, Shaughnessy fractured the smaller of two bones, the fibula, in his lower right leg.

"I actually had the same injury when I was in college,'' pointed out Palermo, a 1974 graduate of Florida State. "I broke the small bone, the fibula, and I was in a walking cast for about three months. That injury is not as near as bad as it might sound. Sometimes, in fact, it's not near as bad as having a really bad sprain, which can stay with you forever. I would bet it will heal up, and Matt should be as strong as ever.''

Palermo had not spent the night at the Holiday Inn Express.

Nor does he play a doctor on TV.

But he was just volunteering his take on Shaughnessy, a member of the extended Palermo family to this day. Speaking of his kids, his own kids, Palermo's son, Jason, a former UW offensive guard, is living in Milwaukee and working in Fond du Lac for a liquor distributor, Badger Liquor. Jason's sister, Jess, just graduated from Edgewood College.

John and Donna Palermo are living in Baker, Tenn., about 25 miles north of Cookeville and the Tennessee Tech campus (where John coached last season). Donna, who's working at the local DMV, plans on commuting at least once a month to D.C. "During the football season,'' John stressed, "you're so busy, there isn't much time to spend with family, and it doesn't matter if you're coaching in college or the NFL.''

So far, so good. He's enjoying the pro experience. "Had I known it was going to be like this,'' he crowed, "I would have tried to do it earlier. Not that I would have been able to do it. I had gotten some feelers from NFL teams, and talked to some people. But this was the first time anyone offered me a job, and I'm glad I took it. I'd like to get in five years. But who knows? This is even more volatile than college football.''

The Redskins are in the midst of OTAs. In mid-June, though, Palermo is planning on loading up his truck and making the eight-hour drive back home to Tennessee. "We have a lot of work to do on the farm, '' he said. "We have 50 acres and some cattle, not a whole lot.'' Farm? Cattle? Palermo? What does he know about farming and cattle? "I don't know bleep about any of it,'' he said, restoring our faith in the ol' boy himself.