The Jacksonville Jaguars today signed Pittsburgh Steelers defensive

back Carnell Lake, their second unrestricted free agent signing in

two days. Length and terms of Lake's contract are not disclosed.

Defensive lineman Gary Walker of the Tennessee Titans signed a

contract with the Jaguars on Friday.

Lake, 31, is a three-time All-Pro selection and has played in four

Pro Bowls. He is a big-play defender who has started at both safety

and cornerback over 10 seasons with the Steelers.

"We're a team that likes to do things fast, and actually we've struck

our best when we've operated quickly on Day One of free agency,"

said Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin. "Carnell Lake is an

excellent football player who brings so much to the table. He'll be

back playing at safety, where he's an excellent blitzer, as we know

well from our experiences against the Steelers. He'll be an excellent

leader in our secondary, and he's in excellent physical condition."

In 1998, Lake started all 16 games at left cornerback. He made 63

tackles, four interceptions, one fumble recovery, one sack and 16

passes defensed. In 10 years, Lake has started all 154 games in

which he has played, missing only six games because of injuries

(and none since 1996). He has 16 career interceptions (three for

touchdowns), 16 forced fumbles and 16 fumble recoveries (two for

TDs). Lake has also made 738 tackles (614 solo), as well as 21.5

sacks, the most ever for a Steelers defensive back.

Lake was a second-round draft choice of the Steelers in 1989, when

he earned first-team All-Rookie honors. He was a three-year

starter and All-America selection as an outside linebacker at

UCLA. He was an honorable mention All-America at Culver City

High School in Inglewood, Calif. Lake and his wife, Monica, have a

daughter, Siena (3), and a sonm Quentin (2 weeks).

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