The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed fullback Tim Lester and guard

Rob Zatechka and placed rookie fullback Trevor Bollers on injured

reserve because of a knee injury.

Lester is a 5-9, 230-pounder who played three seasons with the Los

Angeles Rams and the last four with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who

declined to re-sign him in the offseason. Considered one of the best

blocking fullbacks in the NFL, Lester helped Steeler Jerome Bettis

rush for more than 1,000 yards each of the last three seasons.

Lester, 31, has started 52 of 85 games played in his career. He has

rushed for 126 yards on 33 carries (3.8 average) and scored two

touchdowns, while catching 45 passes for 322 yards (7.2 average).

He played collegiately at Eastern Kentucky, where he gained 3,635

yards and scored 37 TDs. He is a native of Miami.

Zatechka (pronounced ZAT-es-ka) spent all of the 1998 season on

injured reserve for the New York Giants with a shoulder injury

suffered in the preseason. He was an unrestricted free agent after

his contract expired. He is a four-year veteran of the Giants, where

he was selected in the fourth round of the 1995 draft. In his first

three seasons, the 6-4, 320-pound Zatecka played in 47 of 48

games, making nine starts at both left and right guard. He was an

honorable mention All-America and first-team All-Big Eight

selection at the University of Nebraska, where he played with

Jaguars guard Zach Weigert. Zatechka, 27, is a native of Lansing,

Mich.

Bollers suffered a knee injury in practice last Wednesday and

missed Friday's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers.

He will not be able to play the remainder of the season. Bollers, 24,

was signed by the Jaguars as a rookie free agent on April 22 out of

the University of Iowa, where he was a four-year letterman and

three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

The Jaguars' roster remains at 87 players. The first mandatory cuts

are August 31, when all teams must be down to a 65-player limit.

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