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HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
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ENI/Gary Harmon
Willie Reid takes part in a drill as he prepares for his first
NFL training camp.
REID
From page 7A
you out as a third-round
pick, others may grade you
as a fifth-round pick. It
depends on what they need
on their team. I was pretty
high on different people’s
draft board.
“Fortunately, I got to go
to Pittsburgh. I’m going
to a really good team with
good veterans. It looks real
bright as far as our future in
Pittsburgh.
“The coaches are great.
The organization is family
owned. The fans are phe
nomenal. Everyone’s like a
real close-knit family in the
city of Pittsburgh. The fans
are real loyal. It’s a great
place to be.”
But it will be cold and get
even colder as the season
moves along.
“It’s something I’ll have
to get used to, playing in
. the south my whole life,” he
said. “But football is foot
ball. It’s just something I
will have to adjust to,”
What the Steelers need
most is a special teams
weapon in the return game
after the departure of free
agent Antwan Randle-El.
That’s the talent Reid, at 5-
11 and 187 pounds, showed
all of the football world in
two postseason games at the
end of the 2005 season.
When Reid’s career start
ed at Florida State, the
Seminoles most likely had
other things in mind. After
all, Reid was the Offensive
Player of the Year in Georgia
as a Warner Robins High
senior for his play at tail
back.
But Reid had to miss the
entire 2001 season due to a
broken leg. As he worked his
way back to full strength,
Reid also found himself help
ing the Seminole offense in
other ways.
In four years, Reid did
play some running back,
but also returned kickoffs
and worked at wide receiver.
Finally, as a senior in 2005,
Reid settled into a spilt end
role, catching 50 passes for
634 yards. As a punt return
er, he returned the football
31 times for 541 yards and
three touchdowns, two of
which were ones for the
record books.
Reid turned around the
first-ever ACC title game
with an 83-yard scoring
return against Virginia
Tech.
The win put Florida
State in the Orange Bowl,
and even though his team
lost in overtime, Reid set
the game’s all-time record
with an 87-yard punt return
touchdown.
“Coach Allen down at
Florida State did a good job
of scheming up different
things. We just did a good
job of executing our plays,”
said Reid about the success
of those returns.
He left Tallahassee as the
school’s all-time leader with
a 15.4 career average in
punt-return yards.
Consider that Florida
State is a school where play
ing time isn’t guaranteed
with the high-level of foot
ball players who arrive year
after year. If you don’t pro
duce, there’s always some
one else ready to take your
starting spot.
“We have a bunch of ath
letes,” said Reid. “Everybody
wants the ball, but there’s
only one ball to go around.
You have to be patient, keep
working hard and your
opportunity will come. I
was fortunate to have mine
come at a really good time
... with those punt returns.
It’s a process you have to
keep working and be patient
with.”
The big plays were only
one part of Reid’s develop
ment as an impact player.
Reid improved his game
in other areas, such as his
receiving skills and down
field blocking, which are the
intangibles coaches notice
when breaking down films.
Through all of the injuries,
even hamstring pulls and
other sprains that cropped
up over the past four years,
Reid kept his focus on the
goal of reaching the big
leagues.
“When you work all these
years since you were playing
rec center ball, you want to
play pro sports,” said Reid.
“I feel this is the reward I
get for working hard. It’s
not a big shock, because it’s
what I expected.”
He said there is no set
plan right now as far as
what his role as a Steeler
will be. Just like at Florida
State, much will depend on
the work Reid puts forth
from here on out.
“A lot of things right now
are up in the air,” said Reid.
“In training camp guys will
separate themselves in dif
ferent directions. That’s
why I’m working, getting in
good shape and preparing
for training camp.”
Part of his workout rou
tine includes speed train
ing with one of his former
Warner Robins coaches,
Mark Taylor. These work
outs coincide with the agil
ity training undergone by
the current Demon football
players. Despite his new
found stature and notori
ety, Reid said there isn’t any
intimidation or feelings of
awe towards him from the
younger set.
After all, one of those high
schoolers is his own brother
Ryan.
“They see me every day,”
said Reid. “A lot of different
guys know me real good,
even on the high school
level. It’s not a big thing
like, ‘Here he is!’ I’m just a
normal person. I’m not one
of those types of guys who’s
bigheaded. It’s straight.”
PRO, COLLEGE
BRIEFS
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PITTSBURGH (AP) • The
Philadelphia Phillies haven’t been big
winners for a long time. Thanks to Ryan
Howard and Bobby Abreu, they’re tough
to beat in the Home Run Derby.
Howard made certain his first trip to
the All-Star game would be a memo
rable one, beating out the Mets’ David
Wright to give the Phillies their second
derby winner in as many summers.
After homering into the Allegheny
River earlier, the 2005 NL Rookie of the
Year's fifth and decisive homer in the
championship round banged off a “Hit It
Here” sign above the right-field stands
to give a lucky fan 500 free round-trip
air tickets.
Wright, with Mets catcher Paul Lo
Duca throwing to him, had a big edge
after the first round with 16, or six more
than any other competitor. But he had
only six in the next two rounds, and
Howard won the final with extra at-bats
to spare.
Bonds' trainer soaks freedom
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Barry
Bonds' personal trainer asked a fed-
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SPORTS
era) appeals court to allow him to leave
prison on bail nearly a week after a
judge ordered him locked up for refusing
to testify to a grand jury investigating the
San Francisco Giants slugger.
Greg Anderson, who served three
months in prison after pleading guilty
last year for his role in the Bay Area
Laboratory Co-Operative steroid scan
dal, was held in contempt of court last
week and taken to prison.
At that time, Judge William Alsup
denied Anderson's plea for bail, ruling
that granting such a request would
defeat the purpose of jailing the trainer
to compel him to testify.
Barboro suffers Mg setback
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. (AP) _
Barbara's perilous road to recovery has
suffered its biggest setback yet.
The Kentucky Derby winner faces
major problems for the first time since
surgery to repair the right hind leg
he shattered in the Preakness seven
weeks ago. And the colt's veterinarian
says “we’re in tough times right now.”
Barbara had a new cast applied for a
sixth time _ the fourth change in a week.
The latest development followed three
hours of surgery Saturday night when
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doctors replaced the titanium plate and
many screws and also treated an infec
tion.
Dr. Dean Richardson, the chief sur
geon at the New Bolton Center, looked
haggard during the briefing, and said it
took more than 15 hours from the start
of Saturday's surgery until Barbara had
fully recovered from anesthesia.
Hawks si|k Ist pick Wwaai
ATLANTA (AP) - The Atlanta Hawks
have signed first-round draft pick
Shelden Williams to a four-year deal
that will earn the former Duke standout
about $5 million the first two years.
Only the first two years of basic rookie
contracts are guaranteed. Williams will
earn about $2.46 million as a rookie and
$2.65 million in his second season.
Williams (6-9, 250) was a four-year
starter at Duke and could immediately
earn a starting role at power forward
,v*h the Hawks. He was the fifth pick of
the drafi after averaging 18.7 points and
10.7 rebounds as a senior.
The Hawks’ negotiations with Williams
and second-round pick Solomon Jones
of South Florida were not affected by
last week's ruling from a Maryland judge
that will prevent the Hawks from signing
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2006
a free agent to a contract longer than
one year.
Omsk cock in haccttM
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) • Clemson
offensive lineman Roman Fry was driv
ing the personal watercraft that struck
and killed the school’s assistant track
coach when the two were on Lake
Keowee last Saturday.
The state Natural Resources
Department says alcohol was not
thought to be a contributing factor to the
fatal accident, where 32-year-old Jarrett
Foster died from head injuries at the
lake near Seneca.
Fry underwent and passed several
field sobriety tests, said his attorney,
Beattie Ashmore.
Fry has not been charged, said
Lt Robert McCullough of the Natural
Resources Department. However,
McCullough said the agency is continu
ing to investigate.
Ashmore says Fry is cooperating
with authorities and planned to talk
with investigators again as early as
Wednesday.
“This is just a horribly tragic acci
dent” Ashmore said.
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