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HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL • MaUW I * *C * r f . i r ! •;’* v ' 1.. A *“ ' .1 i fs' ”_ "C*-.- ~ 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 ntiM ■* ■■ ■ mhij am n«nhn ‘ iiss roiwsro wins nvi uc» «j 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- I Q ■ m I | j For business sales, call 1-866-697-7860 gabusinesssolutions@cingular.com LaCrange 1501 Lafayette Pkwy. (LaGrange Mall), 706-885-1074 Perry 1365 Sam Nunn Blvd., Ste. D 478-988-3633 Warner Robins 4025 Watson Blvd., Ste. 110 478-953-6000 Singular also imposes monthly a Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge of op to $1.25 to help defray costs incurred in <if^ a " d Federi " Service charges; and surcharges lor customer-based and revenue-based state and local assessments on Cmgular. These are not taxes or government-required charges. Coverage is not available in all areas. Dropped calls based on nationwide experience among national carriers. Limited-time offer. Other conditions and SfalentVmMsead^iS for details. Up to $36 activation fee applies. 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Cingular Nation: Cingular reserves the right to terminate your service if less than 50% o your usage over three con P Customer must (1) use phone programmed with Cingular Wireless' preferred roaming database; (21 have a mailing address and live in the area in which subscription is made. Bell South and the BellSo g are registered trademarks of Bell&uth Intellectual Property Corporation. All rights reserved. ©2006 Cingular Wireless. All rights reserved. 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 v. ''Kgsgs &HMHMI § * i m NOKIA K ■ f »'■ jfe/ 1 ifl§. Grandparent*; ® jjg9HK K 1 * Vb I L*JL 11 • I 11 Ip MSB r i ■H j | 9 YjTjgPrrm ■ ■■■l WU Hr % wL Authorized Retailers LaCrange Direct Communications 380 S Davis Rd„ Ste. E 706-884-4474 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 ► Get SSO when you switch to Cingular. Just bring in your phone from any of her wu eless cor t ier. ■f. I .(' in.nl ml* I >.ti* • .if* I v’dli* I wit J> i f :\‘j •ii riv.it I- '• It). I ’ V n•• i\i* < .f |f ';!l'*'||l PLUS, GET THE Al LOVER NETWORK , ..ill Tin' larqest cfirpt.il voice and data network in America, covering 2/3 million people. m cinqular T.,nr Warner Robins Adel Fhging 1300 Watson Blvd. 478-328-1794 Telepage Communications 2078 Russell Pkwy. 478-922-6272 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. WaLMart oCat,on Warner Robins 2720 Watson Blvd. 478-971-7090 Also Available At ©RadioShack. 10A • Informsawi j 1 Owe ' 15 0* s»<* ihCavxwai