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SAN DIEGO -- Manti Teo is back practicing with the San Diego Chargers instead of working on a side field. Jared Crick Elite Womens Jersey . "Its way better than running gassers, thats for sure," the inside linebacker said Monday, when the Chargers started their third and final week of organized team activities, which are practices in shorts, jerseys and helmets. Until Monday, Teo had been working on a side field with other players recovering from injuries. He had surgery on his right foot in late January. "Im very confident coming into the off-season and today was a great day to be out with the guys," he said. His rookie season got off to a slow start after he injured his foot in the exhibition opener. At the time, the team said it was a sprain but after the season, Teo said it was a stress fracture. "Its getting there," the former Notre Dame star said. "Today was my first day out and it felt pretty good and we are going to continue to work and get better so Im not taking any steps back." Asked to what extent the injury bothered him last year, he said: "Every NFL player, you are never fully healthy. You just make sure you are able to do what you got to do on Sundays and I was able to do what I was able to do and now Im looking forward to this year with a year under my belt and it will be good." After missing the first three regular-season games, Teo started the final 14 games, plus the two playoff games. He was credited with 93 tackles in the regular season. Teo said hes about four or five pounds lighter than last season. "Im a little lighter than I was last year," he said. "A lot of people think Im heavier because Im bigger. I feel good. I feel in control and that is something as a football player that is very, very important." He said he wanted to get "more explosive and stronger. Obviously, it was a little tricky with my foot so we really focused on the muscles around it and got the work necessary and when my foot stated to progress and get better, I was able to do more things with my feet. Everything is a process and now I can start focusing on other things: my drops, getting out of breaks and closing speed and all that good stuff. It is a very exciting time." After practice, coach Mike McCoy aired out his team for several minutes. At one point, he invoked the loss at Denver in the divisional round of the playoffs. "We set a standard around here for whats acceptable and whats not," McCoy said later. "There are certain things you like and certain things you dont like." Tight end Antonio Gates hasnt been at the practices that have been open to the media. McCoy wouldnt say if the absence was medical related. "Gates is accountable for," the coach said. Johnathan Joseph Jersey . The NFL club and Rogers Communications announced Wednesday theyve put the beleaguered Bills Toronto Series -- which features Buffalo playing exhibition and regular-season games at Rogers Centre -- on hold for at least a year. Andre Johnson Elite Womens Jersey . The deal, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, calls for the NCAA to toughen return-to-play rules for players who receive head blows and create a $70 million fund to pay for thousands of current and former athletes to undergo testing to determine whether they suffered brain trauma while playing football and other contact sports.TORONTO -- The Blue Jays have recalled right-hander Bobby Korecky from Triple-A Buffalo and optioned outfielder Kevin Pillar to Triple-A. Korecky has appeared in one game for the Blue Jays this season, working 1 1-3 scoreless innings against Kansas City on May 30. Hes 3-1 with six saves and a 0.26 ERA in 25 games at Buffalo. Pillar is batting .243 with no homers and two RBIs. He singled home the wwinning run in the ninth inning of Mondays 5-4 victory over Minnesota. Mens Pro Bowl J.J. Watt Elite Jersey. Pillar, who bats right, has been in centre field along with Anthony Gose while Colby Rasmus recovers from a sore right hamstring. Manager John Gibbons says he didnt expect to use Pillar in the next several days while the Blue Jays continue a stretch of six straight games against right-handed starters. ' ' ' |
