|
BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns third straight loss included a damaging injury. Demaryius Thomas Jersey . Speedy return specialist Travis Benjamin, one of Clevelands top playmakers and one of the NFLs best punt returners, tore his anterior cruciate knee ligament in Sundays loss at Kansas City and will miss the remainder of the season. Benjamin needs surgery, which has not yet been scheduled. "Its a tough loss for us," Browns coach Rob Chudzinski said Monday, "but well have some guys step up." Benjamin is the second key Browns player to have his season ended by a torn ACL. Starting quarterback Brian Hoyer tore his right ACL while sliding at the end of a scramble on Oct. 3 against Buffalo, a game Benjamin turned around by returning a punt 79 yards for a touchdown and racking up a team record 179 yards in returns as Cleveland rallied for a 37-24 win. Chudzinski said Benjamin twisted his knee while planting on a return with 2:34 left in the third quarter. The Browns (3-5) have already felt Benjamins loss. With the second-year wide receiver on the sideline, Davone Bess took over return duties but fumbled while trying to catch a punt on the run in the fourth quarter. The muff was recovered by the Chiefs, who held on to remain unbeaten. "I had it," said Bess, who also mishandled three passes, including one on fourth down with 2:12 left. "When I got my eyes up to see where the defenders were, they were there and I must not have had it 100 per cent. Its just discipline. Ive got to look the ball all the way in and it starts in practice. " Benjamin, who was drafted in the fourth round last year from Miami, has been a major contributor for the Browns. Hes averaged 11.7 yard per punt return -- sixth in the league -- and his 86-yard kickoff return set up a TD for Cleveland on Oct. 20 against Green Bay. He also had five catches for 105 yards and rushed for 45 yards on an end-around. Chudzinski said Bess will continue to handle punt returns. Starting cornerback Joe Haden is another option, but Chudzinski would prefer not to use one of his best defensive players. "Its unfortunate with his injury, but Ive got to step up," Bess said. "Thats as simple as it gets. Theres nothing to talk about, to be down about. Its just to go out and get it." Dennis Smith Jersey For Sale . Brooks and Harrison, along with tackle Walter Jones and coach Tony Dungy, were the first-year eligible candidates to make the cut from 126 to 25. Brooks won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay, while Harrison and Dungy were champions with Indianapolis. Derek Wolfe Jersey . They also designated outfielder Kenny Wilson for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. The 30-year-old Gillespie has played in 34 games with Seattle this season, recording a .Get live fight-by-fight results from UFC 138: Leben vs. Munoz. Always thinking of the future, Jason (Shotgun) Young owned his house when he was 21. Now the English featherweight is building the foundation for his UFC career. That means hard work and sacrifice. Young lost his UFC debut to rising star Dustin (The Diamond) Poirier at UFC 131 in Vancouver in June. But the former plasterer acquitted himself well in the loss and was rewarded with a fight Saturday against Japanese veteran Michihiro Omigawa at UFC 138 in Birmingham, England. Veteran Chris (The Crippler) Leben faces Mark (The Filipino Wrecking Machine) Munoz in the main event at the LG Arena. To get ready for Omigawa, Young (8-4) left his girlfriend and newborn to train in North America. The 25-year-old was away for six weeks, hitting the road just six weeks after baby Zayne came along. "It was really hard to leave him and go away and train — because Ive only known my son probably half of his life now," Young said. "It was really hard, but Im doing everything for him." Just making it to the UFC has been a dream for Young, who got into MMA at 17 for fitness and lifestyle reasons rather than thoughts of stardom. "I needed to sort myself out ... I was smoking and just getting into trouble all the time," he said. "I needed something to take up my time. I got into this and found a passion. This is what I love. "Every day I get up and think Im going to the gym now. I want to go the gym now. I want to train. If I have two days off and thats just after a fight, I feel like Im missing out on something. I dont know, its just built in me now and I dont want to get cut (by the UFC) or anything because I didnt try hard enough." So in search of a challenging camp for Omigawa, he saved his money and then crossed the Atlantic. Prior to this year, Young had never been to Canada. But that quickly changed. Invited to fight on the first officially sanctioned card in Ontario in April, he scored an entertaining win over Jorge Britto. The UFC took notice and signed him to a contract. They did him no favours, matching him with Poirier first time out. Despite the loss, Young took plenty of positives away from Vancouver. "Just to see where I stand and just to know I can hang with some of the best in the world has done my confidence a world of good." To prepare for Omigawa, he spent time at the Adrenaline Training Center in London, Ont., home to Sam Stout, Mark Hominick and Chris Horodecki. He asked to train with the Canadian fighters because he thought their aggressive styles were so similar to his. "It was good training. I was getting beaten up every day there," he said entthusiastically. Brandon Marshall Elite Jersey. . "It wasnt easy. We went quite hard." But the unexpected death of Canadian coach Shawn Tompkins cast a pall over the camp. Young was also feeling a bit homesick. And looking for a familiar face, he went down to American Top Team in Florida, where friend and fellow British fighter Brad (One Punch) Pickett was training. Pickett meets Brazilian Renan Barao in Saturdays co-main event. "Everyones a black belt in jiu-jitsu," Young said of American Top team. "Standup, theyve got really good strikers. Wrestling, theyve got national champions ... Youre just getting beaten up every day. It doesnt matter who you turn to in there. And loads of guys my weight." Its the first time Young — who sports a tattoo of a guardian angel on his back — has trained away from home and he says it had made for the best fight preparation hes ever had. He will need it against the 35-year-old Omigawa, a crafty judo black belt who is far more dangerous than his 12-10-1 record suggests. Omigawa is 0-4 in two different stints in the UFC but many thought he should have got the decision over Darren Elkins last time out at UFC 131. "Omigawa is a very good opponent," Pickett said. On the other side, Pickett believes Young — while raw — has real striking skills. The fight may turn on Omigawas strategy. "Hes sometimes not the cleverest fighter," said Pickett. "If he keeps the fight on the feet, Jason will take him apart. "If Omigawa fights a bit clever, its going to be a tough fight." Young grew up in Lewisham in southeast London — "not the greatest part," he explains. After high school, his grades werent good enough to go to college so he focused on paying the bills as a plasterer. "I didnt do too bad. At 21 years old I was buying my own house. I had a car. Im the type of person, if I want something, Ill get it." He was still plastering after the Poirier fight, saving money to finance his training. "Hopefully if I win this fight, I dont have to go back to work. It would be nice to have it my full occupation so I can just concentrate on my fighting and my game." His wish list includes returning to North American to train — with his family in tow this time. "A lot of people think because youre in the UFC, youre really rich. Its far from that. Youve got to get some wins under your belt and thats what Im looking to do." Young and the family still live in the house he bought at 21. And hes still planning ahead. "Its a one-bedroom house. Ive got to do a loft conversion for my little boy now. Because its too expensive to move." ' ' ' |
