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B10 Saturday-Sunday, May 12-13, 2012 | SPORTS | www.kentuckynewera.com Open Mon.-Fri. 10:00AM-5:00PM Sat. 10:00AM-3:00PM 270-522-4304 Tollgate Plaza, 37 Commerce St., Cadiz, KY NFL n BY TERESA M. WALKER AP SPORTS WRITER NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Kendall Wright calls the Tennessee Titans’ play- book big with a lot of plays, and it’s something very new to the wide receiver. Not because he’s a rookie and first-round draft pick. It’s the first playbook Wright has ever had. Wright played at Baylor, where coach Art Briles uses practices, film study and meetings to teach plays sig- naled into the offense. Noth- ing was written down and bundled into a playbook of any form. When Wright played quarterback in high school in Pittsburg, Texas, he had no playbook there, either. “For me, it’s learning everything,” Wright said Friday afternoon after his second session in the Ti- tans’ rookie minicamp. “I was just out there. We had a lot of different stuff we ran at Baylor. But right now I have a playbook that I’m studying every night and going over with coaches in the meetings. It’s a different learning process for me.” Wright has plenty of company right now among 24 rookies for the Titans taking part in two days of orientation and practices before veterans return Monday to resume the off- season program. But of his new rookie teammates, Wright said he thinks Bay- lor was the only team that didn’t have a playbook. Learning the playbook shouldn’t be a problem. Wright said he memorized more than 300 plays at Baylor and already knows several plays from the Titans’ play- book despite only arriving in town Thursday. For Wright, it’s simply a different format and not something he has to be taught how to read. There are no special tutoring ses- sions from receivers coach Dave Ragone. “It’s a big book with a lot of plays in it, so I’m just looking at whatever posi- tion coach wants me to look at,” Wright said. “There’s a lot of different positions he’s got me looking at. I’m just soaking it all in and going through it every day.” With plenty of needs on defense, the Titans surpris- ingly took the 5-foot-10, 196- pound Wright with the 20th pick overall last month. He set Baylor records by catch- ing 302 passes for 4,004 yards and 30 touchdown passes working with Robert Griffin III, the No. 2 pick overall by Washing- ton. The Titans like his pre- cise route running and quickness, especially after the ball gets into his hands. “Kendall looks good,” coach Mike Munchak said. “He looks like we thought. A lot of learning going on, a lot of teaching going on. ... It’s hard to get too excited over a rookie after a day or two, but I think all the guys look like we thought they would.” Wright now has No. 13, adding the 3 to the No. 1 he wore in college. NFL rules kept him from sticking with that number, and Wright said he isn’t big enough to wear a number in the 80s. He also isn’t worried about any bad luck or supersti- tions with the No. 13. “I’ll make it lucky if I can,” Wright said. Titans give Wright his 1st playbook ASSOCIATED PRESS Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver Kendall Wright (13) catches a pass during a workout Friday at Baptist Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn. Junior Seau buried in hometown BY BERNIE WILSON AP SPORTS WRITER SAN DIEGO. — Hours after Junior Seau was buried in his hometown, thousands of fans attended a public memorial service at Qualcomm Stadium, where the hard-hitting, fist- pumping linebacker starred for 13 seasons. Many wore Seau’s No. 55 jer- sey — in Chargers blue, South- ern California cardinal and gold and Miami Dolphins aqua and orange. Among those attending were Seau’s parents, his ex-wife and their children, several current and former Chargers, and for- mer rival John Elway. Elway, who now runs Denver’s front of- fice, was accompanied by new Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and coach John Fox, a former assistant with San Diego. Seau’s No. 55 was painted at midfield. Seau com- mitted suicide on May 2 at his Oceanside home. He played parts of 20 seasons in the NFL, with the Chargers, Dolphins and New England Patriots. After a private funeral ear- lier Friday, Seau was buried at Eternal Hills cemetery. Those scheduled to speak Friday night at Qualcomm were Dan Fouts, LaDainian Tomlinson and Bobby Ross, the only coach to get the Chargers to the Super Bowl. Chargers chaplain Shawn Mitchell opened the service with a prayer. “Junior, we don’t know if you can see this down here, but tonight’s your night.” Said Fouts: “Our paths never crossed on the field, but boy could we have used him with the of- fense of Air Coryell. I’m also glad I never had to play against him. I could just imagine the thought of him sacking me, then standing over me and dancing all over me.” Someone yelled, “Ask Elway!” Fouts called it a “classy move” for Elway, Manning and Fox to attend, and the crowd cheered. ASSOCIATED PRESS Luisa Seau, the mother of former football player Junior Seau who committed suicide last week, is held by her grandson as she reaches for the casket of her deceased son as it is lowered into the ground at his burial Friday in Oceanside, Calif. Seau

SPORTS NFL Junior Seau buried in hometownnyx.uky.edu/dips/xt7tht2g8b19/data/20_70182_B10.pdf · Monday to resume the off-season program. But of his new rookie teammates, Wright said

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Page 1: SPORTS NFL Junior Seau buried in hometownnyx.uky.edu/dips/xt7tht2g8b19/data/20_70182_B10.pdf · Monday to resume the off-season program. But of his new rookie teammates, Wright said

B10 Saturday-Sunday, May 12-13, 2012 | SPORTS | www.kentuckynewera.com

Open Mon.-Fri. 10:00AM-5:00PM

Sat. 10:00AM-3:00PM

270-522-4304

Tollgate Plaza, 37 Commerce St., Cadiz, KY

NFL n

BY TERESA M. WALKER

AP SPORTS WRITER

NASHVILLE, Tenn. —Kendall Wright calls theTennessee Titans’ play-book big with a lot of plays,and it’s something verynew to the wide receiver.Not because he’s a rookieand first-round draft pick.

It’s the first playbookWright has ever had.

Wright played at Baylor,where coach Art Briles usespractices, film study andmeetings to teach plays sig-naled into the offense. Noth-ing was written down andbundled into a playbook ofany form. When Wrightplayed quarterback in highschool in Pittsburg, Texas, hehad no playbook there, either.

“For me, it’s learningeverything,” Wright saidFriday afternoon after hissecond session in the Ti-tans’ rookie minicamp. “Iwas just out there. We had alot of different stuff we ranat Baylor. But right now Ihave a playbook that I’mstudying every night andgoing over with coaches inthe meetings. It’s a differentlearning process for me.”

Wright has plenty ofcompany right now among24 rookies for the Titanstaking part in two days oforientation and practicesbefore veterans returnMonday to resume the off-season program. But of hisnew rookie teammates,Wright said he thinks Bay-lor was the only team thatdidn’t have a playbook.

Learning the playbookshouldn’t be a problem.Wright said he memorizedmore than 300 plays at Baylorand already knows several

plays from the Titans’ play-book despite only arriving intown Thursday. For Wright,it’s simply a different formatand not something he has tobe taught how to read. Thereare no special tutoring ses-sions from receivers coachDave Ragone.

“It’s a big book with a lotof plays in it, so I’m justlooking at whatever posi-tion coach wants me to lookat,” Wright said. “There’s alot of different positionshe’s got me looking at. I’mjust soaking it all in andgoing through it every day.”

With plenty of needs ondefense, the Titans surpris-ingly took the 5-foot-10, 196-pound Wright with the 20thpick overall last month. Heset Baylor records by catch-ing 302 passes for 4,004yards and 30 touchdownpasses working withRobert Griffin III, the No. 2pick overall by Washing-ton. The Titans like his pre-cise route running andquickness, especially afterthe ball gets into his hands.

“Kendall looks good,”coach Mike Munchak said.“He looks like we thought. Alot of learning going on, a lotof teaching going on. ... It’shard to get too excited over arookie after a day or two, butI think all the guys look likewe thought they would.”

Wright now has No. 13,adding the 3 to the No. 1 hewore in college. NFL ruleskept him from sticking withthat number, and Wrightsaid he isn’t big enough towear a number in the 80s.He also isn’t worried aboutany bad luck or supersti-tions with the No. 13.

“I’ll make it lucky if Ican,” Wright said.

Titans give Wrighthis 1st playbook

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver Kendall Wright (13) catches a passduring a workout Friday at Baptist Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn.

Junior Seau buried in hometownBY BERNIE WILSON

AP SPORTS WRITER

SAN DIEGO. — Hours afterJunior Seau was buried in hishometown, thousands of fansattended a public memorialservice at Qualcomm Stadium,where the hard-hitting, fist-pumping linebacker starredfor 13 seasons.

Many wore Seau’s No. 55 jer-sey — in Chargers blue, South-ern California cardinal andgold and Miami Dolphins aquaand orange.

Among those attending wereSeau’s parents, his ex-wife andtheir children, several currentand former Chargers, and for-mer rival John Elway. Elway,who now runs Denver’s front of-

fice, was accompanied by newBroncos quarterback PeytonManning and coach John Fox, aformer assistant with San Diego.

Seau’s No. 55 was painted atmidfield.

Seau com-mitted suicideon May 2 at hisO c e a n s i d ehome. Heplayed parts of20 seasons inthe NFL, withthe Chargers,Dolphins andNew England Patriots.

After a private funeral ear-lier Friday, Seau was buried atEternal Hills cemetery.

Those scheduled to speakFriday night at Qualcomm

were Dan Fouts, LaDainianTomlinson and Bobby Ross,the only coach to get theChargers to the Super Bowl.

Chargers chaplain ShawnMitchell opened the servicewith a prayer.

“Junior, we don’t know ifyou can see this down here, buttonight’s your night.”

Said Fouts: “Our paths nevercrossed on the field, but boy couldwe have used him with the of-fense of Air Coryell. I’m also gladI never had to play against him. Icould just imagine the thought ofhim sacking me, then standingover me and dancing all over me.”

Someone yelled, “Ask Elway!”Fouts called it a “classy move”

for Elway, Manning and Fox toattend, and the crowd cheered.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Luisa Seau, themother of former footballplayer JuniorSeau who committed suicide lastweek, is held byher grandson asshe reaches forthe casket ofher deceasedson as it is lowered intothe ground at his burial Friday in Oceanside,Calif.

Seau