Mark Asper signed as a practice squad player for the Buffalo Bills, a move that will allow him to provide $6,000 a week for his wife and two children as he pursues a continued career in professional football.
Asper has options. He graduated from Oregon with two degrees, and wants to be a teacher, school administrator and high school coach after football. The genial giant, 6-7, 323 lbs. as a Duck, has the attitude and perspective to survive the rigors of the NFL and whatever comes next for him. Duck fans will continue to root for his positive story.
Life saver: He’s cool-headed enough that he once saved a choking man in a crowded restaurant, so blocking Haloti Ngata on 3rd and two won’t be a big deal (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images North America).
Another positive story is Kyle Long of the Chicago Bears, who nearly washed out in his athletic career after an unsuccessful stint in pro baseball and a DUII arrest in his early twenties. He rebuilt his life and career with an apprenticeship at Saddleback Community College, earned a scholarship at Oregon, emerging with a great performance at the NFL Combine and Oregon Pro Day that won him selection in the first round of the NFL draft and an $8.3 million dollar contract with the Bears.
On Saturday, Long will start at right guard versus Cincinnati in the team’s regular season home opener.
Long told reporter Eli Kaberon of the Oregonian, “I’ve always had the physical abilities to be able to do things, but I never really realized that I could do it until I got down to (training camp) and I actually did it against some of the best in the world. Lining up against Pro Bowl players and these other guys, you have to step your game up. And that’s the beauty of it.”
Asked what he’d learned from Chip Kelly while in Eugene, Long said, “Your best ability is dependability.”
Perhaps Long and Asper can be inspiration for former teammate John Boyett, who’s created a mess for himself in Indianapolis. The Colts 6th round draft pick has been on the Non-football injury list all during training camp, unable to practice after surgery to repair torn patellar tendons in both knees.
The waiting and rehabilitation has to wear an intense athlete down, but Boyett chose the worst of all responses this weekend, getting arrested outside an Indianapolis bar for being drunk and disorderly in public and resisting arrest.
The 23-year-old reportedly stiff-armed police officers and argued belligerently with the restaurant staff, telling the cops, “You can’t arrest me–I’m a Colts player.” An embarrassing and pointed example of an athlete at his worst.
Boyett threatened one of the officers, threatening to come back and break his jaw, abusing the staff at the bar and refusing to leave.
Mike Wells of espn.com contacted the Colts office, which issued the following statement, “We’ve received some initial reports about an incident this morning involving John Boyett and are in the process of gathering the facts,” A Colts spokesman said. “Until we’ve completed that process we won’t be in a position to make any statement.”
Second-year Colts coach Chuck Pagano has a reputation as a disciplinarian. His mantra for players is “make yourself necessary,” something that Boyett clearly hasn’t done here. The son of a high school coach, the Oregon great has drawn great inspiration in his life from his late sister, who was confined to a wheel chair after a brain tumor at age 12 and died in February of 2011, at age 25. Boyett faces a new challenge now, having to win back his coach’s trust, or, if the Colts waive him, fight to continue his rehab and gain a second chance elsewhere. Long can readily tell him that the road back is worth it.
In other NFL news, Walter Thurmond has earned a place in the Seahawks rotation at cornerback, the backup to Brandon Browner and nickel defender. Thurmond has 253 tackles and 12 interceptions over his pro career, all with the Seahawks after being selected in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL draft.
Tight end Dante Rosario was traded from the Cowboys to the Bears on Sunday, a move that gives him an opportunity for more playing time and work on the special teams. In 6 years in the league Rosario has 99 catches for 1106 yards and 8 tds. His has a 1-year contract worth a reported $780,000.
Former Duck Chris Harper, the quarterback/wide receiver who transferred to Kansas State, was acquired by Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers. San Francisco snatched Harper off the Seattle practice squad in an attempt to shore up a thin wide receiver group, and he could get playing time for his new team.
Last week the NFL settled the concussion lawsuit with over 4,000 former players, agreeing to pay a reported $765 million in compensation, research and medical care. The settlement sets up a $675 million dollar fund for NFL veterans. Originally, the players had asked for over two billion dollars.
Update: The Colts released Boyett this morning. He’s out of football unless he finds a team willing to pick him up as a free agent, knowing he’ll likely won’t be physically ready to play until next season.
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