CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor signed autographs for fans after yesterday's AFCpractice at Aloha Stadium.
The Titans remember. Titans raising
Pro Bowl week schedule
money for NateStar-Bulletin staff
Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher said his team didn't forget about former Hawaii safety Nate Jackson, who tried out for the Titans as a free agent last summer and was hospitalized two months ago for several weeks with a heart disorder that required surgery.
Jackson's medical bills are more than $200,000, and he had no health insurance. Local contributions have cut into that significantly, and the Titans are helping out, too.
"I'm fully aware of what's happened to Nate," said Fisher, who is here to coach the AFC in Sunday's Pro Bowl. "In fact, we're just about done putting together a fund-raising campaign for Nate on behalf of the Titans.
"We really enjoyed coaching Nate."
Jackson has recovered quickly enough to attain medical clearance to play on the UH baseball team this year.
"That's great, he's very fortunate," Fisher said.
Fisher has known UH coach June Jones from Jones' NFL days.
"I've followed the job he's done here and he's done a great job. He got the program back on track and they're really fun to watch," Fisher said. "We watched a lot of tape of Nate before bringing him in and also looked at a lot of Hawaii tape evaluating Ashley Lelie last year. The program's done a nice job."
Fisher said it doesn't bother him too much that the only Titan, defensive end Kevin Carter, on the AFC team is here because he added him to the roster himself.
"It's just one of those things that happens," Fisher said after yesterday's practice. "We perceive that as a compliment. If we can get to the conference championship game without any Pro Bowl players, we must be a pretty good team."
Fisher arrived at Aloha Stadium for practice yesterday morning without the beard he'd grown over the course of the season.
"We had quite a winning streak going with it, so I pretty much made my mind up to shave it off when and if we lost," said Fisher, whose Titans fell 41-24 to the Oakland Raiders in the AFC title game Jan. 20. "We didn't quite get to our goal. We lost in the championship game, so I lost the beard."
The long haul: The flight from Cincinnati to Honolulu is a lengthy one, but it's a short jaunt compared to the journey Bengals fullback Lorenzo Neal took to finally reach the Pro Bowl.
Neal is making his first appearance in the game after toiling a decade in the league.
"After 10 years I didn't know if it was ever going to happen," Neal said. "I'm so grateful and so thankful."
Neal played here in Fresno State's 47-45 loss to Hawaii in 1992 and came back for the Hula Bowl. He began his NFL career in New Orleans in 1993 and saw time with the New York Jets, Tampa Bay and Tennessee before joining the Bengals in 2000.
Neal played in a Super Bowl with the Titans and has cleared the way for 1,000-yard rushers for six straight seasons. He was twice named an alternate for the Pro Bowl before getting the call this season.
"I can't complain," Neal said. "It's been an awesome ride. I think maybe it took this long because it makes me appreciate it that much more."
Welcome back: Todd Heap is close to being considered kamaaina.
The Baltimore Colts tight end is in Hawaii for the third time in four years after being selected to the Pro Bowl in just his second season.
Heap also played in Aloha Stadium his final two years at Arizona State as the Sun Devils made back-to-back appearances in the Aloha Bowl. The last time he was here Heap let Vili Fehoko, a fan favorite known for his pregame Polynesian drumming routine, know he'd be back.
"I told (Vili), 'the next time you see me hopefully will be at the Pro Bowl,' " Heap recalled. "I'd love to see him around and shake his hand and say, 'Hey, I'm back.' "
Heap apprenticed under former Raven Shannon Sharpe as a rookie and led AFC tight ends with 68 catches for 836 yards and scored six touchdowns in his first season as a starter.
Although Heap picked up some helpful pointers from Sharpe, he's not quite as loquacious as his mentor.
"That's not my game," Heap said. "I don't know if anyone can talk like Shannon. He definitely knows how to handle himself."
The Graduate: AFC special teams madman Larry Izzo is now a learned man.
After six years of offseason education, Izzo graduated in May from academically prestigious Rice University.
"It took me 10 years to get it done, but it was good to get that out of the way," the New England Patriots linebacker said.
"Did a little bit at a time, in the offseason, three hours here and there and then finally got it done. It's good to know that you've got your degree. You never know what can happen. You never know how long you're going to play."
Especially for Izzo. He's an undersized underdog who broke into the NFL, and has hung on, in the chaotic world of special teams play.
Izzo was especially happy to walk the commencement line with old Rice teammates Ndukwe Kalu and Trevor Cobb.
Caps for sale: A souvenir stand set up on the Aloha Stadium AstroTurf?
Vendors explained that the stand was set up not for fans, but for any Pro Bowl players who might want to buy mementos after practice.
But the first day of practice was so laid back that between drills Miami's Zach Thomas, Baltimore's Peter Boulware and Pittsburgh's Jason Gildon and Joey Porter checked out this year's merchandise, signed autographs and posed for pictures behind the counter.
The Star-Bulletin's Dave Reardon, Jason Kaneshiro and Kalani Simpson contributed to this report. BACK TO TOP |
2003 NFL Pro Bowl
Week ScheduleToday
9 a.m.: NFC practice, free admission, Aloha Stadium.
3-5:30 p.m.: Pro Bowl youth clinic, Kailua Park Complex, Kona.
Tomorrow
10 a.m.: AFC practice, free admission, Aloha Stadium.
Noon-8 p.m.: Topps NFL Experience, Fort DeRussy.
1 p.m.: NFL Charities Beach Bowling Bash, free admission, Hilton Hawaiian Village Lagoon.
3-5:30 p.m.: Pro Bowl youth clinic, War Memorial Sports Complex, Keopulani Park, Maui.
Friday
10 a.m.: NFC practice, free admission, Aloha Stadium.
Noon-10 p.m.: Topps NFL Experience, Fort DeRussy.
3-5:30 p.m.: Military Day and NFL Military Challenge, special price for military, Fort DeRussy.
3-5:30 p.m.: Pro Bowl youth clinic, Vidinha Stadium, Lihue.
6 p.m.-midnight: Pro Bowl Block Party, Aloha Tower Marketplace.
7-10 p.m.: Friday Night at the Experience Topps NFL Experience, free with Topps NFL Experience ticket, Fort DeRussy.
Saturday
7:45-10:45 a.m.: Pro Bowl youth clinic, Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park.
9 a.m.: NFC practice, free admission, Aloha Stadium.
10 a.m.: AFC practice, free admission, Aloha Stadium.
10 a.m.-10 p.m.: Youth Day, Topps NFL Experience, Fort DeRussy.
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Pro Bowl youth Clinic, Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park.
7-10 p.m.: Pro Bowl Pregame Jam, Fort DeRussy.
Sunday
9:30 a.m.-noon: NFL Tailgate Party, Richardson FIeld.
10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Topps NFL Experience, Fort DeRussy.
11:40 a.m.: Pro Bowl pregame festivities begin, Aloha Stadium.
12:30 p.m.: NFL Pro Bowl, AFC All-Stars vs. NFC All-Stars, Aloha Stadium.
Monday
12:30 p.m.: NFL Charities Golf Tournament, Waialae Country Club.
