Colts rally round receiver after tragedy strikes

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09/25/2006 -

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -Indianapolis' victory celebration turned somber Monday.

The usually boisterous locker room noise was replaced by emotional, thoughtful reflection as Colts players offered support to their grieving receiver, Reggie Wayne.

Wayne's older brother, Rashad, was killed in an automobile accident Sunday - something Colts players didn't learn until well after Sunday's game ended. After hearing the news, Wayne flew back to his home state of Louisiana so he could help the family make funeral arrangements.

``I was at dinner and I was in a big state of shock, I almost started crying,'' said Aaron Moorehead, another Indy receiver and one of Wayne's closest friends. ``I'm really almost in tears right now. He said he wanted us to pray for him and that's what we're going to do.''

Sunday's 21-14 victory over Jacksonville gave Indy the early edge in its quest to win a fourth consecutive AFC South title. But almost before the Colts could savor their 11th straight win over a division foe came word about Wayne's brother.

Rashad Wayne, 32, was killed when the delivery truck he was driving crashed into a highway guardrail in Kenner, La. James Gallagher, a spokesman for the Kenner police department, said Rashad Wayne was pronounced dead at the scene.

The news instantly changed the Colts' perspective.

``That put a damper on a big win for us,'' coach Tony Dungy said. ``Reggie called me right after the game and said he didn't know what happened but that he had to go home. Obviously, that's not a call you want to get.''

It's not the first time tragedy has struck the Colts (3-0).

In December, Dungy's oldest son, 18-year-old James, committed suicide in a Florida apartment. In the week leading up to the 2003 AFC championship game, receiver Brandon Stokley missed most of the team's practices when his infant son was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis.

Linebacker Gary Brackett, whose mother, father and brother all died in a 16-month span beginning in 2003, acknowledged he understood what Wayne was now dealing with and offered to help the 27-year-old receiver however he could.

``I'm definitely here for him when he gets back here because I personally know what he's going through,'' Brackett said. ``There's a lot of memories and good times you have with a loved one. Knowing they're gone, I think the best way you can honor the dead is by the way you live.''

Dungy said the team was still awaiting details about Rashad Wayne's funeral, and that the Colts hoped to send team members to Louisiana for the service.

Reggie Wayne played well in Sunday's 21-14 victory over Jacksonville, catching four passes for 82 yards despite having a spectacular diving 51-yard catch ruled incomplete after Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio challenged the call.

It wasn't until after the game that he - and his teammates - knew of the accident.

At Monday light workout, it was clear his teammates were thinking about him.

``The guys in this locker room, we're like brothers,'' receiver Brandon Stokley said. ``We're all playing for Reggie and we're keeping him in our prayers.''

When Wayne might return isn't clear.

Indy makes its second trip to The Meadowlands on Sunday, where it faces the New York Jets. The Colts beat the Giants 26-21 in the same venue Sept. 10 in the highly anticipated Manning Bowl.

Wayne is second on the team behind Marvin Harrison with 14 catches for 284 yards. In 2005, Wayne dethroned Harrison as the club's receiving leader by catching a career-high 83 passes for 1,055 yards and five touchdowns.

In 2004, he was part of the NFL's first receiving trio to each have 1,000-yard seasons and at least 10 TD catches and was rewarded during the offseason with a six-year, $39 million contract.

Although Wayne has become a key to the Colts' high-scoring offense, Dungy will not rush him back.

``I know everybody on this team and in this organization will rally around his family like they did for my family, and we'll make arrangements to get as much of our organization as we can down there,'' Dungy said. ``Reggie will be back when he can.''

Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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