D4
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
The Vicksburg Post
nfl
Mendenhall tweets draw fire from Steelers PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rashard Mendenhall has created a stir with comments made on his official Twitter page regarding Osama bin Laden’s death. The Pittsburgh Steelers running back on Monday tweeted: “What kind of person celebrates death? It’s amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We’ve only heard one side...” Mendenhall didn’t hold back, even making a reference to the Sept. 11 attacks. “We’ll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could Rashard take a skyMendenhall scraper down demolition style.” The Steelers felt compelled to act. On Tuesday, team president Art Rooney II released a statement. “I have not spoken with Rashard, so it is hard to explain or even comprehend what he meant with his recent Twitter comments.” Mendenhall, who profiles himself as a “conversationalist and professional athlete” on his Twitter page, turned some heads in March, as well, when he supported a comment by Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson comparing the NFL to “modernday slavery.” Mendenhall is coming off a tremendous season, as he led the AFC champions in carries (324), rushing yards (1,273) and rushing touchdowns (13).
Fitzhugh is glad to be working on the railroad NEW YORK (AP) — Some people called Keith Fitzhugh crazy. Others praised him for his admirable decision. Turning down the Jets for trains? Yep, and he’d do it again in a heartbeat. “I’m so happy,” the free-agent defensive back recently told The Associated Press from his home in Atlanta. “It turned out just right for me.” It sure did, especially with NFL players locked out and in a bitter labor dispute with the owners. He has a secure job and a steady income, things he might not have if he had put his football dreams ahead of taking care of his parents. Fitzhugh gained national attention last December when he declined an offer to join the New York Jets to remain a conductor with Norfolk Southern Railroad and stay on track financially. His parents needed him, he said, and he couldn’t let them down. The decision landed the 24-year-old former Mississippi State star a guest spot on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and national television interviews with ABC and CNN, among several others. “It was really a blessing because when I played football and was giving it my all, I never got the opportunity to do the things I got to do when I was just trying to do the right thing,” he said. “Never. Not one time. Going out to L.A., going on Jay Leno and going on all these major networks, I feel like I was the hottest nonfootball-playing football player in the world.” And, he was. Not that he couldn’t play, though. Fitzhugh simply chose not to. “I really didn’t think it was going to be that big a deal, to be honest,” he said. “It kind of blew me away.” Fitzhugh ponders what would have happened if he
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Keith Fitzhugh, warming up before a 2009 preseason game, left, gained national attention last December when he declined an offer to join the New York Jets to remain a conductor with Norfolk Southern Railroad and stay on track financially. Fitzhugh, right, works on the railroad at the McDonough Training Center in McDonough, Ga. had left the job with Norfolk Southern, and knows his decision appears awfully smart now. “I have a lot of buddies out there and they’re ready to go back out and play,” he said. “In a way, I could be like, ‘Ha!’ and be laughing at them, but these are my buddies and what if the shoes were on the other foot? What if I had went and the Jets signed me? I would’ve been sitting around and wouldn’t have known what was going on.” Not only that, but get this: Some of his friends in the NFL have even asked him during the lockout if he might be able to get them jobs. “They’re like, ‘Hey, Keith, if this doesn’t work out for me ...’ and I just tell them, ‘Just
go ahead and apply, just like I did,”’ he said. “No big-name guys, but guys who are straddling that line like I was. When they hear about what I do, it’s kind of exciting to them, too, because you turn into a kid all over again. You’re riding a train that has 4,000 or 5,000 horsepower and you really can get into the thrill of it. It’s a fun job, man.” But, he acknowledges, so is football. That’s what made his choice so difficult. Jets coach Rex Ryan wanted Fitzhugh to help with New York’s banged-up secondary, likely on the practice squad, after safety Jim Leonhard broke a leg and backup James Ihedigbo sprained an ankle. The Jets also called defensive back Emanuel Cook with the idea that he and Fitzhugh,
both of whom had spent time with the team in previous camps, could compete for a spot on the active roster. Cook said yes, and joined the team. Fitzhugh declined, and was back on the railroad. “It was really tough,” Fitzhugh said. “I can tell you this, I really teared up and cried because I wanted to go and do it, but I thought, ‘Keith, this might not be your best decision to go out there and leave this job you already have.”’ Fitzhugh spoke to Ryan a few weeks later and explained his decision, telling him he couldn’t just leave the security of a full-time job, not when he needed to help take care of his mother, Meltonia, and his father, Keith Sr., who’s disabled and can’t work. “He said, ‘Hey kid, I’m
proud of you,”’ Fitzhugh recalled Ryan telling him. “He understood.” It wasn’t easy watching the Jets advance to the AFC championship game as the ‘what-ifs’ crept in. “I was sitting there just shaking my head,” he said. “At the same time, I was thinking deep inside, ‘You know what, Keith? You made the best decision for you and your family and who says you would’ve been there with them anyway?’ That’s what I had to keep telling myself, that there wasn’t anything guaranteed.” Fitzhugh has been working at Norfolk Southern since last September and has become a full conductor, often working on the main line from Atlanta to Chattanooga and delivering freight — not passengers.
sports arena Submit items by e-mail at sports@ vicksburgpost.com; postal service at P.O. Box 821668, Vicksburg, MS 39182; fax at 601-634-0897; or delivered in person to 1601-F N. Frontage Road by Monday for publication Wednesday, or Friday for publication on Sunday. Please include your name and phone number.
Warren Central tennis tryouts Warren Central will conduct tennis tryouts on May 17-18 from 3:30 until 5:30 p.m. at the Halls Ferry tennis courts. Players must have a current physical and complete additional paperwork available from a school counselor. For information, call coach Paige Pratt at 601-6383981.
Vicksburg, WC athletic banquets Tickets for Vicksburg High’s athletic banquet are on sale now at the school. The banquet will be held Thursday at the school, at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 each, and everyone must have a ticket to attend. Warren Central’s athletic banquet will be held May 12 at 6 p.m. at the school. Tickets are $10 and are also on sale now. You must have a ticket to attend.
Mississippi State Road Dawgs Tour Mississippi State football coach Dan Mullen will be making a stop in Vicksburg as a part of the 2011 Bancorpsouth Road Dawgs Tour on May 11. The event, hosted by the Warren County Chapter of the Mississippi State University Alumni, will begin with registration starting at 11:30 a.m., followed by lunch and the program at noon. The event will be held at the Vicksburg Convention Center, 1600 Mulberry Street. Tickets for the event are $12 per person and can be
purchased in advance at the UPS Store on Pemberton Boulevard, or by contacting Tom Kendall, chapter president, at 601-631-3206 or TKendall@trustmark.com.
Tryouts for Warren Central girls’ soccer The Warren Central girls’ soccer team will conduct tryouts at the school today and Thursday starting at 3 p.m. They will be held at the top field at Warren Central on state highway 27. Any student entering grades 7-12 for the 2011-2012 school year can try out. Players must have a current physical and shin guards. For information, call coach Trey Banks at 601-6383372.
Tryouts for Vicksburg girls’ soccer team The Vicksburg girls’ soccer team will conduct tryouts at Memorial Stadium on May today and Thursday starting at 7 p.m. Players must have a current physical and shin guards.
Tryouts for Vicksburg boys’ soccer team The Vicksburg boys’ soccer team will conduct tryouts at the Vicksburg practice field today and Thursday starting at 3 p.m. Players must have a current physical and shin guards.
Paul Geer Memorial Bulldog Classic golf The Warren County Chapter of the Mississippi State University Alumni Association will hold the 21st annual Paul Geer Memorial Bulldog Classic scholarship golf tournament on May 18 at Vicksburg Country Club. The entry fee for the tournament is $85 per player. Registration and lunch will begin at noon and there will be a 1 p.m. shotgun start
for the four-man scramble format. For information, call Tom Kendall at 601-631-3206.
Tryouts for WC boys’ soccer The Warren Central boys’ soccer team will conduct tryouts at the school on May 16-17 starting at 3 p.m. They will be held at the top field at Warren Central on Mississippi 27. Any student entering grades 7-12 for the 20112012 school year may try out. Players must have a current physical, parental consent and shin guards. For information, call coach Greg Head at 601-636-8082.
Vicksburg Eagles youth football The Vicksburg Eagles Youth football team is currently accepting applications for players and cheerleaders ages 6-12 and coaches for the 2011 season. A copy of the participant’s birth certificate is required. All practices are held at the Vicksburg Junior High stadium. For information, call Perri Johnson at 601-456-1104 or Betty James at 601-415-7299.
Soccer camp at Hinds CC Hinds Community College will host its annual youth soccer camp June 6-10 on the Raymond campus. The camp is open to boys and girls ages 7-14, and will run from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each morning. Instructors are Hinds men’s coach Doug Williams, women’s coach Marcille McLendon, and current and former Hinds players. The cost of the camp is $130 if registered before May 15, and $150 after that date. For information, call Williams at 601-857-3342, McLendon at 601-857-3331, or visit sports. hindscc.edu and click on the soccer links.
submitted to The Vicksburg Post
The St. Aloysius girls’ track team won the regional title and are headed to the South State meet Saturday. First row from left, are Tori Thomas, Lyndsey Cowart, Alyssa Engel and Katie Martin Second row, from left, are Shelby Bottin, coach Richard Hodges, Grace Burnett, Elizabeth Counts, Alexa Engel, McKaylan Gray, Maggie Waites and coach Keiko Booth. Also on the team are Madison Lumbley, Ann Garrison Thomas, Katelyn Jones and Haylee Prescott.