NFL: Peterson proves them wrong
Maybe it’s the shoes, the outlandish, neon green spikes Julian Peterson calls his “gangrenes,” that propelled him to three sacks against San Francisco.
“Pretty much designed on my own,” the Seahawks’ pass rushing menace said proudly this week. “Thought it would be cool to throw on some loud shoes. I know I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing them on the street. But with the uniform it looks good.”
More likely, it’s the chip. The one that was on the three-time Pro Bowl player’s shoulder after he ruptured his Achilles tendon two years ago and some said he was finished.
“The biggest part was proving people wrong,” Peterson said, coming off what he called his “perfect” career day against his former team and preparing to lead Seattle’s new, aggressive defense into Pittsburgh on Sunday.
“When I first did it, it was like, ‘Well, it’s over with. Most people don’t come back from an Achilles. Your career is over with. That’s your whole thing, using your athletic ability.’
“I was like, ‘I’m going to be back.’ “
Oh, yeah, he’s back.
One season after Peterson set a career high with 10 sacks in his debut for the Seahawks, Seattle is getting more bang for its bucks. Peterson has five sacks in four games this season, in which he’s earning $18.5 million.
Alexander ready to remove cast
For weeks, Shaun Alexander’s cast has been getting more attention than his running.
What color is it? How big is it? What kind is it?
“The cast is a great fashion statement – but I am already ready for it to end,” the Seahawks’ star running back said. Sunday’s game at Pittsburgh (3-1) will be the fourth game he has played with a cast on his cracked left wrist.
For the record: Alexander practiced again while wearing a smaller, black cast on Thursday.
How much longer will he be wearing it? Coach Mike Holmgren said he doesn’t know. Neither does Alexander.
Alexander likely will get a third X-ray on the wrist following the game against the Steelers. Then he joked that next week he’ll be wearing green, “and maybe purple the week after that.”
“Alexander’s backup, Maurice Morris, missed practice with a hip injury. … Starting defensive tackle Rocky Bernard (ankle) returned to practice.
Henry tries to stop suspension
Denver Broncos running back Travis Henry, the league’s leading rusher, is trying to prevent the NFL from suspending him over the results of a drug test, Newsday reported.
Henry was granted a temporary restraining order in Suffolk County (N.Y.) Supreme Court to prevent the league from using a urine specimen against him and to prevent the league from disclosing the test results, but an appellate court vacated the order, according to court papers filed in Brooklyn federal court.
The report on the newspaper’s Web site said Henry claims the league violated its substance abuse policy by not allowing his experts to be present for testing of his urine sample, according to court papers.
Bears’ Briggs pleads guilty
Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs will be under court supervision for a year and must perform 120 hours in community service after crashing his Lamborghini alongside an expressway and leaving the scene. Briggs pleaded guilty in Skokie, Ill., to leaving the scene of a property damage accident and failure to report an accident.