ALAMEDA, Calif. - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. The veteran backup is certainly qualified to speak on the topic, having received a crash course on it over the past 15 months. Jennings will make his second start of the season Sunday against the New York Giants while Darren McFadden rests his sore hamstring. He also started six games for Jacksonville in 2012 while Maurice Jones-Drew was sidelined with a foot injury. The message Jennings delivered? Dont wait or its too late. "When I was in high school I kept a quote: When opportunity presents itself, its too late to prepare for it," Jennings said. "So every day be prepared to be that guy." Thats been the case for Jennings, who has been a jack-of-all-trades in his first season with the Raiders. Besides filling in for McFadden, hes blocked two punts and recovered an onside kick on special teams this season. Despite his part-time status, Jennings is also the only Oakland player to catch more than six passes in a game this season. He had eight against Washington on Sept. 29 after McFadden left that game injured, then grabbed another seven in last weeks 49-20 loss to Philadelphia. When McFadden got hurt last week against Philadelphia, Jennings responded with his first 100-yard game in nearly three years. "It just goes back to the mental preparation and trying to put yourself in the game," Jennings said. "You never know when youre going to get called, you really dont. I dont think thats coined as much as its really said and its kind of passed over. But you dont know, you never know. So make sure youre ready." Jennings game against the Eagles marked just the second time this season that an Oakland running back has topped the century mark. McFadden ran for 129 yards against Jacksonville in Week 2 but has been mostly ineffective and is averaging just 3.6 yards a carry. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who has a pair of 100-yard rushing games this season, has given the ground game a lift. He leads the team with 485 yards rushing and is the primary reason the Raiders have the fourth-ranked running offence. Jennings would be content with anything as long as Oakland wins. The Raiders (3-5) play four of their next five games on the road and are just 7-25 in November since 2005. McFadden didnt accompany the team on its trip to New York. Neither did right tackle Matt McCants, who has a foot injury. McCants injury means second-round pick Menelik Watson will make his first start in New York, one week after making his NFL debut. Hell also be the third different starting right tackle Oakland has used this season. "Obviously, hes gotten limited exposure but we have confidence in him," Raiders coach Dennis Allen said Friday. "Really, thats what your job is. When youre called upon to go in and do a job, you have to go in and do the job. Thats the way of the National Football League." Rookie nickelback D.J. Hayden will also be held out of the game. Oaklands first-round draft pick injured a groin muscle earlier this week and has been held out of practice each of the past two days. ___ AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org Jerseys Cheap Online . Luke Hughes and Ben Revere highlighted the Twins attack, with a pair of hits and two RBI apiece. We just hit and found the right holes, said Revere. Alexi Casilla belted a solo home run while Danny Valencia and Michael Cuddyer added RBI doubles for Minnesota, which extended its winning streak to a season-high eight games. Jerseys Cheap NBA .Y. -- Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta was released from the hospital Wednesday, after absorbing a hard hit late in the first period of Buffalos 4-3 loss to the Maple Leafs Tuesday in Toronto. http://www.jerseyscheapwholesale.us.com/ . It came July 28 when the Calgary Stampeders running back ran for -1 yards on six carries in a 34-8 home loss to the B.C. Lions. That gave the native of New Westminster, B. Jerseys Cheap Authentic . The 25-year-old Edgin joined the team before Friday nights game against the Braves. He was 3-2 with a 3.89 ERA and one save at Buffalo. Jerseys Cheap NFL . The eight-team, single-elimination CIS championship, hosted by Laval University for the sixth time in history and the first time since 2003, gets under way Friday with the quarter-final round and concludes Sunday at 4:30 p.m. with the gold-medal final.DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies gave Todd Helton a horse -- a real horse -- to ride off into retirement. In a pregame tribute commemorating his final contest at Coors Field on Wednesday night, Helton caught the ceremonial first pitch from his daughter with his wife, younger daughter and good friend Peyton Manning watching from the field. Afterward, a cowboy emerged from the left field gate and trotted out Heltons newest teammate -- a shimmering black and white gelding Paint horse named "A Tru Bustamove." The horse came complete with a custom-made saddle that featured the Rockies logo, Heltons number (17) and a silver embroidered handle. All the while, the fans showered Helton with applause as he wore purple pinstripes in front of the home crowd for the final time in his 17-year career. He acknowledged them with a tip of his cap before heading into the dugout to get ready for a game against the Boston Red Sox. He hit a solo homer in his first at-bat after the tribute, bringing the raucous crowd to its feet yet again. Helton appreciates all the outpouring of emotion even if hes a no-fuss kind of person. Each time Helton has stepped into the batters box or made a play in the field -- no matter how routine -- since announcing his retirement nearly two weeks ago, the crowd at Coors Field has given him a roaring ovation. "Seventeen years goes by in a heartbeat," said Helton, who presented the lineup to the home plate umpire before the game. "Once you get caught up in a season, caught up going out there and playing, it just happens. The next thing you know youre retiring." Soon, Helton will trade driving in runs for riding around his Colorado ranch with his new horse. Leading up to his final home game, Helton admitted it was going to be tough and "emotional." "Its also going to be a good day," said Helton, whose final game is Sunday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. His teammates leaned on the dugout railing as they watched highlights of Heltons career. Manning had a front-row view, too, taking a quick break from preparing for Sundays game against the Philadelphia Eagles. "Itll be a special night, emotional night for a lot of people that will be there," the Broncos quarterback said after Wednesdays practice. "And Im looking forward to being there." Saying farewell to Helton seems almost surreal for smooth-field shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Helton has scooped countless throws out of the dirt to bail out Tulowitzki and the rest of the infielders. "Its just crazy to think he wont be there," Tulowitzki said. "It will be a sad day for myself, seeing him go. But Im happy for him, if its time to go. Hes had a great career, a Hall of Fame career." Helton will certainly receive strong consideration for Cooperstown, even if he did play his entire career at hitter-friendly Coorrs Field.dddddddddddd After all, hes one of two players to have at least 2,500 hits, 550 doubles, 350 home runs and hit .315 or higher for his career. The other? Former St. Louis Cardinals great and Hall of Famer Stan Musial. "Helton has put up monster numbers," outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said. "Im sure that he feels really happy the way hes going to end." Indeed, he does. Always able to keep his emotions in check, Helton cracked -- briefly, anyway -- at his recent farewell news conference, choking up several times as he chatted about his playing days. On the way to the park, he shed a tear, too. Just one, though, he said. "Theres no crying in baseball," he said. Helton insisted hes at peace with his decision. Hes ready for retirement, despite hitting .314 since his announcement. "Mentally, 17 years is enough. Physically, its definitely enough," said Helton, a first-round pick out of the University of Tennessee in 1995. "Its September. Im 40 years old. Im looking forward to the season ending. It may be tough again once spring training rolls around, when next seasons starts. It may be hard for me then. But right now, its been a long grind, long season. Its time." With Helton goes the face of the franchise, the player whos been in the field so long that he once was teammates with current manager Walt Weiss. "Just steady. Just so steady," Rockies owner Dick Monfort said about his longtime first baseman whos been bothered by back and hip trouble in recent seasons. "When Todd came up to bat, you had as much confidence in him as anybody. Well miss him around here." Helton made his Rockies debut on Aug. 2, 1997, in Pittsburgh, batting fifth and starting in left field. He flied out in his first plate appearance and then singled. Following a walk, he hit his first homer, a solo shot off Marc Wilkins. Since then, there have been plenty more highlights for Helton: -- Winning three gold gloves. -- Finishing fifth in the 2000 NL MVP race after a season in which he hit .372 with 42 homers and 147 RBIs. -- Hitting for his only cycle on June 19, 1999, against Florida. -- Making five All-Star teams. -- Leading the Rockies to the 2007 World Series (where they were swept by the Boston Red Sox). Red Sox slugger David Ortiz had a feeling this sort of career was about to unfold for Helton after a conversation with former Rockies shortstop Neifi Perez during winter ball in 1997. Perez said there was an up-and-comer named Helton about to step in for Andres "Big Cat" Galarraga. "The following year were playing winter ball again and Im like, Neifi, you were right," Ortiz recounted. "Hes been a leader for that ball club for a long time and hes been teaching a lot of young kids the right thing. Thats one of the good guys you want to have around." cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '
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