Florida CB Brown making gains after years of pain

NCAA Football Betting Lines

09/10/2010 -

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -Just hours before Florida's season opener, cornerback Jeremy Brown was still wearing a protective boot on his right foot.

A teammate landed on him in practice earlier in the week, leaving Brown on crutches and out of the starting lineup against Miami (Ohio).

``Everybody kept saying, `Maybe you should just let it go and sit out this game,''' Brown said.

No chance. Not now. Not after all he had been through.

Brown spent his first two years at Florida battling a debilitating back injury. He had two herniated discs, inflamed joints, nerve damage and enough pain that he ``couldn't even put on socks and shoes.'' Compared to that, playing though a sprained ankle was easy.

``I worked so hard to try to come back,'' Brown said. ``I worked so hard for this moment, and here it was and I'm thinking I'm not going to be able to play. ... I just had faith. Then when it got closer to game time, I just said I have to go. I have to do what I can to help my team.''

Brown came up big, too.

Filling in for injured starter Moses Jenkins, Brown intercepted a pass late in the fourth quarter that ended Miami's slim shot at a comeback. Now, with Jenkins sidelined indefinitely because of a dislocated elbow, Brown will make his first career start Saturday when the eighth-ranked Gators (1-0) host South Florida (1-0).

It has to go smoother than his back injury.

``I'm just thankful to have this opportunity,'' Brown said. ``I would rather be on this end than the other end. ... It definitely puts a little pressure on me to step up. It's time to turn it up a little bit and get ready to go.''

Brown was ready to go as a freshman.

Coach Urban Meyer likes to point out that Brown, a third-year sophomore from Orlando, was ahead of Janoris Jenkins when he got hurt in 2008. Yep, the guy who made just about every All-Freshman team might not have gotten on the field had Brown not tweaked his back.

Brown did, and Jenkins took advantage. Jenkins started 25 games the last two years and emerged as the team's best man-to-man defender.

Brown could only think about what might have been.

``Sometimes when you have a serious injury, you second-guess and you wonder a little bit,'' he said. ``But my confidence is back and I'm past my injury.''

It wasn't an easy road, though.

Brown had a minor back injury in high school, but nothing that kept him off the field. He came to Florida in January 2008 and made strides in spring practice and summer workouts. But when fall practice rolled around, his back starting to tighten up. It kept getting worse, too.

Ice, heat, message therapy, nothing worked. Team doctors eventually ran tests that showed disc damage.

``When the MRI showed that my discs were messed up, I though, `Wow, this is serious,''' said Brown, who had his L4-L5 discs repaired. ``I've had a million procedures done, but we've got it taken care of,'' he said.

It took two years to get right, though. Brown spent countless hours in the training room, in the pool and hooked up to a back machine.

Nonetheless, there were times none of it helped.

``Whenever it would get bad, I would stay in bed for days,'' Brown said. ``I literally mean days. There were consecutive days I just couldn't even get up. ... There were times I couldn't even get out of bed, move. I just passed out on the ground. It was bad.''

It's better now, healthy enough that Brown beat out Moses Jenkins during training camp. Jenkins started the opener only because of Brown's foot injury. Brown didn't stay on the sideline long. He got a painkilling injection before the game and came on in the third quarter.

``He came out and played 31 plays and graded out a champion in his first ever game played at Florida,'' Meyer said. ``That's a heck of a story.''

It's just getting started. Brown will face South Florida's Evan Landi and Dontavia Bogan on Saturday. They combined for eight catches for 178 yards and a touchdown last week against Stony Brook.

The Gators are confident Brown is ready for the next test.

``All the things that he's been through with his back just shows that if you keep going and keep working hard good things will come to you,'' safety Ahmad Black said.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.

Wwwmacauslot NCAA Football Betting News

<< Buckeye! All 3 Rams linebackers went to Ohio State
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Before they've made a single tackle, the St. Louis Rams' starting linebackers have some notoriety. James Laurinaitis, Na'il Diggs and Larry Grant all played at Ohio State.``It's funny how all the stars kind of align,'' Laurinaitis s

<< Colts hoping battered line holds up against Texans
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Charlie Johnson understands the stakes in Sunday's season opener against Houston.As the Indianapolis Colts' left tackle, he must keep former No. 1 draft pick Mario Williams away from Peyton Manning. As part of the offensive line,

<< Saints grind out 14-9 win over Vikings in opener
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The New Orleans Saints opened their title defense by winning with defense.Jonathan Vilma intercepted Brett Favre, and the Saints allowed the Minnesota Vikings only two first downs and no points in the second half of a hard-fought

<< Packers' O-line expects to keep Rodgers upright
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) - The Green Bay Packers' offensive line got off to such a bad start last year that it's even serving as a punchline for the satirical newspaper The Onion.In its tongue-in-cheek NFL preview this week, the paper's website wrote, `

<< Brady's day starts with crash, ends with contract
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) - A loud crash. A crumpled front end. A brief stay in an ambulance.It was a very bad start to Tom Brady's day.A new contract. The highest average salary in the NFL. A deal that ties him to the New England Patriots through 2014

No. 9 Iowa understandably wary of Iowa St >>
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -The rivalry between Iowa and Iowa State has become predictable.The Hawkeyes are usally expected to pound the underdog Cyclones - and it usually doesn't happen.Iowa State has made life miserable for the rival Hawkeyes, winning s

Wyoming, mourning death of player, faces Texas >>
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -The Wyoming football teams says they will play this weekend in honor of a fallen teammate.The Cowboys play at No. 5 Texas on Saturday night. Before the game, Ruben Narcisse's photo will grace the giant stadium scoreboard screen a

No. 11 Wisconsin on 14-game home opener win streak >>
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -Wisconsin wants to shoot down any comparisons with another top ranked team that could be made Saturday when the 11th-ranked Badgers take on San Jose State.The Spartans lost 48-3 to No. 1 Alabama last Saturday and San Jose State c

Report: NCAA looks into Tennessee basketball program >>
Knoxville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NCAA has reportedly looked into the Tennessee men's basketball program as part of an overall investigation into the school's athletics program. The Knoxville News Sentinel reported Thursday,

No. 6 Huskers' Martinez to measure self vs. Idaho >>
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -After passing his trial run as Nebraska's starter, Taylor Martinez can strengthen his grip on the quarterback's job with another strong outing Saturday against Idaho.Martinez won over his teammates, not to mention the fans, in la

You've come to the right place if you're searching for a great legal online sportsbook ! The sportsbooks featured on this page accept sports wagers for the NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL, NCAA, Tennis, Soccer, Auto-Racing, Golf, Boxing, Horseracing, and many more. Using the information displayed on this page, you'll be able to make a wise-decision when selecting an online sportsbook and wagering service.

If you've never wagered at an online sportsbook before, you will find the process of starting to be straightforward. First, you choose a sportsbook from the list provided below. We feature the top sportsbooks on the web, with rankings based on company size, reputation, security, web site usability, and payment options. Once you've chosen the betting site that's right for you, the next step is online registration. You'll need to provide some basic information to create your account and receive a username and password. At this time, you'll also select a payment option. The books reviewed accept Visa, Mastercard, BankWire, and several others. Once you have an account created with the Sportsbook, you're ready to start wagering. You'll want to get familiar with their website and contact their Customer Service department if you have any questions.

Also, make sure you read the terms and conditions, which is usually located at the bottom of the homepage. The terms and conditions will outline all of the rules and regulations for the sportsbook. Once you are comfortable with the website and fully understand all of the rules, you are ready to start betting on your favorite sports teams or even on some hot current events!

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.

Football Betting: Defensive Rookie of the Year Awards

Oddsmakers have released the odds for the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry has been made the opening favorite.

Bet on NFL Football

Seattle took Curry with the fourth overall pick in April's NFL draft and plan on inserting him into its starting lineup right away. The Hawks traded linebacker Julian Peterson in the offseason, so Curry is expected to have a significant role in Seattle's defense next year and that's one of the primary reasons he is the favorite to win the NFL ROY Award.

Oddsmakers from online sportsbook MySportsbook.com have made Curry a 5/1 favorite to win this year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Given that he was the best defensive prospect in this year's draft and how he'll have plenty of opportunities to make plays in '09, Curry offers a ton of value at 5/1.

Another thing working for Curry is the position he plays. A linebacker has won the defensive ROY award six straight times and eight of the last nine years. Jerod Mayo, Patrick Willis, DeMeco Ryans, Shawne Merriman, Jonathan Vilma, Terrell Suggs, Kendrell Bell and Brian Urlacher were the most recent linebackers to take home the award.

Following Curry at 5/1 are Tyson Jackson (Chiefs) at 7/1, James Laurinaitas (Rams) at 8/1, Brian Orakpo (Redskins) at 10/1, Rey Maualuga (Bengals) at 10/1 and Jerry Peria (Falcons) at 10/1.

All the players mentioned above are expected to start for their respective teams, but Jackson and Peria are going to have a tough time being recognized on a national level given they're both defensive linemen. D-linemen rarely put up the numbers that it takes to win an individual award like the ROY.

A couple of players with some value are Clay Matthews (Packers) at 12/1 and Larry English (Chargers) at 15/1. Matthews is expected to start at outside linebacker in Green Bay's new 3-4 defense and could rack up a ton of tackles. English, who was an impressive player at Northern Illinois, is expected to be a situational pass rusher for the Chargers and could rack up a ton of sacks.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, see below. And for complete odds for the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, click the link provided.

2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award

Robert Ayers (DEN) 12/1

Ron Brace (NE) 25/1

Everette Brown (CAR) 16/1

Darius Butler (NE) 40/1

Patrick Chung (NE) 30/1

Aaron Curry (SEA) 5/1

Brian Cushing (HOU) 12/1

Vontae Davis (MIA) 30/1

Louis Delmas (DET) 30/1

Larry English (SD) 15/1

Evander Hood (PIT) 25/1

Tyson Jackson (KC) 7/1

Malcolm Jenkins (NO) 25/1

Paul Kruger (BAL) 50/1

James Laurinaitas (STL) 8/1

Sen'Derrick Marks (TEN) 20/1

Clay Matthews (GB) 12/1

Aaron Maybin (BUF) 15/1

Rey Maualuga (CIN) 10/1

Roy Miller (TB) 20/1

Michael Mitchell (OAK) 45/1

Fili Moala (IND) 30/1

Brian Orakpo (WAS) 10/1

Jerry Peria (ATL) 10/1

B J Raji (GB) 7/1

Clint Sintim (NYG) 35/1

Alphonso Smith (DEN) 40/1

David Verkune (CLE) 20/1

Jason Williams (DAL) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 6/1

NFL football gambling

To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.