AVENGERS UPDATE: AVENGERS GETTING BACK TO PRACTICE.Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer CULVER CITY Culver City, city (1990 pop. 38,793), Los Angeles co., S Calif., a residential suburb of Los Angeles; inc. 1917. It is a center of the U.S. motion-picture industry, whose roots in the city date to c.1915. Its chief manufactures are rubber products and computers. - The Avengers returned to practice Tuesday for the first time without lineman Al Lucas Albert Lucas (September 1, 1978 – April 10, 2005) was an American football player in the NFL and Arena Football League who died in a game for the Los Angeles Avengers. , who died tragically Sunday. For some, it was cathartic cathartic (kəthär`tĭk): see laxative. . For others, it was a difficult task. But everyone took inspiration when Lucas' father, David, who arrived from Georgia on Monday night, talked with the team before practice at West L.A. College. ``It was a great conversation,'' lineman Fred Ray said. ``That was his father and he told us Al was his baby boy. He said if someone else went down, he knows that I'd be ready the next week to dedicate ded·i·cate tr.v. ded·i·cat·ed, ded·i·cat·ing, ded·i·cates 1. To set apart for a deity or for religious purposes; consecrate. 2. the rest of the season to (that player). You don't dedicate wins and losses. Coach (Ed) Hodgkiss made a good point: You can dedicate how well you prepare yourself and how hard you work and that's what he did.'' Ray's locker was next to Lucas'. For most of the players, the toughest part of the day was seeing Lucas' belongings in his locker. Lucas was hit in the head by an opponent's leg when he tried to make a tackle on special teams Sunday, causing a spinal cord injury Spinal Cord Injury Definition Spinal cord injury is damage to the spinal cord that causes loss of sensation and motor control. Description Approximately 10,000 new spinal cord injuries (SCIs) occur each year in the United States. . Further tests will be conducted. Tuesday's practice was a light one with no contact. Today, the team will return to full practice in preparation for Sunday's game at Nashville. The healing process has begun, but for lineman Silas Demary Silas DeMary (born December 12, 1971) is an offensive lineman/defensive lineman for the Los Angeles Avengers, an Arena Football League team. High school career While attending Bishopville High School in Bishopville, South Carolina, Demary lettered in football, basketball, , being on the field was another reminder of Lucas' absence. ``It originates more when you're on the field,'' Demary said. ``He had a presence out there on the field. Everybody knew when he was out there. It was tough to come out here today and to come to the locker room and go in the section where (the linemen) sit. Just to see his stuff in the locker.'' The Avengers, in cooperation with the NFL NFL abbr. National Football League NFL (US) n abbr (= National Football League) → Fußball-Nationalliga players association (which oversees the Arena Football League players association) will announce a trust fund established for Lucas' daughter, Mariah. Lucas' family will bring Lucas' body back to Macon, Ga., this week. Funeral arrangements are still pending. ``Today was better than yesterday,'' Hodgkiss said. ``Yesterday was better than the day before. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better. Every day has gotten a little bit better.'' Jill Painter, (818) 713-3615 jill.painter(at)dailynews.com |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion