Preise » still investigating the cause of the death

NAPA, Calif. -- Raiders tight end Clive Walford had the type of offseason that makes coaches cringe and smile.Walford suffered a knee injury while riding an ATV, and while the accident wasnt serious, it was enough to keep the 2015 third-round draft pick out of all of Oaklands OTAs and minicamps.On the other hand, Walford healed up enough to spend time with quarterback Derek Carr for private workouts, making up for the lost time and giving Walford a head start going into training camp.Walford showed how critical that was to his development when he made a one-handed catch on a deep throw from Carr during individual drills Wednesday.Youll see him every day we come out to warm up, as soon as he comes out he comes straight to me and wants to catch from me, Carr said. Thats the kind of things that we need and thats how he is.Walford is trying to make it through the preseason without a setback after missing large chunks of training camp during his rookie season because of hamstring and knee injuries.The injuries prevented Walford from practicing and were a major factor in his slow start. A holder of numerous tight end records at the University of Miami, Walford caught only three passes in the Raiders first five games a year ago and finished with 28 receptions for 329 yards and three touchdowns.Part of that was due to Oaklands revolving door at tight end in 2015. Mychal Rivera caught 32 passes as the primary receiving tight end while Lee Smith was used primarily as an extra blocker.Although its possible the Raiders might still keep three tight ends for the upcoming season, its equally likely theyll go with two.Walford figures to be atop the depth chart no matter how many tight ends Oakland keeps. He is a better blocker than Rivera, a better receiver than Smith and has the size (6-foot-4, 250 pounds) to be a match-up problem against opposing linebackers and safeties.I just continue to do what Ive been doing, working hard ever since I was at Miami, Walford said. If you work hard itll start to show. I guess thats what its doing.The Raiders werent happy when news broke of Walfords injury while riding the ATV. Walford said he hit an unexpected bump on the trail and tumbled off.Believe it or not, when the accident first happened I didnt realize how serious it was until I got to the hospital, Walford said. I thought maybe I just needed some stitches. They told me I was going to be out for a while, so I had to inform the team.Although he was unable to take part in on-field workouts while recovering, Walford stayed busy in the meeting rooms and weight room. Catching passes from Carr away from practices also helped make up for the lost time.The chemistry is still there, Walford said. I just have to get back into football shape.Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said Walfords desire to work out with Carr on the side was encouraging.When you take the time to get on the same page with your quarterback, if youre somebody thats going to catch the ball and be involved in the offense, thats a positive thing, Del Rio said. Thats a great sign for our football team. We see him as a real key player in our offense. Glad to have him back doing his thing.Game notes Undrafted defensive lineman Greg Townsend Jr. returned to practice. ... Owner Mark Davis will fly Friday to Canton, Ohio, along with his mother for the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies for the late Ken Stabler.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Cheap Nellie Fox Jersey . The 19-year-old Olsen played 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season. In that time, hes recorded 17 goals and 17 assists with 36 penalty minutes. Cheap MLB Jerseys . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. http://www.cheapwhitesoxjerseys.com/ . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night. Cheap Luke Appling Jersey .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. Cheap Carlton Fisk Jersey . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam was found dead Monday night in a Boulder park less than two miles from Folsom Field, where he carved his name into the University of Colorado record books as one of the greatest players in the programs history.The Boulder County coroners office was still investigating the cause of the death of the 42-year-old Salaam, who won the Heisman in 1994. The body of the one-time running back was found at Eben G. Fine Park in Boulder. Police say foul play was not suspected.Salaams mother, Khalada, told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday that police said they suspect he killed himself. They said they found a note and would share that with us when we get there, Salaams mother said.Dave Plati, associate athletic director at Colorado and a close friend of Salaams, said the former Buffaloes star never let on that he was hurting : When you were around him he was just the same old Rashaan. You know, effervescent, jolly, go-lucky, smiling all the time, doing things for other people.There was just no way to tell Salaam had these kind of demons inside him, Plati added. I was as close to him as anybody and loved the guy ... and wish I could have noticed or done something for him or wished that he would have called me.Salaams death stunned the Colorado football community which this year celebrated a revival with a 10-3 record, an appearance in the Pac-12 championship game and the Buffaloes first bowl bid in almost a decade.You talk about a young man who was smart, handsome, talented. He was very, very gifted. He was humble. He was a team guy, Bill McCartney, who coached Salaam from 1992-94, told The Associated Press.McCartney remembered Salaam as a natural leader.His personality was infectious. He just had a warmth about him, a genuineness about him that was really contagious, McCartney said. On the surface, he had everything. We thought he was a cut above, and he turned out to be.Former teammate Matt Russell, now the Denver Broncos director of player personnel, said Salaam was a fiercely loyal friend, the ultimate teammate and the very definition of a winner.He practiced hard, he played hard and he made our teams better, Russell said. My heart goes out to Rashaans mother and his family. They have a lot to be proud of with the person that Rashaan was, the way he treated people and the friend he was to everyone he came across. He will be missed by so many.Salaam rushed for 2,055 yards and 24 touchdowns as a junior in 1994, leading the Buffaloes to an 11-1 record, a win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl and a No. 3 finish in the final polls. He won the Heisman in a runaway.I went to New York with him, McCartney recalled. I was thrilled for him. Im pretty sure hes the only Buff that ever got that award. When we recruited him we knew he was special ... he just kept getting better.His work ethic was renowned. Former teammate Blake Anderson cant forget how Salaam used to lift weights with the offensive linemen, because thats how strong he was, and how dedicated he was.We were blessed with aan incredible team and love for one another, said Anderson, who was a receiver on the `94 team that also included fellow receiver Michael Westbrook and quarterback Kordell Stewart.dddddddddddd It was just an awesome, awesome experience to have the magnitude of the players that we had on that team, not only for their abilities to play football, but their abilities to love and be great friends, which we all are currently today.We are all hurting tremendously today.Salaam was one of the nations most prized recruits coming out of eight-man football at La Jolla Country Day, a private school in San Diego. His father played freshman football at CU in 1963 before transferring to San Diego State to be closer to home.When we recruited him and got him to commit, it was huge, McCartney said. We knew that he was going to distinguish himself. He was very highly recruited. I can remember how happy we were. He lived up to all our expectations. He was a tough kid, he was rugged, he had great acceleration, great athleticism.The Chicago Bears made him a first-round draft pick in 1995, and he rushed for 1,074 yards and 10 touchdowns in winning NFC Rookie of the Year honors.Injuries cut short his career. He only scored three rushing TDs in the next two years in Chicago and played his last NFL game with the Cleveland Browns in 1999. Salaam played for the Memphis Maniax of the defunct XFL and attempted one last comeback with the NFL before retiring.He was the only Heisman Trophy winner in the state of Colorado, Plati said. That could have been a burden in later years because he kind of felt he didnt have the great professional career that should have followed that. But that doesnt matter, its what you did to win the Heisman and hes an icon in college football.Rick Neuheisel, who was an assistant coach in Boulder when Salaam won the Heisman, said the play that epitomizes Salaams career for him was the Miracle at Michigan, when Stewarts 64-yard Hail Mary to Michael Westbrook on the final play beat the Wolverines 27-26 on Sept. 24, 1994.All he did was create time for Kordell Stewart to get that play off, Neuheisel said. And if you ever see that play, Rashaan Salaam had one blocking assignment and then came back and got another blocking assignment, which allowed Kordell to kind of crow-hop up in the pocket and make the throw that well all remember for a lifetime.But there was the Heisman Trophy winner. He wasnt just about getting the ball or catching the ball. He was about, `What do I need to do for my guys so that we can have the best possible chance for success? And whether he had ball or didnt, it didnt matter, he was going to go all-out.---AP College Football Writer Ralph Russo, Associated Press writer Sadie Gurman, Associated Press videographer Peter Banda and Associated Press photographer Brennan Linsey contributed to this story.---More AP college football: http://collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '