Injury cuts short female kicker’s tryout
Randy Moss not done yet with football
FLORHAM PARK, New Jersey, March 4, (Agencies): Frustrated and maybe a bit embarrassed, Lauren Silberman fought back tears after kicking her way into NFL history.
She became the first woman to try out at a regional combine Sunday, but she lasted all of two kicks — none of which traveled even 20 yards. The 28-year-old Silberman hurt her right quadriceps while preparing for the tryout earlier in the week, and attributed her struggles to that injury.
“I tried staying off it and waited for today,” she said. “I didn’t even take kicks in warm-ups, and, it’s pretty hard to know that you’ll be in pain, and I wanted to work through it and I certainly tried to, but I just couldn’t do it today.”
While some fans on Twitter praised her for breaking through in a male-dominated sport, others wondered if this was just a publicity stunt. Regardless, the NFL got plenty of attention on a Sunday in March for one of its regional combines — something most media normally ignore.
“I’m just really happy I had this amazing experience,” Silberman said. “I might be the first woman trying out for the NFL, but I certainly hope I’m not the last.”
With the 36 other kickers — all male — a handful of scouts and more than two dozen media watching in complete silence at the New York Jets’ practice facility, Silberman winced as she attempted her first kickoff and the ball traveled only 19 yards.
She grabbed at her right leg, and then struggled for about 20 seconds to place the football on the tee before measuring her steps and trying a second kick. It went about 13 yards. She then asked to see a trainer and left the practice field, and appeared to be favoring her right leg.
“They certainly didn’t go as far as they were in practices,” Silberman said, “but I tried to work through the pain.”
She wouldn’t reveal how long her kicks were in the weeks leading up to the tryout.
“It’s still hard to exactly say, but I just got better day by day,” she said with a smile. “The distance is getting there.”
Silberman is a former club soccer player at Wisconsin and ex-graduate student at MIT. While she never kicked a football in a competitive game, the NFL said Silberman qualified for the regional combine because of her athletic background.
“Our job is to evaluate talent and not leave any stone unturned,” said Stephen Austin, the NFL’s director of regional combines. “We want young, athletic people who have played a sport, typically in college or military or small schools.”
The regional combines began in 2011, and include players who weren’t among the 333 invited to the main combine in Indianapolis. The NFL is holding these sessions in 10 cities this offseason, with the most impressive players advancing to a super-regional in Dallas in April.
Silberman paid a registration fee — $275 — and just needed to show up Sunday and take her best shot at impress- ing scouts.
“Until they get here, we don’t have any idea of what they’re really going to turn out to do and how they’re going to perform,” Austin said. When asked if he could evaluate Silberman’s performance, Austin said: “That evaluation is completely incomplete.”
Silberman, who spoke for just 3 minutes after the tryout, insisted she can “do more” and “it’s too bad that this happened.” She called the scene “surreal,” adding that she “did the right thing for my body” by not continuing and anticipates trying to kick again in the future — possibly at another regional combine next year.
“I’ve always been an athlete, and I’ve always been a gamer,” she said, her eyes tearing up. “When I had the opportunity to be in the NFL, one of the world’s most competitive leagues, I absolutely had to take the chance.”
Wide receiver Randy Moss might be done with the San Francisco 49ers, but his teammates say he’s not finished playing football.
Moss wants to come back for a final season in the NFL, according to 49ers players who spoke with CBSSports.com.
“I think Randy wants to play again,” an unnamed 49ers player said. “I’m just not sure he wants to go to another team and have to learn another system.”
Moss, 36, doesn’t expect to be back with the 49ers next season. He tweeted farewell to San Francisco on Saturday. Moss is set to become a free agent on March 12.
Moss, who returned to football last season with the 49ers and reached the Super Bowl after retiring in 2011, likely would seek to play for a Super Bowl contender. It would be his 15th season in the NFL.
Cincinnati Bengals right tackle Andre Smith is seeking a contract that will pay him $9 million on the free-agent market, ProFootballTalk reported.
Smith, 26, becomes a free agent after just four years because of a clause in the contract he signed as a rookie. to pitch a simulated third inning and said he didn’t feel any pain.
‘’All I was trying to do was throw strikes,’’ Scherzer said. ‘’I threw strikes and they were swinging. All I wanted to do was make sure I didn’t walk the house my first time out.’’
Scherzer is just behind ace Justin Verlander at the front end of the Tigers’ rotation. Verlander led the major leagues with 239 strikeouts, eight more than Scherzer, who pitched just four innings after Sept 23 as Detroit’s rested him for the postseason.
‘’I got beat, but he kind of won by default,’’ Scherzer said with a smile. ‘’We were one-two in all of baseball.’’
Scherzer did lead in strikeouts per nine innings at 11.08.
Scherzer was making his first game appearance since the fourth and final game of the World Series, when he didn’t get a decision in a 10-inning loss to San Francisco.
‘’He was fantastic,’’ Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. ‘’He did fine. I am more anxious to see how he feels tomorrow than I am right now. We are still in the infant stages of spring training. He threw strikes and that’s what I wanted to see.’’
For Scherzer, the end of his 2012 season is a distant memory.
‘’I feel fine,’’ he said. ‘’Everybody is making a bigger deal than they should.’’
Braves starter Mike Minor allowed one hit in three scoreless innings, combining with six relievers on a three-hitter. Minor allowed two runs and walked two in two innings against Washington on Feb 26.
‘’That was a lot better than my first outing,’’ he said. ‘’I need to be consistent. I got the ball down and got it over the plate. That’s what it’s all about in spring training.’’
Brewers 4, Cubs 3 In Mesa, Ariz, before he left the Milwaukee Brewers to join Team Mexico for the World Baseball Classic, Marco Estrada received well wishes from manager Ron Roenicke.
But not from Canadian teammates John Axford and Jim Henderson.
‘’There’s too much trash talk going on,’’ Estrada said. ‘’There’s been a lot. I didn’t think it would be like this, but it is all fun and games. Ax and Hendu are giving it to me a little bit and I am giving it right back.’’
If Estrada pitches the way he did Sunday, he might return with bragging rights. The 29-year-old right-hander tossed four scoreless innings to help the Brewers beat a Chicago Cubs split squad 4-3 in front of 7,431 fans at HoHoKam Stadium.
Estrada, who went 5-7 with a 3.64 ERA in 29 games (23 starts) last season, allowed one hit, walked two and struck out three.
‘’I went out trying to work on stuff,’’ he said. ‘’I felt like the curveball was a little off and that I was rushing. Overall, I threw pretty well. I located with the fastball and that’s the most important thing right now. Once you get that going you can work on the other stuff.’’
Estrada was born in California but takes pride in playing for Mexico and feels he is ready to go.
‘’I know it is early but I feel like I’ve thrown enough where I can give them those 65 pitches (the first-round limit),’’ he said. ‘’Hopefully we can get to the second round and build up to 80. It’s a good feeling and I feel pretty confident heading into the Classic.
‘’There is nothing like it and I am really excited. This is it and you are trying to win it all.’’
Carlos Gomez homered and Taylor Green had two hits for Milwaukee, including an RBI single in the first inning.
Cubs starter Edwin Jackson was nowhere near as efficient as Estrada. Jackson, who signed a $52 million, fouryear contract with Chicago in the offseason, allowed two runs and two hits in two innings. He also walked three, hit a batter with a pitch and made a throwing error into center field on an attempted double play.
‘’It was one of those days in spring training when you feel pretty good and you want to let it go, but you don’t control the tempo like you should,’’ said Jackson, who went 10-11 with a 4.03 ERA for Washington last season. ‘’It was a matter of finding the tempo and you have to do a good job of slowing it down.’’
Chicago was held to two hits by six Brewers pitchers. Cubs prospect Javier Baez had a two-run homer and drove in three runs.
Brewers right-hander Kelvim Escobar left after getting two outs in the sixth because of a problem with his pitching hand. He walked two and hit a batter with a pitch.
‘’He didn’t feel strength in his hand and the ball was coming out of his hand funny,’’ Roenicke said. ‘’We will see how he is (on Tuesday).’’
Athletics 7, Rockies 2 In Scottsdale, Ariz, Todd Helton fig-
Orioles 12, Phillies 3 In Sarasota, Fla, a year ago, the Baltimore Orioles had no idea what they had in Miguel Gonzalez. This season, they’re depending on him to be a fixture in the rotation.
Gonzalez was signed as a minor league free agent after spring training began in 2012 and never appeared in big league camp. Less than two months into the season, though, the right-hander had pitched so well in the minors that the Orioles promoted him and he became their secondbiggest winner.