Chris Pro to go pro; drafted by Jaguars

 Former University of Wyoming Cowboy Chris Prosinski was selected in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft on Saturday by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Prosinski was the 24th pick in the fourth round and was the 121st overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. He becomes the highest Wyoming Cowboy drafted since 1997 when UW offensive tackle Steve Scifres was drafted in the third round (83rd overall pick, 23rd pick in the third round) by the Dallas Cowboys. Prosinski also becomes the first Cowboy, and the first native of the state of Wyoming who played at UW, to be drafted since John Wendling (Rock Springs) was selected in 2007 in the siixth round (184th overall pick, 10th pick in the sixth round) by the Buffalo Bills.

Prosinski concluded his college football career at Wyoming ranked No. 4 in career tackles in school history with 373. His senior year he was credited with 108 total tackles, marking the second consecutive year in which he had over 100 tackles in a single season (he had 140 tackles as a junior) and the second consecutive season that he led the Cowboys in tackles. He ranked No. 3 in the Mountain West Conference in tackles (9.0 per game) and ranked No. 37 in the nation for all players at all positions.

For the second year in a row in 2010, Prosinski was named Second Team All-MWC by conference head coaches and media. At the team’s annual awards banquet, Prosinski was named recipient of the Coach Paul Roach Team MVP Award. The award is named after former UW head football coach and athletics director Paul Roach, who was part of six of Wyoming’s seven Western Athletic Conference Championships, and contributed to six of UW’s 12 bowl appearances.

Prosinski was also one of only two Wyoming senior football players to be honored by the Wyoming Chapter of the National Football Foundation as its UW Scholar-Athletes for the 2010 season.

On a national level, Prosinski was one of 121 semifinalists for the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) 2010 William V. Campbell Trophy, which honors college football’s top scholar-athlete each year from all levels of college football -- NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. Of the 121 semifinalists, Prosinski was one of only 47 student-athletes selected from NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision schools across the nation. The William V. Campbell Trophy was previously named the Draddy Trophy, and is commonly referred to as the “Academic Heisman”.

An outstanding leader, he was voted a team captain by his teammates in the spring of 2010. He started the last 37 consecutive games at free safety for the Cowboys. His best individual performances of 2010 included: two 12-tackle games versus No. 3 ranked Boise State and No. 10 ranked Utah; and two 11-tackle performances at No. 4 ranked Texas and at New Mexico. Prosinski graduated in May of 2010 with a degree in business administration.

Ajayi, Gilmore sign to play for Cowboys.

 New Wyoming men's head basketball coach Larry Shyatt announced Thursday the addition of two new players to the roster, with the signing of  post Lekan Ajayi and point guard Derrious Gilmore to national letter of intent to play for the Cowboys beginning in the fall of 2011.

“Lekan (Ajayi) was a player we had an opportunity to recruit during this past year at the University of Florida,” Shyatt said. “As soon as I came to Wyoming and knew Lekan was still available, I felt he was someone who could make a major impact for our program for years to come. I’ve always been impressed with his motor, his ability to run the floor and his rebounding ability. We couldn’t be more delighted to have him become a part of our Wyoming family.

“He’s a young man who is committed to becoming a very good basketball player. He is also committed to continue being the best he can be in the classroom.

“In terms of his skills, he is a work in progress offensively, but he will be an instant presence as a defender, rebounder and shot blocker. He fits our style of play, because I feel he is a far better player in an uptempo game. Lekan provides us the inside presence we need for the future.”

 ESPN’s Scouts Grade on Ajayi, 6-feet, 11 inches, 235 pounds, was 89 points out of a possible 100 points. ESPN also rated him a three-star recruit and ranked him as the No. 24 center in the country. He also took recruiting visits to Auburn, Wake Forest, Tennessee and Seton Hall.

A native of Lagos, Nigeria, he played his prep basketball at Quality Education Academy in Winston-Salem, N.C. His head coach was Isaac Pitts.

As a senior this past season, Ajayi averaged 9.5 points, 15.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. He helped lead Quality Education Academy to a 26-4 overall record and to the Division I National Christian Schools Athletic Association National Championship. Ajayi pulled down 24 rebounds in the national championship game. Quality Education Academy was the 25th ranked team in the country by MaxPreps.com this past season.

Gilmore, 5-9 and 165, comes to Wyoming from Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Miss.

Gilmore was named Second Team All-MACJC (Mississippi Association of Community/Junior Colleges). He averaged 12.3 points, 6.2 assists and 1.8 steals a game. He ranked No. 26 in the nation in assists among all division I junior college players. He was also a threat to score from three-point range, as he knocked down 44.7 percent (46-of-103) of his threes. The Jones Bobcats finished 15-10 in 2010-11 and earned a berth in the Region 23 Tournament.

“We are very pleased to have Derrious travel across the country from his home in Baltimore to join the Wyoming basketball family,” Shyatt said. “Derrious came highly recommended from our good friends at the University of West Virginia. He has most recently played for coach Don Skelton, who I have known for a long time and have a great deal of respect for. In fact, Don coached Jamar McKnight who was an All-ACC player for us at Clemson.

“Derrious has a tough edge about him on both ends of the floor. He is capable of playing either guard position, as he can shoot the ball at a high percentage and compliments that with his tremendous ball handling.”

A native of Baltimore, Md., Gilmore attended Lake Clifton High School. Following high school, he spent his freshman season at Pensacola Junior College in Florida, but transferred to Jones County after a coaching change at Pensacola.

Gilmore will have two years of eligibility remaining and will be a junior for the Cowboys next season.

Akai and Gilmore join Tyrone Marshall, a 6-8, 220-pound senior forward at George Washington High School in Denver, who signed with the Cowboys on April 18.

Marshall averaged 15 points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots per game his senior season at George Washington High School. He was named Honorable Mention All-State Class 5A by The Denver Post his senior season, and was named First Team All-Conference in the Denver Prep League. Marshall helped lead G.W. to an 18-7 overall record, a 6-2 conference mark and the Sweet 16 of the state playoffs this past season.

Another Colorado product, 6-1 guard Riley Grabau of Boulder, has told the Boulder Daily Camera that he will sign with Wyoming. Grabau averaged 20.8 points, 4.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds last year for Boulder High School.

Quitting is the easy way out

Too many times people quit ... they quit their jobs, they quit their marriages, they quit life. It's easier to quit.

Every time I want to quit, I just look at my wife.

If there is ever a reason to quit, Teresa has many: 1) She is basically a paraplegic; 2) She has an illness (a rare form of mycobacterium) that doctors have never really seen but have only read about; 3) On good days, with her glaucoma and cataracts, she can only see a little.

I could go on, believe me, there is much more.

There are times I want to quit because of 1) My job isn't what I want to do or was meant to do, 2) My bank account is like a brick sinking in quick sand, 3) I spend more time on the road (on treacherous roads) than I do at home;

I could go on, believe me, there is much more.

Then I look at my wife. On Tuesday, she got on what is called a tilt table. It hurt like hell. She went into more instantaneous pain than you and I will ever go through in a lifetime. She screamed, she cried, she wanted to quit.

But when the physical therapist said, "Do you want to stop?" She took a deep breath and said, "I want to get out of this *&^%$#@ bed." So she kept on working. She sat up a little more and a little more. Each time she pressed the button that enabled her to sit up at a higher angle, it was like you could see pain ooze out of her pores.

There was a certain point where common sense takes over and the physical therapist calls it good. They slide Teresa back into her bed by the sheet transfer and she lets out another yelp. She is back in her bed, likely for another 23 hours and 30 minutes until Wednesday's physical therapy.

What could go wrong between now and then? There is always something.

On Wednesday, Teresa's right wrist suddenly won't move and it hurts. Basically, her wrist is not connected to her hand. Years of severe rheumatoid arthritis have left her joints a mangled mess. Teresa asks for Jeff, the PT slave driver (her own words with respect), as one other time he was able to push them back into place.

He tries for about 10 minutes with what appears to be no luck. He apologizes and has to work with a different patient. Another therapist, Garth, stops by for his work. Suddenly, Teresa is able to move her wrist and fingers.

By the way, this is her good wrist and hand.

Garth then asks Teresa is she wants to try to get up on the side of the bed. She says yes and the process begins.

Garth works his magic and with the help of her bed sheet to steady herself, Teresa gets up and sits for seven minutes. There's a certain point when after those seven minutes, Teresa says has had enough. In her mind, she probably thinks she is quitting. But as she tells Garth and he agrees, "seven minutes is better than no minutes."

In the meantime, I take a couple of pictures of Teresa sitting up on my cell phone. It's an accomplishment for sure and one I want to save. It's something positive.

Garth lifts Teresa's legs back on the bed and slides her over on her back.

Both Jeff and Garth will likely be back in to see Teresa in about 23 hours and change. They may do the same thing or they might try something a little different. It doesn't really matter, as long as they try something.

I have to hit the road and get back to work in Cheyenne. I'd been in Denver for a little over four days, taking two vacation days to go along with my two regular days off. I'm thinking that this is basically about all I am  going to get as far as vacation goes this year. Maybe a day here and there. I have to save my days for emergencies. That's just the way it is.

By now, the chemical in my brain that makes you feel sorry for yourself kicks in, as it usually does. You know, woe is me. But then I look down at my cell phone and remember that I have a couple of pictures to remind me that Teresa is not quitting and neither will I. I have to constantly tell myself that.

My shift is complete at about 12:30 a.m. I'm tired and there is the drive back to Laramie. Of course, the rain in Cheyenne turns into fog, snow and ice on the hill. The normal 40-minute drive takes about 60 minutes. Same old story. But I make it and tell myself that I once again cheated death as I get out of my car. Sometimes I really do want to kiss the ground.

Recently, I pulled into the Walmart parking lot and was temporarily stalled, as a driver waited for a parking spot ... you know, holding up traffic to park four cars closer to the door. Maybe the driver needed to get closer to the store, maybe she was just lazy. I don't know and I don't care.

Instead of cussing her out and honking the horn, I just kind of smiled. I pulled in to an open parking spot and called it good. What's a few extra feet to walk?

I'm thinking, at least I can.

Always have a backup team

The good thing about having a couple of "favorites" when it comes to sports teams, particularly now with Major League Baseball, is that when one team struggles, you can fall back on the other.

That is, if that other team is doing well.

I feel fortunate now, with the Rockies off to their best 12-game start in history. Not so much for my No. 1 team, the Twins.

It's been a tough beginning for the Twins, who year-in and year-out challenge for the AL Central title. This year should be no exception. But a 4-8 beginning isn't the type of  start you look for, especially with the talent that they have on the roster.  Although just 12 games into a 162-game season, it is early and by no means are the Twins out of it despite their woes. But of those eight losses, too many probably shouldn't have happened.

There are some games that no matter how good you are, you're going to lose. There are others that you shouldn't have lost ... period. Thursday night was a prime example. Minnesota goes into the bottom of the 9th with a 2-0 lead over an offensive-challenged Tampa Bay team. The Twins, by the book, bring in All-Star closer Joe Nathan and he quickly gets the first out. A couple of singles and a double later, though, it is officially a blown save for Nathan as the Rays tie the game at 2-2.

Minnesota comes out in the 10th and scores a run for a 3-2 edge. OK, fine, bring in another quality closer in Matt Capps and call it a win. Not so fast. After a one-pitch out to begin the bottom half of the inning, Capps gives up a single and home run to Johnny Damon. Blown save No. 2. Game over, 4-3 Tampa Bay.

Can a team officially be credited with two blown saves in one game? Regardless, it was a loss that never should have happened.

While it is just one game, you have to remember that historically the AL Central often goes down to the final day. The Twins are proof of that, playing in the 163rd game two years in a row recently. The sports cliche of every game counts comes into play here.

To top things off, the Twins place All-star catcher Joe Mauer on the disabled list with "sore legs," stemming from the pressure he put on them from his off-season knee surgery. His knee is OK, but his legs are sore.

It was what the doctor didn't order.

Oh well, I still have the Rockies. And how about those Rockies? A 10-2 start and Troy Tulowitzki is lights out, going 10 of 16 in the 4-game road sweep at the Mets, hitting four dingers and driving in eight. The Rocks went 7-1 on the road trip, which likely is their best 8-game road trip ever, especially with their history of not playing well on the road.

Now they are back home for three with the Cubs and three with the Giants.

I call Colorado my favorite NL lead and No. 2 team overall, so there's no jumping on the bandwagon here. I just might hitch up to the Rockies a little more these days ... until the Twins figure things out.

Now, if it would just feel like baseball weather.

The Ganja is good: Whaaat?

When you go through what we have gone through in the last couple of years -- physically and mentally -- you grab ahold of the positive days and run with it.

When I say we, I say Teresa and me. Especially Teresa. There is no way anybody can fully understand what she has gone through with her health unless you are in her shoes. At times, I still can't comprehend it even when I see it every day.

The last few days have been pretty good for Teresa. Good in the sense that they weren't bad.

When that happens, she (we) feel pretty about about the future. Teresa has a long way to go, but as she has said a few times lately, there seems to be a little light at the end of the tunnel. The goal is to get the mycobacterium a little more under control and to get her moving a bit. If that happens, she might be able to transfer to a facility in Cheyenne. At least we would be closer to home. From that point, the goal is to get back home.

Wednesday morning before I had to leave to come back to work, Teresa was somewhat giddy and goofy. At some point, I said to her, "Are you high?" Of course, with the amount of medication she is on, that is probably a given.

She tried her best Jamaican accent and said, "Yeah man, the Ganja is good."

About five seconds later, she added, "Oh, when you are out and about, can you pick me up some?"

For a little background, in Denver there are medical marijuana shops about every four or five doors, especially along Colfax and Federal, which is near the hospital.

"Whaaaat?"

Now comes the time when I wonder, is she serious or is she just being a goofball?

"You know you have to have a prescription to get it? You know you can't smoke it in the hospital?

I pepper her with several more "you know" questions as she lays there and giggles.

"Yeah, I know," she finally says.

I'm still not sure if she was serious, she never really let on. After all, she does have glaucoma, which  supposedly is helped by the wacky weed. If anyone deserves a medical marijuana prescription, it would be Teresa.

Of course, we all know that those pot shops in Denver are all business and not for pleasure. If you believe that, then I have some prime farm land near Rawlins for sale. Just give me a ring and we'll do business.

I got on the road an hour later, leaving my wife in tears, which is a typical Wednesday. The conversation is always the same. "I don't want you to go," Teresa says. I answer, "If I could be here every day, I would." She finally relents and says, "I know."

I  hate Wednesdays.

Later that night, I reminded her of her earlier request to stop along the way. We laughed and things seemed OK again. Well, as OK as they can get.

Today is another day and if it is like the past, anything can happen and usually does. It has. Teresa has had some struggles already today, but she is getting through it.The only consistency in her recovery has usually been on the negative side. But we'll take the last couple of days for what they were and hope for the future.

Teresa just called. I asked, "What's up?" She said the sun.

And no, I didn't stop for a purchase down the street. But I think I did hear some Willie Nelson in the background. I'm not sure if that means anything.