Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Saturday November 29 2003 — B3 ®y ©GDI? ®W§IT©§)wD® (o®®!?® Cody back to harassing QBs NORMAN Okla ( AP) — Dan Cody was watching football games from the stands and not the sidelines a big man with an overwhelming illness who couldn't disappear among thousands of Curious fans Cody hud been one of Oklahoma's most promising players a defensive end Si) physically impressive and talented that he was a marvel even on a team loaded with splendid athletes “I wish you could see Dan Cody’’ offensive tackle Frank Romero said days before the start of the 2001 sea-- ’ son “He's 273 pounds and he doesn't have a single ounce of fat on him He's going to open a lot of people's eyes this year’’ Cody could only play one game that year After that the grip of clinical depression became so formidable had to that the the he ort seemed sport give up specifically sculpted for “It just took me over" Cody said “I just wasn't into ( football ) anymore" And that’s how Cody ended up watching not playing That's also how Cody came to better and with more hunger than before This season Cody has emerged as one of the most disruptive forces on defense the nation's leading Oklahoma with eight sacks and placing second with 14 tackles for a loss The freakishly fast Cody he's been timed at 458 seconds in dash — has added anoth1 the er weapon to a defense that already had more than its fair share “We felt that provided he was back healthy and doing what he was capable of he could be a great player for us” coach Bob Stoops said “Watching the quarterback nin e-fourths around back there of the time it's Dan right on his heels” There was a time however when it ' looked as if Cody Was going to sack his career before it even got started ' Cody a native jof nearby Ada was one of just three freshmen to play on the Sooners undefeated national title team in 2000 He got into pine 270-pound- er " play-agai- top-rank- ed - 40-yar-d ” -thre- - games — surprising for someone who'd played nine positions at a rural Oklahoma high school with only 500 students — even making three tackles in the Sooners' 2 win over Florida State in the Orjngc 1 3-- Bowl It seemed to be a precursor to bigger things As a sophomore Cody started in the first game of the year a 7 win over North Carolina Cody had five tackles looking a lot like the force his teammates and coaches thought he was bound to become The next week however Cody didn't show up at practice and missed Oklahoma's gameat Air ' Force Something was wrong and he couldn't figure out what it was' Football didn't feel the same to 41-2- Cody anymore Nothing really did He was sleeping a lot more wasn't laughing nearly as much and the motivation to play football wasn't there: Clinical depression was the cause a condition marked by feelings of sadness fatigue guilt withdrawal and a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed ' “I can’t describe it” Cody said “For whatever rhyme or reason! I needed to get away for a while” So he did That fall Cody wouldn't even visit his old friends at Oklahoma's foot- ball complex He started working out at a gym continued attending classes and began to imagine a life without football He was — and remains — embair- rassed about quitting the team' didn't want to cOmearound '‘‘I sticking my nose in the door like still a part of the team" Cody' said “I felt like I really let the guys down: I got selfish atid didn't think of' my teammates '” ' Stoops called periodically toi assure Cody (hat no one bn theteafn badly of him thought ' “I had contact from time to time week to week" Stoops said “It was nothing tQ do with football just- AP photo Oklahoma's Dan Cody flattens owa State quarterback Austin Flynn during the first half on Saturday Oct 4 Cody who leads Sooners with eight sacks has become a focal point for the nation's the defense top-rank- ed top-rank- checking on him to see how he was progressing and make sure he was getting the help and assistance he needed" But for reasons even Cody can't explain he went to every home game and also traveled to Dallas to see the Sooners play Texas in the Red River Shootout and Arkansas in the Cotton BOW'!: Fans hud long since stopped ask- ing him what was wrong Even stili Cody didn't exactly blend in with the crowd' - Silting in those stands Cody began to miss the sport he abruptly gave a few weeks he summoned enough nerve to ask Stoops for another chance “He needed time to get it balanced out'’ Sumps said “When hedid he - 1 Came back in here asking if he could ' play again and I said Absolutely”’ Cody eventually rejoined the team during spring workouts and spent much of lust year as a reserve All the while Cody rededicated ' himself to the weightroom waiting for his chance “Part of (he reason I play and work so hard is that 1 don't want to let the guys down anymore” Cody-- ' said “They met me with open arms even when I abandoned them I've developed a lot of love for the guys -- : ed : NewYork-Cit- with great football memories and no biblical knowledge” : structured ' rest” But stacking games on Saturday isn't the answer for everyqne' milde-for-telev- i- " didn't really expect But I learned to much that week Here I just want to play my best” All three of her male were effusive in their praise of Sorenstam: none more so than Mickelson “I'd like to see her play five six seven events on the men's tour and realty give it a shot rather than just one tourna-ment” he said “In one tourna-I al that attention : - oppo-nen- : "Having games day morning is a huge chal- lenge for the Jewish community” said Allyson Gall New Jersey Director for the American Jewish Committee in nearby Millbum “I’d try like crazy to get the kids to an 8 am game have them change clothes in the car on the way back and rush them to synagogue" ' At StTeresa of Avila RC Church in Summit it's not uncommon to see youngsters in the pews dressed in soccer or football uniforms ready to be whisked off to the field as soon as the last organ note fades Don Rasweiler a father of five and a football coach must deal with both sides of the debate He has to be at the field an hour before the 18-h6- ie surprise Those games "AP Ptol® Kate and Don Rasweiler top left are photographed with their family in their home in Summit NJ Wednesday Nov 9 Due to a busy schedule of activities especially sports' the family must often split up to attend Sunday church services at different times 10:30 atn game which' means getting at least some ' of the luds up early enough for 7:30 am Mass There's also a good chance one or two of his other children will have a game later in the day ' Rasweiler and his wife Kale frequently handle it by splitting up attending different Masses with Jack 12 Henry 10 or Abigail 8 depending on the week's sports schedule Rasweiler sad his wife isn't pleased with the solution “We were dbcussing it a couple weekends apx and she said ‘I don't like the effect this is having on us We should go to church as a family" Tom Brown a baseball coach and St Teresa parishioner noted his league worked with the area churches to at least avoid conflicts betw een team picture day and the congregations' First Holy Communion days “We talked to them got their dales and we moved picture day” he said “They really appreciated it and we got a big thank you from the churches and the parents" i : She faces Phil Mickelson Fred Couples arid defending champion Mark O'Meara'in the $1 million Skins Grime this weekend Sorehsiamf is the first woman ' to play in the history of' sion event But it's a far cry from the media spectacle her ' appearance created at The Colonial in May when she' ' became the first woman in 58 years on the PGA Tour “This is a little bit more: relaxed atmosphere obvious- Ty” Sorenstam said Friday:-“- I mean The Colonial took me by suburb inconve-“You’ve got Rev Chuck Rush liience Jewish this dramatic Christ Church families who pressure Summit NY sympathize between with the churches' playing problem but would prefer sports and going to church ' their kids play on Sunday which isn’t good” The Summit Interfaith ' on Satur- Council recently issued an appeal to public and private sports leagues to refrain from scheduling games before noon on Sunday Rush who helped write the appeal sees the church vs sports conflict in his own home His daughter who plays soccer is sometimes torn between religion and her loyalty to " her team where she stood a good chance of being named most valuable player “She was in a tournament recently and she said ‘I could be the MVP but if I don't play in this Sunday's game I definitely won't be the MVP" he recalled It all boils down to time and the precious lack of it for families As the growing LA QUjNTA the means'there’s some don’t want my kids to grow up got” If Iherp's a lesson in this Cody llg- tires it’s that football needed to be taken awiiy from him to truly appreciate ii He tows to revel in evcry moment of the ' Stxiners' run this season “This year is a magical year the way things are clicking' Cody said “I can't describe it l don't want tolet this slip away:” 21-ye- ar ' : he’S Calif (AP) — Annika Sorenstam is going ' against three men this time — In not an entire PGA field the conclusion of what she calls the bestyear ofher Hallof Fame career : : “1 1 at ! and no Bibli- - : cal knowledge” said Rev Chuck' Rush senibr minister at Christ Church in Summit a sacks1 set the tone in Oklahoma's 52-- 9 rout of Oklahoma State on Nov — the first sack caused a fumble that led to a field goal and the other two ended Oklahoma Statcdrives 7 'V “DC is an out of ihis world play- er" Harris said “He's a guy w ho wil put it all on the line’ and go (jilt there in every game and give it alj around here” Though Cody may be overshiid- team- owed by his mates' — including linebacker Teddy Lehman tackle Timimie Harris arid comerbaCk Derrick Strait — he’s become one of theteanvsmostrcli- - demands Ofhomework-- : SUMMIT NJ (AP) — " vs church It's become weekend errands and sports Sports the Sunday morning dilemma compete for families’ free1 in homes across the nation time church often loses ' With weekend sports Onechurch in Andover:' Mass recently conducted a leagues growing in popukiri? ty schedules have stretched marketing survey to find out ' further Into those hours that when congregants had time ' were once the exclusi ve tq attend weekend services ' ' churches: The most common response: domain of faiths Nowclergy ofmany 'Saturday at 5 pm: because are pushing back asking Sunday was all but booked “You run around all week cpaches and - iong commuting to work parents to keep Sunday and coming home and run morning holy even if it means their children's teams ' and run all weekend long have to play some other time'' and by Sunday night you're ' ‘T don’t want my kids to asking ‘What the heck just with' football great grow up happened?"' Rush said ' memories “Sabbath ' time-starv- able playmakers His three first-ha- lf ts ' J nicnt it's kind of hard to knowwhere you slack up I know that’s not: whirl hcr lntcntions are bulThm's Uki had because I think it would be really great : forgolfin general” No thanks Sorenstam said- ' “Maybe if 1 was here to compare with them ! would need to : play many tournaments hut that's not what I'm trying to she said "These guys are so much better I want to piiiy on my lour l waint to win tour- nainenis I want to he in coii- tention on Sunday and break records nd 1 know I have a: tour to do that" ' After four years at the Landmark Golf Club the Skins Game was moved this year to the Trilogy Golf Club which ' opened in February and the - wide-ope- n par-7- 2 71 13-ya- rd ' layout should provide plenty Of opportunities for birdies and more than a few eagles Sorenstam played all 18 holes jn a practice round Thursday "1 could reach three of the par 5's m two’’ she said "I know these guys will hit shorter irons than I will but I might have an eagle putt and I might have a chance” Paerson wins slalom title at World Cup PARK CITY (AP) — Defending World Cup giant -- f slalom champion Anja Paerson pulled away in the second nin Friday to win her first race of the season in her specialty event by' 104 seconds Paerson the gold medalist in last season's world championship led by 028 seconds after the opening run then left' everybody behind in the afternoon She actually picked up time on the bottom flatter section of CB's Run that slowed most of the other skiers MIITTH Paerson finished with runs of 1:1283 and 1:1431 foracom-bined 2:2714 well ahead of Austrian Nicole Hosp's second-plac- e time of 2:2856 Denise Katbon of Italy was third (2:2865) Sara Schleper was the top American finishing ninth (2:2928) Paerson the Olympic giant slalom silver medalist in 2002 finished third in the opening event last month in Sodden Austoa |