Training Camp

Kelsey Chaney, a Hedgesville (W.Va.) High School sophomore, is about to follow her grandfather and father into the FBI Academy, but she doubts that her ultimate goal will be a career in law enforcement. Kelsey, 15, is leaning toward the fields of public relations or communications with an eye on attending Georgetown University. She said her father, Mark Chaney, a Secret Service agent, encouraged her to apply for the eight-day leadership training camp for 14- to-16-year olds at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va. The camp, part of the FBI National Academy Associates 2012 Youth Leadership Program, takes place June 20 to 28. She more than meets the camp entrance qualifications - above-average academic standards and good citizenship.

By CLYDE FORD Staff Writer SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - Having the National Basketball Association's Washington Wizards on campus for training camp has dazzled some Shepherd College students. "Everyone's excited. A couple of people skipped class just to try to get a look at them," said Shepherd freshman Alfred Twyman, 18. "Even people who don't know about basketball get excited about having celebrities on campus," Twyman said. Sophomore Tom Whitehead, 19, said he's not a big basketball fan. "I still call them the Washington Bullets," Whitehead said, referring to the team's moniker of last season.

"Nothing is impossible," is a saying that we have all heard over and over. The movie "Invincible" - based on a true story - shows that this saying is definitely true. Vince Papale (played by Mark Wahlberg) is what Philadelphia considers a nobody and a nothing. His wife walked out on him. He works at a local bar at night. He plays football with his friends at night with the headlights of their cars turned on to light up the field. He is the best player on his team. Then, Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear)

Newly acquired Washington Redskins running back Tim Hightower can't find the way to the locker room, training room or cafeteria. But to the Redskins, it's more important that he find his way through holes in the line - especially with a recent injury to Ryan Torain, last year's leading rusher. Torain will miss 7-10 days after fracturing his left hand while being tackled Wednesday. He needed four screws in his third metacarpal, and although Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said Torain came to his office earlier in the day, Torain wasn't on the field for either of the team's practices Thursday.

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -- A sprained ankle will keep Donovan McNabb on the sideline Friday night when the Washington Redskins play the New York Jets. McNabb has been unable to practice since getting hurt in Saturday night's preseason loss to the Baltimore Ravens. "It's quite sore," coach Mike Shanahan said, "and I don't think he could go if it was a regular season game. He's got to rehab it. " McNabb was limping badly in the locker room after the game was wearing a walking boot Monday.

Jon Witman's career NFL rushing total sounds like a good day for Jerome "The Bus" Bettis - 37 carries for 129 yards. But carrying the ball wasn't his job. As a blocking back, he crashed the line and wiped out defenders so Bettis, his Pittsburgh Steelers teammate, could gain yards. While signing autographs Saturday at Valley Mall, Witman - who last played for the Steelers six years ago - said he misses the camaraderie of the team and the thrill of Sunday games, but not the rigor of training camp.

HALFWAY - Jon Witman's career NFL rushing total sounds like a good day for Jerome "The Bus" Bettis - 37 carries for 129 yards. But carrying the ball wasn't his job. As a blocking back, he crashed the line and wiped out defenders so Bettis, his Pittsburgh Steelers teammate, could gain yards. While signing autographs Saturday at Valley Mall, Witman - who last played for the Steelers six years ago - said he misses the camaraderie of the team and the thrill of Sunday games, but not the rigor of training camp.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. - Marlon Byrd hit a bases-loaded single with two outs in the 10th Saturday to lead the Piedmont Boll Weevils to a come-from-behind 7-6 victory over the Hagerstown Suns. cont. from sports page Piedmont trailed 6-3 and was to its final strike in the ninth when the Boll Weevils decided to unload on Suns reliever Peyton Lewis (0-2), who relieved Josh Stevens with two runners on. Byrd reached on third baseman Robert Cosby's error and a second run scored on a passed ball before Nate Espy tied the game with a double off the center field wall.

ASHBURN, Va. - Clinton Portis' unique personality remains very much intact, and his off-the-cuff humor is still good for at least two laugh-out-loud moments in every interview. Yet the running back who reported for the first day of Washington Redskins training camp Friday was clearly dealing with the sting of a year gone bad. As if a season ruined by injuries wasn't enough, Portis found himself vilified during the offseason after he made light of the dogfighting investigation involving Michael Vick.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) -- Brett Favre is coming back for more. The 39-year-old quarterback turned his back on retirement for the second time in as many years, agreeing Tuesday to play for the Vikings. Favre took a morning flight on a team plane from Mississippi to Minnesota, arrived to cheering fans outside the team's practice facility and was in a helmet and pads less than 90 minutes later. His red practice jersey was the familiar No. 4, the same number he wore for years with the rival Green Bay Packers.

No sense fooling around with a talent like Robert Griffin III. Barely a week after the draft, the Washington Redskins are already proclaiming the Heisman Trophy winner their No. 1 quarterback. Saying that Griffin has the ability to do things no one else has done in the NFL, coach Mike Shanahan wrapped up a rookie minicamp Sunday by putting RGIII squarely atop the depth chart. "He's the starter. Period," Shanahan said. Shanahan said Griffin will begin working with the first-teamers when the veterans reconvene for offseason workouts later this month.

Kelsey Chaney, a Hedgesville (W.Va.) High School sophomore, is about to follow her grandfather and father into the FBI Academy, but she doubts that her ultimate goal will be a career in law enforcement. Kelsey, 15, is leaning toward the fields of public relations or communications with an eye on attending Georgetown University. She said her father, Mark Chaney, a Secret Service agent, encouraged her to apply for the eight-day leadership training camp for 14- to-16-year olds at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va. The camp, part of the FBI National Academy Associates 2012 Youth Leadership Program, takes place June 20 to 28. She more than meets the camp entrance qualifications - above-average academic standards and good citizenship.

John Beck was ready to speak to a group of reporters Monday when he noticed a TV cameraman having trouble with some equipment. “We're one camera short,” Beck said. “You all right?” He then calmly waited a full 40 seconds for the cameraman to get everything fixed. No need to hurry. No sign of anxiety or impatience. Just wait it out. As quarterback competitions go, the Washington Redskins have one that's been about as polite and composed as it can be. Beck and Rex Grossman are more friends than foes and are keeping whatever jitters they have to themselves, even in the final days before coach Mike Shanahan makes the call.

While the Washington Redskins quarterback derby has kept everyone on tenterhooks, the running back competition has become a one-man show. Tim Hightower, acquired in a trade with Arizona after the NFL lockout, has separated himself from the pack and is all but certain to be the starter for the regular season opener against the New York Giants on Sept. 11. “He's done a good job,” coach Mike Shanahan said Saturday. “I'm not going to say he's our starter, but if you were betting in Vegas you'd probably bet in that direction.” Hightower has turned apprehension into accomplishment in the month since his unexpected change of scenery.

It's well known by now that Mike Shanahan typically doesn't reveal his preseason game plans ahead of time, so the answer was predictable Tuesday when the coach was asked who will start at quarterback in the Washington Redskins' second preseason game. “You know me better than that,” he said. Nevertheless, Shanahan kept on going. “Just so you know,” he added, smiling, “John Beck will start.” The choice is not a surprise - which is probably why Shanahan was willing to say it - but it does reaffirm that Beck and Rex Grossman remain on equal footing in the battle for the starting job, despite the groin injury that kept Beck out of the first game.

Newly acquired Washington Redskins running back Tim Hightower can't find the way to the locker room, training room or cafeteria. But to the Redskins, it's more important that he find his way through holes in the line - especially with a recent injury to Ryan Torain, last year's leading rusher. Torain will miss 7-10 days after fracturing his left hand while being tackled Wednesday. He needed four screws in his third metacarpal, and although Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said Torain came to his office earlier in the day, Torain wasn't on the field for either of the team's practices Thursday.

For the first five practice days of training camp, John Beck has enjoying having the Washington Redskins starting quarterback job all to himself, getting the first-team work while the team waited for Rex Grossman to re-sign and become eligible to take part. On Wednesday, the fifth day of the solo run, Beck sported a new look, switching jerseys from No. 3 to No. 12. A number change during camp usually isn't a big deal, especially for a player who hasn't been in a regular season game since 2007, but Beck is the type who doesn't mind telling a story from start to finish.

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -- A sprained ankle will keep Donovan McNabb on the sideline Friday night when the Washington Redskins play the New York Jets. McNabb has been unable to practice since getting hurt in Saturday night's preseason loss to the Baltimore Ravens. "It's quite sore," coach Mike Shanahan said, "and I don't think he could go if it was a regular season game. He's got to rehab it. " McNabb was limping badly in the locker room after the game was wearing a walking boot Monday.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Albert Haynesworth vs. Mike Shanahan. This one's going into overtime. The conflict between two strong wills -- the unyielding coach and the player with the $100 million contract -- escalated this weekend when Haynesworth expressed defiant frustration at being repeatedly singled out by the coach. Shanahan responded by saying things aren't going to change. Haynesworth fired first, breaking a week of silence after Saturday night's 23-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -- Donovan McNabb must have wondered if he was back in Philadelphia. On the first day of Washington Redskins training camp, a heckler stood near the front of the crowd and criticized every bad pass, every bobbled ball and pined out loud for the return of departed quarterback Jason Campbell. "Must have been a great catch," the fan yelled after McNabb completed one pass, "because it couldn't have been a good throw. " As the days went by, other fans might have felt that the heckler was on to something.