Home |
News |
Opinion |
Sports |
Features |
Columns & Blogs |
Photography |
Milestones |
Classifieds |
Special Sections |
Obituaries |
Archive |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
January 3, 2006Kaleita inks new contract with LionsKingsley grad likely to play in EuropeTRAVERSE CITY - Tom Kaleita's NFL dream - deferred when he was cut on the eve of Detroit Lions' training camp - is back on again.The Kingsley High School and Eastern Michigan University graduate signed a one-year contract with the Lions on Monday. The 6-foot-5Þ offensive tackle will be allocated by the Lions to NFL Europe in the spring. "I'm excited," Kaleita said. "I finally get that chance. I've been working a long time for this. "Being out (of football) ... I don't want to do that again. It's been a long season just sitting on the sidelines." Kaleita is expected to find out which of six NFL Europe teams - Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfort, Hamburg or Rhein - he'll be allocated to in late January. He reports to Detroit on Feb. 9 for a physical. Then Kaleita will fly to Tampa, Fla., for an NFL Europe training camp. Then it's likely overseas for the NFL Europe season, which begins on March 18 and concludes with World Bowl XIV on May 27, two days before Kaleita turns 23 years old. "I'm looking forward to going over there," Kaleita said. "I hope I get a chance to see the sights. I don't know when I'll go back there, so I want to take advantage of it." That's the same approach Kaleita said he's taking toward his second chance with the Lions. "I have the opportunity so I'm going to give it my all," Kaleita said. "It's up to me now." Kaleita, who hasn't played a game since suiting up for the Eagles in the fall of 2005, said he weighs 325 pounds right now, but is expecting to get down to 315 before reporting. After getting cut by the Lions, Kaleita has spent his time in the Ypsilanti area staying in shape and working at a golf course and doing carpet work. But he clearly missed playing football and is ready to get back on the field. "Hopefully this is a good year," Kaleita said. The other aspect of the allocation to NFL Europe is Kaleita can go to training camp with the Lions when he returns. Players allocated overseas do not count toward the maximum NFL rosters for the first part of the preseason. "I have to be in training camp for a certain period of time," Kaleita said. "So I won't get cut the day before camp starts." So the dream endures.
|
|
