Richardson also knew what Jacksons signing

Angus Reid is at peace with the most difficult football decision hes ever had to make. Dennis McKinnon Jersey . The B.C. Lions veteran centre announced his retirement Friday, ending a 13-year CFL career. "As an athlete you know this day will always come but you never want to think about it and never want to know its real so youre forced with facing that reality," Reid said. "But Im good with it because it was my decision and most athletes dont get that opportunity, their careers end because of various factors out of their control. "Sure, in the youthful part of my mind Id love to play football forever but I know I cant give the game what Id want to give it in terms of what I have left physically and I wouldnt be happy with that. I have nothing but happy memories and theres nothing more I couldve achieved. I think I over-achieved and Im proud of what I was able to get done in this sport." The six-foot-one, 305-pound Reid appeared in over 200 regular-season games, 11 playoff contests and three Grey Cups with the Lions (winning two). Heady stuff indeed, considering the inauspicious start to his pro career. The 37-year-old native of Richmond, B.C., was selected fourth overall in the 01 CFL draft by the Toronto Argonauts. However, the former Simon Fraser star was released during training camp and spent time on the Montreal Alouettes practice roster before being dealt to B.C. later that year. "I vividly remember that first year after getting home to the Lions saying, Wow, I guess this is probably it. Im a journeyman after one season. This is not what I planned," Reid said. "But true to my character and who I am I just sort of kept focusing on what I could do, kept working and didnt let what was happening dictate what I was going to do. "I think Im a pretty good example that continuous hard work does pay off. Life is going to be up and down and its going to be a bumpy road but you just have to stay on that roller-coaster longer because most of us want to get off when it gets rough. I just stayed on and it worked out well." Reid was a West Division all-star on three occasions and he earned league honours in 2011. He was also actively involved in community events. "Few players have made the kind of impression both on and off the field as a member of the B.C. Lions that Angus has during his career," Lions general manager Wally Buono said in a statement. "He was an incredibly durable player, a tremendous leader in our dressing room and he will be missed by everyone in our organization." Former CFL players Doug Brown and Bryan Chiu took to Twitter to offer their congratulations to Reid. "Throughout college & the pros, there arent many Ive lined up against that I respected more," tweeted Brown, a native of New Westminster, B.C., who was a standout defensive tackle with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. "Congrats on ur retirement." Added Chiu, a Vancouver native who played centre for the Montreal Alouettes: "Congrats on a great career. Proud of you bro. Who wouldve thought we would both be centers in the CFL back at @vcrfootball." But Reid definitely saw the signs it was time to retire, most notably missing last season after undergoing major back surgery. "That was a wakeup call to me saying Im 37 now, not 27," Reid said. "Theres going to be life after football whether you like it or not and you want to be as healthy as you can so you can do other things in life and still have a lot of enjoyment and fun. "I have a wife and were trying to start a family and you have to look forward to more things." And then there was the realization that many of Reids former Lions teammates had long since moved on. "Half the guys I played with are my coaches now and you look around and say, Did I not get the memo," Reid said with a chuckle. "The good thing is I have no regrets looking back. "Im not leaving anything on the table. In that regard I dont want to say it was an easier decision but it gives me comfort that I can leave looking back with really proud, happy memories of my time in this sport." Especially with the majority of those memories having come at home. "There was some luck involved, obviously, that I got to play my career in B.C.," he said. "I grew up going to Lions games, my brother, Mark, was a long-snapper with the Lions in 1990 so I looked at it as a kid thinking, This would be amazing to do. "Well, I actually got to do it in the stadium I grew up going to watch games in. You really couldnt write a better career in terms of happiness, to be able to do it with your parents and family being able to come to almost every single game. You dream of a career like that and no matter how good it is it often doesnt come as close to what you would envision as a youth but mine really did and Im thankful and proud of that." As for what lies ahead, all Reid knows for sure is he wont be suiting up for the Lions in 2014. "Thats a good question, thats what Im trying to figure out right now," he said. "I did a pretty good job during my career of building bridges and good networks of people and so I do have a lot of opportunities. "However, Im trying to be careful to not to rush into the first opportunity, Im trying to look at them all." Reid has thought about a few different options when it comes to his future. "Id love to stay involved in the sport in some way but the probability of being a coach is slim right now," he said. "I think Id like to stay involved maybe in the sports media, be it TV, radio, newspapers. "But I have a feeling Ill also be doing other things in the business community. Im a Vancouver guy, this is where Ill be. Ill be busy, probably busier than I was when I played and went to work every day, put on sweats and ran around for a few hours. Now Ill probably be all over the place." Zeke Bratkowski Jersey .com) - Joe Pavelski scored twice to lead the San Jose Sharks in a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers to split a home-and-home set. Devante Bond Jersey . Thats exactly what happened. And they enjoyed every moment. Durant remained sizzling with 33 points, Serge Ibaka added 22 and the Thunder roared back from an abysmal start -- they trailed 22-4 early -- to embarrass the Miami Heat 112-95 on Wednesday night, erasing that big deficit out of the gate by outscoring the two-time defending champions by 43 points over a 33-minute span. http://www.custombearsjersey.com/custom-rex-grossman-jersey-large-1796t.html . Donald Young lost in straight sets to Israels Dudi Sela 6-3, 6-0. Querrey, ranked No. 61, is the second-highest ranked American, ahead of Johnson (64).ST. LOUIS -- Daryl Richardson was surprised when he found out this off-season that longtime NFL running back Steven Jackson was no longer a St. Louis Ram. But Richardson also knew what Jacksons signing as a free agent with the Atlanta Falcons meant for him. "It was shocking to hear it, but of course, it means a bigger role for me and an opportunity to step up and have a bigger part on the team," said Richardson, a second-year pro who is one of several backs trying to take Jacksons old spot. Richardson played a larger part on last years team than probably he or most anyone else anticipated. In addition to having Jackson entrenched as the starter, the Rams used a second-round pick in 2012 on Isaiah Pead from Cincinnati. St. Louis picked Richardson, a 5-foot-10, 195-pound running back out Abilene Christian, five rounds later. Pead was seen by many as Jacksons heir apparent. But Richardson outplayed Pead and his quickness proved to be a nice change of pace to Jacksons battering style. Richardson played in 16 games and rushed 98 times for 475 yards, an average 4.8 yards per carry. He also had 24 catches for 163 yards. With Jackson gone, the Rams are looking over all their options at running back. Pead is still in the mix, though he has suspended for the first game for violating the NFLs substance abuse policy. Richard Dent Jersey. Also looking to enter the mix is Zac Stacy, a fifth-round selection this April from Vanderbilt. Rams coach Jeff Fisher has not officially named a starter, but he has nothing but good things to say about Richardson. "I think Daryl came back in great shape," Fisher said. "We got a pretty good idea of what Daryl can do. "Were going to continue to push him through the preseason and the preseason games, and we expect him to have a productive year for us." So does Richardson, who wants to prove that he is more than a change of pace player. "You have to believe you can be an every-down player," he said. "You have to have that mind frame and that mentality." In the Rams preseason opener Thursday, a 27-19 setback in Cleveland, Richardson did nothing to hurt himself. He had four carries for 24 yards and also caught two balls for 20 yards. Still, Richardson is taking nothing for granted. "Im just going to play out the competition," Richardson said. "Im excited about the season and Im just trying to get better every day." ' ' '