If healthy, Blackmon provides versatility for Pack

Football Betting Lines

08/17/2010 -

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -Sometimes, Will Blackmon's versatility even surprises his teammates.

Exhibit A came early in training camp, when wide receiver Greg Jennings ran his route and plowed straight into a safety. Then Jennings looked up and did a double-take.

``He looked up and said, 'Safety?,''' Blackmon said. ``He said, 'I didn't know you were at safety.' I said, 'Yeah, they're not getting rid of me.'''

Blackmon spent the offseason preparing to move from cornerback to safety, although he'll still try to get some snaps at cornerback when the Packers deploy their nickel and dime defenses. And he'll try to play a featured role in the Packers' return game.

If he can stay healthy, that is.

Blackmon is less than 10 months removed from surgery on his left anterior cruciate ligament, the latest and most serious in a string of injuries that have held back the 2006 fourth-round pick out of Boston College.

Blackmon has been a sporadic participant in Packers camp so far. But he was practicing Tuesday after an extended absence, and insists he will be ready for the Sept. 12 opener at Philadelphia.

``It's not even a concern about the opener,'' Blackmon said. ``The main thing is just make sure that I do this, come back strong, do it right. Because I will say this whole injury is a nine to 11 month (recovery). I'm in month nine. So I could sit there, be cool and be prideful, and be like 'I came back in seven months, I came back in eight months,' tell them how strong I am. The bottom line is, six-seven-eight-nine-10-11 months, as long as you're ready by the first game, that's the most important thing.''

With depth issues in the defensive backfield and a need for a consistent threat in the return game, Packers coach Mike McCarthy hopes Blackmon can get back on the field consistently - and stay there.

``I had a chance to watch Will out there today,'' McCarthy said. ``He looks really good in the return game. It was good to have him back there. But Will is definitely a factor at the safety position and the corner position. It's good just to get Will healthy and hopefully we can stack some practices with him.''

Injuries have limited Blackmon to only 32 regular-season games in four seasons.

Foot problems plagued him in 2006 and 2007 but he had a productive 2008, playing 16 games and scoring twice on punt returns. Then he sustained a season-ending knee injury in Week 4 last season.

``Unfortunately and fortunately, I've gone through something before,'' Blackmon said. ``Obviously this is the major one of them all, but I'm still here, I have confirmation from the doctors that I'm going to be back to elite form. Because that was my main concern when I got hurt, it was like, 'Aw, man, will I be the same, will I be elite?' And then as I started progressing, I started getting more and more confidence.''

Blackmon credits a unique nutritional program for his quick recovery this time around.

``I grew up, I had digestive problems, I lost my mother to Crohn's, which is a digestive disease,'' Blackmon said. ``So my main thing is I wanted to make sure that my system was OK.''

So Blackmon said he started working with an enzyme chemist.

``I feel like that kind of sped up a lot of stuff,'' he said. ``Because for me having all my situations, like non-contact, like self-inflicted (injuries), then there must be something wrong with me internally, so we were trying to figure that out and we thought that was one of the things that could help.''

Blackmon admits he still has something to prove. It's one thing to identify the calls he'll need to make as a safety in the meeting rooms, and another thing to do it quickly and correctly on the field.

Defensive coordinator Dom Capers acknowledged that Blackmon is in a tough spot.

``It's been awful hard,'' Capers said. ``I mean, it's hard for a guy that's played the position not getting reps. But a guy that's making a move and not getting reps, it's extremely hard.''

But Blackmon is confident he can make his mark this season, both in the defensive backfield and on special teams, where the Packers are trying to create competition in the return game.

``The bottom line is, I'm still here,'' Blackmon said. ``They've still got to compete. I know what I've done. So I'm making sure I get myself back to full strength so that I can continue to do what I was doing.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Wwwexcalibur Football Betting News

<< Lakers owner still enjoying Hall of Fame induction
BELL GARDENS, Calif. (AP) -Relishing the afterglow of being inducted into the Hall of Fame last week, Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss was candid, funny and reflective when sharing his thoughts on his life, his team and the Miami Heat.Buss, a pok

<< Mets withhold K-Rod's salary, put him on DQ list
HOUSTON (AP) -The New York Mets are withholding injured closer Francisco Rodriguez's salary while he's sidelined, and the team wants to convert his contract to a non-guaranteed deal.The moves could be a prelude to the Mets releasing the star closer

<< Oklahoma's Hand out five months
Norman, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Oklahoma guard Whitney Hand will miss five months after undergoing microfracture surgery Tuesday to repair cartilage damage in her right knee. Hand, the 2009 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, missed the ma

<< Rockies recall Chacin, place Buchholz on DL
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Rockies on Tuesday placed right-handed pitcher Taylor Buchholz on the 15-day disabled list and recalled righty Jhoulys Chacin from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Buchholz had previously been

<< Mets place Rodriguez on disqualified list after thumb surgery
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets took another step towards distancing themselves from embattled closer Francisco Rodriguez on Tuesday, placing him on the disqualified list. The move came immediately followin

Nolasco leads Marlins to shutout of Pirates >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ricky Nolasco threw six shutout frames and drove in two runs to lead Florida to a 6-0 win over Pittsburgh in the second meeting of a four-game set. Nolasco (14-8) allowed five hits, walked one and st

Buchholz strong on mound, Kalish hits slam as Red Sox blank Angels >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Clay Buchholz turned in seven scoreless innings and Ryan Kalish hit his first career grand slam as Boston downed the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 6-0, in the opener of a three-game set from Fenway Park.

Oswalt, Rollins lift Phillies over Giants >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Roy Oswalt pitched seven solid innings and Jimmy Rollins drove in three runs, as Chase Utley and the Philadelphia Phillies downed the San Francisco Giants, 9-3, in the opener of an important three-g

Tuiasosopo, French lead Mariners over Orioles >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Tuiasosopo, not originally in the starting lineup, hit a three-run homer and added a run-scoring double to back a strong 7 2/3-inning outing from Luke French, as the Seattle Mariners downed the Bal

Prado returns to help Braves stay hot with win over Nats >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Martin Prado, Matt Diaz, and Melky Cabrera each drove in two runs to help give Mike Minor his first win in the majors, as the Atlanta Braves took down the Washington Nationals, 10-2, the opener of a three-g

MySportsbook.com, Online Sportsbook and Casino, is celebrating our 9th football season online since our launch in 1997. MySportsbook.com has experienced exponential growth, having taken over $8 billion in Sports and Casino Wagers since we opened our doors.

This year we will accept over $3 billion in wagers. Tens of thousands of winning wagers are created daily for the 300,000 people that have joined our website. In August of 2005, MySportsbook.com was acquired by Sportingbet, a UK company which is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange. Combined, MySportsbook.com and Sportingbet easily form the world's largest internet sportsbook company and one of the internet's most profitable companies. The acquisition has provided for added transparency and accountability to MySportsbook.com customers and thus provides more safety and security for our customers. Our business is audited by BDO Stoy Hayward, one of the largest auditing firms in London, and our accounts are published quarterly on the London Exchange. We encourage you to take a look around and truly hope you enjoy your experience.

Through advertising deals with the top handicapping sites in the world, MySportsbook.com reaches a global audience and is one of the most commonly visited gaming spots on the Internet.

MySportsbook.com offers the largest selection of casino games and sporting wagers on the Internet. We believe that an educated player is a more responsible gambler, thus we provide you with all of the latest news and handicapping information. MySportsbook.com is your ultimate destination for gaming information and wagering. You can start by signing up in the Casino or Sportsbook. Once you sign up you can use your same login in either the casino or Sportsbook. So do it now and start winning serious money Today!

If at any time you have a question, we have numerous people waiting to help you, so don't be afraid to call our customer service department. We do not take any telephone wagers but we can certainly answer any questions you may have about our service.

MySportsbook.com is officially licensed in Antigua as a preferred licensee recognized by the Directorate of offshore gaming of Antigua and Barbuda.

What more could you ask for from an Online Sportsbook?

Credit Card Betting: Sportsbook accepts U.S. credit cards

Online Sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard

MySportsbook.com is the best at processing US credit cards for deposits. Welcome to the most player friendly online sportsbook on the planet!

The principals behind MySportsbook are obviously a management group that understands the players needs as evidenced by their commitment to provide easy depositing with their high credit card acceptance rate and free weekly $10 bets they offer to clients with active betting accounts.

The perks don't end there! MySportsbook offers casino, poker and horses as well. Twice named Best Sportsbook by eGaming Review, this place is rock solid financially so you don't ever have to sweat the payout as you may with some other online bookies operating with less betting volume and client base.

Sign up today and grab your share of a 10% bonus that is added instantly to your betting account. Enjoy 52 risk free bets throughout the year as well!

Reasons to Play There: You have to see their no hitter, cycle hitter and slaughter rule promos for baseball. Worth a laugh and probably a few bucks throughout the MLB season. They offer supersized bonuses of 15% if you up your minimum deposit to $500 or more. Lay -105 on Friday NBA! Contests during the NFL football season!