Walter Payton's son playing in Amsterdam!

[alamo50]

http://i.cnn.net/si/2004/football/ncaa/specials/bowls/2003/01/02/orange.bowl.ap/p1_payton_ap.jpg

[Gooshie]

That's my dawg. I hope Da Bears sign him some day.

[alamo50]

Tennessee Titans running back Jarrett Payton will write a weekly diary for NFLEurope.com throughout training camp and the regular season, charting his progress and giving readers an inside look at life as an Amsterdam Admiral.

In his sixth log, Payton talks about the Admirals first victory over the Rhein Fire…

April 6, 2005


Hello again,

Well, where do I begin? I guess with our first game of the season. I woke up on Saturday morning and I was just so ready to be out there, but I had all day to wait. Our game started at 7 p.m. local time, so I had to start my pregame routine early, which includes listening to music, getting an inspirational quote from my mom and some alone time meditating with my pops.


After preparing myself mentally, it was time to head to the stadium. We got there about two hours before kickoff, which was just enough time to settle in and break a sweat.

Finally, the ball was kicked off and what I had been waiting for this past year was finally here. I played a solid game and showed a lot of different things that I can do. For a first game, you can’t ask for much, especially when I wanted to do so much. My dad was talking to me during the game telling me to ease up and take it slow. But I feel like I played a solid game. Anytime you come out of a game uninjured with a win you have been blessed.

http://www.admirals.nl/english/images/diary_payton_6_verhaal.jpg

As a team, we played well. We had a few guys who stepped up and made plays. There were some mistakes, but overall it was a good performance. We are not where we need to be, but we are on our way. It is a long journey so you all are going to have to stay tuned.

After our win, they held an after party in our honor. It was upstairs in our stadium, so that was a first for me. However, it was really fun to interact with our fans after a win like that. They gave us so much support and this was a way that we could connect with them on a personal level.

Then we headed back to Utrecht to get fresh (dressed up) for a night on the town. In my closet I have a wide assortment of button downs. I mean, whatever color you want. I got blues, pecan, pink – they have never seen such style over here. Finally, I picked out some G-Unit jeans, my white-on-white Air Force Ones and my Faconnable dress shirt. The only guy who could compete with me was my boy TD (Tony Donald). He was dressed to impress. Then we grabbed the crew and headed to a local spot called Ministry.

All in all it was one of my best weeks so far. Stay tuned for next week’s update. My mother will be in town, so I am sure we will do some sight seeing.

Lots of love to the crew back home in both Chicago and Tennessee. I miss you all and can’t wait to see you again. Remember to take care of yourself and somebody else.

JP

[Jdspur20]

so do the titans still own his rights???

[alamo50]

Think so.

[alamo50]

In his seventh log, Payton talks about his first road trip, the new Playstation Palm (PSP) and his mom’s visit to Amsterdam…

April 13, 2005


Hello again,

This week started off on the right foot as we headed to Frankfurt to take on the Galaxy for our first road game of the year. We hopped on a bus for a five-hour trip and the whole time I couldn’t wait to get there because I knew I would get to see my mom when we got there. She arrived on Friday and was going to meet me in Frankfurt. We didn’t have any phones, so it was hard to communicate with her. However, she just got a T-mobile sidekick, so we were emailing each other back and forth.

When we arrived in Frankfurt, we had a walkthrough and then went back to the hotel. When I was in my room the phone rang and it was my mom. I was thinking she was at another hotel, but it turned out she was staying in the team hotel. I ran downstairs and gave her a big hug and she flashed me a City Wide sign and said, “We are officially in Frankfurt.” It was so great to see her. I hadn’t seen her since I left for Amsterdam, so it was a nice comfort to have her there. She is my inspiration.

My mom also brought over the brand new Playstation Palm for me. I am telling you, everyone should have one of these. I only have two games for it right now and I can’t stop playing it. I got Tiger Woods and Tony Hawk’s Underground 2. The graphics on this thing are so clear. My mom needs glasses to read everything and to see the PSP she didn’t even need them. It is that clear.

Unfortunately, we lost our game, but I did manage to play pretty well and scored my first touchdown since my senior year at the U (University of Miami). The play was a handoff to the left and as I bounced it outside John Booth provided me with the key block that enabled me to find the endzone. It was a great feeling to score, but I would have like to come away with the win as well.

http://www.admirals.nl/english/images/wk2_jarrettpayton.jpg

It was our first time playing on the road and we lost this one as a team. No one phase of the game lost it, we just lost focus. We started off strong and then toward the end things started to snowball and we never recovered.

After the loss, everyone was a little down. I guess it was good to get this one out of the way. Nobody liked the taste it left in our mouths, so we don’t plan on losing anymore. This week we have started our preparations for Berlin and so far practice has been great. Everyone is putting forth the extra effort because we want to be prepared this Saturday. We aren’t going to take any more chances.

Overall, I had a good week. My mom was here and as a team I think we really came together.

Stay tuned for next week’s log after our home game against the Berlin Thunder.

Lots of love to the crew back home in Miami, Chicago and Tennessee. I miss you all and can’t wait to see you again. Remember to take care of yourself and somebody else.

JP

[alamo50]

In his eighth log, Payton talks about beating the Berlin Thunder, spending time with his mom and the upcoming road trip to Cologne…

April 20,2005

We started out this week getting back to some hard work. After losing to Frankfurt nobody wanted to go through that again, so we all came together and refused to let up. The hard work all paid off as we found ourselves back in the win column this week after beating the Berlin Thunder 31-27. It was a crazy emotional game that we never quit on. The times it felt like things weren’t going our way we all came together and fought for each other and that just made us stronger.

It wasn’t a must win for us, but it sure felt good to get back to our winning ways. The game started off kind of slow as both teams were just feeling each other out. At the end of the first half, the score was 6-3 Berlin, but then in the second half we came alive. For me, it was the best game of the season so far. I had a season-high of 92 yards rushing and a combined total of 106 yards. I added another touchdown and I had a long run of 53-yards.

http://www.admirals.nl/team/2005/images/week3/wk3_jarrettpayton2_verhaal.jpg

However, even though on paper it looks like it was a great game, there are still some things I need to straighten out, so I am addressing the issue now. I had two fumbles, one that we recovered and one that we lost in the fourth quarter. That is very uncharacteristic of me, but like my mom said, ‘It’s the mistakes you make early on that you learn from so you won’t repeat them again.’

It has been real nice having my mom here because she really knows how to lift my spirits. Sometimes she doesn’t even have to say anything, she can just smile at me. I also like sharing my mom with other people because she has that personality that rubs off on everyone. All the guys’ wives and girlfriends spent time with her this week and they were all able to learn some things from here because she has been through it all.

My mom had to go back to Chicago this week, but she’ll be back next month. On our day off I got to spend to quality time with her as we shopped until we dropped. We went up and down the streets of Utrecht and found some really good deals on shoes. We had a blast.

The rest of the week has been spent preparing for our next opponent. We face off against the first-place Cologne Centurions this Saturday and that is sure to be a tough test. We have put ourselves in a good position as the winner of this game will be in first place all alone and you know that’s where we want to be.

Lots of love to the crew back home in Miami, Chicago and Tennessee. I miss you all and can’t wait to see you again. Remember to take care of yourself and somebody else.

JP

[alamo50]

ADMIRALS SNATCH TOP SPOT
By Craig TerBlanche


The Amsterdam Admirals (3-1) moved into first place after their 37-24 victory over the Cologne Centurions (3-1), but it came at a high price as starting quarterback Gibran Hamdan was knocked out of the game and quite possibly the rest of the season.
*
Hamdan injured his throwing shoulder early in the second quarter on a one-yard quarterback sneak that tied the game at 17.*
*
“Obviously it is frustrating for me,” Hamdan said. “We have a very good team and the fact that the opportunity for me to lead this team is going to be taken away is very frustrating. On the other hand, it is part of the game. It is unfortunate that it happened, but I will have to deal with it.”
*
Stepping up to lead the way was Chicago Bears allocated quarterback Kurt Kittner. Kittner isn’t your typical backup as he completed nine of 12 passes for 158 yards and one touchdown. On his first series he connected with Ruvell Martin on a 60-yard touchdown pass that put the Admirals on top 24-17 and set the tone for the rest of the game.
*
“It was a good play,” Kittner said, who’s single-game passer rating of 144.4 leads the league . “It was the perfect defense to throw that route. One guys was sitting outside of him and the other guy was sitting inside and they both didn’t know what the heck was going on, so I just threw it right past them.”
*
Martin, who was on the receiving end of that touchdown kept his streak of scoring in every game this season alive and leads the league in touchdowns with four.
*
“When we go out there I am not thinking about that,” Martin said. “On the big plays, I just happen to get open. It is not just me, it is the whole team.”
*
A total team effort, which is what it takes to win football games. Last week, the Admirals were flashy and broke records, while this week they grinded it out and just got it done.
*
“We are working hard as a group,” offensive lineman Trevor Hutton said. “Three different people each having a rushing touchdown is a good night. I don’t think there is a phase of our game that is working more so than any other right now, we are just getting it done. You have to give credit to the backs for running hard and especially to Gibran for taking the ultimate one for the team and getting in and getting the touchdown for us.”
*
This year the Admirals have a team motto saying, “Control what we can control.” So far it seems to be working.
*
“These guys knew what they had to do,” head coach Bart Andrus said. “All week they focused on accomplishing exactly what they accomplished. Every week it is going to take a total team effort in all three phases of the game. This week was no exception to that.”

[alamo50]

In his ninth log, Payton talks about beating the Cologne Centurions, saying goodbye to Gibran Hamdan and Tony Donald and the upcoming rematch in Berlin…


April 27, 2005

We faced off against the first-place Cologne Centurions this past Saturday and while it was a close game for a while, we pulled away in the second half for the 37-24 victory. We came out with a lot of confidence and the confidence came from having worked hard all week long. I had no doubt in my mind that we were going to win that game. With the win we put ourselves in great shape because we put ourselves in the drivers seat. We control our own destiny and we are sure to have people gunning for us, but everybody wants to be where we are.

It was a total team effort the whole way, but the win came at a price. My good friends and teammates Tony Donald and Gibran Hamdan left the game early because of injuries and might be lost for the rest of the season. Those two were team leaders and guys I had looked up to. It was nice to have guys around that have been here before. They were the type of guys you wanted to be around because they worked so hard. They forced you to step up your own game because they stepped up theirs. I am going to miss those guys so much, not only for their play on the field, but also because I lost two good friends.

Now this forces us to come together as a team more so than before because it will be a real challenge to get on without them. We need leaders on and off the field and I am personally going to hold myself accountable for being one of those guys.

It all started this week as I have assumed the role of a team captain. This is a big honor for me and a huge responsibility. I was voted in by my teammates, so that shows me how they feel about me. More importantly, I know have to look out for all of them and not just myself. That is how I am at home as well. I don’t want t let my boys down and I am not going to let my teammates down either.

This week we will have a chance to prove that we still have it as we travel to Berlin to take on the Thunder. To play them twice in three games is really going to test us. They gave us a close game the first time around and I know they will be prepared for us this time, too.*

Stay tuned in for next week’s entry to find out what happens.

Lots of love to the crew back home in Miami, Chicago and Tennessee. I miss you all and can’t wait to see you again. Remember to take care of yourself and somebody else.

JP

[alamo50]

Tennessee Titans running back Jarrett Payton will write a weekly diary for NFLEurope.com throughout training camp and the regular season, charting his progress and giving readers an inside look at life as an Amsterdam Admiral.

In his tenth log, Payton talks about traveling to Berlin, the disappointment in losing and the upcoming rematch with the Frankfurt Galaxy…

May 4,2005

This week we traveled to Berlin and although we didn’t win it was still a good trip. We left on Friday and this time we traveled by train. It was a different source of transportation for me because I really don’t travel that much by train. Overall it was a five-hour trip, but didn’t seem that long because we weren’t crammed on a bus.*

When we got to Berlin we had an hour drive to get to our hotel, but before we got there we stopped by the Berlin Wall. That was one of the greatest experiences ever. I have done a lot of special things in my life, but being able to see that part of history and being able to put my name on that wall was really special. I signed the wall with “JP Mayor of the City” and “RIP Pops AKA 34.” It was just one of those experiences that you don’t ever forget. I was just a little kid when the wall came down, but I remember all of it, so to see that piece of history was wonderful.

The game didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to, but you win some and you lose some. As a team captain I was really happy with the way our team played. We fought until the final second, but the ball just didn’t bounce our way. It shows that we have a lot of character and that we wont ever give up.

Our game this week is against Frankfurt, the team that beat us in week two. This game is big. They got us in the first game, so we can’t lose two to them. We have to come out and play our game as a team. We are halfway through the season, so we have to correct our mistakes so we can get to where we need to go and that is to the World Bowl.*

Stay tuned in for next week’s entry to find out what happens.

Lots of love to the crew back home in Miami, Chicago and Tennessee. I miss you all and can’t wait to see you again. Remember to take care of yourself and somebody else.

JP

[alamo50]

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH… RB JARRETT PAYTON

Payton was honored as the games Most Valuable Player along with his teammate Jonathan Smith after the pair ran for 228 yards in the 48-10 defeat of the Frankfurt Galaxy on Sunday. Payton carried the ball nine times for 97 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding two receptions for 24 yards.

(on Sunday’s performance)
“As a whole I think we were all clicking on offense. At the beginning of the day I said it was going to be crucial for us to run the ball. Everything was clicking. The offensive line was moving people and making holes and we just got into a rhythm. This is how we should be playing all the time.”

(on his performance)
“My day today was ok. I think I had an ok day. I still feel like I can do better, but that is just me being a competitor. But I will take the win over anything.”

(on the team rushing for 331 yards)
“That is unheard of. When you have three guys who work so hard and an offensive line that works hard, tight ends that block, wide receivers that block it makes it so easy to run the ball. I think today we showed that all three of us can get the job done. There is no falling off with any of us.”

(on sharing the MVP honors with Jonathan Smith)
“It is an honor for me to be able to play with Jonathan. Everyday we come out as a unit. We work together. We are very unselfish. When you are unselfish things happen like they did today. Everyone gets their carries and their yards.”

(on playing the Hamburg Sea Devils next week)
“Hamburg is another step. It is definitely going to be a challenge. You have to take it one game at a time in this league. You have to come prepared to play every weekend. We are going to get back to it this week and get ready for Hamburg.”

[alamo50]

Tennessee Titans running back Jarrett Payton will write a weekly diary training camp and the regular season, charting his progress and giving readers an inside look at life as an Amsterdam Admiral. In his eleventh log, Payton talks about championship league soccer, defeating the Frankfurt Galaxy and setting a new NFLEL single-game rushing record with his teammates…

May 11,2005

This week couldn’t have gone any better for me. Starting out on last Wednesday, I was invited to attend a championship league soccer match between PSV Eindhoven and AC Milan with Fox Sports. While I was there I was introduced to DeMarcus Beasley, who is an American soccer player playing over here in Europe. When he first came up to me he gave me something that was very unexpected. It was a personalized PSV jersey with my name and number on the back. The whole thing was totally cool. Growing up playing soccer I never attended a big match, so this was quite an experience. The fans were totally crazy. I mean they had flags, noisemakers and even flares in the stands. You never see that in the States. It reminded me of the Super Bowl, but on a completely different scale.

Then on Sunday we got our revenge on Frankfurt as we beat them 48-10. We knew that this game was going to be crucial for us because we couldn’t lose two in a row. I had a real solid day. I came out ready to play and it was just one of those days where I felt like I was in the zone. I had felt that way all day and it was Mother’s Day. I knew my mom was going to be watching the game, so I wanted to do something special for her. However, I didn’t do it alone. As a team we ran for 334 yards, which broke an NFLEL single-game rushing record and I couldn’t have done it without Jonathan Smith, Sandino Octobre, our wide receivers and our offensive line. Everyone did what they were supposed to do and the result was a record-shattering day, which included MVP honors for me.

http://www.admirals.nl/team/2005/images/week6/jarrettpayton2_verhaal.jpg

This week I also had my boy Chris, a friend from Chicago, come and visit me. He arrived on Thursday and left on Monday, so it was only a short trip, but we had a blast. It was great to see him and I felt like I was back home with my crew again.

Now I have settled back into the week and am preparing for our game this weekend in Hamburg. Hamburg is a new franchise that is 3-3, so we have to take them seriously.

Stay tuned in for next week’s entry to find out what happens.

Lots of love to the family and crew back home in Miami, Chicago and Tennessee and thanks for all the support you have shown me over the last few months. I miss you all and can’t wait to see you again. Remember to take care of yourself and somebody else.

JP

[alamo50]

ADMIRALS DOWN BUT NOT OUT

By Craig TerBlanche


For the second time in three weeks the Amsterdam Admirals lost a ballgame in the final seconds with a costly turnover, as they were defeated 30-24 by the Hamburg Sea Devils with 26 seconds remaining in overtime.

“Twice in the same season is unheard of,” cornerback Jeff Sanchez said. “To lose a game that way is heartbreaking and you can handle it once, but twice in the same season is highly unusual. We will have to get past it. That is a hard way to lose.”

Sanchez was a bright spot for the Admirals as he registered seven tackles, six pass deflections and two interceptions, one of which he returned 94 yards for a touchdown.

“We started off kind of slow,” he said. “The offense they run is very consistent. We had to get a feel for what they were doing. Once we knew what they were doing we started getting turnovers.”

Offensively the Admirals come out red-hot as they marched 78 yards in 11 plays to score on their opening drive from a one-yard touchdown run by Jarrett Payton. Later in the first quarter Kurt Kittner hooked up with wide out Ruvell Martin on a 50-yard touchdown pass. Martin has successfully scored in every game this season and leads NFL Europe with seven touchdowns, but knows that all means nothing if your not winning.

http://www.admirals.nl/team/2005/images/week7/ruvellmartin_verhaal.jpg

“This is about as frustrating as it gets,” Martin said. “You have opportunities and when you don’t capitalize on them it is really frustrating. When your defense gives you the ball you have to take advantage or else this happens. This is one of those things you have to put behind you and move on.”

The Admirals have taken solace in the fact they get to play the Sea Devils again on May 29, when Hamburg travels to Amsterdam for a much-anticipated rematch in Amsterdam ArenA.

http://www.admirals.nl/team/2005/images/week7/scottconnot_verhaal.jpg

“We are excited to play them back in our house,” said safety Scott Connot (picture), who had two interceptions and added eight tackles. “This one has left a sour taste in our mouths. I know everybody has a sour taste and can’t wait to get them again in two weeks.

First the Admirals play the Cologne Centurions on Monday, May 23, which means the players will get an extra day off and have an extra day of practice because of the long week.

“That is huge for us,” head coach Bart Andrus said. “At this point in the season when the guys are tired you need an extra day off. This week was a short week where we only had two practices, so this will help. The guys will have an opportunity to get their legs back under them and get refocused.”

The Centurions are fresh off a 20-17 victory over the Frankfurt Galaxy and with four teams in the hunt for World Bowl glory every game is crucial.

“We have to beat Cologne,” coach Andrus said. “We eliminate ourselves if we don’t. We control our own destiny still and if we beat Cologne we eliminate them from competition with us. It’s a must win.”

[alamo50]

Tennessee Titans running back Jarrett Payton will write a weekly diary charting his progress and giving readers an inside look at life as an Amsterdam Admiral.

In his thirteenth log, Payton talks about playing Cologne at home and being one step closer to the World Bowl…


May 25, 2005

This week went by really slowly as we had two days off and an extra day of practice. It was nice to be able to rest my body and get my legs fresh. I think something like that is a huge advantage coming down the stretch.

The extra day of practice helped us too as we were able to better prepare ourselves for our rematch against Cologne. It showed on the field as we beat them 30-12 in front of our crazy fans. I love playing at home. We have some of the best fans. Being over here in Europe you are not sure what the fan situation is like, but let me tell you they are crazy. I wouldn’t call them groupies, but we have some die-hard Admirals fans that come to every game, even when we are on the road. That takes a lot of commitment. I personally want to thank all of them for their support and love that they have shown me. Right from the start I have felt at home here. I hope for our last game they show up in the thousands and break an attendance record and that I get to personally thank all of them by helping us get to the World Bowl for the first time since 1995.

http://www.admirals.nl/team/2005/images/week8/jarrettpayton3_verhaal.jpg

Right now we can taste the World Bowl. That has been our goal from the start of the season and to see it taking shape is awesome. All season long coach Andrus has been telling us that as long as we are flying the plane we control what happens to us and this week we are still flying the plane. Our World Bowl destiny is in our hands.

This week we play the Hamburg Sea Devils, the team we lost to in Week 7 in overtime. It was a heartbreaking loss that no one has forgotten about. After that loss I said that we needed to put some back-to-back wins together and that being at home we are capable of doing that. So far I have been right and this week we will make sure to take care of business.

Stay tuned in for next week’s entry to find out what happens.

Lots of love to the family and crew back home in Miami, Chicago and Tennessee and thanks for all the support you have shown me over the last few months. I miss you all and can’t wait to see you again. Remember to take care of yourself and somebody else.

JP

[alamo50]

Runningback Jarrett Payton will write a weekly diary charting his progress and giving readers an inside look at life as an Amsterdam Admiral. In his fourteenth log, Payton talks about defeating Hamburg, going undefeated at home and clinching a World Bowl berth…

June 1, 2005

We did it. That’s right we clinched a spot in the World Bowl this past week when we beat Hamburg 27-10 at home and the Rhein Fire beat the Cologne Centurions. I said it from day one that we were going to be there and it has happened. We played together all year as a team and fought our way through. The World Bowl is on June 11 and we will be playing the Berlin Thunder. During the regular season we split with the Thunder, winning at home and losing a close game on the road at their place.

http://www.admirals.nl/team/2005/images/week9/jarrettpayton_verhaal3.jpg

First, I want to talk about how amazing it was to win our last home game and then watch the Fire-Centurions game on the big screen with the fans. Most of the fans stayed behind and watched as we officially clinched a spot in the World Bowl and the whole place went nuts. It was amazing. After the game we also took a cruise around the stadium to show our appreciation to our fans. They have been great all year and we are going to need them to show up in force for the World Bowl.

We head to Düsseldorf this week to take on the Rhein Fire. It is a game that means nothing as far as the standings go, but it is huge for our preparation for out final game. The World Bowl takes place in LTU arena, the same place we play on Saturday and that is a huge advantage because it allows us to see what it’s like playing in there as far as the noise and the footing go.

We will remain there for the week leading up to the big game, so I have to say goodbye to Amsterdam this week. In fact, right now I am packing up my whole room. I have collected so much stuff. I don’t know if I am going to be able to take it all back with me. This has been our home for the past few months and it will be hard to leave, but I must say I am excited to get back home. This week we had a dinner that reminded us of home. Ulish Booker’s mom was over here and she cooked us a fantastic home cooked meal that we all were grateful for. We had fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, collared greens and potato salad. It was off the chain.

http://www.admirals.nl/team/2005/images/week9/jarrettpayton_verhaal2.jpg

Stay tuned in for next week’s entries to find out what World Bowl week is like. I will be writing three more entries to let everyone know what that week is like for me. I am sure I will be busy because you know me, I love to talk.

Lots of love to the family and crew back home in Miami, Chicago and Tennessee and thanks for all the support you have shown me over the last few months. I miss you all and can’t wait to see you again. Remember to take care of yourself and somebody else.

JP

[alamo50]

Runningback Jarrett Payton will write a weekly diary charting his progress and giving readers an inside look at life as an Amsterdam Admiral. In his fifteenth log, Payton talks leaving Amsterdam and traveling to Düsseldorf for the World Bowl…


June 6, 2005

Right now I am sitting in my new hotel room at the official World Bowl hotel. It was crazy packing up and leaving Utrecht, but at the same time it means I am that much closer to going home.

We arrived in Düsseldorf on Friday and we played the Rhein Fire on Saturday. Sadly to say we didn’t play our best game as we lost 27-14. Our coaches stressed taking this game seriously and not to look past it, but I think we looked past it. It is hard to get up for a game that means nothing. I don’t want to take anything away from the Fire because they came out and put it to us, but we certainly didn’t play how we are capable of playing.

On Sunday, we changed hotels, which was a little stressful because we had to move all of our luggage again. Our new hotel is nice and we all have our own rooms. We were worried that we were going to have roommates because normally when we are on the road we do.

http://www.admirals.nl/team/2005/images/week5/jarrettpayton_verhaal.jpg

My mom is back and she is here to support me until the end. It is great to have her here. She hasn’t seen me play in a while, so it will be nice to have her in the stands again.

We start our preparations for Berlin tomorrow so I am excited to get back to it. Since I have been over here in Europe, Berlin has been my favorite team to play because they are good. It is fitting to have the two best teams play for the championship. It is going to be a great test for us as a team. We have been through a lot and every time we have hit rough spots we have fought our way back to the top.

Stay tuned for the next entry to see how the week is treating me.

Lots of love to the family and crew back home in Miami, Chicago and Tennessee and thanks for all the support you have shown me over the last few months. I miss you all and can’t wait to see you again. Remember to take care of yourself and somebody else.

JP

[alamo50]

Runningback Jarrett Payton will write a weekly diary charting his progress and giving readers an inside look at life as an Amsterdam Admiral. In his sixteenth log, Payton talks about staying in Düsseldorf and team reception at City Hall.


June 8, 2005

I am now settled into our new hotel and things are starting to take shape. Germany is cool, but I miss Amsterdam. I was used to the way things were and now everything is different. Amsterdam is more like me; real laid back.

We had our first World Bowl practice today and things went great. It was exciting to get back on the field and prepare for that special day. Everybody seemed to be on the same page and ready to go to work. I think we all understand what is at stake. This could be the only championship game that these guys play in. You never know how many chances you are going to get. I was lucky enough to play in two and win one, while I was at Miami.

http://www.admirals.nl/english/images/wk2_jarrettpayton.jpg

Our first World Bowl outing as a team was a dinner with the Mayor at City Hall. It was great. Our whole team got dressed up in nice pants and our new World Bowl polo’s. Everyone looked sharp. When we arrived we were greeted by fans and media and for the first time we got to see the Berlin Thunder. It was cool to be able to share this experience with another team that has worked as hard as you have.

For dinner they prepared a starter course of soup and had a few buffet stations set up with some amazing food. They had everything you could think of, even pizza for us Americans. Overall, it was a great night spent socializing and mingling with some friends.

Later in the week we have media day where all the local and international media come to talk to us in a group setting. I am sure I will get asked some pretty interesting questions and probably nothing about my father. Just kidding, but you never know what you are going to get asked over here. They don’t hold anything back.

Stay tuned for the next entry to see how things went.

Lots of love to the family and crew back home in Miami, Chicago and Tennessee and thanks for all the support you have shown me over the last few months. I miss you all and can’t wait to see you again. Remember to take care of yourself and somebody else.

JP

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http://www.admirals.nl/team/2005/images/worldbowl/jarrettpayton_wbweek_opening.jpg

Runningback Jarrett Payton will write a weekly diary charting his progress and giving readers an inside look at life as an Amsterdam Admiral. In his seventeenth and last log, Payton talks about earning a spot on the All-NFL Europe League team and the upcoming championship match against Berlin…


June 10, 2005

All my hard work has paid off. On Thursday, I was selected to the All-NFL Europe League team. It’s an honor to be a part of something that. It has been 10 weeks of hard work and it is nice to have your accomplishments recognized. Joining me on the All-Europe team was Chad Setterstrom, Ruvell Martin, Scott Connot and B.J. Tucker. All of these guys have worked so hard and to be going through this with them is something I will never forget.

http://www.admirals.nl/team/2005/images/worldbowl/payton_mediaday_verhaal.jpg

After the All-Europe team was announced we had media day. There were quite a few different print media outlets and ton of photographers. I love dealing with the media because if you are true to them they will do their best to show the public who you are. It helps because when people read these stories they can feel like they know you. I love it when people come up to me and talk to me about something that has happened in the past because it shows that people feel connected to me.

We also went on another team outing that the league organized for us, but this time we got to ride go-carts. It was a lot of fun and let me tell you those things were flying around the track. It is a good thing no one got into a big accident because we don’t need any injuries right now.

We just finished up with practice and all that is left is the World Bowl. It is all mental from here. Now it is about visualizing the game in my head until kickoff time. This game is going to be shown in over 140 countries and my plan is be know worldwide. To do that I am going to have to come out and put on a show the only way I know how to.

Since this is my final diary, I want to take this moment to talk about how wonderful this experience has been. It has been a blessing to have this opportunity to play football because I understand that there are plenty of people that would love to be in this position. I am also going to miss my teammates like crazy. We have all grown so close in such a short period of time. These are life-long friendships and I can’t wait to keep up with all of them and watch their careers in the league.

I was thinking to myself how proud my father would be of me. Not just for my football success, but for growing up and being a man. A man that he would be proud to call his son.

Thanks for reading and being a part of this experience with me. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have. There will be no more next week, this is the final word.

JP