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STREETS HAS BIG GAME FOR 49ERS

Tai stepped in for an injured Terrell Owens and made four catches for 73 yards in the 49ers 16-6 win over the Atlanta Falcons.  Tai now has 17 catches for over 240 yards on the season. Click here for Tai's stats.

Hall of Fame Football
July 31st 
Tai Streets is healthy and in his second football season in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers.  It was quite convenient for us to see him play in Canton vs. the Patriots (and Andy Katzenmoyer).
Tai was a gracious host to our own Jerome Moss and Mike Kuykendall after the game.  At the practice the night before, Mike, John, Dante Booker and Ashley Masterangelo took their sons to get close to the action and greet Tai briefly.

McCollum Signs !!
(March 2000)

     Andy McCollum, an area standout from Revere HS and Toledo University, recently signed a new three year deal with the World Champion St. Louis Rams.  
     Last year, Andy left the New Orleans Saints for a one year deal with the Rams.  In the process, he was a part of an enormously successful offensive line, that went all the way to the Super Bowl and placed two players in the Pro Bowl.  
     St. Louis thought enough of Andy's performance to sign him to a three year deal worth over 3.4 million dollars and give him the opportunity to start the season as their center.  
     Our congratulations to a really great person on being recognized for earning these additional opportunities in professional sports!

          Irv Smith a Free Agent
As of February 11th, Irv became an unrestricted free agent.  Irv was a tremendous help to TEAM JAM this past year by donating tickets to every home game, spending time with numerous young people, and donating money toward special projects for our youth.  All of this went unnoted by the local media.  As Irv tests the free agent waters, the many who have gotten to know him in this area, are already voicing disappointment that the Browns have chosen not to make the effort to resign him.
      Irv started every game that he was healthy, 13 of 16 games in all, and had 24 catches and a touchdown.  Unfortunately, it took until Tim Couch was hurt late in the season for the Browns to figure out how to use him.  In the last three games of the season, Irv had 13 catches and a touchdown, in addition to a critical 30 yard interference penalty that he drew against Jacksonville.  In all three of those games, it was the best offensive output by the Browns all year.  In the last game against powerful Indianapolis, Irv led the team with both catches and yardage in a game that was lost in the last seconds by the Browns.
      Though we will be separated by miles, Irv continues to be one of our advisory board members.  As he has done for seven years now, he will continue to invest in our youth when he comes to play against teams in our area.  We are grateful for his kindness and involvement.  He will be difficult to replace both on the field and in our community.  

                 Rams win Super Bowl!
                                    JAM board member gets championship ring!
                                   
Andy McCollum, the 6'4" 290lb. lineman for the St. Louis Rams, was part of the Super Bowl Champions, in one of the most exciting games ever played. . . and the first Super Bowl of the new millenium.
       This marks the second year in a row that a TEAM JAM athlete was involved in the Super Bowl.  Last year Ed Smith (presently of the Detroit Lions) played as a tight end for the Atlanta Falcons.
       It is also exciting to see the story of Kurt Warner continue to unfold.  What a fitting end to an absolutely unbelievable year, when he not only led his team to victory and set numerous records, but was also named the Super Bowl MVP.  We respect him for his stand as a Christian and his willingness to speak about Christ. And of course, he did just that when interviewed and honored after the game. Undoubtedly he will be under tremendous spiritual attack for the great job he is doing representing God.  Please join us in praying for him in the weeks and months to come as he will have many opportunities to do both good AND evil.  We will be praying that he can always make the right choice.
       We are also impressed at his perseverance in rising from obscurity at a small college and professionally in the Arena Football League.  He could have also given up when St. Louis signed Free Agent Trent Green to an enormous multi-million dollar contract.  Instead, Kurt kept working hard and kept a positive attitude.  When Green went down with a season ending injury, Kurt stepped into his window of opportunity with an MVP season.  He has also been featured for his work as a parent with his adopted son.  
       For those of you who don't know, Andy is a similar story.  Andy played locally at Revere H.S., went on to star at Toledo U., only to not be drafted.  He continued to fight for tryouts until eventually he made the practice squad for the Cleveland Browns.  Only one year later he began really making a name for himself with the New Orleans Saints for several years.  After becoming a free agent this past winter, he signed with the Rams.  
        Stories like these are what motivate us at TEAM JAM. There are so many young people out there like this who need to be encouraged and assisted in getting their opportunity.  If they are properly prepared once they get it, then not only are they champions on the field, but champions like these two young men off the field.
 

                          Tai Streets Comes Back!
The last Monday night game of the NFL football season might not have meant that much to the average sports fan when the S.F. 49ers squared off against the Atlanta Falcons, but it did to one 49er (other than Jerry Rice) and those of us here at TEAM JAM.   Tai Streets (TEAM JAM basketball - 1995) battled back from a ruptured Achilles tendon, suffered last spring, and caught two passes for 25 yards in front of the whole nation.  Tai had injured his leg just before the draft, causing his "stock" to plummet and the beginning of a long rehabilitation process.   After an outstanding career at Michigan, he had been projected to go as high as the second round in the draft, but the injury changed all that.  Now with the salary cap problems of the 49ers, the probable departure of Jerry Rice (due to his salary), and Tai's recovery, we may one day look back on that Monday night game as the ending of one great era (Rice's) and the beginning of another!  Congratulations Tai on your comeback!

      Man Mountain" Hill picked up by Bears
6'6"  and  320lb. Keno Hill is certainly a "man mountain" and the offensive lineman was picked up the last week of the regular season by the Chicago Bears.  Keno started his college career at nearby Kent State University and that's also where TEAM JAM first met him.  Keno played the last several years for the New Orleans Saints and has recently overcome some personal struggles in his life.  We're proud of him for continuing to fight back to overcome and look forward to seeing him more now that he is nearby.

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