and my freedoms in this country, and my freedom

DETROIT -- Lions tight end Eric Ebron was carted off the field during the franchises mock game Saturday with what may be a right Achilles injury, according to the NFL Network.Ebron fell to the ground around the right hashmark and was clearly in pain as team doctors checked his right knee and ankle. He was down for several minutes before a cart came out to take him off the field and back toward the locker room.Early indications are that the injury may not be as serious as initially feared, according to reports from ESPNs Adam Caplan and The NFL Network.Lions coach Jim Caldwell had no comment on Ebrons injury after practice concluded. When asked about Ebrons injury, general manager Bob Quinn said, Injuries happen in football, but he didnt elaborate further.Quarterback Matthew Stafford said he has no idea what is wrong with Ebron. When asked what it would do to Detroits offense if he were significantly hurt, Stafford said Im not going to talk about hypotheticals.Ebron had been having a good training camp, looking much more comfortable catching the ball, and he was in the midst of a good day during the Lions mock game Saturday, including catching a 30-yard pass from Stafford down the seam.If Ebron were to miss any time, it would be devastating to a Detroit Lions tight end group already without Brandon Pettigrew, who remains on PUP recovering from a torn ACL. The Lions have veteran Matthew Mulligan and undrafted rookie Cole Wick as the next two tight ends.Orson Charles, who was signed earlier this summer, is a veteran who could see more time if Ebron were to be significantly injured.You never want to see somebody in your room go down, period, anybody in the organization, Charles said. Im definitely going to keep him in my prayers and go up there and check up on him. As a group, we all have to step up and try to fill that void.Ebron had said earlier this camp he felt this was a make it or break it year for him with the Lions. Quinn had previously said by the third season he typically knows what to expect out of a tight end.Ebron missed some reps after being shaken up during Wednesdays practice and sat out Fridays practice with an undisclosed injury. Warren Moon Jersey . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. Kevin Byard Jersey .H. -- Matt Kenseth made it 2 for 2 in the Chase, holding off teammate Kyle Busch to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. http://www.authentictitanspro.com/Jurrell-casey-titans-jersey/ . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. Derrick Henry Jersey . 10 Texas A&Ms offence dominated as usual against SMU. Custom Tennessee Titans Jerseys . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. SAN DIEGO -- While a naval officer sang the first notes of The Star-Spangled Banner and dozens of military members unfurled an oversized flag on the football field, Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid dropped to one knee on the San Francisco 49ers sideline.With his silent gestures of protest, Kaepernick intends to keep drawing attention to a litany of American problems -- and hes no longer alone.Kaepernick and Reid kneeled during the national anthem Thursday before the 49ers 31-21 preseason victory over San Diego, ignoring scattered boos and angry shouts in Qualcomm Stadium at the Chargers Salute to the Military preseason game.Up north in Oakland, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane showed his support for Kaepernick by sitting on the bench during the anthem.Im not anti-American. I love America, said Kaepernick, who stayed on the field long after the game to sign autographs for enthusiastic fans. I love people. Thats why Im doing this. I want to help make America better, and I think having these conversations helps everybody have a better understanding of where everybody is coming from.Kaepernicks protest has dominated the public discussion of the nations most popular sport this week, and his stance has been met with passionate condemnation and support. His refusal to stand for the anthem first came to public notice last week when he remained seated on the 49ers bench before a preseason game against Green Bay.The quarterback cited numerous reasons for his actions, ranging from racial injustice and minority oppression to police brutality and the treatment of military veterans.Kaepernick said he plans to continue his protests during the regular season. He also intends to donate $1 million to different organizations to help these communities and help these people, declining to provide specifics.The message is that we have a lot of issues in this country that we need to deal with, Kaepernick said. We have a lot of people that are oppressed. We have a lot of people that arent treated equally, that arent given equal opportunities. Police brutality is a huge thing that needs to be addressed. There are a lot of issues that need to be talked about.Kaepernick wasnt earnestly booed in San Diego until he took the field to start the game for the 49ers, immediately leading them on a 16-play, 85-yard touchdown drive against the hometown team. Amid his burgeoning social activism, he is also fighting for a roster spot and attempting to regain the starting job that he lost last season.When Kaepernick left the field following pregame warmups, he was greeted with profanity and obscene gestures from Leo Uzcategui, a 20-year Navy veteran in a military-green Chargers jersey with quarterback Philip Rivers No. 17 in camouflage numbering.I was in the Navy and I saw men and women bleed and die for this flag, Uzcategui said. If he wants to do something, go to some outreach program where he can do some good. And I get it, his First Amendment right. But you dont sit during the presenting of the colors, and you dont sit during the national anthem. That is not the way to do it.A sign in the crowd read: Youre an American. Act like one.But Domenique Banks, a 23-year-old fan from nearby Oceanside, California, got the quarterback to sign his Kaepernick jersey before the game.I told him I appreciate what he is standing up for, Banks said..ddddddddddddHe said he appreciated it. Most of the people I talk to say the same thing. I dont like that he is sitting during the national anthem, but I appreciate what he is standing for.Kaepernick was thrilled to be joined by Reid, the 49ers starting safety and a fourth-year veteran from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Reid and Kaepernick decided together on kneeling rather than sitting during the anthem.I just wanted to show my support for him, Reid said. He wanted to make it clear that he wasnt trying to be disrespectful to the military or the national anthem, so he decided to change his position to be more respectful, but still bring awareness to the issues that he believes are going on in this country, and that I wholeheartedly believe exist in this country.In Oakland, Lane sat on the bench behind his standing teammates before Seattles game against the Raiders. Lane said he doesnt know Kaepernick, but was standing behind him.Its something I plan to keep on doing until I feel like justice has been served, Lane said. No, I didnt tell anyone I was going to do it. I just did it. ... I dont mean no disrespect toward anybody, but Im just standing behind what I believe.Kaepernick kneeled next to Nate Boyer, a former Green Beret who went to training camp with the Seahawks last year as a long snapper. Boyer, who wrote a conciliatory open letter to Kaepernick earlier this week, spoke with the quarterback about his stance this week. He posted a photo of the two on Twitter with a caption reading, Lets just keep moving forward. This is what America should be all about.When the same naval officer performed God Bless America before the fourth quarter, Kaepernick remained standing and then applauded along with his teammates.Kaepernick doesnt intend his stance to be a criticism of the military. When the Chargers public-address announcer asked fans to recognize active military personnel during a timeout, the quarterback stood and enthusiastically applauded along with his teammates and the entire stadium.I realize that men and women of the military go out and sacrifice their lives and put themselves in harms way for my freedom of speech, and my freedoms in this country, and my freedom to take a seat or take a knee, Kaepernick said. So I have the utmost respect for them, and I think what I did was taken out of context and spun a different way.Kaepernicks social activism, which only emerged publicly in recent weeks, also included support for the Black Lives Matter movement through social media.While negative reaction to the quarterback has been strong, Kaepernick also has been widely praised for his commitment to his stance. Veterans and military members tweeted their support for Kaepernick in recent days under the hashtag VeteransForKaepernick.It was something I was thinking about to make sure that Im not just talking about something, but Im actively being involved and actively trying to make a change in these communities, Kaepernick said. Ive been very blessed to be in this position and be able to make the kind of money I do, and I have to help these people.---AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow in Oakland contributed to this story.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '