Townsend Glad to Be a Raider Again

When Oakland Raider defensive lineman Greg Townsend walked out on the field to play in a competitive football game for the first time since 1994, he knew he had made the right decision.

It was Aug. 3 against the Dallas Cowboys, and Townsend--who retired from football after the 1994 season--felt the competitive juices flowing again.

“I knew I still belonged then,” Townsend said. “My focus became clear. When I walked out and saw the fans, the nice clean field, the opposition getting ready, there was no need to fake it. That was a good feeling.”

Townsend, 35, stayed away from the game entirely in 1995, and his weight ballooned to as much as 310 pounds. The next year, he decided to get back into shape and started doing some of the same things he did while playing football.

“That’s when I started to think I could play this game again,” said Townsend. “The desire started to come back. I made up my mind to get serious.”

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Baltimore Raven top draft pick Peter Boulware will accept the team’s six-year $18.5 million contract offer and could be with the team as early as today, ending his 34-day holdout. . . . The Kansas City Chiefs put former UCLA receiver Sean LaChapelle on injured-reserve because of a hamstring injury.